Life is Suffering - and the Overcoming of Suffering

 

So, I did a lot of work on this Subaru wagon to make sure it was ready for the long road trip.  I road tested it up thorough Snoqualmie Pass and on another short road trip to be sure.  

Of course it wasn’t until the actual road trip (day 1) that it let me know about a serious issue.

I was just past Ellensburg and I noticed the temp gauge climbing.  I pulled over in Kittitas and phoned my dad to compare notes.

I eventually learned from a Subaru guru in Mountain Home, ID that I have a blown head gasket.

Normally that means that your trip is over until you put in a new head gasket.

But, as this true guru (shout out to  Mountain Home Auto Repair, LLC ) explained the type of blown gasket I have is coolant to exhaust and that while the car is running at the proper temperature there is very little (if any) leak.  Apparently this particular Subaru engine is known for the blown-when-hot issue that I have been dancing with - it reseats the gasket when it cools down.

The big issue is that when the radiator heats up it sends overflow coolant to the overflow reservoir (like usual) but when it cools down it doesn’t quite bring enough back to the radiator.

When you stop the engine you hear a little gurgling of water - I call that ‘taking your thumb off the straw’.

For a while it was overheating everyday at least once and hills were the end - pull over and cool down and get back on the road 45 minutes later.

Through trial and error I found the solution.  Every time you turn the car off (and hear the gurgle) then you need to let it cool and pour coolant (either new or from the overflow reservoir (or a mix) straight into the radiator right to the top.

After that I can drive as aggressively as I want - climb any hill - there will not be a problem until you turn the car off and let it depressurize.

Before I learned this I was ready to dump the car and get a rental to finish my trip - even briefly considered buying a new car for a bit!  But that violates my rule : Don’t make a long term decision based on short term criteria.

I am feeling SO SO SO MUCH better now that the car is operating excellently.  I will follow my method of “givin’ her a sip” throughout the rest of the trip and then consider head gasket shenanigans upon my return.