Subaru Legacy/Outback Engine Issues

mfry1 · September 2007

Well, I had my car looked at and they said they found no gases in the coolant. So, they don't think it is the head gasket. I was talking to my boyfriend about they smoke and what color he remembers it being and he said a blue and white smoke. I have to take it back to the shop mon for them to do more testing on it. They thought it could be the piston glides???

xwesx · September 2007

Blue smoke could mean valve seals or piston rings, but if it is just a "puff" when initially starting up, it is nothing to worry about.

Just because there are no gases in the coolant does not mean the head gaskets are not having a problem. If there is white smoke coming out your exhaust, either the head gaskets or the block have a problem. But, the antifreeze will foul the oxygen sensors quickly (if there is any present), so your check engine light will illuminate before too long. If the car is not experiencing overheating, you do have some time to figure this one out.

mfry1 · September 2007

Thanks for the info, I haven't noticed any white smoke on start up in at least a week. I have not noticed it overheating either. Some other info I did notice last time I got my oil changed the coolant was a little low, I think they just had to top off the overflow tank. And i just put two quarts of oil in four days ago. What sucks is I don't know if my car really burned that much oil because my dad had checked my oil last weekend and said it was low and I think he left the oil cap off. So, I don't know how much cam out because of that. I will keep you posted on what I find.

paisan · September 2007

How long did the car sit before you got the "white" smoke?

What was the temp when you started it?

Perhaps it was condensation that accumulated in the muffler burning off if it sat for a while and it wasn't too hot.

My guess is there may be nothing wrong with your car at all.

-mike

mfry1 · September 2007

I notice more after it has sat for the nite, the other time it did it was when I was at a baby shower and it sat for about 2 hours. I am really hoping nothing is wrong with it. It is at the shop all day today to see if they find anything.

mfry1 · September 2007

zzguy46 · October 2007

Depends on how much you could sell it for. Your current mileage would be a good time to get the most bucks for it.

jdamian · October 2007

I have a 97 Subaru Outback, 2.5, 4cylinder motor, automatic transmission. For two years now, there are times when the car will not start (the radio and windows will work though). If you let it sit for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes it will eventually start. Replaced the starter with NAPA starter - thought this starter was bad & replaced with another NAPA starter. Still at times it wouldn't start so we finally put on a Subaru starter. We are still having the same problem & replaced the battery. It seems to have the trouble more when the car & weather are hot - happens less often in the winter. The starter wires and battery cables were checked & good. Could there possibly be a sensor bad or is there a recall that we were not aware of. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

countryroads · October 2007

Situation: 1998 Sub Outback 2.5 liter overheated to the point it wouldn't start on Oct 7. This occurred after replacing timing belt, idlers, tensioners on September 2O at 194,000. Question One: Dealer says new block will cost $4000 plus another $1000 if heads must be replaced. Two: Should we repair the original engine and recover some of that $950 preventive maintenance investment or replace with re-manufactured unit? Three: Could the work done on September 20 contributed to the failure in October? Car has been well maintained over the years.

ateixeira · October 2007

I don't think the maintenance caused it, because they only worked on the outside of the engine, not the heads.

Check the cost of a re-man, 194k miles is a long life already.

paisan · October 2007

or get a junk yard unit, they can be had for under $1k and probably about $500-700 to install it.

-mike

grumpy13 · October 2007

Add me to the list of those dealing with the 2.5L engine overheating problem. 1999 Outback Limited overheated at 125K and after reading all this assumed it was a blown HG. Took it to two separate shops, neither identified a HG problem (no leaks, no HC's in coolant). Both thought instead it was a cracked cylinder sleeve. Given the mileage on the car and the cost of a new engine, I opted to try a block sealer and hope for the best.

Several months later and about 1K miles, all seems to be ok. Big trip coming up in a few weeks, and we'll know for sure then (I have my doubts). Thought I would pass along the info since so many of us are dealing with this - repairing the HG may not solve the problem if instead the problem is the cylinder. I'll update after the trip.

waynehill2 · November 2007

Hello All
I left the ignition on and killed the battery .She'll cranks over now but will not run .
The car ran fine up until this happened . The coil has continuity on both sides Primary and secondary. The ignitor did not send a pulse when I cranked over the engine . The fuel pump is working . What is the problem ?.Did I burn out the ignitor ?
Can anyone shed some light on this problem? I checked the price on an ignitor
they run over 100.00 but is there something else I should check.

roundtowne · November 2007

Have had some engine idle problems on my 2005 Legacy GT.
It seems to run rough from time to time as well as some VERY rough starts. I've hit 50k miles, but problem started around 40k.
Brought to dealer since I've owned her and they haven't fixed the problem the last 3 times.
Any ideas?
Thanks

ateixeira · November 2007

For starters, I would reset the ECU. Disconnect the negative battery terminal, wait 20 minutes, reconnect. Have the remote ready to lock/unlock and disarm the alarm.

See if that makes any difference.

