I might try this. I just have some seepage around the head on the oil filter side. Assumed it was oil filter oil from previous changes but it’s definitely gasket. I’ll try bars, any specific version?
head gasket leak isn't a major problem. The problem is when it slowly leaks over time without the owner topping up the coolant. Then coolant levels get too low and the engine causes damage via overheating. Edit: The only head gasket leak to really worry about is when coolant gets into the oil/oil into coolant...
Trust me it is stressful. When the head gasket leak oil in top the exhaust. Manifold. The burn oil smell getting into the car. It's crazy. My subaru it's 03 outback woth 220.k miles😊
@@DarienDrakee but my coolant doesn’t leak but there is a visible leak coming from head gaskets, and no it’s not me being confused with valve cover leaks
Dang this is what mine looks like. I have a torn CV axle boot so I just thought that was slung grease. I was investigating more after I saw some oil under my car, noticed oil at my drain plug and thought that was it, but it looks just like that under there
How much does this usally cost the customer having this service done? Just found out this morning on my Mother-in-law's 2013 Subaru Forester is completely filled with oil in the coolant reservoir. Before finding this out, she said a large plume of white smoke would come out the exhaust when first started in the morning. But does not smoke after that. Her Su now has 148,907 miles on it... When purchased, it had 139,XXX Miles. My guess is a blown head gasket and time for a replacement... It's been leaking for sometime when she purchased it about 8 months from a Mom/Pop dealership. She said she saw no leaks at the dealers, but that can be taken care of using a power washer to clean the underneath and no oil shows on the ground. Usally I add 2 to 3 quarts a week when checking it every Saturday. She paid $9,000 U.S. and she definitely got taken for...
about $2,500 - $3,500 for this job. Many dealers are known to hide the issues, however these engines (2.5L EJ25) are KNOWN to leak oil and blowing head gaskets at some point after 100,000 miles mark.
Main reason I sold my Forester while it still alive. The new owners gutted everything out with all brand new stuff. Still got my Legacy Wagon that I had to get that done on and that was the worse day I had at a repair shop.
Great video, many thanks! I took my Suby outback to change the timing belt and they said they see coolant leak on passenger side ( behind Timing belt cover). I never had significant loss of coolant in the reservoir and the car is running very well. Shouldn't they perform coolant pressure test before I go for expensive head gasket replacement? Please help I don't want to spend $2.5K if it is not urgent!
Hey, firstly thanks for posting this video, I like the Subaru Foresters but is the head gasket or timing belt problems found on all the Subaru Forester’s or only certain models....someone told me that it’s only certain engines ?
@@Fireninja-hp7lu Only the ones with graphite composite coated single layer head gaskets. The subies that comes stock with multi-layered steel (MLS) gaskets (like the STI) do not have this problem. The graphite coating is known to break down over time and cause the leaking issue.
I'm about to dive into my 2006 2.5, really hoping to use your videos, this will be my first Engine rebuild, what specialty tools will I need and roughly how long does it take to get your heads planed and sent back? Thanks!!
How’d it go for you man? I just bought a 2000 2.5rs with leaking head gaskets and imma dive into it and refresh the engine for my first before It gets worse
@fernandomateo4572 Didn't go well, I lost my place to stay, car kept overheating, I had to sell it. Got a 2024 Forester now. No more issues, problem solved lol
How did this engine sound when it arrived at speed academy ? I have an 03 Forester that sounds a bit tap-tap-tap...hope the rod bearings are still good...IDK
Hey , my Subaru looks kind of like that underneath , and also now I’m finding coolent leaking under there as well ! But it’s not overheating and the engine oil isn’t contaminated yet , but loosing coolent slightly and engine runs a lil rough . Is this urgent ?
I’ve put 25k miles on an engine with the same problem. So it may or may not be urgent but in my experience as long as it’s just an external leak it’ll just keep running. Until suddenly it doesn’t. Lol
@@connorsanchez9585 I was thinking the same thing because mine keeps running fine with the external leak , I’ll keep driving it till the leak gets so bad I have to constantly top it off which could happen in hopefully 25k lol
Really how serious is this issue on a high km car? My past experience with a head gasket going (s13 silvia) involved much drama and fanfair as the engine overheated and the head warped. On my Impreza however I have some external oil weeping (not as bad as this example), but that's it. The car is still perky and it drives well. I took it to Subaru and they just said to keep the fluids up and keep driving it given that its an older high km car and not worth spending the money on.
