Head gasket leak- 2.2L

What I thought was a hose or sensor leaking on the '95 Legacy, turns out it's the head gasket. Not really worth spending $1500 to fix it when that's all the car is worth.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48514

 

Question is how much longer do I have before it blows up? It's been like this for ~5 months. Coolant leak is still slow, I've only had to top it off once since it started. They added conditioner to slow the leak.

 

Or in other words, should I trade it in now before it gets worse, or will it make it until the end of summer. I'll be driving it everyday to work (only 5 miles), not just 2-3 days a week as I currently do.

There no way to know for sure.

Headgaskets are a ticking time bomb. When they start to go they can last a very long time or pop the next day. I've heard good things about Subaru's conditioner and that it really does help HG leaks. YMMV but I would probably drive it like a grandma and just drive it until it dies. I wouldn't be surprised if it makes it to August.

Headgaskets are a ticking time bomb. When they start to go they can last a very long time or pop the next day. I've heard good things about Subaru's conditioner and that it really does help HG leaks. YMMV but I would probably drive it like a grandma and just drive it until it dies. I wouldn't be surprised if it makes it to August.

 

With only 135hp, grandma driving is all you can do.

 

Are there any warning signs when it's going to go? I check the coolant and oil levels every weekend.

here are the usual signs of a head gasket problem: internal damage to water/oil galleries, damage to oil/water intercoolers if fitted, weakened hoses on the cooling system can cause pulsations in the coolant, leaking valve seals may drop oil into the chamebers, poorly bleed cooling systems or systems where there are high loops in the coolant jacket may have some bubbling.

Pull out the thermostat, remove the radiator cap, and drive. The radiator level will very slightly and you'll have to add coolant from time to time, so keep an eye on it. With no pressure in the system and with the coolant flowing through the radiator freely you will have less chance of popping an already-leaking gasket. I drove a car around like this for two years and it never let go.

How do you know that you have a head gasket leak? What steps did you need to take to ascertain this?

 

And, how have you been making out with the car? Are you still running it?

 

I have a '95 Impreza with the same 2.2L motor, and I believe I have a similar condition, and don't want to spend the $$ repairing it.

Holy old thread revival batman... Somebody help this guy out. He's so desperate that he bumped a 6 month old thread!

How do you know that you have a head gasket leak? What steps did you need to take to ascertain this?

 

And, how have you been making out with the car? Are you still running it?

 

I have a '95 Impreza with the same 2.2L motor, and I believe I have a similar condition, and don't want to spend the $$ repairing it.

 

That's what I was told by one dealer (Roberts) a few months ago. However they were honest and told me it it would have been ~$1500 to fix and that it wasn't worth it.

 

Just had it at a different dealer (Concordville) last weekend for inspection - it passed. IIRC they said it was the cam seal that was leaking, would have been ~$900 to fix. They also said it might need a new timing belt. I figure if it hasn't been replaced already, the engine would have died by now. I just had them replace the valve cover gasket to slow the bleeding. The engine does leak a little oil, but it's not like I have a pool of oil under the car. Maybe a drop or 2 once in a while. Also, I topped of the coolant last winter, it's just now down near the low line.

 

I live 5 miles from work so I only put on 2000-2500 miles a year. It's mostly stop & go, and I drive it pretty easy.

Thanks for the replies! It sounds as if a coolant leak may not be such a bad thing to live with. I've topped off the coolant level on my Impreza and while it is dripping, it appears to be only modest coolant loss. For now, I'm going to live with it and see what happens, more frequently checking the coolant level before starting the engine.....to make sure its topped off. Otherwise, looking for a newer car - this one's got 175k on it, and other things wrong as well....

Concordeville Subaru........oh god what a nightmare.

Concordeville Subaru........oh god what a nightmare.

 

I haven't had any problems with them so far, neither have my parents. From what I've heard, Rafferty's service dept is far worse. They used to be Pontiac/GMC, maybe that has something to do with it.

Holy old thread revival batman... Somebody help this guy out. He's so desperate that he bumped a 6 month old thread!

 

Where is this thread? I am interested in a 1998 Legacy L Wagon but have heard head gaskets can be hit or miss problems with older Subaru legacy models.

The 98 L's have the 2.2, in which headgasket failure is quite rare in that engine. Basically neglect would be one of the only reasons it would go.

 

Knowing the history, or even just a glimmer of it's maintenance in the past could give you some insight on how the car used to be treated.

I found this site to be pretty informative when I was researching our wagon:

 

http://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-head-gasket-problems-explained/

 

The original poster of this thread so long ago wasn't helping his car by driving only 5 miles each way to and from work.

The 98 L's have the 2.2, in which headgasket failure is quite rare in that engine. Basically neglect would be one of the only reasons it would go.

 

Knowing the history, or even just a glimmer of it's maintenance in the past could give you some insight on how the car used to be treated.

 

Thanks for the help. I will check the Carfax before I do anything. I love a suby with some go just as much as the next person but I would prefer a reliable car that can get me around in the winter. I think a good 1998 L will do that.

The original poster of this thread so long ago wasn't helping his car by driving only 5 miles each way to and from work.

 

Now that I have an '05 LGT I wish a had a slightly longer commute. Since it's a lot more fun to drive than the '95, I drive it to work everyday and on the weekends. I only drove the '95 Legacy to work when the wife was working.

With only 135hp, grandma driving is all you can do.

 

Are there any warning signs when it's going to go? I check the coolant and oil levels every weekend.

 

I beg to differ sir...