heating issue

[subleg69]

Ok so I don't know what's going on exactly but I've had a few weird things happen over the past week. First I noticed some smoke coming from my exhaust now idk if that was from being so cold where I am now but then it sort went away. Then I had to take a drive down to lincoln technical school to sign up which is an hr from me now when I got there I pulled in and my temp gauge was way above the normal middle line and I noticed my fans were on so I turned the car off went inside came out checked the coolant and started the car and everything was fine. Car runs fine now then last night my car was at normal temp and I turned the heat on sitting at a traffic light n it started blowing cold air. I got really freaked out then lol but I started driving and soon enough it turned to hot and everythings fine on the car again now. No issues today. It can't be the head gasket cause I had that done maybe 4k ago along with all the top end gaskets and timing belt and water pump all done by a really good mechanicup here who I trust. Now idk if these issues are just random little blurps from the cold or something or if I have a serious issue building up? Maybe thermostat on the frits? Thanks mac

[subleg69]

Ok I lied just now I pulled into my buddys driveway and the air blowing was cold again? So confused

[Okin DaVanh]

low coolant maybe. check it in the morning, and top off if need be.


I'm going through some overheating issues too... must be the new thing this season.

[subleg69]

I've checked cold morning. Coolant is full its very odd something is not fried yet but is on the frits. It was blowing cold air when I stopped a friends house for a few mins then turned to hot again very odd

[Okin DaVanh]

Sounds as if you have an air pocket in the system still. Have you tried burping it?

[subleg69]

Not yet. I was thinking that or my thermostat is going

[mshriver]

My heat gets cold when I stop too... I never overheat though. I just assumed I had some junk in my heater lines / core. My guess would be low coolant or air in the system

[subleg69]

Coolant is perfect level every time cold or warm engine and res too. Has not done anything strange today so I'm confused.

[mshriver]

have you checked the thermostat?

[subleg69]

Ok so last night ik was driving back to jersey from pa and before I got to the bridge I notice my temp guage was at the red. I pulled over let it cool. Checked the coolant. It was fine. Worried and confused but needing to get home I continued. Babied it till I got to jersey then I saw a trail of smoke behind me I pulled over and saw it steaming out of my hood. Coolant all over top plastic on the radiator cracked bad. This morning bought a new thermostat and radiator put them on car overheated after 15 mins of driving. Added coolant tried blurping it. Kept doing it. Took thye thermo out didn't help. Put the old one back in and so far its been fine. I havet drove more t5hen a few mins to my girls house cause. I don't want to overheat it again yet it seems better. Heats working now but idk I don't get it. If it does overheat again what could it be? If it doesn't should I replace the new thermostat with a oem subaru one instead of the advance one? Or leave the original one in?

[subleg69]

And after 20 mins of driving it overheated suddenly :(

[mshriver]

Did you replace the HG's with OEM ones?

[02_Legacy]

Took thye thermo out didn't help. ?
So you took the thermostat right out and it still overheated?? Are you sure you are getting all the air out of the system. How are you burping it?

[Okin DaVanh]

Try this method and check the link provided:



Here's my "technique," works every time for me:

I can't recommend getting an OEM thermostat enough - the problems with running other ones are well documented on every subaru forum I've seen. The OEM thermostat has a bleeder that lets trapped air out (from the bottom of the radiator) that most non-oem ones don't have.

Here's a couple things to get most of the air out:

Park the front of the car on ramps or on a steep hill, nose up.
Open the radiator cap AND bleeder screw.
Fill up till it can't take any more (the bleeder overflows), and fill up the overflow bottle to the full line.
Put the radiator cap back on.
Using a funnel, fill more coolant into the bleeder screw hole, put the bleeder screw back on,
and let the car warm up to operating temperature with the heater on full blast (helps draw coolant into heater core)
Turn it off, and wait for it to cool all the way, and top off the radiator again the usual way, but with the bleeder screw open to let out any last air. Let it warm up and cool down again an additional time and refill again.

This technique works for me, and is a couple extra steps from the endrench procedure (link (http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=69004)) but I haven't had any problems since.