Smoke and Engine Light
Asked by Guru9B5HT Jun 22, 2017 at 02:02 PM about the 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT AWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I have two separate issues with my car...
First the Smoke-
the first time i drive my car in the morning a little bit of smoke come from the
hood. its not over heating or anything like that and its only when i drive it in
the morning for the first time. the rest of the day is fine
Second is the Engine Light
My light turns on when ever i have the AC on if i keep it off for a few days it
goes away but when i turn it on the light turns on along with my cruise light
which is always flashing
someone help me. its getting really frustrating trying to figure out this car
11 Answers
I suspect your head gaskets or possibly valve cover gaskets are leaking oil onto the exhaust system. Have the trouble codes read at your local mechanic or auto parts store to know why the CEL is on. How many miles on the car?
What does the smoke smell like? Coolant or burning oil?
The miles are low but you own a Subaru which is notorious for leaking head gaskets. Keep an eye on the oil and coolant levels but if you can live with the smoke you can probably drive it for a long time the way it is. Do inspect it or have a mechanic look at it in case the problem is an easy fix. I also recommend using Subaru brand anti-leak in the radiator - about $3.
i did just put in a new radiator. it smells like burning oil I guess
why would the engine lights be turning on when ever the ac is on and turn off when the ac is off for a few days
Did the smell coincide with the radiator installation? If your car is an automatic make sure the transmission lines connections to the radiator are not leaking.
the smoke started before the radiator installation i thought it would fix it but it didnt
Well good luck with your Subaru and once you have the codes read, post them here and we will try to help.
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 6 years ago
Nicely covered, FOR, but I see that this is a GT turbo, so there may be other complications. Decoding the CEL is of course the necessary prerequisite here, as I'm not aiming at a leaky right side head gasket, valve cover, or variable valve oil press switch just yet. These early (2005+) 2.5 GT turbos are total crap.
