BCSubguy Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 I've been enjoying the info. in among all the threads. Great to know that there is a whole country full of us Soob. lovers! My '92 loyale (spfi, 1.8l, non-turbo, 4wd.,5spd) has been seeing some heavy highway mileage lately. She is up to 390,000 km., and is calling out for help. The running temps have been high and it wont idle below 1500rpm. the cel has been on for a year or so (I replaced the egr sol.- no luck clearing the cel). I believe that I've got a few things going on, and hope they are all playing into the temp. thang. My O2 sensor is on the cel now, I'm about to change it out. My coolant recovery vessel is looking a little greasy, maybe time for a flush. I read that sometimes the air control valve gets gummed, and possibly the coolant thermosensor is hooped. (It used to kick down from 2300-700 after 7mins.) As well I have air trapped in heater core that I must purge out. My questions are: - any other procedures for purging cooling system other than parking on a hill? - is the idle factory set? aside from tweeking the tps at the throttlebody I cant seem to find a way. - what is the creamy crap that tends to appear inside my oil fill tube? Other than that, she's a honey! Any tips/suggestions anyone might have would be welcomed!-Thanks GOTTA GET HER TO 500!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 I've been enjoying the info. in among all the threads. Great to know that there is a whole country full of us Soob. lovers! There is a reason why Subarus are sometimes dubbed "cult cars" The best way to answer all of your questions is to look at the FSM on this link, yes it is for an 1989 model year, but the FI system and engine are virtually identical. http://www.finleyweb.net/default.asp?id=142 gee - that's the second time I have posted it today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royboy159 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Hey BC-----Welcome a"board". Actually we have an entire continent of Soob lovers. Decent of young 85Sub4WD to guide a newbie in the right direction. You won't always get that on every board. With that greasey coolant and trapped air, I'd suspect a head gasket leak. Do you occasionally notice a bluish steamy exhaust when it's not that cold out?:-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooziewhatsit Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 If your CEL has been on, you can find the codes by following the directions here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/article.php?a=44 Why do you think you have air trapped in the heater core? I recently had to do a complete flush and refill on my coolant. I put it on ramps on a slopped part of the driveway and let it warm up, adding coolant as necessary. I didn't have a problem after that. It may help to squeeze rad/heater core hoses to help the bubbles along. Report back with the CEL codes and we can help more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCSubguy Posted February 23, 2005 Author Share Posted February 23, 2005 Hey BC-----Welcome a"board". Actually we have an entire continent of Soob lovers. Decent of young 85Sub4WD to guide a newbie in the right direction. You won't always get that on every board.With that greasey coolant and trapped air, I'd suspect a head gasket leak. Do you occasionally notice a bluish steamy exhaust when it's not that cold out?:-\ Thanks for the input.... No real noticeable smoke - or other indicators actually. In the past I've seen glycol dripping from the exhaust combined with burning a-freeze smell (that time it was a head gasket). It hasn't been going through much a-freeze. sounds like a comp. test is in order though. Just had a head off last summer (burnt valve). Oh well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCSubguy Posted February 23, 2005 Author Share Posted February 23, 2005 If your CEL has been on, you can find the codes by following the directions here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/article.php?a=44 Why do you think you have air trapped in the heater core? I recently had to do a complete flush and refill on my coolant. I put it on ramps on a slopped part of the driveway and let it warm up, adding coolant as necessary. I didn't have a problem after that. It may help to squeeze rad/heater core hoses to help the bubbles along. Report back with the CEL codes and we can help more. A while back I thought I had a sludge prob. causing high temps. Had a lube joint flush and fill. In hindsight it may of been a waste of cash though. I recall the tech. commenting on all the air in the system, and the other tech. saying " ah those subarus just do that. The gurgling didn't subside,and the high temps didnt really change. for a while I thought it was more of an over-fill issue. If I maintained an empty recovery vessel when it was cool, the temps stayed in the acceptable range. (bottom third of guage). Well it looks like