Oil leak questions
3 Answers
There is no charge for questions and there is no guarantee that the answers are correct either.
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 7 years ago
Some of us even answer anticipatorily (which isn't even a word!). 1996-1999 first-get DOHC 2.5i OBs are generally not on the road any longer as their complex head designs easily result in fracturing their head gaskets INTERNALLY, resulting in violent" percolation" of exhaust gases into the cooling system. Unlike the newer (2000+ SOHC), simpler motors, this earlier design does NOT take a gasket repair successfully longterm, as overheating reduces internal block parts' strengths, resulting in common devastating rod failure. So if you're asking about overheating, don't spend $$ chasing t-stats (they're never bad if OEM), radiators (unless truly clogged), nor water pumps (unless their pulleys fall off) until a careful percolation test is performed. Note that this condition IS terminal; eventually running-time to boilover shortens to as short as 5 minutes from cold start. If you have a more mundane question fire away.... Best, Ern TSG
