This problem was in the EJ series as well. Anytime customers said they smelt coolant id look for the rear crossover pipe and sure enough it there would a pool on top. Cheap o-ring but expensive for labour.
That's exactly what is happening to my 2009 outback right now. I Thought the coolant level was dropping due to blown head gaskets. Then I saw a puddle of coolant on the top of the engine at the rear crossover pipe seal.
Thanks so much for the video, I believe this was the condition, that forced the previous owner of our 2016 Crosstrek to trade it in for a new Subaru. Per the Subaru dealership service history, in Bryan TX, the previous owner had just spent about 1,800.00, months before she traded in vehicle, for an A/C compressor. So I think, these O-rings were the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak. Subaru Dealership in Houston TX, quoted me ball park 1,500.00 for replacement of the crossover pipe O-rings. I did the job per your video, in about 3.5 hours. Yes, I checked the PCV valve during the job! Awesome video!!!
Completed this repair yesterday. Not that difficult if you follow along with the video and have a few maintenance bones in your body. While I was at it, i replaced the thermostat, upper and lower radiator hoses, exhaust manifold gaskets, PCV valve, throttle body gasket, coolant, and plenum gaskets. 2013 Crosstrek (184,500)
Great, comprehensive video. None of that "and then a miracle happens" nonsense. I wish I could have really seen where those o-rings sit, but I'm sure it would be clear if I tackled this repair myself. Thanks for the excellent step-by-step.
I agree. Video is great and I am grateful., but some exact will lit zoomed stills photos of where and how o-rings sit could be done with a camera and or mirror and would be helpful . Also any info on which models do and do not require removal of wiring harness, would be helpful, as that is something you do not want to find out halfway when budgeting your time
If you're doing this on your personal vehicle and not a customers, you need to disconnect more of those connectors, lift that pipe a bit higher, wedge something under it to hold it up to gain more access to the pipe sealing surfaces and clean them thoroughly with a brass wire brush. Otherwise, you'll do the job again in two years.
I was wondering what symptoms customer experience to bring in for service? Venturi pump is such a nice specailty tool to have with these Subaru. I imagine it pays for itself in the time it saves doing this as a profession. Again, you make it always look a bit smoother than real life. Good confidence builder for us first timers
I had a catastrophic engine failure caused by a $2 o-ring. 😔 Had one of the o-rings behind the oil pump fail. Thought I had caught it soon enough, but a few months post repair, I started to hear faint rod knock on my way to work. On the commute home, the bearing spun. Love the FA20, but I am not a fan of the oil pump/timing cover design. These things happen. We pick up a wrech and move forward.
I usually just remove alternator out of the way and few connectors in the way and use a pry bar to lift cross over pipe and pic to remove o-rings from front and back side without needing to do all this
Yep....you have convinced me that I will not be attempting this. Not only have I never gone this far into an engine but I do not have most of the amazing tools and diagnostic equipment nor the experience of how to use them. I would probably have a bucketful of left over parts. Good mechanics are worth their weight in gold and weekend warriors like myself who feel like a God to do a simple brake job need to just pay the pro. Find an honest and competent mechanic and pay the money. They are MORE THAN worth it....even if it seems like a lot.
6’4 here. Nearly always lifted cars on the lift to save my back when I was in a shop. Definitely miss a lift. Problem was they never lifted cars high enough when working underneath. I usually had to take a wide leg stance to have comfortable head room. Lol
@@MrSubaru1387 I feel you there! I was lucky when living back home. My dad owned his own coal trucking company from 77 to 92 before he sold it and retired early. With that came the old garage, tons of 70's & 80's tools, and best part the deep pit with a lift. I don't get back much to use it since I've moved, but any chance I get I take it. He's 79, and still going strong with truck repairs for local individuals or renting it out to people either one.
I didn't realize until after I ordered that fuel line tool that I did not need it for my 2016 impreza But other than that thanks for the video it is very helpful
Mr.Subaru, do you have a recommended service interval chart for new Subarus? I'm almost ready to take delivery of the 23 Subaru Crosstrek Premium in the 6MT we ordered. Hoping to keep it running to 300,000 with little issues. I've been watching your videos and see that sometimes Subaru doesn't do their best at giving buyers a good service interval chart. Do you have any places I could look to find a "vetted" service interval chart with possible added touch points? Thank you!
My daughter's 2011 Forester she just bought was losing coolant/overheating and had a lot of fluid on top of the engine after replacing the upper/lower radiator hoses and flushing/filling the cooling system. Replacing the ECT sensor (it's bad), but I think I'm gonna go ahead and do this too...hopefully this is where the coolant is coming from.
Entertaining and educational...gives me perspective when I pay someone else to repair my OB! Since moving to the coast 14 years ago I've noticed rubber bands deteriorate to a dried crumbly mess within days. I have to keep them in a ziplock bag to keep them pliable.
Nice video! Looks like I could do this myself. Our 2015 Forester has lived its entire life in Phoenix so I can only imagine what those o-rings might be like.
I just watched this last week and was out today to check the oil level and just so happened to see my crossover pipe leaking. Looks like I'll be doing this on mine soon.