it could be a good day for sub. repair. By the way, I just have to get the rad filler higher than the heater core right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 yes its a good idea to jack up the front of your car, or park on a ramp. This procedure is very boring and takes a while and a lot of standing around watching. After you get the front of the car up in the air, start the car and let it run with the heater off for now. AFter a few minutes crack the raid cap and top off the raid. Let it run wtih the cap off now. slowly add antifreeze as you see the air bubbles coming up through the fill neck. squeezing the hoses will also help move the bubbles. Wait until your elec aux. fan kicks on, now turn your heater on high heat high speed on defrost. Keep filling up the raid, as the level drops. Keep doing this until you dont see any more air bubbles popping up through the fill neck. I've had some lucky with burping systems by just driving them hard with the raid cap only half way on. It always the bubbles to escape but it keeps you from blowing coolant back out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganM Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 I've been enjoying the info. in among all the threads. Great to know that there is a whole country full of us Soob. lovers!My '92 loyale (spfi, 1.8l, non-turbo, 4wd.,5spd) has been seeing some heavy highway mileage lately. She is up to 390,000 km., and is calling out for help. The running temps have been high and it wont idle below 1500rpm. the cel has been on for a year or so (I replaced the egr sol.- no luck clearing the cel). I believe that I've got a few things going on, and hope they are all playing into the temp. thang. My O2 sensor is on the cel now, I'm about to change it out. My coolant recovery vessel is looking a little greasy, maybe time for a flush. I read that sometimes the air control valve gets gummed, and possibly the coolant thermosensor is hooped. (It used to kick down from 2300-700 after 7mins.) As well I have air trapped in heater core that I must purge out. My questions are: - any other procedures for purging cooling system other than parking on a hill? - is the idle factory set? aside from tweeking the tps at the throttlebody I cant seem to find a way. - what is the creamy crap that tends to appear inside my oil fill tube? Other than that, she's a honey! Any tips/suggestions anyone might have would be welcomed!-Thanks GOTTA GET HER TO 500!!! Cooling!!!!! Life and death of your Subaru. Check your radiator fins by looking in the engine bay between the engine and the radiator. Any missing? Corrosiion? Funny looking green color? If any/all of those are true its time for a new one. Also do the thermostat; might be sticking shut or not opening all the way when cycleing. A good radiator cap with purge valve would be wise also; they hold back lots of pressure and can wear out. Purging air from coolant. This takes some patients. Fill the radiator and let it bubble the air out. Keep filling and letting it bubble out naturally (yes elivating the front can help here) Use the lower radiator hose by the battery there as a hand pump to force air out and coolant in. Another little trick is to squeez and hold, pour some coolant in the radiator till its full, then release the hose and it will suck in a bunch of coolant. Once the radiator simply wont hold any more coolant fill your resivouir to the Full mark. This should get all the air out BUT should you have some traped it will make its way upto your radiator the next time you drive around. This means check yoru radiator level and resivour the next time she's cooled off and top off both as needed. Idle speed should be 700 +/- 100 RPMs on EA82 SPFI... so basicly between 600-800. A high idle is normal if the engine is not at full temp. Small vacume leak can raise RPMs @ idel. Maladjusted TPS could cuase higher RPMs. Malfunctioning Idle Air Control (IAC) valve can raise RPMs also. With the SPFI system I would check for vacume leaks and malfucntioning parts before trying to mask the symtoms by adjusting idle speed. That lovely mayonaise subastance is typical. Thats what happens when water and oil mix. Small amounts of it can build up in your PCV system and crank case (also the oil fill cap) Mass quantities of it can be a sign of bad mojo. You also say there's oil up in the coolant resivour? Not looking good but I wouldnt diagnose anything seriouse quite yet. Like you said, compression test is a good idea. Lastly the O2 sensor; last for good reason. More important things to tend to first The special 02 sensor socket can really help but isnt required. A big open ended wrench can do the trick also; leverage is the key to this job. Good luck !_! