Does anyone know a cheap way to fix what appears to be a head gasket problem?
I have a 1996 Subaru Outback with 255,000 miles. The car has been overheating (badly), but I can still manage the overheating by turning up the heater and turning on the fan. Things have become a little easier in September than in August, since outdoor temperatures have come down. At first my mechanic thought it was a thermostat problem, but he has replaced the thermostat twice without making a difference. Both he and a dealership now say that it is a bad head gasket. I don’t know if this confirms the diagnosis or not, but the car, when driven, loses coolant with no sign of a leak. They say it is getting into the engine but evaporating. The engine stays cool on the highway but the guage sometimes starts shooting up in city driving (on with the heater!). I am continuing to drive the car but don’t know what damage I may be doing to the engine or how much longer I can get away with dodging the problem.
Estimated repair cost: More than $2,000.
I have no desire to give up this car, but this is a very expensive repair. Does anyone know a cheap way to fix this problem?
My '96 Legacy only has 120K. Nice to know they last that long.
If a head gasket is leaking (there are two on a Subaru engine), there is NO CHEAP FIX.
Only new head gaskets will solve the problem. Your loss of coolant symptom goes with a bad head gasket, but there are tests that can conform, for sure, that one or both gaskets is leaking.
There are no additives that will help, and continued driving can make the situation MUCH worse. Subaru engines can be severely damaged from repeated overheating.
Either fix or sell it. Is the $2,000 estimate from your mechanic or the Subaru dealer?
In addition to what mcparadise stated, I will add something else to consider. Since it is likely that coolant is getting into the motor oil through one or more breaches in the head gasket, it is very likely that the main bearings are now damaged from inadequate lubrication.
I am a Subaru fan, but I don’t think that this car warrants the type of investment that these repairs would cost. Think about it–this is a vehicle whose transmission, differential(s), front end, etc have also gone 255,000 miles. After repairing or replacing the engine, there will inevitably be other BIG ticket repair jobs in the near future for this car. Now is the time to start looking for another car, and to pull the plug on this tired old veteran of the highways.
I agree. At 255K miles I’d say “I got my money’s worth” and move on. NOTHING, not even a Subaru, lasts forever.
Well, the answers are pretty discouraging. I can’t say that I am surprised. The $2,000 estimate (actually, $2,300) was from the dealer but my mechanic thought it was reasonable. He suggested that, if I don’t want to buy another car, I would be better off putting in a new engine, rather than fixing the one I have, for which he estimated $3,000 installed. Barring a miracle cure, my inclination is not to go that route but to buy a four- or five-year-old used Subaru (this one was four years old when I bought it in 2000). However, I was intrigued by your statement that there are tests to confirm the gasket leak. Do you know what those tests are?
You can use a compression test and/or a cylinder leak-down test to check for a blown head gasket, but that’s usually only necessary if all the other symptoms aren’t quite there. Unfortunately, between the coolant loss and the overheating and the fact that this vintage Subaru are prone to head gasket problems, it’s pretty unlikely that it isn’t the head gasket.
You can try some of the head-gasket fix products they sell “over the counter” at your local auto parts stores like Bar’s Stop Leak or similar. I wouldn’t get your hopes up, but what’ve you got to lose?