My subaru forester is overheating and billowing white smoke

[ballmode]

I think a cracked head or leaking gasket is upon this car.

Forester has 105k miles. Body is in great shape, other than some interior lights going out never had any problems.

However BIG problems just happened with this car. Check engine light is flashing not just solidly on.

I think I'm screwed and unless a new engine + install is under 1500 bucks... I'm looking at another small SUV (if you saw my other thread)

suggestions?

 

[manimal]

I think a cracked head or leaking gasket is upon this car.

Forester has 105k miles. Body is in great shape, other than some interior lights going out never had any problems.

However BIG problems just happened with this car. Check engine light is flashing not just solidly on.

I think I'm screwed and unless a new engine + install is under 1500 bucks... I'm looking at another small SUV (if you saw my other thread)

suggestions?

Do you have a guy to look at it that you trust? I have a couple-no not the place that went all ferris on me-

 

[Kaervak]

What year Forester? The pre 2003 ones have the "wonderful" head gasket issues. If you're handy, knocking out a HG repair yourself isn't difficult, just time consuming. Head over to http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin and search around for head gasket threads. I think I've seen people quoted around $1000 for the HG job.

 

[Elfear]

Overheating and white smoke sounds like a head gasket problem as Kaervak mentioned. Certain year Subarus are notorious for that problem.

 

[kornphlake]

Whatever advice this thread yields, take it with a grain of salt, depending on the day, folks on the Anandtech Garage have an abnormally optimistic opinion about Subaru. People are going to recommend a STI engine swap or any number of other goofball responses. Take it with a grain of salt, and cross check recommendations with another respected automotive forum.

Regardless of the make and model of the vehicle, with that many miles assuming you've owned the car for at least 5 years and know it's maintenance history and there aren't other major problems, it's probably worth repairing the engine. Even if the cost is $2500, you won't find a car in decent condition for less than the cost of the repair and you "shouldn't" have many problems in the next 50k+ miles once this repair is done. You'll probably have to work on the brakes, replace an alternator and battery, replace the water pump and maybe the starter or some other odd but relatively inexpensive repair, but the possibility of having to do this work on any other vehicle is the same. I'd say fix it and plan on driving it for another 5 years.

If you're just looking for an excuse to buy something else, you'd have to do some research, find out (a) how much you can get for trade in with the problems, (b)how much will you get for trade with the problems repaired and (c) how much it will cost to repair the problem. If a<b+c you should probably have the engine repaired, if a>b+c trade it in as is. If you're still making payments on the vehicle, it's probably best to repair it and continue making payments regardless of the costs.

 

[exar333]

Whatever advice this thread yields, take it with a grain of salt, depending on the day, folks on the Anandtech Garage have an abnormally optimistic opinion about Subaru. People are going to recommend a STI engine swap or any number of other goofball responses. Take it with a grain of salt, and cross check recommendations with another respected automotive forum.

Regardless of the make and model of the vehicle, with that many miles assuming you've owned the car for at least 5 years and know it's maintenance history and there aren't other major problems, it's probably worth repairing the engine. Even if the cost is $2500, you won't find a car in decent condition for less than the cost of the repair and you "shouldn't" have many problems in the next 50k+ miles once this repair is done. You'll probably have to work on the brakes, replace an alternator and battery, replace the water pump and maybe the starter or some other odd but relatively inexpensive repair, but the possibility of having to do this work on any other vehicle is the same. I'd say fix it and plan on driving it for another 5 years.

If you're just looking for an excuse to buy something else, you'd have to do some research, find out (a) how much you can get for trade in with the problems, (b)how much will you get for trade with the problems repaired and (c) how much it will cost to repair the problem. If a<b+c you should probably have the engine repaired, if a>b+c trade it in as is. If you're still making payments on the vehicle, it's probably best to repair it and continue making payments regardless of the costs.

1st paragraph: Asshat response

2d-3rd paragraphs: I agree 100&#37;

Why even start with that kind of jerk response? Uncalled for...

