Hello guys,

Had my stock 03 WRX for 3 days and have noticed that it is using a small but noticeable amount of coolant. The temp is very stable at below the halfway level regardless of how enthusiastically I have been driving it.

Starting to panic now though reading threads about HG failure.

Have checked around for hose problems and cant see any. Going through the service history I see that the rad has been replaced in the past carried out by subaru garage.

Just need some pointers as I know nothing about this car and almost as little about cars in general.

What should I be checking or should I get checked out?

To buy this car has absolutely broke the bank for me and now I am in fear of it sinking me

 

Hi,new here also but can point some advice your way.

The headgasket failure symptoms include loss of coolant,internal as well as external.(external via pressurising of the coolant,it basically causes exhaust and combustion charge into the cooling system and pushes out the water).

You will possibly notice a mayonaise like substance around your oil filler cap and neck(a small amount maybe there because of condensation) and depending on severity of failure on the dipstick..ie water and oil mixing.

As an aside to the above you may possibly notice a similar substance in the coolant overflow tank or around the header tank.(the bit the metal cap is on,careful..do not release the metal cap when the engine is hot..only cool.)

You need to have it checked by a garage who know subaru's.ask around on here for your local.

Hope this helps and hope its just a simple leak.

 

Thanks for the info Boxer. No mayo anywhere to speak of, oil looks healthy (clear brown) same for the coolant tank and caps not clear brown though .

Will try and get some recommended garages round Peterborough way from other members here. Any ideas how much pressure tests of the block and coolant system might set me back? so brassic right now.

 

What are you measuring to notice the coolant loss - the header or expansion tank levels?

 

The expansion tank. Only in the morning though as I understand the level rises in line with the temp increase.

 

And when the system cools, it gets sucked back to the header tank.
I'd double check that the header tank is also dropping level.
The lack of overheating is a good thing.

Are you regularly topping up?

It could be the cooler nights are allowing the system to shrink more and dropping the expansion level.

Nick

 

Not had to top up yet. Am starting to think that I may be being a little paranoid, new car and all that and I can see a lot of sense in the ambient temp theory you are suggesting.

Am I right in assuming that if the header tank level remains constant then I could be in the clear?