Thoughts on these issues?

[Aja1]

I took my 2001 Outback Limited into the shop last week as it exhibited these symptoms:

 

-very noticeable shaking after start-up

 

-check engine light was on

 

 

The dealer said it was the fuel injector, which they fixed and all seemed OK for 3 days or so. Drove 200 miles or so for Thanksgiving, with no problems. Then yesterday the heat wouldn’t work, the temp gauge went way up and when I checked the coolant it was almost empty. I filled up the coolant and all seems to be OK now, heat works and temp gauge is OK.

 

 

There doesn’t seem to be a noticeable leak under the car, but I’ll check again tonight.

 

 

Is this just a case of several coincidences and all should be OK, or is there something else going on here?

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Ben

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

Was any other service performed while it was in the shop? I dunno much about injector replacement - but if it required disconnecting/draining any coolant system parts - could be the dealer did not 'properly'(it is tricky with soobs) refill the system.

 

It would be nice to know what the CEL code(s) were - but this could easily be unrelated issues. Unfortunately, the most recent coolant problem could also be a bad headgasket.

[nipper]

 

 

Then yesterday the heat wouldn’t work, the temp gauge went way up and when I checked the coolant it was almost empty. I filled up the coolant and all seems to be OK now, heat works and temp gauge is OK.

 

 

Keep a very close eye on that temp gauge. It sounds like a coincidence, but you are not going to like my answer at all.

STart the car with the radiator cap off, look for bubbles. Have the dealer chacke for exhaust gasses in the raditor. There really is only one reason to have peged gaguge and no heat and an empty tank ...

 

 

but i wont speak the evils name, and i hope im wrong.

 

 

nipper

[Aja1]

It was a routine 75,000 mile service, plus the injectors. They surely changed the fluids.

 

We'll try the start the engine with cap off procedure to see if we have bubbles. What you speak of is the HG, yes?

[Aja1]

Update:

 

Checked the coolant level at lunch...it was at minimum level. Filled it up and turned the car on...lots of bubbles...violent bubbles. I'm not real familiar with the way the radiator works, so does this sound like the bubbles I should be concerned about?

 

Thanks,

 

Ben

[drewd]

Update:

 

Checked the coolant level at lunch...it was at minimum level. Filled it up and turned the car on...lots of bubbles...violent bubbles. I'm not real familiar with the way the radiator works, so does this sound like the bubbles I should be concerned about?

 

Thanks,

 

Ben

 

Wow, that's a blown head gasket...i'm surprised it happened so early...maybe you ran it hard with not enough coolant or your thermostat stuck closed. That sucks, dude.

[Aja1]

Thanks for the diagnosis. I have obviously read all about the head gasket issues with Subes, but I'm not sure I have ever seen what it costs to fix such a thing...what can I expect? Anything else I should know going into this ordeal?

 

 

Thanks

[Phugoid]

Reading this thread brought up two questions for me.

 

Is the radiator the best place to check for coolant bubbles? Would they also appear in the reservoir?

 

The min/max line...if I understand correctly, min is the level when cool and max is the level when hot? Is that true?

 

Sorry to hear about your HGs AJ. I've got $1200 earmarked in case mine go on my 97 OBW with the 2.5 DOHC.

 

Thanks,

Reid

[nipper]

Raditor is the best place, its the easiest. Its a resvior and they have only one place to go which is out the neck. The cap can give you a false negative untill pressure builds up enough to escape out the cap.Yes min max is hot cold

 

 

nipper

[OB99W]

Thanks for the diagnosis. I have obviously read all about the head gasket issues with Subes, but I'm not sure I have ever seen what it costs to fix such a thing...what can I expect? Anything else I should know going into this ordeal?

I'd expect a 2001 OB to have a phase 2 (SOHC) engine. If you're the original owner, and kept Subaru informed of your address if you moved after the purchase, you should have received an "Official Owner Notification Letter". The letter informed owners of "certain model year vehicles starting in 1999 through 2002" that if they brought their cars to the dealer, they would add "Subaru Cooling System Conditioner" to the cooling system. As long as you did so, and replaced the conditioner whenever the coolant was replaced, Subaru extended the warranty. ("If so, Subaru will extend coverage under the Subaru Limited Warranty on your vehicle for cylinder head gasket external coolant leaks to a period of 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.")

 

It's obvious that your 2001 is less than 8 years old, and you said the dealer work was at the 75,000 mile mark, so if the "conditioner" was previously added, you should be covered. If you never got the letter, or didn't go to the dealer, or I'm wrong about your car falling under this "campaign", you may have an expensive problem. Best of luck.

 

--OB99W

[Aja1]

Took the car in to the shop...not the head gasket. They said it was an air bubble in the coolant that had to be bled out. Not sure where all the coolant went, but they fixed for free. They also said no damage was done by the overheating.

 

 

Does this sound reasonable?

 

-Ben

[SuBrat84]

Took the car in to the shop...not the head gasket. They said it was an air bubble in the coolant that had to be bled out. Not sure where all the coolant went, but they fixed for free. They also said no damage was done by the overheating.

 

 

Does this sound reasonable?

 

-Ben

 

This does sound possible. But keep in mind this coolant issue started AFTER your 75k service. So if any serious damage results (I.E. A Blown Head Gasket) the dealer should be held responsible for not properly servicing your vehicle. You should wait until the car is cold and check for bubbles AGAIN. It is POSSIBLE the bubbles were from the cooling system not being bled properly... but why wasn't it bled properly with a 75k service from a dealership??? If you are still getting bubbles in your cold radiator I suggest returning your vehicle to the dealership and having them replace the head gaskets and any other items that may have potentially been damaged as a results of the overheating caused by the air pocket they left in your motor. They should do all of this for FREE. If there is any issues about this coolant / hg situation and the dealership refuses to make it right, let them know you will be contacting Subaru directly to inform them of the situation. Then contact Subaru (of America, I assume) and fill them in on the situation and the dealer name/location. If nothing is made right after contacting Subaru directly you should probably begin taking legal action. Get all of the paper work POSSIBLE from the Dealership about the 75k service and anything they did AFTER the 75k service. Get these papers BEFORE you persue legal action. Good luck, I hope it was as simple as bleeding out the coolant properly and you're having a good time driving around with a smile on your face!

[Cougar]

I don't know if the coolant is scheduled to be replaced at 75k miles or not. I would like to know if the service department did anything with the coolant on the initial service job. If they did, then I think they are covering up something they did wrong. At least they should have checked the coolant to see that it was low and top it off. Why wasn't it at least checked? To have a radiator that low on coolant usually means two things. There is either a leak in the sytem or the gaskets are blown. I would not trust this shop after seeing this. Definately check the coolant again for bubbles. They may have put in some stop leak in the system to cover the problem up for a while.

 

I could be wrong about them but this just sounds like trouble to me.