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royboy159 Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Hey BC---- I recall the tech. commenting on all the air in the system, and the other tech. saying " ah those subarus just do that. The gurgling didn't subside,and the high temps didnt really change No! A good running Soob doesn't do that. A bad thermostat will often cause that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushbasher Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Cool, another BC guy! The creamy stuff in your oil tube is likely just condensation mixing with oil at the tube. Nothin to really worry about, but if your actual oil is creamy you's got a problem, likely headgasket related which also makes sense if your coolant is oily. Im thinking maybe a simple vacuum leak would cause your idling problem. have you tried running it on a steep incline yet to get rid of the air? take the rad cap off when its cold, start it and drive it up on a steep incline. Fill as needed. See if that helps. At 390k your rad/water pump might need to be replaced, everybody with an old high miles sube seems to go through that at one time or another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanislru Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Hey BCsubguy welcome! I can't add much to what's been said[without more info]things are pretty well covered, where abouts are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCSubguy Posted February 24, 2005 Author Share Posted February 24, 2005 Hey BCsubguy welcome! I can't add much to what's been said[without more info]things are pretty well covered, where abouts are you?I'm outside Kamloops...It's gotta be lookin like spring on the Island! Too bad about your ski season though. Didn't get a ton done yesterday- My 3 yr. old helper keeps handing the wrong wrenches! Changed out the o2 sensor (just because I had one) that killed the 32 code (still showing 34 even though I can see the egr valve working under acceleration- changed sol. last summer) The w.p was changed in the spring-thermostat too (oem). Did the rad the previous summer. Just running at idle (1500rpm) the water temp raises to about 2/3 of the gauge. upper hose is screamin hot, lower isn't too bad. rad itself seems cool to the touch.Cooling fan comes on at about halfway point of gauge. When I disconnect the coolant temp. thermosensor the rpms drop to approx. 600rpm.and code 21 appears. I wonder if a malfunctioning temp sensor would trigger the fault. I'd just change it out(and may still) but it's another one of those $100.00 parts that may or may not help. (those things are as rare as hens teeth at the local junkers!- so are most sub. parts though)Next step for me is clean the air control valve, recheck throttle positioning valve and make sure timing is right.Check for vaccuum ,then I'll do comp. test. I've determined valve leaks in the past by running my comp.test and then adding a bit of oil in the spark plug ports. Compression didn't rise with oil= valves. If comp. does rise I've been told probably rings. How would blown gasket show up? No rise in pressure? I just wanna thank all youze kooks for reading about MY challenges and offering up any insights - I'm looking forward to sharing any of my insights as needed! Cheers from the sunny Interior! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushbasher Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 there hasnt been a cloud in sight for 2 weeks now, and a nice 10* that drops to 5* at night. It almost couldnt be better for working on my vehicles, cause its not too hot, not too cold. I dont freeze my hands on cold wrenches, and I can beat the hell out of stuff with a hammer and not break a sweat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royboy159 Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 Hey BC----I assume you completed the rad refill and burp. Then for the upper hose to be that hot and the rad to feel cool tells me coolant just isn't circulating. If pump belts not slipping then maybe it's a defective themostat or wrong temp rating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanislru Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 I'm outside Kamloops...It's gotta be lookin like spring on the Island! Too bad about your ski season though. What ski season, I normally tour the interior but having a daughter this Dec messed with all that so I've mostly stayed on the Island and the mountain bike this year. Good wrenching whether not that it matters to me anymore cause I have a large shop:banana: now lol. Let us know how things go with your Sube, sounds like you have a good chance of making 500k I'm at 394k right now with gobs of power and good fuel economy whoooooot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 What ski season, I normally tour the interior but having a daughter this Dec messed with all that so I've mostly stayed on the Island and the mountain bike this year. Good wrenching whether not that it matters to me anymore cause I have a large shop:banana: now lol. Let us know how things go with your Sube, sounds like you have a good chance of making 500k I'm at 394k right now with gobs of power and good fuel economy whoooooot. A large shop... and the rest of us are outside like suckers... hahaa. I still have to see the finished results. I hear is also does well racing people down the highway.