Same here, except subaru where I live likes their $$$$, and quoted me $8,000 to fix the leaks. Paid only $2,000 for the car lol. Took it to another mechanic and said it was just "seeping slowly"
Julio Pérez Caballero turbocharged ej motors are less prone to this problem as na motors however it’s still something to keep in mind. usually happens around the 100k mark
HOW LONG do I have my ej is getting the sucked up upper coolant line look from the thermostat getting exhaust gas in it and acting like a bad thermostat but it’s exhaust gas in my coolant, at small visibility of drivers side. 215,000 miles on her !!!!!!!
I have a 2011 Subaru Legacy that overheated on a 100 degree day. I stopped the car and added coolant to the overflow container and waited ( but not for long) several times on my 30 mile trip home from work. I only drove when the warning light was off, but waiting 15 minutes at a time I supposed was not enough. I had the radiator, water pump, and timing belt replaced, a coolant system flush and oil change. The car ran fine for about 100 miles and then the warning light appeared again, This time I had the car towed to my mechanic. My mechanic had the car for two days and ran the engine for periods of time, took the car on several 20 mile trips but could not replicate the problem. Now I notice that my radiator overflow has bubbles and is overfilled. I have to wait over an hour for the car to cool down an siphon antifreeze from the overflow back into the radiator because the radiator fluid is low. No warning lights are coming on in the car but you can hear fluids moving around at times while driving. I cannot afford to have a head gasket replaced ( I already spent 200 dollars I didn't have on the initial repairs. I have to work which is 32 miles each way from my home. There is no public transportation and I live in a rural area that is having a very hot summer. Does anyone have any suggestions? S0rry to ramble on but the situation is giving me a lot of stress!
I bought a new car. The dealership ran a test for 200 dollars that could not tell me if the head was blown or not and I was quite upset as I could have done that with my local mechanic. I purchase a new car at a bad time. I really liked the subaru until this happened.@@Ghostysti
Have a question for anyone, EJ20 swap from 99-05 can fit into 09 impreza? There is plenty of video that show its possible by interchanging some parts but so far no proof jumping that far into the future, they say it runs ALOT better on forums and i would like to make it work but need to confirm honestly, the subaru community is pretty dry around these times no one even wants to share info, what a bummer
I have a 97 legacy outback... love the car but I found tons of problems and even though the head gaskets were changed a couple years ago by the previous owner it’s still leaking and looks worse than this video. It doesn’t run that bad but I always wonder how long I have, the transmission too
Hey nam! For a 2008-2011 Impreza 2.5i SOHC, which MLS head gasket would you substitute instead of the crappy graphite one ? Would you choose the OEM Subaru 11044AA642, 11044AA670 or the 11044AA770 ?? Thanks in advance !
The DOHC engines are known for blowing the head gaskets internally, allowing the coolant and oil to mix and causing the engine to overheat. The SOHC engines like the one in this video are known for blowing the gasket externally, only resulting in a small oil drip.
Is there any way I can just clog the leak? My cars too old for this, I’m just gonna save up for a whole new drivetrain. I wanted to take JB weld and put it along the cracks where the head/block meet and put jb weld along the whole underneath to stop the oil from spilling out or will it clog the bottom of the engine or something idk
Damn my have almost the same issue but a lot oil on top of the block and the head (driver side) have oil and that’s every time I push it any one has an idea 💡 that can help me out 2010 Subaru Impreza wrx sedan
Can you tell us the quick poor mans method without machine shop and what gaskets for Subaru are the least price most forgiving and if head bolts can be re-used or if they need to be replaced and what head bolts are the least price and most forgiving?
Ahahahahah! I hate these mechanics that are in Sydney australia they said it’s not a head gasket issue because my oil isn’t creamy but going down to the bottom of the car looks exactly like this My coolant is greener than grass and my oil is fine a little bit of condensation but that’s fine can it be just a normal subaru thing? Mind you it’s a 2002 Wrx sedan
I never leave the house without a couple extra headgaskets in my glovebox
a tip: you can watch series at instaflixxer. Been using it for watching lots of of movies recently.
@Khalid Trevor yup, been using InstaFlixxer for years myself :)
@Khalid Trevor Yea, I have been watching on instaflixxer for since november myself :D
That's why I drive a Lambo
I drive a ‘03 X
From what I’m hearing that 2020 have oil consumption issues
Automatic oil rustproofing !!Thats perfect if you live in the Northeast!! Thanks for posting...
