brainpowerr Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Hi, I'm trying to pin down my overheating problem. It started on the highway, gauge went all the way to red after about an hour of driving. I opened the hood and saw that coolant was being forced back into the reservoir and was squirting out from the reservoir cap. I called MountainTech Subaru and they told me if I was over heating on the freeway it was more than likely either the thermostat or the radiator. I replaced the thermostat this morning, and got a new radiator. Just prepared to do the swap, opened the valve on the bottom of the radiator to drain it, and almost nothing came out, but I know there was coolant in there, I just topped it off yesterday, haven't driven it, and there's no evidence of a leak. What the eff? Any help? Is my coolant hiding somewhere in my engine? Total noob, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92_rugby_subie Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) Talk to GeneralDisorder, hes in your area and hes a Subaru genius... To me sounds like the radiator is clogged... Could be that your radiator is the black hole to another galaxy as well, but I doubt it :-p Edit: Have you opened the cap to see if its still full and just clogged? Also, are your carpets wet (leaky heater core) Check your oil just in case the coolant is mixing somewhere. Edited June 23, 2012 by 92_rugby_subie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 i worked on an 85 brat with this problem it turned out i was putting the coolant in to fast. fill up your radiator slowly and also know how much your system holds that will help alot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Señor Brat Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Found this excerpt online a while back. Could be #2? "the radiator cap has three seals, any of which may fail independently of the others: 1. The main seal is the one that seals the cap against the top of the filler neck. Just a rubber gasket that operates just like one on the lid of a pickle jar. Simple and reliable. 2. A failed pressure seal will allow the coolant to boil at a lower temperature, and coolant will be able to travel freely and foamily to the expansion reservoir. This will cause localized hot-spots inside the engine, which can lead to premature head warpage, and may hasten head gasket failure. It will also cause the rad coolant level to be low, just like a failed head gasket. 3. A failed return seal will prevent the coolant from returning to the radiator as the rad cools off, causing a vacuum that can collapse the radiator's hoses. This will prevent the coolant from circulating if the hoses don't re-expand as the engine warms up." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainpowerr Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 Thanks for the replies. I just swapped the radiators and it seems like the problem is going to persist. I'm wondering if its the water pump? When the engine is running I push on the hoses going into and out of the water pump and it feels like there's no pressure at all. I can pretty much squish the hoses, although they do feel hot. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 open your radiator cap while your car is running and at operating temp and see if the water is circulating, or you could pinch the top radiator hose while running at temp and release you should be able to feel a rush of water if your pump is working. also have you tried flushing your system? you might have a clog somewhere in your block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 open your radiator cap while your car is running and at operating temp Keep in mind that doing this with a properly functioning cooling system will lead to an eruption of scolding hot green fluid that will probably disfigure your face. Not advisable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kona Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Keep in mind that doing this with a properly functioning cooling system will lead to an eruption of scolding hot green fluid that will probably disfigure your face. Not advisable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) um if your engine is running it won't erupt duh that is why i said WITH ENGINE RUNNING I have done this several times i have had alot of problems with subarus over heating i always check for circulation but do be carefull because scolding hot antifreeze doesn't feel good i have had this happen on differrant circumstances if you just open your cap a little wearing a pair of gloves of course you will be able to tell if it is going to release coolant at you it will start pouring into overflow. if you are worried about it you can just leave your cap off untill you get to operating temp and see if it circulates it wont be able to build pressure then Edited June 24, 2012 by mikaleda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainpowerr Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 Well I finished the swap, and filled it up with coolant. At first it seemed like it was going to overheat, but then I let it sit for a while, and then hit the road to see what happens. I went to Portland and back ~50 miles, and the temp gauge never rose past the halfway mark. What do you think? Problem solved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 At first it seemed like it was going to overheat Similar thing happened to me just after putting in a new water-pump. Went for a quick jaunt and it rose up to about 3/4 of the gauge, then after a little more driving it dropped back down, and it's been steady since then (couple months now). I'd keep going for test jaunts around to ensure it's okay. Check your radiator every now and then (when it's cool) and make sure your reservoir is filled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertsubaru Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Make sure to burp all the air out of the system. Park with the front end on a slight incline, remove cap and let the temp come up to operating temp. Push up and down on bumper to help air escape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainpowerr Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely do this tomorrow. Otherwise, its running better than when I bought it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rust Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 May be a faulty thermostat. Use the old backyard trick of dropping the thermostat in a pot of boiling water to see if it opens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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