The real scary coolant o-rings are the ones in the upper oil pan on the FB and FA engines. Looks just like a blown head gasket when they go. And, of course, the only way to get to them in to pull the engine since the lower bell housing studs are attached to the upper oil pan...
I'm currently diagnosing a 2014 Forester Premium overheat issue. Lots of folks say it's probably head gaskets. I was able to top off coolant and drive it when needed. Now it's pouring out coolant to the ground and no longer can be driven. Any Ideas on what is happening? This video is very detailed and I know I can trust your advice. Thanks for any response, DZ
Thank you Mr. Subaru, I have the "puddle" in the same location in my 09 and 15 Outback's....... Will have to wait till Spring though......I'll start with my 09 since it seems easier.
Get a bottle of Subaru coolant conditioner. It will buy you some time. Part #SOA635071. Keep in mind it needs to be added to the radiator not the overflow reservoir, so you need something to remove a bit of coolant if it's not low from the leak. Shake vigorously before adding to the radiator. Drive immediately after adding to circulate and warm the coolant.
Just had mine replaced at the dealership, I could smell the antifreeze, thought it might be the heater core. Looked on u tube and sure enough one of the o rings was blown out. I had the extended warranty,but this wasn’t covered.
This is why everyone I know (including me) prefer older subarus, my ej201 was a breeze to change the o rings! P.s mrsubaru my PCV valve recently failed while on the motorway, got her home misfiring an changed it now it's fine apart from it seems to have blown the seals around the spark plug tubes so they're now covered in oil, I'm assuming the PCV was the cause? I serviced it a week before the pcv failure and there wasnt a spot of oil there.
You have just saved my bacon.... I've been holding off on this because I haven't found a proper video . I'm assuming it's similar to the 2010 2.5l? thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart.
Damn this is a lot of work! glad my dealership replaced it under my gold extended warranty… I though I was a chump buying it but I guess it all worked out
Mr. Subaru I like all your videos, you've been a great help to me with my Subaru ,I have a 2012 impressive premium 2.0 ,.. I bought new rims, aftermarket rims and my question is can I use pressure sensors from my original rims or do I have to replace them.?? Thank you in advance
So I don't actually know enough about cars to be sure of this statement, but it sure does seem like Subarus have a lot of leak problems. Is this due to the design of the engine itself, or do they just use bad gaskets/seals? Do they have more connection points than other cars? Is the pressure greater? Or are they just using the bare minimum material as far as durability goes? And this isn't just an observation. I'm on my third Subaru (I don't know why I love them so much) and they have all had leaks in one place or another. Was never a problem with my Toyotas and Hondas that I owned. Thanks for any responses.
Not sure this is DIY consumer, need some skill for sure. Especially for Oring placement. I'm surprised they failed. If they were Viton material or did Subaru use only cheaper rubber ones?
If I attempt this myself, would it be a good time to try to clean some carbon from the intake manifold runners or from inside the EGR valve or tube while I have everything apart? Anything else worth knocking out while I'm in there? I like the PCV reminder in this video.
Question here. With all the trade ins (specifically wrk model) 2020 2021 with low miles 3k-14k would it be smarter to avoid them because of the drive it like you stole it people with no regard to a break in period? This is strictly a reliability question. i haven't because of the insane prices alone.
I have some new parts that were not used for my outback. I will send them to you if you want them no charge. POwer stop pads, Bosch o2 sensor, some suspension bushings. A few other things. The car no longer exists.
This is a question that I need answered correctly. I just purchased a brand new 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Limited on 1/20/2023. Is there an engine break in period before I can go on the expressways or tollways in Illinois? Thank you very much.
My problem is my wife's 2012 forester has oil in the coolant reservoir not milky actual oil droplets. No over heating and when I replaced the plugs they were dry . Any ideas?
hello mr subaru1387 I watch your videos frequently and they help me a lot. My problem is that I have an xv2017 fb20 engine my problem is that oil is passing into the coolant and I don't know which o-ring I should replace since in your video the ones you replace are due to a coolant leak I would appreciate your help since I am new to this I don't know if this PCV Hose Connector has to do with the problem greetings
@mrsubaru1387 would you know what material the OEM o-ring made of? would a O-ring made of viton, assuming one is available, be better for longevity? Thanks!
Nice work, as always! It is very strange that the rubber rings are so dry, as if they were overheated. We had -27 deg.C for last two days and -23 for today. Mine FB20 SJ '14 is okay, cold start sounds weird, but thanks God it have started. Сold weather showed that it's time to check the hood latch - the spring weakened in the cold. Workhorse VW Tiguan ('14, 1.4 TSI 4Motion MT) became leaking with coolant from turbine hose while cold. By the way, dads old ('94) Toyota with 4A-FE (gasoline 1.6l I4) have started as new.
It happens with age. It's why I hate O rings in places that get hot. My 1992 Camaro has an oil control O ring on the distributor. It's the reason every third generation camaro leaks a little bit every night. The O ring lasts maybe 2 or 3 months.
