Car overheats and pushes fluid back into the overflow tank.

Asked by gftmachine Jan 10, 2017 at 06:25 PM about the 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon AWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I had a bad head gasket.I used Bars Leak Gasket Repair and it ran great for
about two years.I made a mistake by adding alittle more to a cold
engine.After that it started to overheat and the temp gauge would max out.It
already had a new waterpump and new belts.I replaced the thermostat and
the radiator.It overheats but no steam comes out.There is no water in the
oil.It pushes all the coolant into the overflow tank but when I start to loosen
the radiator cap,it draws it all back into the radiator.The hoses don't leak and
the heater works fine and I can see no leakage inside the cab.Also I see very
little water coming out the tailpipe.I am not sure what I should do next.

4 Answers

220,915

Did you do this before or after the new radiator? Radiator may be plugged, heater core is going to be plugged, thermostat may stick now. You have a boat load of problems now.

220,915

About all you can do is get it to a shop and see if they can get it all cleaned out.

1 people found this helpful.

You plugged it up with that crap! You may need a new radiator but they don't cost that much. Next time use Subaru brand anti-leak in the radiator or Alumaseal. You may want to go ahead and fix the head gaskets as eventually they are going to go out.

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Legacy

Looking for a Used Legacy in your area?

CarGurus has 6,901 nationwide Legacy listings starting at $499.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

1998 Subaru Legacy

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    2,780
  • #2
    Anthony_60
    Reputation
    1,800
  • #3
    Tom Hawkins
    Reputation
    1,500
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Impreza
382 Great Deals out of 7,666 listings starting at $850
Used Toyota Camry
2,124 Great Deals out of 37,283 listings starting at $700
Used Honda Accord
1,497 Great Deals out of 29,259 listings starting at $474
Used Subaru Forester
1,095 Great Deals out of 28,546 listings starting at $2,500
Used Honda Civic
1,347 Great Deals out of 28,458 listings starting at $600
Used Subaru WRX
170 Great Deals out of 5,433 listings starting at $8,490
Used Toyota Corolla
1,606 Great Deals out of 24,418 listings starting at $975
Used Nissan Altima
1,315 Great Deals out of 37,442 listings starting at $700
Used Toyota RAV4
1,905 Great Deals out of 28,842 listings starting at $1,450
Used Volkswagen Jetta
729 Great Deals out of 16,441 listings starting at $1,100

Used Cars for Sale

2024 Subaru Legacy For Sale
19 Great Deals out of 3,323 listings starting at $23,045
2023 Subaru Legacy For Sale
20 Great Deals out of 199 listings starting at $22,500
2022 Subaru Legacy For Sale
29 Great Deals out of 329 listings starting at $15,198
2021 Subaru Legacy For Sale
38 Great Deals out of 433 listings starting at $15,995
2020 Subaru Legacy For Sale
28 Great Deals out of 370 listings starting at $11,950

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.