I'm getting coolant temp fluctuations from normal to overheating on a regular basis now. Checked the t-stat, coolant level, and before all this I did a full timming belt job. Local mech said it could be a failing head gasket. Oil not milky, no white smoke from exhaust, coolant still green. If I keep the car i'd like to get this done at a place that does these kinds of jobs often. Anyone know a subaru specialty shop up here in orange county ny?

subaru head gasket failure does not usually cause milky oil or white smoke. they do cause coolant loos and gunk, black? gunk in the over flow bottle on the rad, and bubbles in the rad.

 

it could be a block rad, what are you symptoms? when does it over heat? what kind of driving? can you get it to cool down? how?

No gunk in overflow, it overheats while I'm driving and cools down when it feels like it. When it is overheating I will not have any hot air, then out of nowhere i'll get hot air and it will cool down. I do get bubbles at radiator cap when I'm topping it off. Makes me think that there's a blockage too but mech said its most likely a hg issue. gonna throw some bar's stop leak in there now. See what happens. I drive about 115 miles/day all year round so I'm killing this thing.

I'm thinking was never burped properly perhaps.

i agree with burping.

 

hold off on the barrs. it might help a coolant leak but not a bad HG. read up on burping and do it correctly. nothing to lose but a little coolant and some time. you can always pour stop leak in tomorrow if you sitll want to.

 

any recent service prior to it first overheating?

 

overheat under load, cool off at idle?

Thanks for all the replies, I topped off the coolant and threw the stop-leak in there anyway and have been rolling at normal op temp since. It might have been a fluke or just low on coolant.