Hey that's what mine looks like! Great
Same 😍😍
I love it😍
Stupid! Same though 😂
LOL SAME
Saaaaameeee
If it's just external it's fine don't worry about it just add bars stop leak with every oil change.. been doing it for years
Does this slow or stop it? I have a very small external HG leak (1-2 drops per day) and a I'm thinking of doing this as I got quoted $1500+ for a fix
I might try this. I just have some seepage around the head on the oil filter side. Assumed it was oil filter oil from previous changes but it’s definitely gasket. I’ll try bars, any specific version?
head gasket leak isn't a major problem. The problem is when it slowly leaks over time without the owner topping up the coolant. Then coolant levels get too low and the engine causes damage via overheating.
Edit: The only head gasket leak to really worry about is when coolant gets into the oil/oil into coolant...
Trust me it is stressful. When the head gasket leak oil in top the exhaust. Manifold. The burn oil smell getting into the car. It's crazy. My subaru it's 03 outback woth 220.k miles😊
So basically it's a constant-loss oiling system, just like the old Harley Panheads.
So lemme get this straight… As long as oil and coolant aren’t mixing in the engine then the only bad thing that will happen is oil loss?
Yes
And or coolant loss.
@@DarienDrakee but my coolant doesn’t leak but there is a visible leak coming from head gaskets, and no it’s not me being confused with valve cover leaks
@@myyoutubechannel3161 any guess on how long it can be driven like that?
@@stevenk2431 for oil loss ?? Or blown head gasket?
Dang this is what mine looks like. I have a torn CV axle boot so I just thought that was slung grease. I was investigating more after I saw some oil under my car, noticed oil at my drain plug and thought that was it, but it looks just like that under there
Great video - thanks dude! So helpful...
What about oil on top of driver left side head underneath intake mani leaking down to exhaust? There is a pond of oil sitting up there.
would k-seal fix this problem?
How much does this usally cost the customer having this service done?
Just found out this morning on my Mother-in-law's 2013 Subaru Forester is completely filled with oil in the coolant reservoir.
Before finding this out, she said a large plume of white smoke would come out the exhaust when first started in the morning. But does not smoke after that.
Her Su now has 148,907 miles on it... When purchased, it had 139,XXX Miles.
My guess is a blown head gasket and time for a replacement... It's been leaking for sometime when she purchased it about 8 months from a Mom/Pop dealership. She said she saw no leaks at the dealers, but that can be taken care of using a power washer to clean the underneath and no oil shows on the ground. Usally I add 2 to 3 quarts a week when checking it every Saturday.
She paid $9,000 U.S. and she definitely got taken for...
about $2,500 - $3,500 for this job.
Many dealers are known to hide the issues, however these engines (2.5L EJ25) are KNOWN to leak oil and blowing head gaskets at some point after 100,000 miles mark.
Wow Expensive and laborious job
To do it right yes it is.
Main reason I sold my Forester while it still alive. The new owners gutted everything out with all brand new stuff. Still got my Legacy Wagon that I had to get that done on and that was the worse day I had at a repair shop.
Great video, many thanks! I took my Suby outback to change the timing belt and they said they see coolant leak on passenger side ( behind Timing belt cover). I never had significant loss of coolant in the reservoir and the car is running very well. Shouldn't they perform coolant pressure test before I go for expensive head gasket replacement? Please help I don't want to spend $2.5K if it is not urgent!
Good vid - thanks
Thank you for the post
Cool video, very helpfull
Glad you think so!
Hey, firstly thanks for posting this video, I like the Subaru Foresters but is the head gasket or timing belt problems found on all the Subaru Forester’s or only certain models....someone told me that it’s only certain engines ?
Hello Mark, this type of external head gasket failure is typical to the non turbo EJ25 found in most Subarus from 1999 - 2014.
@@NvautoCa Are you saying that earl 2000's 2.5 TURBO Foresters do not have the leaking head gasket issue?
@@sashasol_mtl dude just do ur research all subies r gonna have head gasket proboems
@@Fireninja-hp7lu Only the ones with graphite composite coated single layer head gaskets. The subies that comes stock with multi-layered steel (MLS) gaskets (like the STI) do not have this problem. The graphite coating is known to break down over time and cause the leaking issue.
