21
votes
Cascading Repair Costs following Blown Head Gasket on a 2004 Subaru Outback
Sorry for your situation, but this is one of those times when it's best to put the car out to grass. The car is 15 years old. I kept a Subaru running until 300,000, but there was always 'just one more ...
- 8,722
8
votes
Accepted
When idling, AC does not work and engine overheats. What's the cause?
A few things spring to mind:
confirm radiator fan operation (per user3188168's suggestion)
The fans are vital in ensuring air flow across the both radiator and A/C condenser when the car is ...
- 39.2k
8
votes
Cascading Repair Costs following Blown Head Gasket on a 2004 Subaru Outback
I concur with user9181; I would add a suggestion of having a non-dealership mechanic render a second opinion. As noted, redecking the heads requires removal of the timing belt, and on reassembly it is ...
- 261
7
votes
Engine overheating - mayo in oil sump mystery
Some thoughts:
think about interfaces where could coolant and oil mix. The head gasket is one place but there may be another place like an oil-water heat exchanger.
Under normal circumstances I ...
- 39.2k
7
votes
Accepted
Overheating at idle - mechanic says head gasket
It would be good to ask the mechanic to explain to you how they are sure that it is the head gasket – head gasket problems often share symptoms with other problems.
One way that a head gasket failure ...
- 14.5k
7
votes
Overheats only when running at low RPM
This sounds like a problem with the radiator fan control system to me, the radiator fan should turn on automatically when the temperature reaches a certain temperature, and switch off when below. We ...
- 17.1k
7
votes
Idling motor and running AC for 4-8 hours in 100 degree heat?
It shouldn't cause the vehicle any issues. Realistically, all you'll be doing is burning fuel. The wear will absolutely be minimal, mainly because at an idle, there is very little stress put onto the ...
- 160k
6
votes
What effect will replacing manifolds with headers have on oil temperature?
I would seriously look at improving your oil cooler.
I doubt going "larger" is the immediate solution, I'm betting it's the airflow across the heat exchanger. Relocate the cooler, modify/improve the ...
- 12.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Overheat, coolant loss, P0170/P0117, hard start, smoke, delayed throttle, no vtec
I finally got a chance to investigate more and figured it out.
After letting it cool during the initial trip, I was able to check the coolant, and it was bone dry. I added about 3.2 liters to the 3.3 ...
- 4,890
6
votes
Overheating at idle - mechanic says head gasket
There are so many things that could explain slow overheating
A compromised head gasket is just one of them. Other (less involved) reasons include:
a radiator fan that doesn't turn on when it should
...
- 39.2k
5
votes
Overheating Subaru
Subaru Thermostats are different from those you buy at OReilly and other auto stores. You NEED to buy the OEM thermostat from Subaru; the design is different.
Before bothering with the thermostat, ...
- 8,722
5
votes
Accepted
Engine hot, radiator cold
Quick answer for engine overheating/cold radiator would be:
a) Check there is coolant in the system: refill as needed and check for leaks. Remember to purge air bubbles: my way is that as I add ...
- 3,346
5
votes
Civic overheating and hoses popping
Have the engine compression tested or leak down tested as I suspect the problem you are describing may be the result of a failed cylinder head gasket as it sounds like pressure from the combustion ...
- 23.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Engine overheating - mayo in oil sump mystery
Alright! Mistery solved, engine was overheating because several events:
a) it was passing water to the oil sump because the head gasket got damaged, because:
b) two missing bolts in the head! One ...
- 3,346
4
votes
Accepted
Would using a cooler plug help or even prevent this level of exhaust valve damage
From what I understand of cool/hot spark plugs, the idea is not that they are absorbing a significant amount of heat that would otherwise be burning your valves. Cooler plugs keep the tip of the plug ...
- 1,646
4
votes
Why is it still overheating
There are a few causes of overheating that wouldn't be fixed by your previous repairs.
System not pressurising: The radiator cap needs to seal pressure in. If it doesn't, your coolant will boil at a ...
- 12.2k
4
votes
Overheating with bubbles when parked
Overheating can be caused by a few things:
Coolant isn't circulating - pump, thermostat or other blockage
Insufficient coolant. Leaks, getting burned or air pockets.
System isn't holding pressure (...
- 3,159
4
votes
Driving Subarus without coolant
It's not wise to drive any car with no coolant running through the engine. It could cause a multitude of problems ranging from overheating, water pump failure, to a cracked block.
- 964
4
votes
99 camaro overheating
210° as shown on the gauge in the dash is about the normal operating temperature for the 1999 Camaro, whether V6 or Z28. If it's anywhere in that ballpark, you wouldn't necessarily be considered as &...
- 160k
3
votes
Accepted
Should the rear brakes get hotter than the front in a RWD vehicle?
Usually it's the front brakes that heat up as this is where most braking resistance comes from. Could be a handbrake issue though. If your handbrake did not release completely it could apply a small ...
- 1,383
3
votes
Overheating in E-46, 3.23i
If the top hose is hot and swollen, while you can touch and hold the bottom hose (you said it was cool), I'd suggest your radiator is clogged ... quite severely in fact.
The normal flow of coolant ...
- 160k
3
votes
1999 Subaru Legacy 2.5 Overheating
Subarus are very picky about thermostats; you need the OEM one. I'd start there, and then bleed the system; again, Subaru's are picky, and there is a bleed procedure to follow.
If both of those are ...
- 8,722
3
votes
Truck overheating; no coolant flow through radiator
I'd agree with Paulster2 that you don't have enough coolant in the system. One thing I've found extremely helpful in getting cooling systems properly filled up is one of these Lisle 24610 Spill-Free ...
- 15.7k
3
votes
Engine Overheat via Head Gasket Leak
First, understand that not all head gasket leaks (failures) are the same. The type and design of the engine will have a lot to do with it, as well as the location of the failure within the gasket. ...
- 9,005
3
votes
Replaced radiator and Thermostat, Car Still Overheating
Next test steps are:
Test for proper fan operation. The fan should come on when the A/C is selected on regardless of coolant temperature, this is a easy way to ensure that the fan works. The fan ...
- 11.6k
3
votes
Replaced radiator and Thermostat, Car Still Overheating
Check the water pump - is it moving the coolant - sometimes the impeller becomes dislodged from the shaft and the driving pulley and shaft work fine but don't rotate the impeller to move the coolant. ...
- 34.7k
3
votes
Why is it still overheating
The clue is that the heater core was replaced; it sounds like a classic case of the system being air-locked. You can get the scenario where a bubble of air is trapped below the level of the coolant ...
- 23.4k
3
votes
Rough start with sputtering and strong exhaust odor
There's a few things going on here:
What's a tune-up? Most cars built in the past 25 or 30 years don't need a tune-up anymore, as most of the engine management is now taken over by computers and ...
- 12.2k
3
votes
oil in coolant reservoir ... urgent ... Peugeot 206 Xri ... 2006
Not good. The proverbial "milk shake".
But... from the color I'd sooner suspect the transmission cooler is what is leaking, not engine oil from a blown headgasket.
Check the transmission dipstick (...
- 12.4k
3
votes
Accepted
Engine overheating sometimes
Solved it. Removed the thermostat, dropped it into a pot of water and boiled it over the stove. The thermostat that came out of the car didn't open, the one from the junkyard did.
Reassembled, filled ...
- 12.2k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible