I have a 97 Legacy 2.2 sedan that has been slightly overheating for a couple of days. It is usually below the mid point, but it will now sometimes rise to about the 2/3 mark. It normally will go back down below middle after a little while. I changed the thermostat, which is the inexpensive thing to do. What would be the next step, radiator?

 

The car has been running fine since I purchased it, although I put about $1500 worth or necessary work into it (T belt, water pump, seals, breaks, alternator, etc...)

 

Any thoughts? I don't think it's HG, but I want to nip it at the bud. The car currently has 135K on it.

I would check the radiator since you mentioned the water pump already. I think I paid about 160 or so for my 97 at an Auto Zone.

Dude

Fix it quick. We're replacing our '97 leggy wagon 2.2 because of a stuck thermostat. Warped a head in less than 4 hrs and now have a leaking

(blown?)head gasket. Only got 198,00 and change little perturbed cause we heard these motors are bulletproof and were hoping for 200k before any nickle and dime stuff.Waiting on a '96 OBS w/a '99 2.2 and 5spd now.

good luck!

kdub

Clogged radiator? If you replace the thermostat, genuine Subaru is recommended on this site.

Well, on my 40 mile drive home tonight, the temperature only went up slightly above half. I'm gonna keep my eye on it, but I think I will get ready for the new rad next week. Gotta get to work...

You may just need to take the radiator out and wash the coils out. I once took my radiator out and took it to the shop for internal cleaning only to have the radiator person inform me that it only needed cleaning on the outside.

Yep, that does sound like the radiator isn't working 100%.

 

Does you model have the cold air intake that sucks intake air from the area behind the grille? I ask because that places the top radiator hose in the middle of the radiator and this leads to a dead zone in the radiator where there is very little flow. This area will clog up and in time you have only 50% capacity....

lhrocker let us know what you find out!

 

Because I just noticed a couple of days ago that same problem with our MY97 2.2, it would always be below 1/2 way and I was crusing along about 65mph and the needle started to creep up just about 3/4 stayed for about 3-4 minutes then dropped down again. It seems to do it locally also but I haven't had enough trips to confirm.

It's almost like the thermostat is sticking too long, opens up, then the cycle starts over, about every 4-6 minutes.

 

I checked the coolant level and verified no air bubble in the system by trying to burp it, but no air came out.

 

My next step is a new radiator cap.

important information - have you noticed any loss of coolant or needing to add it? keep an eye on the level.

 

next - make sure your cooling fans are coming on. when it gets to 1/2 way or above, pop the hood and make sure they are turning on.

 

i'd plan on replacing the radiator and any hoses/clamps you can replace as well. you could attempt cleaning it out and stuff but radiators are a bit important, i like to go new on these if possible. definitely flush it out very well if you plan on keeping it, it's hard to guage the inside.

 

and yes, make absolutely certain you have a Subaru thermostat, the aftermarkets suck. and make sure you have a good coolant/distilled water ratio in the system.

On my 70 mile drive to work today, the temp didn't go above the 1/2 way point. It may still be too early to tell if the thermostat change did anything permanent, but it looks good so far - fingers crossed.

Replace your cap too.

 

Just keep an eye on it. I would vote radiator also. A quick check is to unbolt the radiator (do not remove it or disconnect anything). Push it back a little bit and use a flashlight and inspect the coils.

 

 

nipper

also forgot to mention that burping is a common issue in EJ engines, make sure all your air is out of the system. there are rather detailed instructions on here for methods on doing it properly.

On my 70 mile drive to work today, the temp didn't go above the 1/2 way point. It may still be too early to tell if the thermostat change did anything permanent, but it looks good so far - fingers crossed.

Some of you will be surprised but I had a problem with a 94 2.2 thermostat not opening properlyand sometimes not at all and it turned out to be a slight blockage in the heater core

I think it is a rare occurance but in this case the slowness of the hot water returning to the pump<thermostat>caused cavitation around the thermostat and hence it did not open

Cure -Try bypassing the heater and if it is better you can fit a small permanent bypass without the need to replace the core True Michael

I replaced my radiator and everything was fine. The mechanic originally put in a generic thermostat, but then change it out with an OEM Subaru. Everything is fine now.

I replaced the thermostat in mine this weekend because I found out the lower radiator hose was stone cold after the engine was fully warmed up. I can't figure out why I never overheated, the needle just kept moving between slightly below 1/2 where it should be and occasionally 3/4 of the way up the gauge for a brief time.

 

So far so good with the needle being rock steady just below 1/2 way.

Whew, looks like you dodged the bullet! It'll be something to keep an eye on when the weather gets warm again...