I feel like it’s the nature of the boxer engine
I'm about to dive into my 2006 2.5, really hoping to use your videos, this will be my first Engine rebuild, what specialty tools will I need and roughly how long does it take to get your heads planed and sent back? Thanks!!
How’d it go for you man? I just bought a 2000 2.5rs with leaking head gaskets and imma dive into it and refresh the engine for my first before It gets worse
@fernandomateo4572 Didn't go well, I lost my place to stay, car kept overheating, I had to sell it. Got a 2024 Forester now. No more issues, problem solved lol
@@JGSmash🤣🤣🤣🤣
My Subaru Impreza leaks water and over heats can it be fixed
How did this engine sound when it arrived at speed academy ? I have an 03 Forester that sounds a bit tap-tap-tap...hope the rod bearings are still good...IDK
The tensioner pulley makes a similar noise as long as it goes away after 2500 rpm
Do the heads have to be machined if it is only an external oil leak and not coolant?
Always machine the heads!!
Hey , my Subaru looks kind of like that underneath , and also now I’m finding coolent leaking under there as well ! But it’s not overheating and the engine oil isn’t contaminated yet , but loosing coolent slightly and engine runs a lil rough . Is this urgent ?
Same here I'm loosing coolant on my 2000 subaru legacy gt limited
I’ve put 25k miles on an engine with the same problem. So it may or may not be urgent but in my experience as long as it’s just an external leak it’ll just keep running. Until suddenly it doesn’t. Lol
@@connorsanchez9585 I was thinking the same thing because mine keeps running fine with the external leak , I’ll keep driving it till the leak gets so bad I have to constantly top it off which could happen in hopefully 25k lol
Same, my engine heats up but I'm only seeing a coolant leak, the oil hasn't mixed with any coolant in the engine.
Really how serious is this issue on a high km car? My past experience with a head gasket going (s13 silvia) involved much drama and fanfair as the engine overheated and the head warped. On my Impreza however I have some external oil weeping (not as bad as this example), but that's it. The car is still perky and it drives well. I took it to Subaru and they just said to keep the fluids up and keep driving it given that its an older high km car and not worth spending the money on.
Interesting... Same here! same thing man lol.
Same here, except subaru where I live likes their $$$$, and quoted me $8,000 to fix the leaks. Paid only $2,000 for the car lol. Took it to another mechanic and said it was just "seeping slowly"
Could you recommend me a shop here in Kansas city Missouri. Or do I have to drive 14 hrs lol
When you change the HGs do you pull the engine or no?
Yes we pull the engine. It’s actually quicker that way.
Local shop guy said he leaves them in. I had a DOHC, no way doing that in the car.
Time to use some JB weld
Why does it cost $3700 CAD to do a head gasket job? Two shops in Victoria BC have quoted me this price. What's the point :S
Is it very likely that it leaks oil onto the manifold? My 2006 outback 2.5 burns oil on the manifold whenever I accelerate a bit more.
Yes it will drip directly on the manifold.
@@NvautoCa I used stop leak from nulon to fix it and it works 👍
Will a 2010 Outback 2.5 work in my 2009 Outback???
Awesome video! So this means a gasket cover change costs more in Subarus than in a Honda, for example?
How much is a fair price for a shop to charge for fixing this?
Is the 2012-2017 STI afected by this problem?
The engine of this Impreza is the EJ257
Julio Pérez Caballero turbocharged ej motors are less prone to this problem as na motors however it’s still something to keep in mind. usually happens around the 100k mark
HOW LONG do I have my ej is getting the sucked up upper coolant line look from the thermostat getting exhaust gas in it and acting like a bad thermostat but it’s exhaust gas in my coolant, at small visibility of drivers side. 215,000 miles on her !!!!!!!
Mine is doing the same thing now curious how yours turned out?