No check-engine light?

jtcom · November 2007

Overheating problem, had to replace upper radiator hose.
Overheated again a week later, not sure what happen but the top and bottom hoses were sucked in. Thought I lost pressure from a faulty radiator cap, so I replaced it.
Worked good for a few days, but overheated again, so I replaced the thermostat, still overheats.
Now my temp gauge ocilates from normal temp to high.

Has anyone had this problem?
I have had dealer say anything from blown head gasket to cloged rediator.

Has anyone had this problem?

jtcom

ateixeira · November 2007

I suspect the head gaskets are leaky. You could do a compression test.

paisan · November 2007

Did you do the original replacement of the hose yourself?
Does it always overheat when driving it?

I would suspect a few things but it depends on what was done during the change.

-mike

crazycarol · December 2007

96 legacy 2.2 sohc, rear 02 keeps pulling codes as failure, both cats and sensors fresh today. oem quality for both. cel driving my great customer nuts. what is it?

ateixeira · December 2007

What was the exact code?

Guessing here, but it could be unburned fuel getting by, so look towards things like spark plugs, plug wires, or the ignition coil.

mechnovice · December 2007

The dealer claims that the reason an '02 Outback (118,000 miles) lost electrical power was because an alternator bolt fell out allowing the alternator to shift creating slack in the belt. I'm no mechanic but it sounds feasible to me. My question is what mechanical work could have resulted in the bolt not being proprly tightened? Would the alternator been removed for access when replacing the serpentine belt? Any other ideas? All work on this vehicle has been done by the dealer. Any thoughts on what it should cost? I think the dealer's estimate to reattach the alternator and replace the belt is outrageous.
Mechnovice

xwesx · December 2007

The alternator would be affected by the replacement of a timing belt. There are several screws that relate to the alternator. There is a long one that allows one to tighten or loosen the drive belt. There is a second, small one, that secures that screw into the adjusted position. My guess, based on your description, is that it is that screw which "fell out." Even if it would not have fallen out, failure to tighten it could allow the adjustment screw to slowly back out, allowing excess slack in the belt, as the engine vibrates.

How long after the timing belt replacement did the failure occur? If something was not tightened down properly, I would expect the problem to manifest within 2,500-10,000 miles.

paisan · December 2007

How much are they charging? It's a 1hr job (max) and the part couldn't cost more than $25-30 (max).

-mike

daveeeeee · December 2007

Pulled out from the gas station and the engine momentarily cut out. Continued down the road and engine did the same, this time with an odor like a module melting down. We managed to make it home with the engine cutting out, headlights, dash indicator lights and parking brake buzzer alternately going on and off.
Now it doesn't start or just barely and dies. Dome light will not go off. Only gets dimmer or brighter with the door open or closed.
Searched for a burnt smelling module under the dash but unable to pinpoint any that were bad. I realize some my be well concealed.

grahampeters · December 2007

G'day

Sound like a poor earth. Check the connections to the battery, remove leads, wash with carb soda mixed in warm water (pour over battery terminals) and refix, tighening securing bolts firmly. After re-fixing, flex the leads with lights on in darkened area to check if leads are faulty

Cheers

Graham

sholder · December 2007

I have a 1992 Legacy sedan. I have had this problem twice now once about a month ago and just today. It acts like its starving for fule sputter and then dies. Wont start and when you take the fuellines off the filter no fuel is coming out while you crank. First time I replaced the filter and added dry gas. Also took the fule pump out of the tank and checked it . That was operating fine. I should mention when i took the fule line off the filter it was under a lot of pressure. Ok back to the problem . I put the pump back in and tried it by cranking the enigine with the fuel line off it pumped. out line back on and the car ran fine. Today it did the same thing. I pulled the lines took the pump out again and it ran fine after it was put back in. Any help on this woyld be appreciated.

paisan · December 2007

I'd say it's not a fuel issue, unless it's an injector issue. Could be intake leak, could be a MAF or MAP error.

-mike

subarusucker · January 2008

I have a 2001 Outback 4 cylinder automatic. It was running roughly when first started, so I had plugs and wires replaced which helped for a little while, then it started doing it again, on and off. Only for a minute or so when starting cold and not always. I have an appointment tomorrow to have it looked at again, and when I went to start it tonight to drop it off at the dealer, it was running very roughly, and then suddenly stopped (froze?) The battery in new and working, but the engine won't even attempt to start, just dead. What's going on? Should I tow it to my local mechanic or am I looking at a big job that the dealer might need to do? Help!! Thanks.

hawks2 · January 2008

I have a 2000 Outback 5 speed wagon.
Since about a week after buying it, I have had problems with accelerating. When I hit the throttle it will jerk forward. Also, when I am cruising down the road it will pulse back on the throttle.When I leave my foot off the throttle, there is no problem. Lastly , when starting the vehicle the rpms will go balistic, fluctuating between 3000 and no idle, its actually stalled upon warmup.I have brought this car into my local dealership for repairs 3 times. They have updated the computer. Adjusted the throttle sensor to its max. The last time I brought it in, they replaced the throttle sensor, thinking that that was the fix for my problem. Everytime after coming back from repairs withing 1-5 days the vehicle has gone back to its regular problems getting worse as the days go by.
I have spent $350 dollars for no satisfaction.
Any suggestions??

paisan · January 2008

Seens like it could be a vaccum leak of some sort. May want to explore that route or an intake manifold gasket.

