After changing oil on 1997 Subaru Legacy I started the car and it ran about 5 seconds and shut off and AT oil temp light and check engine light came on. This is my first Subaru and this is the 4th oil change I have done on it, it has just under 150,000 miles

SOURCE: Overheat on my 1997 Subaru Legacy GT

Sorry if this might break your heart. I have '98 Outback which is the same 1st generation DOHC 2.5 engine. These are common head gasket problem (I'd say 100% of every engine sooner or later) once you have had your car overheated.

You will not get this comfirmed by just have your mech check the compression on the cylinder because we call it phantom leak (internal leak which can be confirmed with hydrocarbon in coolant). And then you will end up replace every other thing before you could reach the source of problem.

Other signs of this issue are as following: random overheating after freeway or uphills drive, bubbles in coolant overflow tank, oil residue in coolant overflow tank, bubble nioses from the a/c vent.

You're looking at $1000-1500 repair by independent mech as they have to pull engine out to fix the problem. I had mine fixed two weeks ago and now my baby is running like a champ.

google for "Subaru head gasket problem"

SOURCE: 1997 subaru outback legacy overheating

I've had the same problem all year. I've had four different mechanics look at this car - 97 legacy with 2.5. I've had the coolant seals replaced, the radiator cap, the thermostat, the water pump - all to no avail. I've realized now that it only overheats shortly after running sustained high rpm's. Recently the last mechanic mentioned the bleeder valve (I didn't know it had one and think maybe he didn't know either - not a subaru mechanic). Recently it overheated again (again sustained high rpm's - apparently more prone to produce air in the system), I sat the vehicle on an incline (raising the bleeder valve to be the highest point) and let the car warm up and run for half an hour. Now 300 miles and no overheat. I went through alot with this car to get to this point. Unbelievable.

SOURCE: 1995 Subaru Legacy oil and filter

Oil is 10-30 and the type of oil filter is up to you, you can go cheap or you can go expensive it is all up to you what you want to run in your car.

SOURCE: a/t light is flashing 16 times n 1995 subaru legacy

if by a/t you mean automatic transmission try a power purge transmission service it may have a filter sensor that is telling you to service soon

Mike Butler

• 6674 Answers
• Posted on Apr 25, 2009

SOURCE: after changing the spark plugs on my car the check engine light came on. Why?

.044 should be.