anyone else notice how long it takes a subie to warm up (inside) takes bout 20 miles to start getting warm, seems like a long time to me?

do you let your car warm up in the cold morning or do you just start it up and go?

Sounds like a thermostat issue. Mine heats up in 4-5 minutes..

anyone else notice how long it takes a subie to warm up (inside) takes bout 20 miles to start getting warm, seems like a long time to me?

 

Yep, I agree. 1997 Legautowagon2.2 145k miles. Seems to take a while. Last 1/4 inch on the temp slide control makes a lot of difference.

 

Temp needle never, ever above halfway. Never moves at all, once warmed up.

 

I keep meaning to check under the dash to see if the air diverter flap is fully closing, but I like the fact that it runs cool.

 

Little aluminum engine, high miles, bearing tolerances open up a bit, less friction than new.

 

I can live with it.

anyone else notice how long it takes a subie to warm up (inside) takes bout 20 miles to start getting warm, seems like a long time to me?

Your car has issues, my 91 with 160k warms up in less than 5 minutes.

I think you've got thermostat problems. 20 miles is a long time. My EA81s take about 7 minutes in 15-degree weather. The Loyale takes even less (can anyone explain this phenomenon?) at about 4 minutes. They will all blow fiery-hot air in seven minutes or less.

Mine works up in less then a few minutes and its -15C.

RE: Loyale heating up faster - could it be a smaller volume of coolant to heat up?

RE: Loyale heating up faster - could it be a smaller volume of coolant to heat up?

Hmm...never thought of that. Do the EA82s have a smaller volume of cooland than EA81?

If so, I never knew it...I guess you learn something new every day.

That would explain it.

all of my subarus heat within a few

Checked the specs, and the EA82 actually holds a bit more coolant: 5.8 qts. vs 5.6 for the EA81.

 

My guess was way off. Lord knows why it heats so quickly.

[...]warm up (inside) takes bout 20 miles to start getting warm, seems like a long time to me?

I'll have to agree with the majority; my own '99 doesn't take over 5 minutes for the heater to produce useful heat, even if the ambient temperature is quite low. Even at 60 MPH, 20 miles is 20 minutes, so yes, that does seem excessive.

 

Could be a stuck-open (or missing?) thermostat, or a heater core that's partially obstructed, or maybe a cooling system with an air bubble that needs "burping".

 

Are there any other symptoms? How does the engine perform during those 20 minutes, etc.?

You thermostat is stuck open. Also i bet youve noticed a drop in gas mileage.

 

 

nipper

Wait until your engine is warm to turn on the heat. By having your heater going the moment you start your car, you're just making the engine take longer to warm up.

Another vote for a stuck thermostat. Mine takes less than 5 minutes to reach operating temp most of the time, unless I am going downhill engine braking the whole time. I borrowed a friend's pickup earlier this winter which took 25 miles to finally heat up though -- going uphill. New thermostat fixed it.

Checked the specs, and the EA82 actually holds a bit more coolant: 5.8 qts. vs 5.6 for the EA81.

 

My guess was way off. Lord knows why it heats so quickly.

Hmm. Interesting. Well, thanks for the daily Subaru factoid!

This might complicate things a bit, but mine heats up much faster (3-4 min.) since I had a tuneup of new plugs and fuel filter at the beginning of the month. My T-stat and coolant were changed in June. Would this have an effect? I'm not disagreeing with Nipper or anyone else, I'm just bringing up an alternate idea that I myself am curious about.

 

Brian

This might complicate things a bit, but mine heats up much faster (3-4 min.) since I had a tuneup of new plugs and fuel filter at the beginning of the month. My T-stat and coolant were changed in June. Would this have an effect? I'm not disagreeing with Nipper or anyone else, I'm just bringing up an alternate idea that I myself am curious about.

 

Brian

Strange...the EJ22 has an even BIGGER volume of coolant than the vehicles already mentioned.

 

Perhaps more friction occurs, producing more heat?

The EJ22 is also a bigger engine, with more surface area exposed to the coolant. Small coolant volume differences won't show up. Now, if there was twice as much coolant in an engine with about the same size, that would probably show up as 'slower to heat up".

it seems to blow hot, with no outside air, but it just seems like a long time compared to other cars to get the drivers compartment warm, oh well maybe its just me?

it seems to blow hot, with no outside air, but it just seems like a long time compared to other cars to get the drivers compartment warm, oh well maybe its just me?

OOOOOOOH! The inside of the car! I guess I didn't read the post correctly the first time.

 

 

It's because your car is a wagon. Wagons take longer to warm up (and keep warm) than sedans, hatchbacks, etc. I reckon it's because there are no heater vents in the back and the cold air back there just stays cold for a while...but I could be wrong...

Sorry whatshe but there are back vents under the

front seats.

You are correct about the wagon interior volume.

 

I also drive wagons, primarily solo

and a trick I use is a

piece of visqueen (heavy clear plastic)

draped over a rope

strung between the rear cloths hangers.

 

I also plug the rear vents with aluminum foil.

 

She gets toasty in no time.

 

I also hate the cold.

Cold for me is below 80 deg F

 

These days of teen temps are dapits.

-15C.

 

no one here's very sure how cold that is exactly....

-15C = 5 deg F

 

like it was last night

 

move south old man - is what I keep telling myself

no one here's very sure how cold that is exactly....

Degrees F = (9/5 degrees C) + 32