-mike

hawks2 · January 2008

Thanks for the suggestions.
I would also like to add that this problem is sporatic. I also have reaccurring low idles and when I have low idle, the problem seems more likely to occur. The check engine logs that the dealer read indicated that the Throttle sensor is out of range, but that obviously wasn't the problem since the sensor got replaced and I am still having the same issue.

johnnie54 · January 2008

i have a '96 legacy outback 160,000. i'm in minneasota. a couple of weeks ago was really cold and it took a long time to start it with a jump. since then it's been chugging at certain speeds when i accelerate and idling very rough.

ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME

xwesx · January 2008

You may be having an issue with the timing and/or knock sensors. Has the check engine light come on at all? Does the car have issues when it is at operating temperatures as well as cold, or just one or the other?

paisan · January 2008

Could be bad battery or alternator. When it's chugging, are the lights dimming?

-mike

carag · January 2008

I have a 97 outback limited with 192k and there is suddenly motor oil in the coolant overflow tank. It was having power issues as well so I changed the spark plugs last night which helped. The radiator was flushed 2 weeks ago because it looked like sludge and there is now oil in it again. The car does not smoke and the transmition shifts fine. I am at a loss on what is going on. Any adivse?

ateixeira · January 2008

Uh-oh. Head gaskets.

Get a For Sale sign...

xwesx · January 2008

Yep, definitely head gaskets. I recommend either replacing the gaskets yourself if you are able to do so, or getting a different car. Professionally, the job will cost you around $1800.

Not bad, really. I replaced my head gaskets at 192.5K.

paisan · January 2008

And this has to do with transmissions how?

-mike

xwesx · January 2008

Because the engine powers the transmission. Jeez, get with the program, Mike! :P

paisan · January 2008

Seriously though there is plenty of engine threads to post in....

-mike

xwesx · January 2008

Yep, absolutely. Honestly, I did not even look at the thread title when replying to the original post. Apparently, the original poster did not check the title either...

zenkyatin · January 2008

I replaced my waterpump, so thought I should do the timing belt as well. I didn't have special tools, and of course cams/ cranshaft were turned with belt off. I have all timing marks aligned now with belt on, but I am concerned about the possibility of cylinder #2 being TDC instead of #1. What would happen if I try to start this motor? BTW I rotated engine by hand several rotations and I don't feel any resistance. I'm I good to go? Thanks for any help.

johnnie54 · January 2008

thanks.....the check engine light is always on, it has been for years. no, weather changes don't matter. last night i put SEA FOAM in the gas tank and it seemed like it helped for awhile. also the alternator was just replaced three months ago. the plug wires were replaced a year ago. is it possible its fuel filter related?

thanks, johnnie

xwesx · January 2008

Go get a cheap OBDII reader that will allow you to reset the CEL and find out the codes. If you leave the light on all the time, you never know when a new problem arises. I waged constant warfare with my '96 Outback's check engine light.

ateixeira · January 2008

They are worth it.

Dealers around me charge about what one costs to own, then you can use it as many times as you need.

I bought one, used it twice for our fleet, but also used it to help out a couple of friends. They were very greatful.

It has paid for itself 4 times over. I got a $99 Actron model. Worked on our Subarus, Mazdas, and even a Chevy Suburban a friend owns.

johnnie54 · January 2008

thanks....unfortunately I'm inept at working on cars. I wouldn't know how to use the
OBDII. can ya getem' at NAPPA or do you have to go to the dealer? maybe I should just bite the bullet and bring it to my mechanic. hmmmmmmm

xwesx · January 2008

You can get them at any auto parts or tools place - online, brick/mortar, wherever. Honestly, using an OBDII scanner has nothing to do with "working on" the car. It just gives you a place to start. If you found Edmunds' forum, you can write down the codes and look them up. Simple, effective.

I usually find that ineptitude is simply a lack of due effort.

paisan · January 2008

Also it's real easy to use. Plug into the port and turn it on.

The port is located within 3ft of the steering wheel.

-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host

tbragg44 · January 2008

Harbor Freight has several different models on sale for between $40 and $100.

ateixeira · January 2008

Yes, NAPA has them.

They are very, very easy to use. You plug it in a port under the steering wheel. Once some one points it out to you it's cake. Plug it in, hit a button. That's it. Hit another button if you want to reset the code.

Actually, having computer experience is more useful than being a mechanic in this case. The port resembles an old printer parallel cable, the bulky side.

Subaru Legacy/Outback Engine Issues

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