Do I have a Head Gasket Failure, see pics

Hello Friends,

 

I have been hoping for a while that this is not a HG issue, but the current signs make me think it is.

 

For a while I was loosing coolant, and would regularly have to top it off. I would also notice that the over flow tang is full to the brim, and I assume (living up to its name) overflowing.

 

I took it in for a diagnostic (compression test, HC test etc..), which supposedly were all fine. Which I am now suspicious they did not do. But they did find a leak in a coolant line and replaced it. Since then I have not lost nearly as much coolant, but i have had to add about 1/4 liter over 1000 miles.

 

Today I popped the hood to check the coolant level and noticed some gunk on the radiator cap. See Pic. I also noticed that the inside of the overflow tank has a brown film on the inside.

 

Is this a Head gasket going bad? Do I really have to spend $1800 to fix this, or are their other options?

 

Thank you all for your advice.

That residue on the filler neck looks like it could be stop leak material... Sorry I mean Subaru Coolant Conditioner

Yeah I found the same crap in mine. The shop also thought it was Stop Leak...

 

Turns out my HG was bad. The radiator was also clogged from that conditioner crap that Subaru loves. They had to flush the motor for two hours before putting it all back together.

 

Check the radiator for the same stuff, and be prepared for a possible HG replacement. Sorry dude.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been trying to tell myself that if it was a HG, i would just sell the car and be done with it....but the reality is that I love this car. I guess I better start saving.

 

Do you guys recommend the next step is to take it into a shop and get it check out? Or can I just drive like this till I feel some power loss?

Read the other threads about HG's in this forum.

 

Ideas are there.

 

Is your a 5mt or 5eat?

It might not be HG. I had a cracked rad and a failing rubber hose causing a slow leak.

 

If it's an HG issue while idling you'll see little bubbles while bleeding the system.

Mine is a 5EAT.

 

I will try bleeding the system and looking for little bubbles.

I'm searching hard on this subject too... I found the head vaccum manifold to the intake had this light brown foamy looking gunk in it.

Mostly on the head side of the pipe.

Whats the oil look like? That will answer the question.

Whats the oil look like? That will answer the question.

 

 

Not necessarily. I've replaced many failed head gaskets without a hint of coolant in the oil.

Valid but its worth a look.

 

Whats the coolant in the overflow look like?

250mL in within 1,000 miles of a flush & fill? This wouldn't send alarm bells off for me. The level is going to change quite a bit depending on ambient temperature, engine temperature and how level the car is sitting at the time.

Usually when coolant gets mixed with oil, you end up with a gray sludge, sort of the consistency of sour cream.

 

The pics look like coolant has been evaporating from a loosely fitting radiator cap.

 

Good luck whatever you find.

- The Oil does not look bad. Its not clean, but no coolant in there.

- I putting in about 250 ml every 1000 miles, not just after a flush and file.

- The coolant in the overflow tank looks like it is slightly brown, and not clean. But I don't think the shop flushed it out when the repaired the leaky pipe. I think the just topped it off.

- By the way, both radiator caps are new. The was one of my first attempts at finding the issue.

 

Thank you all for the feedback.

I've had a head gasket seeping slightly on my 2000 Dodge Caravan 3.8 for about 200K miles (308K and growing every day) and I just add a little coolant (about a half a gallon) a couple times per year. A head gasket CAN leak without it ever mixing oil and coolant together and if your oil is still clean and no light gray sludge, then you're not leaking between the gasket and cylinder or oil gallery. Inspect the outside edges of your heads carefully and look for marks down from where the heads bolt onto the block and see if you see seepage marks.

 

You can purchase a small tool that you put over the radiator neck that can tell you if there is exhaust gas in the coolant and that can be an indicator. If there is no coolant in the oil and no oil in the coolant, then it still can be a head gasket, but not necessarily the kiss of death. If you don't care about adding the coolant once in a while and keep a good eye on it, most likely it will last a while. DON'T use any stop leak. If it starts to leak faster, then do the job correctly and replace the gaskets or you'll do a LOT more damage (code words for $$$$$$$$) than just changing head gaskets.

 

If you can do the work yourself, and aren't afraid to try it, then by all means, fix it. Gaskets are NOT supposed to leak, and that's why they're there, but if you know where the issue is and keep it under surveillance, then you'll at least know when/if it's time to replace them.

Jmp, and Everybody else,

 

Thank you guys for the good advice. I think the game plan is to a do a few test, some good surveillance and then just keep an eye on it. Thank you. I will report back as I find things.

Here is a quick update.

 

Did an oil change, and other than the oil being dirty, it was okay. No white sludge in there, so i think that means no coolant in the oil. See pic.

 

Also, based on the color, should I be changing the oil more frequently?

Whats the OC interval your using now?

I've lost faith in the OE head gasket, both turbo and non turbo motors. I am using the Tomei gaskets from here on in.

Antifreeze is heavier than oil and will settle on the bottom if you give it a little time. Drain the oil and you'll see antifreeze come out first. Needles to say but I will...it's a bad sign.

I am changing the oil about every 4k-5k miles.

I did not see coolant come out at all.

 

Also, i don't know if this is all in my mind, but I feel like after the change, the car starts and drives better.

 

Good advice on the Tomei gaskets.

Non stop Bubbles coming up when you first start it up in the morning will be a good sign, other than the obvious thick clouds of smoke out the exhaust

 

Oil, do it at 3.5k

Your pushing the OCI. Your not wrong on it feeling smoother... I have felt the same especially after a longer interval between changes. Try to keep it fresh and it will help keep you rolling.

 

There are several good threads out there detailing why our motors are hard on oil. I think it's hammerdown that has the ultra beefy filter setup to help stretch the OCI (WIP).

Here is a quick update.

 

Did an oil change, and other than the oil being dirty, it was okay. No white sludge in there, so i think that means no coolant in the oil. See pic.

 

Also, based on the color, should I be changing the oil more frequently?

 

How dark your oil is, as nothing to with how good it is. OA's is the only way to know how good you oil & filter is doing their job.

How dark your oil is, as nothing to with how good it is. OA's is the only way to know how good you oil & filter is doing their job.

 

Blackstone Labs will do a OA and tell you how good your oil is.

 

That's how some of us know what to chose for a OCI. For $25 they will tell you how good it is, for $35 they will tell you how much longer it should be good for.