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2007 subaru legacy head gasket

dank69

dank69

Lifer
My wife's car's powertrain warranty will be up in 2 weeks. At the advice of a friend, I checked the head gasket area under the car because apparently this model has a known problem. Sure enough, there was evidence of leakage on the passenger side, though it looks like it is not actively leaking at the moment.

We took it to the dealer today to have them confirm that there is a problem so we can get it fixed under warranty. Dealer just called me back and said that the leakage is below the minimum tolerance for the car. WTF?

Anyone have any advice on what we should do?
 
fleshconsumed said:
Hm, I was under impression that the issue was fixed since 2005 or so model year? Is that not so?
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NutBucket said:
This is rather odd for stock engines. I have not heard of any major issues since '02 or so...
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I guess it is not fixed. Our friend had to have the gaskets replaced on his 07 and he says his wife's newer one (2009) is showing signs of leakage already as well.
 
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jlee said:
What do you mean when you say evidence of a leak?
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Oil along the bottom edge of the seam. It isn't fresh, and I have been told that it is because the leak is usually worse in the colder months of the year, so that is why it isn't leaking at all right now. :\

EDIT - Pictars:
DSCF1169.jpg

DSCF1171.jpg
 
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This looks normal to me. Both my Legacy and WRX had/have similar marks. It is unreasonable to expect an engine to stay spotless.
 
I'm no mechanic, so maybe I am off base here, but I think it is reasonable to expect a car with less than 40k miles on it to not leak oil. The oil is clearly along the seam, and you can even see some of the gasket sticking out. Is that normal? The gasket does not protrude at all on the driver side and there is no oil on that seam.
 
dank69 said:
I'm no mechanic, so maybe I am off base here, but I think it is reasonable to expect a car with less than 40k miles on it to not leak oil. The oil is clearly along the seam, and you can even see some of the gasket sticking out. Is that normal? The gasket does not protrude at all on the driver side and there is no oil on that seam.
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OT: Aircraft engines and hydraulic systems can drip oil at a rate of around 15 drops per minute (depending on aircraft). I see tons of oil leaks singed off by maintenance of "Leak within limits, ops. check good, ok for service."

Everything is going to have tolerances and limits on it, which hopefully have engineering logic put into them.
 
dank69 said:
Oil along the bottom edge of the seam. It isn't fresh, and I have been told that it is because the leak is usually worse in the colder months of the year, so that is why it isn't leaking at all right now. :\

EDIT - Pictars:
DSCF1169.jpg

DSCF1171.jpg
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Spray some engine degreaser and hose it off. Enjoy your Subaru afterwards. You are welcome.
 
😛

I'm aware this isn't a problem right now. But what happens this winter if the seal goes completely and no more warranty? Or the next year? I wasn't looking for advice on how to fix it, I was looking for advice on how to get the dealer to fix their shitty engineering like a reputable company should.
 
dank69 said:
😛

I'm aware this isn't a problem right now. But what happens this winter if the seal goes completely and no more warranty? Or the next year? I wasn't looking for advice on how to fix it, I was looking for advice on how to get the dealer to fix their shitty engineering like a reputable company should.
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I'm assuming the picture was taking from under the car. Are you sure it's seepage? In any case, oil leakage/seepage is not the same as a bad head gasket. Is that above the valve cover? Maybe someone spilled oil during an oil change.
 
alphatarget1 said:
I'm assuming the picture was taking from under the car. Are you sure it's seepage? In any case, oil leakage/seepage is not the same as a bad head gasket. Is that above the valve cover? Maybe someone spilled oil during an oil change.
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Yes, they are from underneath the car. The white in the 2nd picture in the lower left quadrant is the oil filter. I change the oil myself and didn't spill any.

When we picked up the car from the dealer, the mechanic basically admitted to us that the oil was the result of a leak, but it isn't leaking now. He said that in order to initiate a warranty replacement they have to clean the area and look for signs of existing leakage.

Since it is not currently leaking, we can't get it replaced under warranty, even though there is evidence of a leak at some point in the past. :thumbsdown:
 
fbrdphreak said:
There is nothing wrong with your car. Stop freaking out and just drive it.
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First of all, if it seems like I am 'freaking out', it is only a sense of urgency due to the warranty running out in 2 weeks.

Second, there is a problem with the car. It may be minor right now, but until we develop self healing cars, I don't think the problem is going to get better on its own.
 
Sorry, gotta agree with fbrdphreak on this one. Unless there are oil spots on your driveway you don't have a problem.
 
dank69 said:
Yes, they are from underneath the car. The white in the 2nd picture in the lower left quadrant is the oil filter. I change the oil myself and didn't spill any.

When we picked up the car from the dealer, the mechanic basically admitted to us that the oil was the result of a leak, but it isn't leaking now. He said that in order to initiate a warranty replacement they have to clean the area and look for signs of existing leakage.

Since it is not currently leaking, we can't get it replaced under warranty, even though there is evidence of a leak at some point in the past. :thumbsdown:
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If it's the valve cover gasket (I'm not sure it is), I wouldn't worry about it. if there was indeed a persistent leak, the area would be a lot dirtier than it is now. I have an '05 Legacy btw.
 
NutBucket said:
Sorry, gotta agree with fbrdphreak on this one. Unless there are oil spots on your driveway you don't have a problem.
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I hope you are right.

alphatarget1 said:
If it's the valve cover gasket (I'm not sure it is), I wouldn't worry about it. if there was indeed a persistent leak, the area would be a lot dirtier than it is now. I have an '05 Legacy btw.
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Nope, it is the head gasket. I guess I'll just have to check it in the winter and see how bad it gets when it is cold. :\
 
Dealer just called me back and said that the leakage is below the minimum tolerance for the car--you have to be kidding me.
When they say the leakage/burnage (usually meant as oil consumption) is acceptable-it has nothing to to do with external leakage
 
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They could. There are definitely oil passages between the block and the head....

And yes OP, all manufacturers spec a minimum consumption/loss to qualify as a problem. Subaru might be as high as 1 quart/1000 miles, but don't quote me on that.

The last oil leak I dealt with was one where I was losing 1 quart after 45 miles of driving. Needless to say, I definitely installed a seal incorrectly!
 
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