lsnorris Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Hey folks, I've got a 99 Subaru Legacy 2.2l with 172k miles. Has been running like a champ but I've run into a problem. So on Wednesday the 27th I noticed my car was running pretty hot (3/4 temp gauge, usually runs at around 1/3 full) so I parked it and took a look. I smelled some burning... something, and there was a good amount of steam coming from the passenger side of the radiator. I couldn't see exactly where it was coming from. All the coolant was dripping out from that passenger side area. I made it home and it's now sitting. I first replaced the upper radiator hose because it felt flimsy and I thought I saw a leak coming from it. I hopped back in the car and kept it at 3000 RPM for a few minutes before it started getting towards the 3/4 temp mark and started steaming. The steam was coming from the same place (passenger side of the radiator) and coolant was dripping down from the passenger side too. I noticed that the corrugated plastic hose that runs under the radiator, from one side to the other, is split / cracked across the entire length of it. When I felt the plastic hose in the area where the leak was coming from I felt a bunch of coolant, but wasn't sure if it was INSIDE the hose or had been dripped down into it. I took a picture of the hose looking down from the upper radiator hose: http://imgur.com/CWvYHQZ (My MSPaint skills are rivalled only by my knowledge of cars) A cracked hose seems... Not good. However when I tried to look around it looked like this hose took a winding route through the front of the hood. Does this hose carry coolant, and could it be causing my issues? I tried checking the radiator for any cracks on the offending side, but couldn't find anything obviously out of place. Alas I know next to nothing about cars, so my apologies about incorrect terminology and elementary mistakes. I'm wondering if I need to replace the entire radiator or if this plastic hose may be the issue... Worthwhile to note that the coolant reservoir doesn't empty fully like it did when the problem first occurred, and the coolant leaks only on the passenger side even though the crack on the plastic corrugated hose runs the entire length of the hose. Looking for any advice, next steps, etc. Glad to take more pictures. Thanks a ton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBisson Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 That "corrugated hose" is just electrical wire protection. The crack is supposed to be there so that it can be put onto wires to protect them Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsnorris Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 Thanks for the reply, JBisson. I felt like perhaps I was barking up the wrong tree... With that being said, is there something else it could be aside from a cracked or leaking radiator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBisson Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 If that corrugated plastic piece is near the radiator and is filling with coolant than I think the radiator is a logical issue. Now I'm no expert mechanic but that's where I would start. Park the car over a piece of cardboard to help you find the leak Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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