How do you tell if a Subaru has a bad head gasket?
7 Possible Signs of a Bad Head Gasket
- Milky Engine Oil.
- Overheating Engine.
- Bubbles in the Radiator.
- White Exhaust Smoke.
- Blue Exhaust Smoke.
- Cylinder Misfire.
- Low Coolant. If the coolant in your vehicle is lower than it should be, a head gasket may be the culprit.
How can you tell if a head gasket is blown?
Common symptoms of a blown head gasket include the following:
- External leaks of coolant from under the exhaust gasket.
- Overheating under the hood.
- Smoke blowing from the exhaust with a white-ish tint.
- Depleted coolant levels with no trace of leakage.
- Bubble formations in the radiator and overflow compartment.
What kind of head gasket does a Subaru have?
The Subaru head gasket issues have been known to affect a large number of Subaru models and makes throughout various years. The most commonly affected models are the Impreza, the Legacy, and the Outback models between the years of 1999-2004. The main reason that they have the issues is because they share the 2.5-liter SOHC engine.
What are the models that have head gasket problems?
The breakdown of the affected models are the Subaru Forester from 1999-2010, Impreza from 1999 to 2011, Outback from 2000-2011, Legacy from 2000-2009, and Baja from 2003-2005. The wide range of Subaru head gasket problems means that numerous models have engine issues.
How can you tell if you have a head gasket leak?
If you notice a thick cloud of white smoke out of the exhaust that persists after initial startup, you probably have a head gasket leak. However, just because you don’t notice excessive white smoke doesn’t mean you’re leak free. Does the underside of your oil cap look like black coffee or a Starbucks Frappuccino?
Can a blown head gasket cause an oil leak?
A blown head gasket can manifest in several ways. On first generation Outbacks and second generation Legacy models, the gaskets tend to leak externally. You may notice oil leaks between the head and the block of the engine.