My Outback (-99) overheats sometimes (the temperature gauge shows high temperature and coolant leaks while the engine does not appear to be extremely warm, the radiator fans do not rotate).
The symtoms are:
1. You need to drive it completely warm and sometimes it does not even overheat while warm.
2. Sometimes as it overheats the overheating stops suddenly (the temperature gauge goes back to normal level)
3. It appears to be more prone to overheat while idling (for example the first time it happened, the temperature went to normal level immediately after I drove the vehicle).
4. There appears not be oil in the coolant (or coolant in the oil).
5. The radiator fans do not rotate when it is overheating.
The thermostat has been changed on it and my mechanic claims that it is the head gasket.
The strange issues (in my opinion) are:
1. How the overheating can stop while driving and not doing anything, if it is the gasket?
2. Why the fans don't rotate?
3. Why it appears to happen most often while idling?
Could it be that where is some dirt in the coolant that sometimes jams the thermostat which does not allow the water to circulate and causes the overheating?
Or are the symtoms in line with the head gasket problem?