Sediment Filled Coolant and Losing Coolant

I've brought this car to the dealership 4 times for the disappearing coolant.

It's below the "Low" mark every week. It is not leaking anything nor does it smell like anything.

I went out to fill it back up today and while I poured in some Prestone, a LOT of brown and black flakes

and grainy sand looking particles was washing around. It almost looked like grits.

Could this be the slow beginning of something really expensive?

They've done pressure tests and whatever else they claim to have done but found nothing.

Should I get the whole cooling system flushed and see what happens then?

It also has not had the 90k mile service and It has over 100k now. I bought the car with 92k, so could something

be happening to it because of that?

I lost my job and am struggling just to pay for the car so I haven't been able to do it

Have it tested for HC around the radaitor cap while the engine is running. If they find Hydro Carbons, it's a HG leaking.

I'm surprised the dealer hasn't done that, or did they and your not telling us.

It's ok to miss the 90k for the most part, but I would change the diff fliuds as a minimum.

That "sediment" you're seeing is most likely because the dealer dumped in their leak fix stuff, like Bar's Leaks or their stock Subaru Conditioner. Those fixes work by way of having those tiny particles plugging up the leaks.

Sounds to me like your dealership took the lazy way out to the fix the problem. Are you still under warranty but are close to running out? Or you're not under warranty at all?

Oh yea, stop leak.

OP you just bought the car right? that's why they sold it...

I bought in in March. No warranty anymore but it's been free to take it there for the same issues they haven't fixed.

I think I'll bring it to my mechanic instead of them and see what he can do for the radiator flush and differential fluid.

Should I just get Amsoil gear fluid?

I bought in in March. No warranty anymore but it's been free to take it there for the same issues they haven't fixed.

I think I'll bring it to my mechanic instead of them and see what he can do for the radiator flush and differential fluid.

Should I just get Amsoil gear fluid?

Amsoil is great but unless your going to commit and buy the oil too and join as a prefered member...just get 3qt's redline lightweight shockproof and 2 qt's mutol 300. fill the tranny with the redline, then top it off with the mutol. The read diff holds .8 qt of Mutol 300.

Subaru Extra-S is good stuff too, both my Legacy's have Amsoil Severgear 75w-90 in them.

I'd have your mechanic test for HC's before I had him flush the system.

You can flush the system yourself too. It's just two T adaptors that you splice into the heater hoses, open the heater to full heat, while the water is running thru.

Besure you know how to burp the system to get all the air out. The right front corner of the car goes up on a jack and you open the cap on the turbo coolant tank, squeeze the hose and watch the bubbles in the tank, top off as needed.

I used Peak Global to top off my new short block 4 month's ago. Filled it with left over Perstone and Peak I had from the timing belt job I did years back.

So drain the tranny fluid and put 3 quarts of the redline shock proof and top it off with 2 quarts of Motul 300 and use whats left to fill up the differentials?

I didn't think the tranny fluid could be the same as the differential fluid.

I'm not used to AWD vehicles so this is really confusing to me

You do have a 5mt tranny right ? You asked about gear fluid, not transmission fluid.

The 5mt holds 3.8 qt's, the rear diff holds .8 qt's

The 5mt and front diff are the same.

A 5eat has a front diff seperate from the tranny. I don't know much about them, because I wouldn't own one.

Nope, unfortunately I have a 5eat.

I've got to get it over to my mechanic to test it for a faulty HG and

change the tranny and differential fluids. Hopefully it's not a head gasket

Ok the 5eat can use Amsoil's fluid.

PM BAC5.2 to see what he recommends for the front diff on a 5eat.

I don't wanna sound like as ass but I had a thought. If you've lost your job and you have a tight budget why don't you change the diff fluid yourself? There has gotta be a walk through on here if you are not comfortable with the procedure.

Remove fill plug first (so you know you'll be able to refill), remove the drain plug and let fluid come out. Refill with regular dino gear oil. I use the walmart syn blend 75-90 stuff lately. It runs about $5 a quart.

But I gotta be honest. Why don't you try and get the coolant issues solved before putting any money and time elsewhere? Chance are if you are not working you are not putting on much mileage. Your diff fluid will be fine for now.

I don't have much to offer for the coolant loss, sorry. It has been to professionals a few times. Get detailed descriptions on what they have checked and then give that documentation to a new mechanic.

Good luck with it, must be frustrating.

I don't wanna sound like as ass but I had a thought. If you've lost your job and you have a tight budget why don't you change the diff fluid yourself? There has gotta be a walk through on here if you are not comfortable with the procedure.

 

Remove fill plug first (so you know you'll be able to refill), remove the drain plug and let fluid come out. Refill with regular dino gear oil. I use the walmart syn blend 75-90 stuff lately. It runs about $5 a quart.

 

But I gotta be honest. Why don't you try and get the coolant issues solved before putting any money and time elsewhere? Chance are if you are not working you are not putting on much mileage. Your diff fluid will be fine for now.

 

I don't have much to offer for the coolant loss, sorry. It has been to professionals a few times. Get detailed descriptions on what they have checked and then give that documentation to a new mechanic.

 

Good luck with it, must be frustrating.

I had a little "car meet" today and I realized I could do the diff fluid myself, but I think the front is another story.

My priorities moved to the transmission fluid because I checked it a few times today and it looks like oil. It's brown and smells burnt.

I think I'll go for the SOA868V9241 fluid from a WRX dealer website, but what about additives? Should I get a bottle of something or just the fluid? Also, Drain and fill only replaces 4 quarts of the junk oil, should I drain it again in a few hundred miles?