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprilspies Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 390,000 km...how many miles is that? my 90 loyal is at 197,000 and counting...the engine is still good, but i can't help feeling that i will end up like the three stooges and while i'm driving down the road the car is just going to fall apart and i'll be left with an engine and a steering wheel lol. I've been enjoying the info. in among all the threads. Great to know that there is a whole country full of us Soob. lovers!My '92 loyale (spfi, 1.8l, non-turbo, 4wd.,5spd) has been seeing some heavy highway mileage lately. She is up to 390,000 km., and is calling out for help. The running temps have been high and it wont idle below 1500rpm. the cel has been on for a year or so (I replaced the egr sol.- no luck clearing the cel). I believe that I've got a few things going on, and hope they are all playing into the temp. thang. My O2 sensor is on the cel now, I'm about to change it out. My coolant recovery vessel is looking a little greasy, maybe time for a flush. I read that sometimes the air control valve gets gummed, and possibly the coolant thermosensor is hooped. (It used to kick down from 2300-700 after 7mins.) As well I have air trapped in heater core that I must purge out. My questions are: - any other procedures for purging cooling system other than parking on a hill? - is the idle factory set? aside from tweeking the tps at the throttlebody I cant seem to find a way. - what is the creamy crap that tends to appear inside my oil fill tube? Other than that, she's a honey! Any tips/suggestions anyone might have would be welcomed!-Thanks GOTTA GET HER TO 500!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 390,000 km...how many miles is that? my 90 loyal is at 197,000 and counting...the engine is still good, but i can't help feeling that i will end up like the three stooges and while i'm driving down the road the car is just going to fall apart and i'll be left with an engine and a steering wheel lol. I feel the same way aprilspies.... Mine has 187,000 miles and still going strong...and this CT winter has KILLED my body (which when I moved it here from Pa a year ago ..it was pretty much rust free). Now if I dont keep my stereo up loud...I hear scarey noises . It is getting close to where I have to make a choice....To either sell my BABY and find another one (cause I can't afford everything that is in need of repair) or sell myself to repair Bucky. To do the later I still need to take him out of commission for a week or two which can't happen since he is my only car. I still want to keep mine till it has at least 300,000 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallasooby Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 That creamy stuff around the oil cap could be engine oil stopleak also... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickolai Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 upper hose is screamin hot, lower isn't too bad. rad itself seems cool to the touch. Usually if the thermostat is sticking, the intake manifold will be hot, while right on the other side of the t-stat the upper rad hose is cool. You're saying the upper hose is hot and the rad is cool, so that makes me think maybe you've got a plugged radiator. I'm not sure how to do a conclusive test on that, maybe someone else will chime in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarule Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 If it's a vacuum leak wouldn't it idle low rather than high? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 My questions are: - any other procedures for purging cooling system other than parking on a hill? - is the idle factory set? aside from tweeking the tps at the throttlebody I cant seem to find a way. - what is the creamy crap that tends to appear inside my oil fill tube? Other than that, she's a honey! Any tips/suggestions anyone might have would be welcomed!-Thanks GOTTA GET HER TO 500!!! 1. Make sure the thermostat opens before checking your final coolant level. the read can be full and the block dry when you first add coolant. 2. there is a set screw somewhere on the TB. normal idle should be 750-850 rpm when warm 3. you will get this is the crankcase breaths, condensation in the oil, humid weather , et. THIS MAY BE A CLUE that you intake gaskets may be failing, considering your symptoms, and high mileage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robm Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Back from the dead, or what? The original post is 5-6 years old! I wonder if his car made it to 500,000 km? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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