- This topic has 2 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
Topic
-
I don’t own a Subaru, but a friend does and is seeing an odd issue. He has a 2006 with about 130k miles on it. Recently the temp gauge started to jump up to where it is 2/3 the way up the gauge. Sometimes, it even jumps up as high as just under the red overheat indicator. When this happens, whithin 20 to 30 seconds the temp drops back down to normal.
To try and fix it he had the water pump replaced, thermostat replaced and radiator tested. Still the same exact symptoms. This occurs whether or not the AC is on but does seem to happen more often when at a stop or not moving fast. But the temp may raise when at a stop and drop back down while you are stopped.
I am not sure if this is a sensor, gauge, air in the system (leak somewhere or head gasket issue). It is not losing coolant, so does not seem like a leak and if it needed to be burped I would have hoped the mechanic would have done this after all of the attempted repairs.
Any thoughts?
-
Replies
-
It could be air the system. Sometimes they can be real stubborn and need to be burped several times to get all the air out. A spill-free funnel works best for situations like this. Are there any engine codes? Other than air in the system, maybe the cooling fan isn’t working as it should. You could also test the coolant temp sensor. Also, was the radiator flushed when the t-stat and pump was replaced? These have radiators that tend to sludge up. A radiator pressure test only indicates if it can hold pressure, but it cannot indicate if it is plugged up. Although I respect the fact that it is full of new coolant, I would pull the radiator out of the vehicle and flush it out really well with a garden hose (turn it upside down and put the water in from the lower hose port). Maybe even give it a bubble bath (Dawn dishsoap) if water starts to push a lot of crud out. I flushed one from a Forester once that was so full of dirt and crud it looked like I washed out a muddy wheel well.
Air in the system is the first thing to check for with that situation. Information, and a video on how to check for air in the system can be found here.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/what-to-do-when-your-engine-overheats
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.