Edit: AT isn't a dedicated Subaru forum by any measure, but a lot of people here have them. Foresters, WRXs, STis, and Legacys are all decently represented on AT.

 

[ballmode]

I actually agree with Korn. I own this Forester, and I own the modded WRX (see sig)

A few years ago the only car anybody should have bought before the actual Garage forum was created was the "Mazda 3" it was the holy grail of all cars affordable.

Now if you want anything that fuel economy isn't priority #1 it is a Subaru.

My subaru just took a huge shit on me. I'm taking it to the shop and hopefully its just the gasket. I don't even want to bother with whatever codes its throwing as it will overheat before I get there.

I've already had to add a bunch of coolant to the engine was it was bone dry. Wondering how long I will have to keep doing this to get it to another place.

I'll let you guys know what happens when the mechanics look at it.

 

[BUTCH1]

I actually agree with Korn. I own this Forester, and I own the modded WRX (see sig)

A few years ago the only car anybody should have bought before the actual Garage forum was created was the "Mazda 3" it was the holy grail of all cars affordable.

Now if you want anything that fuel economy isn't priority #1 it is a Subaru.

My subaru just took a huge shit on me. I'm taking it to the shop and hopefully its just the gasket. I don't even want to bother with whatever codes its throwing as it will overheat before I get there.

I've already had to add a bunch of coolant to the engine was it was bone dry. Wondering how long I will have to keep doing this to get it to another place.

I'll let you guys know what happens when the mechanics look at it.

Have it towed if it's that bad, overheating aluminum heads is a bad thing, best to spend $100 for a tow rather than warp a head. OP, buy a Haynes (or Chiltons) and see what it takes to do this yourself, as others have said it's "cheaper to keep 'er"..

 

[ballmode]

Reading that Forester problem, I should have read this before buying this car.

 

[ballmode]

Repair shop called me today to tell me that it will cost about $1500 bucks for this forester to get fixed.

Should I pay the money to get it fixed and just sell the car? It's worth about 4500-5000 according to blue book. Not sure if stuff like this decreases value on a car

 

[SearchMaster]

Not sure if stuff like this decreases value on a car

Really?

I'd say it depends on your attitude about the car. If you would have kept the car another 2+ years if it didn't need the engine work, you should probably fix it and keep it. If you were planning to dump it anyway, you should probably repair it first. You're going to have trouble selling a car that overheats and spews white smoke at anywhere near book value, so you'll either have to cut the price dramatically and sell it as a mechanic's special or get it fixed first.

 

[SuperSix]

Is it paid off? If so, where are you going to get as good of a vehicle for 1500?

 

[ballmode]

No what I meant to say is I'm going to fix it, pay whatever and then sell it.

 

[bruceb]

Have to agree, your head gasket is shot. You should also have the head checked for cracks and warpage and while it is out, do a valve job on it. Or just buy a new head (in some cases it is less costly to replace than have the old checked and reworked) The flashing CEL is indicating misfires, which will occur when coolant gets into the combustion chamber. The white smoke from the exhaust is a dead giveaway of head gasket failure. I am somewhat shocked that it is only at 105K miles, unless someone let the motor overheat. It should last longer than that.

 

[manimal]

Have to agree, your head gasket is shot. You should also have the head checked for cracks and warpage and while it is out, do a valve job on it. Or just buy a new head (in some cases it is less costly to replace than have the old checked and reworked) The flashing CEL is indicating misfires, which will occur when coolant gets into the combustion chamber. The white smoke from the exhaust is a dead giveaway of head gasket failure. I am somewhat shocked that it is only at 105K miles, unless someone let the motor overheat. It should last longer than that.

I agree thats some bad luck man

 

[ballmode]

Vehicle is paid off, just awaiting the bill. Gonna fix and sell it. Don't want to mess with it anymore.

 

[exar333]

A buddie's 2002 Forester blew a head-gasket at about the same time (102k IIRC). Besides the HG issues, those Subaru's were great. I love the older body styles over the mini-SUV they have now.

Good luck...

 

[ballmode]

what happened to your buddys forester? he keep it? he fix it? how much?