99 Subaru Legacy Outback OVERHEATING!

[lilcuci]

Hello,

Im new to the forum.

I have a 99 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.2 that keeps overheating. I changed the Thermostat and the radiator cap. Both of the fans run but it still overheats.

The top hose from the radiator to the engine is hot and the bottom hose from the radiator(where the thermostat is) to the engine remains cold.

PLEASE HELP! :smt010

It has 126,XXX Miles on it.

[danci1973]

Hello,

Im new to the forum.

I have a 99 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.2 that keeps overheating. I changed the Thermostat and the radiator cap. Both of the fans run but it still overheats.

The top hose from the radiator to the engine is hot and the bottom hose from the radiator(where the thermostat is) to the engine remains cold.

PLEASE HELP! :smt010

It has 126,XXX Miles on it.
Does it throw water out of the expansion reservoir? Mine did and at first everyone suspected head gaskets. I replaced those and it didn't change a bit.

Then I replaced the radiator and all was well. Here is what I found wrong with the old one:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/05/IMG_8165-1.jpg

This is where the radiator cap should create a seal. But this plastic was 'eroded' so that even a new cap didn't seal properly.

D.

[lilcuci]

It does not throw out water that color.

I just took out the thermostat and ran the engine without it and it runs PERFECT. It does not overheat. Will this damage the engine? or affect it in any way?

Thanks

lilcuci

:smt024

[jey]

Yeah running the engine cold all the time is not good for it - it'll be particularly bad if you take a lot of shorter drives. Better than overheating but you should get a working thermostat installed properly.

[lilcuci]

I got two thermostats at NAPA Auto Parts and they both did not work properly. Any other place I could go get one?

[green97gt]

are you sure your not putting them in backwards?

the odds of two+ thermostats not function are....pretty high.

put them in a pot of cold water. then boil it, see if they open. if they do, youre doing something wrong.

as opposed to NO thermostat, ive seen people put a "washer" or other restriction or orifice in the place of the thermostat, that will allow the car to get to operating temp, quickly and maintain it.


EDIT X2: what happened to my edit?

anyway, i had an old pickup that would overheat with a thermostat in it, granted its not a subaru...but.... this old pickup would overheat due to a small headgasket leak, and when the thermostat cycling closed/small opening combustion gasses would build up behind the thermostat and having air behind the stat would not heat up the wax inside it, it would not open and the truck would overheat. i solved this(cause i waasnt doin HGs on this POS) by drilling a small 1/16 inch hole in the thermostat to allow combustion gasses to pass...

[ouch1011]

I would use a new thermostat from Subaru. I've heard of many people having issues with aftermarket ones on these cars.