2002 Outback 2.5L 137K Manual

 

I had the thermostat and radiator replaced last summer.

 

I just noticed on hills that the heat starts going up. As soon as I kick it down to 4th or even 3rd, the heat will return to normal.

 

Could this be the dreaded head gasket issue starting? On an 02?!

 

Btw - the coolant level is normal and I have not seen any bubbles as of yet.

 

Help!

 

-dave

2002 Outback 2.5L 137K Manual

 

I had the thermostat and radiator replaced last summer.

 

I just noticed on hills that the heat starts going up. As soon as I kick it down to 4th or even 3rd, the heat will return to normal.

 

Could this be the dreaded head gasket issue starting? On an 02?!

 

Btw - the coolant level is normal and I have not seen any bubbles as of yet.

 

Help! -dave

 

 

bubbles are typical on internal HG leaks, 96 - 99. 00 - 02/03 typically have external leaks.

 

you don't have snow covering your radiator?

 

no leaks? yeah, you said no leaks.

 

fans are working properly? next time it starts to climb stop and see if the fans are both running.

 

if you are not losing coolant it has to be a flow problem or a fan problem. (or maybe a gauge / sensor problem) you may be losing coolant and just not know it yet, if that is possible.

 

i have a slow leak on my recent ej22 into a 98 obw swap. after about 1000 miles the over flow tank is dry. i hope to get through the winter before i have to fix it.

 

was the water pump replaced with the timing belt at 105k?

Edited December 23, 201015 yr by johnceggleston

two important questions:

 

is it 100% related to load - meaning going up hills?

 

is it loosing any coolant?

Typically when the car starts to overheat under load (uphill or higher speed on the highway), the radiator needs replacement. 137K is pretty good if you're still on the original radiator.

Where did you get the thermostat?

Where did you get the thermostat?

 

Right on.......a poorly designed thermostat can cause the problem you are having. Even if new, a cheapie thermostat just won't work well on a Subie.

take the cap of when the car is running. Look for bubbles. Or lok for bubbles rising out of the coolant overflow reservoir. If you do have bubbles, but no milkshake in the oil, you can fix your problem with a can of block sealer. The best stuff willbe the blue liquid either at the soob dealer, or the 'blue devil; brand for 60 bucks.

 

the more economical approach would be the k&w nanotech block seal in the green bottle. if you cannot find these brands, use a 'liquid glass' (sodium silicate) type block sealer.

 

If you get into a head gasket repair, the current head gaskets available supersede the older design, andwillbe a permanent fix.

 

avoid major temp spikes, try not to peg the temp meter. a mild overheat can be cured with block seal, but a major overheat will compromise the whole engine, heads, and internal bearings.

 

if your motor does pop, the most economical approach would be to replace the engine with a 2.2 of the same generation, as they do not have the same HG issues by design. It will be a mostly plug and play affair, but 30 less HP

Lets go to basics..

 

First replace the radiator cap.

 

If that doesnt work go with an OE Thermostat

 

Then inspect the radiator for damage at the cooling fins. have it tested for flow.

Any chance that the antifreeze wasn't changed in many many years? If so, crud and rust build up prolly has occurred. Use a flashlight to look down into the radiator under the cap to look for crud build up. If you can't see the core, pull the top radiator hose, then look in with a flashlight. That alone can cause over heating, because the radiator doesn;t allow good coolant flow.

turns out it was the Chinese Thermostat installed last summer. bummer .... glad it's not the head gasket.....for now. according to the guy who runs the subie shop 85% of these vehicles get this issue.

 

-dave

Get OE

turns out it was the Chinese Thermostat installed last summer. bummer .... glad it's not the head gasket.....for now. according to the guy who runs the subie shop 85% of these vehicles get this issue.

 

-dave

 

 

Doesn't surprise me that the Chinese thermostat was the source of your problem. If the shop did the original work, I hope they did not charge you to replace the thermostat again.

 

I don't think that 85% of Subies develop HG issues, but it still has been sizeable problem the last 10-15 years, well more like years 97 thru 04. Last 6 years seem to not had the HG issue.

garbage thermostats dont have that little hole with the thing that rattles when u shake it OE subaru ones do. my car had problems from a cheap thermostat.went and got one from subaru fixed