Natalie

Well I have not smelled burning rubber, and when the heater quit it stopped blowing anything at all so it seems like the blower motor... but the car has 120k miles on it and Im not sure the timing belt has been changed, and I have noticed some dried fluid on the housing where the water pump is. I will check the level of coolent after work but is it safe to drive home as long as I keep the coolent full or do I need to take it straight to a mechanic? Is it possible for the thermostat to be stuck closed and the car still run at 60mph for an hour? The last time my thermostat wasnt working I barely made it ten miles before it began smoking and quit running.

I recently bought a used Subuaru Forester (2000) from a private seller in Texas. While I bought the car for its awd in the tough MI winters it has turned out to be quite the pansy in the cold. This morning on my way in to work it was very very cold and snowing. I turned on my heat and the engine temp would not go up then went all the way up. I am sure that this was not correct because the car did not overheat all 67 miles in to work. The heater kept blowing cold air for the next ten min. However about ten min into my drive I heard a squealing that would come and go and got worse and lasted longer and then my "heat" quit blowing alltogether as did the sqealing. Im pretty sure the squealing was from my fan belt or serpentine belt but the car never overheated so it must still be working. I have no idea how to trouble shoot heating problems but I do not want to continue doing the hour + drive to and from work in below zero weather with no heater!