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Comments
Burned oil smell can take weeks to go away. Are you sure you still have a leak?
John
BIll
As you can tell from my late response, I have been gone for a time.
I replaced the radiator cap because both gaskets appeared to be pitted. No improvement. The leak isn't large enough to see, but the system is losing coolant slowly. I am about to put in a can a Bars Leaks, which I have used successfully in other vehicles.
I would appreciate comments from anyone who has had this problem.
Check to make sure the coolant level isn't being kept too high. When the car is cold, check the plastic reservoir, mounted to the side of the radiator, to see if it is above the "cold" line on the side.
I called and the quickest my Subaru dealer can see it is Thursday (Sure not like my local Nissan service, which is always same day, ha). Since the antifreeze is leaking 'out' and not much, I think two more days of commuting (~50 miles) will be ok. Hopefully it won't blow going down the road...talk about embarassing!
Seems the 2000-2002 head gasket problem might just extend to the 2003's. Anyone have any information or seen information on the head gaskets failing on the 2003's? :sick:
Mark
2003 Subaru Legacy Special Edition
Terry, absolutely not, this is not normal procedure.
Maybe for a 1963 Ford Econoline, or a 1950 Massey Ferguson tractor. But not a modern car with a properly filled coolant recovery system.
John
Then they sit in traffic because of an accident, for a hour or so, and the excess is bled off, they "smell" something, and begin to imagine all kinds of problems.
You are correct in it not being "normal" if everything is maintained as it should be, however, and I should have added all the detail in my post.
I am afraid to use the child lock lever for fear I might never get my rear doors open.
Any help out there?
Try moving the child lock back and forth. Someone could have snaged it, loading in or out, etc.
It almost sounds like the lock mechanisms did not fully move so when you went to pull the handle, they slipped back into the "locked" position. I have done this before when unlocking a door on my '96 manually from the inside (just did not pull the lever all the way out) such that when my wife would pull the handle on the outside it would re-lock (I could see the lever move back to the locked position). But, why this would happen on both doors simultaneously is quite strange. Did you try the remote again? Did you try to use your key to unlock all the doors? How about locking and unlocking manually from the inside of each of those doors?
Yes - most of the HG problems were the Phase I engines in the 95-99 models. SOA put out a bulletin and if you had a sealant added to your coolant they extended the warranty on HG repairs to 100,000 miles on the Phase II engine in your car.
I've not seen many reports of 2000-2002 HG failures, where are these reports coming from?
I took my car and left it at the dealer. Since there is no rental car/loaner provision on Subaru's after 36,000 miles, I had to pay for that myself. I asked her to report this to the Subaru regional service rep, and while she was talking to him, see if he could get me any rental car allowance, ha.
The dealer called late yesterday and said they are pulling the engine to replace the headgasket and also noticed a small leak on the water pump, so, are replacing the water pump too. She said she thought it might be ready this evening.
I just hope this isn't a common thing that is going to happen after the 60,000 mile warranty!
It just seems to coincidental to have both lock mechanisms fall apart within a minute of each other, and the "clunk" sounded like something falling inside the door(s)
When I asked if it was common and if it would happen again in 40,000 miles...The service advisor told me it was fairly common and that Subaru had changed the gasket material, so, hopefully it wouldn't happen again.
Mark
2003 Subaru Legacy Spec Edition
:shades:
-juice
Have you checked torque on your lug nuts lately?
John
Don't forget the crush washers. They are about $1 each at the dealer.
I bought a 5 year supply of filters, washers, etc. using my Subaru bucks. "Free" and OEM quality, can't beat that combo.
John
It's a definite possibility.
Wal Mart mounted tires for me that I bought on-line, and they were way too tight. My brakes pulsated like mad coming home.
I re-torqued them and now they're back to normal.
It made a huge difference. Before I felt like my rotors were about to shatter, it made me afraid to even use the brakes.
-juice
Given the age of the car, well over a decade now, replace any of the following that haven't already been replaced within the last 60k miles:
* fuel filter
* spark plugs
* spark plug wires
* air filter
* PCV valve
* oxygen sensor
In addition, the ignition coil may need to be replaced, if it's original. Mine only cost $80.
-juice
Subaru recommends replacing the timing belt at 105K.
I'm wondering what other readers/posters experiences have been. Can that deadline be pushed back.
Plans are to drive the car to 200-220K miles, so if I can avoid replacing the timing belt until 110K, I can avoid having to replace it more than once.
Many thanks for your ideas and advice.
David
You could "hope" for other problems that require taking the belt off anyway. Then you can replace it every 50-60K miles and not ever have to worry about it! I have 220K on my car now and am on the fifth belt! :P
Number one folly of car owners is not replacing belts whenever other maintenance issues require removing them.
I.e. water pump?; belt tensioner
Jim
If you want to stretch the interval, stretch it for the 2nd replacement, i.e. replace it at 105k miles and then just leave the 2nd one on there until the car falls apart.
Then, if the belt snaps and you have catastrophic engine failure (it is an interference design by the way), at least you're only losing a car with 210k plus miles on it, i.e. no big deal.
-juice
The new spark plugs have a crush washer, make sure you feel them crush when you install them. Also, use anti-seize on the threads since that's an alloy block.
-juice
thanks again!
Sounds like it "may" a part problem used in other models.
-Karen in AZ-