12 replies to this topic

[()__1337_CRAYOLA__()>]

it barely runs over the first line over cold and the heat sucks.... new oe thermostat and everything. should i cardboard up the radiator or should i buy a aftermarket thermostat for a different temp

[Bucky92]

Make sure the T Stat isnt stuck open first and that the fan isnt running constantly. They dont take much to keep them cool and none of mine ever had good heat and in the winter my old Loyales temp gauge never got off C. If you can...get a candy or meat thermometer and see what temp it actually is running at. Backwoodsboy came up with a great ..accurate temp gauge alternative..using a digital thermometer that has a wire and a probe at the end...slid it under the foam covering the heater lines under the dash.

[()__1337_CRAYOLA__()>]

fan works and doesnt run all the time it just never runs hot enough to get nice hot air haha.... i guess ill just live with it then... if i get a hotter t-stat will that help?

[Bucky92]

It might help alittle..you can try the cardboard thing too...if you do though.. I suggest getting the thermometer thingy I described..its like $14 at Walmart.
Also make sure that your not bringing in cold air from outside ( the mix door or vents) I had the one on the pass side of the car stuck open once and seemed I had the same problem. Also make sure the valve thing that lets the hot water from the engine into the heater core isnt stuck..or your heater core clogged.
I would like to know what temp your motor is running at though.( I will be doing the Thermometer trick in the next few days to my coupe)

[nocashrider]

i had the same problem on an old acura integra of mine. i ended up having to replace the heater core for another reason and ever since i did that it always had hotter air coming out so i figured my heating issue had something to do with the heater core.

[edrach]

Whatever thermostat you get, make sure it's OEM. I do believe that Subaru supplies a 180 and a 195 thermostat. Check with Jason in parts at the Auburn Subaru dealer.

However, this sounds like a thermostat that stays open all the time.

If the thermostat won't fix it, check the temps at both hoses to the radiator with the car fully warmed up. One of them should be almost too hot to touch, the other just hot. If the coolant is confirmed to be hot enough, check that the valve on the heater core is opening completely. Replacing a heater core on your brat is a real pain and I'd do that as a last resort.

One other thought, how's the blower motor pushing warm air? If the air channel is clogged or the blower motor not up to speed, you might not be getting enough hot air into the car.

Edited by edrach, 23 November 2008 - 10:11 AM.

[NV Zeno]

Same thing happened to me.

The thermostat was new, IIRC under a couple of months old. Changed it with another OEM stat and voila, toasty feet!

That was a few years ago, its probably time for another new one :-\ (still works great).

As for the loose belt, could it be that the alt just came a little loose and shifted position?

Just my 2 bucks

[()__1337_CRAYOLA__()>]

just one electric fan and it doesnt run all the time.... if i let the car idle for a hour it will hit the fan haha....

[The Beast I Drive]

My guess is it has a low temp thermostat in it and maybe a clogged heater core. Try flushing the heater core and see what happens.
-Bill

[zstalker]

with the engine up to full operating temperature (fan has come on at least once) feel the inlet and outlet hoses to the heater core under the hood. feel them right by the firewall by the steering column. are they hot? are they as hot as the radiator hoses? is one hot and the other one stone cold? all these can be good checks for heater core function.
if you say the fan actually comes on from time to time, I'm thinking it's not the thermostat stuck open. If that thermoswitch is getting hot enougn to turn the fan on, that means the coolant is up to...shoot...180 degrees (?) at least coming out of the engine. that's plenty hot to make your heater blow hot...I feel like you're looking at a heater core problem.
as stated above, the control valve for the heater core (next to the driver's right foot) should open and close to allow the hot fluid in.
if your heater core is clogged, before you go nuts and replace it, undo the two hoses at their other ends (engine end, AWAY from the firewall) and stick a garden hose up to one to flush the crap out of it. then stick it in the other hose and back-flush. back, and forth, back, and forth.
Then, hook it all back up, top off the coolant again and see if that does the trick.

~Erik~

[Spiffy]

with the fan going on and off normally the thermostat should be good...

your dash gauge might not be accurate... lousy grounds and whatnot... you should see it change when the fan comes on, since that's when the thermostat will be releasing all the hot/cold water into the system...

I'm thinking your heater core is clogged... I had to flush mine out... garden hose trick works good, just don't turn it on full blast and put ALL that pressure into your core... just push enough water through until it starts resisting, then push it through the other side...



--Spiffy

[EastTN]

Check under the dash to make sure the heater valve is opening all the way. I had one that required a pair of pliers to turn.

[bheinen74]

had the problem and it turned out that reversing the heater hoses gave me heat, guess there is a right and wrong way for the hoses to go on. right way give heat, wrong way no heat. that was my experience.