Damn my subaru looks exactly like that. I go through 1 quart every 2 weeks. SUBARU is JUNK my crv is 230k miles still strong
I have a 2011 Subaru Legacy that overheated on a 100 degree day. I stopped the car and added coolant to the overflow container and waited ( but not for long) several times on my 30 mile trip home from work. I only drove when the warning light was off, but waiting 15 minutes at a time I supposed was not enough. I had the radiator, water pump, and timing belt replaced, a coolant system flush and oil change. The car ran fine for about 100 miles and then the warning light appeared again, This time I had the car towed to my mechanic. My mechanic had the car for two days and ran the engine for periods of time, took the car on several 20 mile trips but could not replicate the problem. Now I notice that my radiator overflow has bubbles and is overfilled. I have to wait over an hour for the car to cool down an siphon antifreeze from the overflow back into the radiator because the radiator fluid is low. No warning lights are coming on in the car but you can hear fluids moving around at times while driving. I cannot afford to have a head gasket replaced ( I already spent 200 dollars I didn't have on the initial repairs. I have to work which is 32 miles each way from my home. There is no public transportation and I live in a rural area that is having a very hot summer. Does anyone have any suggestions? S0rry to ramble on but the situation is giving me a lot of stress!
what did you end up doing
I bought a new car. The dealership ran a test for 200 dollars that could not tell me if the head was blown or not and I was quite upset as I could have done that with my local mechanic. I purchase a new car at a bad time. I really liked the subaru until this happened.@@Ghostysti
What if its only on the right side
Is that problem also occur at subaru xv?
Have a question for anyone, EJ20 swap from 99-05 can fit into 09 impreza? There is plenty of video that show its possible by interchanging some parts but so far no proof jumping that far into the future, they say it runs ALOT better on forums and i would like to make it work but need to confirm honestly, the subaru community is pretty dry around these times no one even wants to share info, what a bummer
How much ?
Any advice?? 216k miles on a 1998 legacy outback. Great condition otherwise !
Run it till it blows?
Do the heads?
Or just find a new engine?
Thanks !
If its a good car just replace the head gasket.
Head gasket job costs $2,000 - $3,000. Just fyi
@@sashasol_mtl I was quoted $1100.
I have a 97 legacy outback... love the car but I found tons of problems and even though the head gaskets were changed a couple years ago by the previous owner it’s still leaking and looks worse than this video. It doesn’t run that bad but I always wonder how long I have, the transmission too
my Impreza needs all that.🤯
What if its only Coolant leaking?
same, if it is leaking coolant, your headgaskets are toast. think about it
Are y'all gonna be at the Canadian Auto Show ?
No Auto Show for us this year. We will be at COTA for Super Lap Battle during the show.
Hey nam! For a 2008-2011 Impreza 2.5i SOHC, which MLS head gasket would you substitute instead of the crappy graphite one ? Would you choose the OEM Subaru 11044AA642, 11044AA670 or the 11044AA770 ?? Thanks in advance !
How to diagnose: It's a subaru
Dual cam subaru engines have headgasket issues as well. It isnt only SOHC like you claim
The DOHC engines are known for blowing the head gaskets internally, allowing the coolant and oil to mix and causing the engine to overheat. The SOHC engines like the one in this video are known for blowing the gasket externally, only resulting in a small oil drip.
Mine is pressurizing the coolant and evappraying it
Mines look like this for 120k and still running
Is there any way I can just clog the leak? My cars too old for this, I’m just gonna save up for a whole new drivetrain. I wanted to take JB weld and put it along the cracks where the head/block meet and put jb weld along the whole underneath to stop the oil from spilling out or will it clog the bottom of the engine or something idk
Damn my have almost the same issue but a lot oil on top of the block and the head (driver side) have oil and that’s every time I push it any one has an idea 💡 that can help me out 2010 Subaru Impreza wrx sedan
How much would it cost to be fixed
5k
did he call it an en... gin?
Can you tell us the quick poor mans method without machine shop and what gaskets for Subaru are the least price most forgiving and if head bolts can be re-used or if they need to be replaced and what head bolts are the least price and most forgiving?
Ahahahahah! I hate these mechanics that are in Sydney australia they said it’s not a head gasket issue because my oil isn’t creamy but going down to the bottom of the car looks exactly like this
My coolant is greener than grass and my oil is fine a little bit of condensation but that’s fine can it be just a normal subaru thing? Mind you it’s a 2002 Wrx sedan
I hope it’s just one of my hoses but I’m leaking fuck ton of blue juice
never ever buying a subaru again, shit cars
Got 120300 miles on my 08 Impreza and just noticed some slight buildup on the passenger head☹️
I was told 100-125K is about when they go...
well. thats me. shit
Going back to Toyota -_- Thanks for nothing Subaru
Toyota is king of the jungle, Suburu is turd of the jungle
Toyota may be king but subaru is not the turd