Head Gaskets - repeat failure

I'd be interesting in knowing what they find also - if I were you, I might contact the SOA zone manager/whatever and have him at the dealership when the vehicle is re-examined. Techs are human and perhaps something just wasn't torqued correctly during the last reapir. I suppose there is a remote possibility they didn't use the most recent 'version' of HGs or ????

Carl

Update:

The service shop found a corroded conncetor at the electric fan, which kept it from coming on and caused the engine to overheat. That may or may not have been the original cause of the problem, but it was certainly not reported or repaired by the first shop where the engine was pulled.

I have had a response from SOA and I hope they will help me avoid paying for the head gasket again, should it have actually blown.

Florian

Hi,

I can't speak to whether this item was a "cause" of your problem or not, but do recall seeing a TSB from Subaru concerning electrical connectors under the hood corroding. They suggested cleaning all the plug in connectors (use a spray cleaner from the auto parts store designed for electrical work) then putting a bit of dielectric grease inside the connectors to prevent future corrosion. Only places NOT to do this are the connectors for the 02 sensors.

This might be something you should do yourself...

Rick

Rick, I have never heard of such a TSB, nor are there open recalls for this issue affecting my Legacy. If you can remember where you've read about that, I'd appreciate if you could post links.

My issue seems to have been in fact a corroded contact at the radiator fan preventing it from coming on. During highway driving, the air stream provided sufficient cooling, however at slower speeds, the engine overheated. So far, the second overheating seems to have not affected the new head gaskets as I had feared. Only the radiator and some hoses replaced that were apparently damaged.

Basically, the simple corrosion issue on the contact cost me $1700 for the head gasket and almost $600 for the radiator, which almost certainly could have been prevented by a proper diagnosis/procedure by the first dealer.

I contacted SOA (Subaru of America) hoping they would communicate with the first shop and have them give me a break. Their position is that I'm on my own - the car's out of warranty.

Moral of the story:

1. Clean your electrical connectors.
2. There's no benefit seeking out Subaru Dealers for out-of-warranty repairs, so save yourself the premium and find someone good.

FF

Hi,

Unfortunately, I can't get to the link anymore. I used to subscribe to AllData and it was on there. It used to be about $24/yr, and you sign up for a particular car: make, model, year, etc., and they give you "car-specific" info, tips, etc. It's probably worth it for a year if you download everything you can and save it!

I don't even remember now what years the TSB covered--my car's a '90 Loyale. But corrosion happens EVERYWHERE, so the tip's probably good for your car even if Subaru hasn't jumped on it, IMHO!

Rick