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Forester 01 temp gauge rises with a/c on


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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?

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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;

 

Thermostats%204%20sm.jpg

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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.

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