SurferKid714 Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 i just bought a 1991 legacy wagon non turbo auto 168k miles for $250 problems im having are that it misfires i changed the spark plugs and it didnt help at all i pulled the wires all the cylinders are getting spark so not sure what the problem is? i ran sea foam through the vacume and put half the bottle in my gas tank... that didnt help 2nd problem is the car overheats only when the rpms are 2800 and below if you rev the motor to 2800 and then it will cool down really fast so my guess would be head gasket but not 100% sure coolant is dirty by the way the oil is like a qt high so im going to change the oil and put it at the right level PLEASE HELP! just trying to get it running good enough so i can flip it and make enough money to finish another project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 The overheating sounds like either a themostat, water pump, or just air bubles in the cooling system. Subaru boxer engines are notorious for having air in their cooling systems. I'd say flush the coolant system and make sure you get all the air out. There is a plug at the back of the motor to make sure. While you've got the coolant drained, throw in a new thermostat and gasket just to be on the safe side. Those things are a dime a dozen anyway. Easy, simple piece of mind. If it were the head gaskets you'd be burning coolant and have gunk in the oil. You can't use the oil cap as a good indication of a blown head gasket either, because they usually get gunked up from moisture in the fill tube anyway. I'd also replace the spark plug wires. If you still have the misfire try replacing the coil. A good tuneup always helps too. You've already got the spark plugs done, and you're probably going to have to do the wires and coolant while you're at it. I'd go all the way and replace the fuel and air filters too, just to make it a more appealing buy when you go to sell it. Cars that need next to nothing are always more likely to sell than cars that need service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferKid714 Posted June 20, 2010 Author Share Posted June 20, 2010 The overheating sounds like either a themostat, water pump, or just air bubles in the cooling system. Subaru boxer engines are notorious for having air in their cooling systems. I'd say flush the coolant system and make sure you get all the air out. There is a plug at the back of the motor to make sure. While you've got the coolant drained, throw in a new thermostat and gasket just to be on the safe side. Those things are a dime a dozen anyway. Easy, simple piece of mind. If it were the head gaskets you'd be burning coolant and have gunk in the oil. You can't use the oil cap as a good indication of a blown head gasket either, because they usually get gunked up from moisture in the fill tube anyway. I'd also replace the spark plug wires. If you still have the misfire try replacing the coil. A good tuneup always helps too. You've already got the spark plugs done, and you're probably going to have to do the wires and coolant while you're at it. I'd go all the way and replace the fuel and air filters too, just to make it a more appealing buy when you go to sell it. Cars that need next to nothing are always more likely to sell than cars that need service. alright cool ill try those and see what happens i just really dont want to throw anymore money into this thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 I understand. If money is the case, I'd start by trying the spark plug wires. If that doesn't fix the problem I'd replace the ignition coil. After that I'd purge the coolant system of air and simply top it off. If you have to replace the thermostat then go for it, if purging fixes the issue leave it alone. Other than that I can only recommend that you never use SeaFoam in the vacuum lines ever again. Its good stuff when used in the gas tank, but it does more harm than good in the vacuum lines, especially in older cars. I've been warned from seasoned big block SuperModified racers (From a team I used to work for) and old retired mechanics that SeaFoam in the lines is a bad thing for old cars. Thus, I've never tried it myself. Usually a good solid tune up with lots of new maintenance items is the way to go. Whenever I buy a used car I tend to go on a spending spree. Shocks, spark plugs, wires, O2 sensors, brakes, fluids, filters, the whole 9 yards. In the end it pays off wonderfully and I am rewarded with close to OEM performance without the OEM price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqc151 Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 +1 dont use seafoam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferKid714 Posted June 23, 2010 Author Share Posted June 23, 2010 i dont think the thermostat is the problem it doesnt overheat when its cold outside like at night time but its 93 today and the temp is all the way to the top im pretty sure its a head gasket which is another reason why maybe its misfiring the hotter it runsthe worse it misfires and pops the colder it is the nicer it runs i got wires and a stat so im gonna change it anyway and see what happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Wagon Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 I dont think the thermostat is the problem. It doesnt overheat when its cold outside, like at night time, but its 93 today and the temp is all the way to the top. Im pretty sure its a head gasket, which is another reason why maybe its misfiring. The hotter it gets the worse it runs and it pops (?). The colder it is the nicer it runs. I have wires and a stat so im gonna change it anyway and see what happens. Punctuation and grammar Welcome to the forum I hope that those things help fix the overheating problems. Keep us updated on the progress of the car. Also, if you're looking to fix this on the cheap make sure and start with the cheapest methods possible. Head gaskets being the last thing you want to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fkyx Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 i dont think the thermostat is the problem it doesnt overheat when its cold outside like at night time but its 93 today and the temp is all the way to the top im pretty sure its a head gasket which is another reason why maybe its misfiring the hotter it runsthe worse it misfires and pops the colder it is the nicer it runs i got wires and a stat so im gonna change it anyway and see what happens Looks for oil or smell for "exhaust" in your coolant overflow reservoir. If it's a headgasket issue, you'll notice one of these things. I'm confident it's your thermostat. Even more likely if your car doesn't have an OEM thermostat in it. Whether you think its the thermostat or not, I'd say go ahead and change it out for a new OEM thermostat. That way, if it ends up being the issue, you'll have spent less than if you change the head gaskets first only to find out that isn't an issue. If nothing else, you'll know for sure that you have an OEM thermostat in there rather than some other crap that'll die soon anyway. MAKE SURE TO USE AN OEM THERMOSTAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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