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Help! Oil in coolant - Can I drive it home? (98 Forester, 250 Miles)

I have been occasionally and faintly smelling the delicious odor of scalding coolant for a few days now. Then today went to pick up my sister at the airport (150 Miles Roundtrip) Before leaving, I checked the fluids. Oil was clean - and only oily. Coolant reservoir was overfull and also oily. Radiator, on the other hand, was not full. Needing to leave right away, I topped it off with water. Hard to say how much, since it was from a garden hose, but I would guess about 2 cups of H20.

Picked her up, stopped for gas at about 100 miles. Checked the coolant reservoir - looked the same, but I dipped a bunch of shop towels in to collect the oil floating on the surface of the reservoir (about 1/8 inch). Now the coolant looked scuzzy, but green on the surface. Continued driving. About a mile from destination, temperature needle stood straight up. I coasted into my parent's driveway in a cloud of steam.

Looked in the reservoir - now it is entirely full to the point of overflowing - haven't opened the radiator cap yet, but it was cool to the touch. Water return hose (top passenger side of radiator) was hot. Coolant still appears to be clean(ish) - no layer of oil - just flecks that the shop towels didn't pick up.

I have a mechanic at home I trust - back home in Seattle. We are 250 miles away, and are supposed to get on a plane from Seattle the day after Christmas - Can I safely drive it 250 miles without major mechanical work being performed? I can probably get a rad flush on the 24th, but probably not anything more extensive than that. Should I send wife and daughter home on the train and wait for a Head gasket change?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Adam

Reply to
Adam
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Hi, What temp. is showing on the dash? If it does not show sign of over heating it may be OK to drive.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

I had a similar experience with an international rambler (lost the sump pan completely, in fact) I suspect that the Subaru engine would be substantially less tolerant.

Reply to
Adam

Had water in the oil on a Nissin 200B way back when; leaking head gasket.

Ran it for quite a while before twigging.

No drama.

Negligible oil consumption when sorted.

Reply to
ziggy99

Adam, Don't attempt it. But if you do or even if you don't, I'd like to see a follow up in the near future. More good advice can be gotten at

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May even find someone there locally that can give you a hand.

-- Message posted using

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Reply to
johninKY

Go to a local U-Haul, and rent a truck and an auto trailer/carrier. Transport your Subie home and drop it off at your mechanics shop. Get a 4 wheel carrier if you don't want to disable the AWD.

Reply to
QX

Hi,

I think many of us have "limped home" w/ engines that have suffered serious damage. I know I have... but they "came apart" completely once they got there. Damage levels ran from "install new head gasket" to "scrap it and drop in a new long block."

I don't know what level of damage has occurred w/ your Subie, but since you know you've been losing coolant and the gauge did "stand up straight" already, I'd say w/ luck, you might be able to get away w/ just surfacing the heads and replacing HGs right now. However, if you go ahead and drive it home another 250 miles, even slowly and carefully, you're tempting fate, at unknown cost to your pocketbook.

The trailer/U-haul idea will probably save you some money in the long run. Best of luck!

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:52:01 -0500, Tony Hwang wrote (in article ):

He said that in addition to the oil in the coolant, the needle was straight up and the engine produced a cloud of steam.

I agree with Roger; those symptoms are sufficient for a diagnosis.

Reply to
John Varela

Just came back from Uhaul - had to get the 14 footer because we need three seatbelts - this thing is going to drink down a ton of gas!

Thanks to everyone who responded.

Reply to
Adam

**When I moved from MI to CT, I drove a 16-foot Penske with a full car carrier for my Impreza. My possessions barely covered the floor of the van but I had to get the larger van in order to haul the car. It got about 10 miles to the gallon and I heard that that was pretty good :)

kaboomie

Reply to
kaboom

Just came back from Uhaul - had to get the 14 footer because we need three seatbelts - this thing is going to drink down a ton of gas!

Thanks to everyone who responded.

Very smart move. The gas you burn will be a LOT cheaper than the cost of a longblock, labor and downtime. Headgaskets can be done IN the vehicle (its tough on the old body)....

Reply to
Roger Buttsnort

10 mile/gallon=25 gallons=75Dollars +200 (?)rental i guess. good investment considering they will charge you 2500 to change head gasket, (at least no engine from junk yard for 1000 more.)
Reply to
uccoskun

if you drive through snowy icy roads be extra careful because yoru car will be pushing you out of road when you try to stop.

Reply to
uccoskun

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