MaryB Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 2001 Forester, 170K miles, greatly loved by our family. Has a problem with temp gauge and ? Head gasket replaced in 2003, along with water pump. Belts look normal. Coolant has not been flushed in a couple years, this car isn't heavily driven. I checked messages and could not find similar problem with our symptoms. On a hot day this week (over 100 deg) Forester temp gauge went up a couple notches from normal with the a/c on while going up a hill in our Sierra Nevada neighborhood. Temp gauge returns to normal when I turned off a/c. Coolant level was OK, added a little water. Oil level was 1/2 qt low, added oil. Fan operates fine. Drove it again early this morning and gauge reported normal while going up country. Came back downhill. Temp gauge notched up again when I returned uphill again at noon, and yes, it's hot as heck again today. Temp gauge never got close to red area. We will test the thermostat, other advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 take a look at the radiator itself, maybe it could use a good blasting with a hose to clean out bugs. testing the t'stat is a good idea, but it's at least 9 years old. they aren't pricey so, go ahead an re-install a new one. from the dealer or, a Stant Xacstat 48457. the one you remove BETTER look like; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john40iowa Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 That is good advice; Also I also install a new radiator cap on our Forester about every three years. Cheap insurance to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryB Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 checked for flying critters, cooling fins are clear. When it cools down we will dump old coolant. Should we flush with water? Then we'll add new coolant. Thanks for all the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryB Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 also, thermostat is an original Subaru part and it's already wide open by the time the temp is up a few notches. We're also not seeing any engine codes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 also, thermostat is an original Subaru part and it's already wide open by the time the temp is up a few notches. We're also not seeing any engine codes. hmmm, I dunno, this is disconcerting. Um, when you refill the cooling system, you will probably want to know about 'burping' (making certain there's no trapped air) if you don't already. do a search here as there may be 2-3 approaches. In any event, you will want to monitor the level in the overflow tank after the first 2-3 drives just to make sure the system is full. In the future - if it begins to look like a serious overheating event, turn the car's climate control to full heat - it may buy you a little time to exit a freeway or get to a safe stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryB Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Took it for a spin just now. Cannot see any obvious leaks. Will ask our mechanic buddy to do a pressure check tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryB Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 thanks for the advice about the flushing and burping. We probably should have taken care of flushing it awhile back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Took it for a spin just now. Cannot see any obvious leaks. Will ask our mechanic buddy to do a pressure check tomorrow. Probably a good idea - hope it's something simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now