My '95 Legacy wagon has .206 million miles on it and is still running like a champ. I'm having a problem with heat and that's a big deal here in VT. There are times, with the car sitting still, that even though full hot is selected all I get is cold air even though the engine is clearly warm and the temp gauge shows a normal (mid range) reading. If I rev the engine for a short time the heat will come back and all is well. When I'm driving I never seem to want for heat, it seems to be only when at or near idle. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Mike

Check the coolant level, and perhaps "burp" the system (run it at normal operating temps with the radiator cap off for a bit). If that does not fix it, I would suspect the water pump.

Top off the coolent and look for bubbles in the tank when the engine is running, if you have bubbles it is a head gasket.

maybe a clogged heater core?

maybe a clogged heater core?

Id go for the clogged heater core also,I had this happen on my old trusty 1800 wagon,after much flushing and more flushing the brown mud out I turned her on and in 5 minutes I was enjoying sweet warm toasty air.

Id go for the clogged heater core also,I had this happen on my old trusty 1800 wagon,after much flushing and more flushing the brown mud out I turned her on and in 5 minutes I was enjoying sweet warm toasty air.

Thanks, I'm thinking both of these things (weak water pump, clogged core) are possibilities. I'm a reasonably good wrench swinger, is changing the pump pretty straightforward? As for flushing, should I just get one of those aftermarket kits for that and do a "normal" radiator flush? Thanks again.

 

Mike

First I'd burp the radiator. If that doesn't help, flush it, and see if the coolant coming out is all nasty and sludgy.

 

As for replacing the water pump. You'll have to take the timing belt off to do the water pump. So you might as well replace the belt if you plan to do the pump.

take off a heater hose and check for flow. If the return hose has a good flow the heater core is not clogged. If you have little flow out of the heater return pull the heater inlet hose. If you have little flow to that you may have a bad water pump. Is your thermostat OK?

Burping =

 

Remove the bleeder screw on the pass side of your radiator, remove radiator cap.

 

Start vehicle

 

turn heater on to high (temp on high as well)

 

Let vehicle idle untill it reached normal operating temp and thermostat opens

 

check to see if the coolant goes down

 

If it does simply fill untill coolant runs out of bleeder hole.

 

Wash....rinse...repeat.......

 

Go from there. We wish you the best of luck. Most of have gone thu overheating problems...

Burping =

 

Remove the bleeder screw on the pass side of your radiator, remove radiator cap.

 

Start vehicle

 

turn heater on to high (temp on high as well)

 

Let vehicle idle untill it reached normal operating temp and thermostat opens

 

check to see if the coolant goes down

 

If it does simply fill untill coolant runs out of bleeder hole.

 

Wash....rinse...repeat.......

 

Go from there. We wish you the best of luck. Most of have gone thu overheating problems...

is turning the heater on to high (and the temp as well) really necessary? the heater core has full flow at all times in a Subaru, dosn't it?

I do it just to be on the safe side. I knowmy jeep had a valve that would only allow flow if the heater was turned on.

the more I think it is safe to say all later models do not have a heater control valve.