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My low coolant mystery

2K views 9 replies 3 participants last post by  crhawkeye 
#1 ·
For a 2000 Outback

Vehicle has 115k. Picked it up recently. Had 100k type maintenance (timing belt, waterpump, etc) as well as a preventative switch to the updated head-gaskets. This was done about 3 months back or so.

Coolant was somewhat low. Mechanic verified the gaskets look fine, could tell the vehicle had recently been serviced. Did a dye test. Everything checked out. (edits: I had believed that the coolant was changed at the 100k mark -- but now am second guessing myself as I write this)

We thought perhaps it wasn't burped well and some air had worked its way through the vehicle. Found no signs of a leak.

So I end up getting the vehicle. Drives fine, doesn't over-heat. Not smelling or seeing coolant. (100 mile drive after purchasing was fine)

Topped off the coolant. (radiator and the reservoir... reservoir was rather low)

Anyway, drive 30 miles or so the night after the top-off and notice the reservoir is probably down a 1/4 inch in the morning. A bit gone from the radiator. (although I'm less sure the the radiator level went down much)

So now I'm left wondering what exactly is going on. I'm going to try and put another 30-40 miles tonight, see what it looks like tomorrow... see if I lose anything. Don't know if I've still got some air working its way through or what?

Any thoughts on how to handle this one?
 
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#2 ·
At the end of your drive before shutting the car down do this! Park, put parking break on, crank the wheels hard right. Shut the car off and right away look up under the car from behind the driver side front wheel. Your looking for the bottom left corner of the engine block. The 99 through 2002 external head gasket leak will be dripping coolant off the back corner of the engine right on to the hot exhaust. After a few minutes all evidence is evaporated.
 
#4 ·
I'll check. I'd be pretty pissed if that were the case considering the gaskets were done 3 months ago and the garage I had check the vehicle said they looked fine.

(the gasket work is actually covered under a 6 month warranty still according to the seller)

Drove it another 40 miles tonight. Behaved fine. Heat gets up to about the 40-45% mark but never budges from there. Been like that since I got it.

Looked immediately after a 20 mile driver for anything under the vehicle... nothing. Didn't smell anything either. We'll see if the coolant level changed in the morning.
 
#5 ·
It's possible the system was just low to begin with after being worked on. That's what the reservoir is for, so it's probably just doing it's job. I had this issue come up after pulling the coolant plugs in the block on a couple Subaru's. You think it's full, but really should wait till the thermostat opens to put the cap back on.
 
#6 ·
Yeah... hoping this is all.

Checked this morning... though it was on a bit of a hill... reservoir is perhaps down a tiny. (or not at all depending what it looks like when I get it back to a more level position)

Can't tell for sure if radiator is down at all. Doesn't really seem like it.

Will do the wheel turn test tonight and see what I get.

Sucks because I want to embark on a road trip wednesday or thursday here.
 
#7 ·
Update:

Vehicle performs the same. No over-heating, no leaking I can find, or head-gasket type symptoms.

Reservoir seems to have dropped though. Probably half inch. From just above yellow dot to the plastic line below it. Don't think radiator level dropped much if any.

Maybe an overnight pressure test at this point?
 
#8 ·
half inch in the overflow doesn't mean much on one check. Drive the car for a full tank of gas take a look at it a couple of times in the same flat parking spot if you see a clear change in the level ie dropping and it drops below the low fill line then you have some coolant going some place. Very possible it was just not fully topped off to start with.
 
#9 ·
Leak discovered off lower radiator hose... (not sure of correct terminology with subaru...it's the big hose... left side of the fan, almost under the coolant reservoir)

See fluid dripping out near the end of it by the clamp. Nothing on top.

Thinking clamp may be loose or hose is shot.

Seems straight forward enough...eh?

I'll take it in soon though.


Radiator still full. Just kept losing from reservoir.

(had started dropping faster, so became apparent there had to be a leak. Thinking before that perhaps it was minor enough that the fluid was evaporating)
 
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