I just bought an 07 Subaru Forester xs with 322,000 miles on it. commenting here because idk if you react to comments on old videos. Are there any sneaky things that I should check that could start to show at this kind of mileage? I'm doing all of the obvious. engine mounts, replacing all fluids, and filters, and checking for drivetrain issues such as u joint, and suspension/steering issues like ball joints. Is there anything sneaky that I'm missing which I should also check?
With so much knowledge in Subaru, I have a genuine series question. i have a '19 STI ... What's the deal with the creaking clutch noise when it's depressed in...? This happened on another STI I drove as well ... IS there a cure / solution for this?
at least he damn fuel rail "protectors" aren't like the damn EJ's. I have seen SO many Subarus that have a dealer service history with those damn fuel rail cover/protectors chucked in the trash. My personal car (Both EJ-Turbos) no covers/protectors. great video as always
While the car is a 2013, do you think the cross-over passage "o-rings" drying out is due to time, mileage or something else as the prime degrader(?)? Being new to Subaru, will this be a "normal" replacement item in new to plan for with my 2020 WRX? Thank you for considering this and another informative video. v/r
Thanks for the excellent video. I have a 2017 Outback 2.5 Cvt -- Does this car have an upper thermostat for the transmission warmer feature? Thanks for any help.
MrSubaru I have a question for you. I have a 2013 Subaru Forester that I noticed was completely dry of coolant yesterday, so I went ahead and added some immediately after, then today I wake up and it’s completely empty again 😢 what could be the problem? I don’t smell, nor see anything that leaked on the ground
I have 2 questions 1 which transmission is compatible with the Subaru 2.2l N/A recently my transmission broke and 2 I want to do a swap ej18 to ej22 what is needed or what do you recommend
I have a 2015 Subaru Forester I have oil in the radiator do you have a video on what to do. Oil pan does not have any water. I'm wondering what could it be please help 😕
Hmmm good to know this. My 2002 Forster S will one day be needing this eventually and even though this is a new car and different engine here mine won't be too terribly different of a job. However I'm wondering if the older EJ 2.5L doesn't have these O rings on there.
hello, excellent channel, great job, I have a question, I live in Mexico and there are not many mechanics here who know about Subaru, my problem is that the oil got into the radiator and I don't know why, the engine has no coolant but The radiator does have oil, I recently changed the pcv valve but I don't know if that is causing the problem, could you help me? greetings!
I just had a mechanic looked at my Subaru 2014 he told me that is the problem with my car but he said that they have to remove the whole engine to replace those o rings 😮.
I have been thinking about buying my first Subaru, so I have been watching all these videos. They are terrific. You do a great job explaining what you are doing and why you are doing it. I do have a question about current Subaru models if you would mind commenting. Do you see anything inherently wrong with the current Outback Wilderness model? Are the engine and transmission considered "good" and reliable? I have not seen any Wilderness models on your videos, but most are probably still under warranty. I live just north of Charlotte and there have been very few Outback Wilderness models to look at over the past 2+ years. I haven't even been able to test drive one yet. Thanks again for the videos.
Mr Subaru. Do you have a video on re sealing the timing cover on the jen one crosstrek. Timing chain guides and tensioners as well. If I'm in there I might as well with 235k
my AC 3/4 in 2014 Crosstrek XV cuts out... everything else works... what could be the potential issue? I tried changing out the resistor, but all the same....
I have this same issue on my 2011 with coolant accumulating in the same spot but it evaporates away and there is no coolant leaking that I can see with the hood open and the engine running. Obviously, I need to keep an eye on this, but like Mr. Subaru I have no garage, and it's cold and winter here in Canada so I will need to wait until mid-April or so to be able to do this. Over the past 3 months, I have lost enough coolant to take me to the min line on the overflow tank from full. Still, the car runs fine and has no heating or cooling issues. I am just wondering if my plan to top off and wait is OK or if I am risking disaster by not rushing to fix this? Thinking back, I did notice this over a year ago but thought it was the gasket for the coolant temp sensor which I replaced. The leak seems to come and go but seems more pronounced following very cold exterior temperatures. Can this wait as planned or am I being a fool not to have it repaired as soon as possible even if it might be a pricey fix?
I replaced my timing belt and water pump. I bled my system and now all my lights are on. ABS,AWD, CEL, sport, cruise, and my temp light blinks red and blue. I have no idea what to do. Thanks in advance
what is your advice about radiator caps? I just took my car in today to have the radiator drained and new coolant and the tech broke my cap!! So they just put a standard on and I have heard there is a special cap on the actual radiator should I go to another dealer and get a factory replacement? Is it safe to change it out myself serious I was shocked that the tech broke my cap. They tried to say it was already broken and with the heat around here there is no way my car would have not over heated and I would have known there was a issue. I m super mixed up now as they told me not to come back for service. The other tech a while back broke my ac lines while changing out the differential fluid. I was like wow what is going on. How is could that happen? Oh well. Please let me know your advice about the radiator cap. Its a 2011 outback. Thanks
@@MrSubaru1387 thanks I will go get one tomorrow. got to find a dealer i can trust to not break things on my car. I appreciate you fast response I would glady pay you for work but I am a long ways from your shop!!. Best wishes to you and your family always.
