Drove Blu 1.1 miles to the Gym. Was in the gym for 30-40 minutes, came out, decided to go to the computer store. Got about three miles and I am seeing pufs of steam comming out of the hood. Overflow tank is to the hot line, not over flowing, not full. Its windy so I can't see the source of the steam. The scangaguge is showing 180-190 and its 48 degrees outside. I decide to go home (about 3 miles) and the Overflow is down back where it should be. Tempertiure gauge never moved.

 

Blu has 210,000 miles on him, at 191,000 Got a brand new hybrid Suabaru engine.

 

In december, much to my surprise, Blu got a brand new radiator from the deer hit. Blu wasnt leaking anything after the hit, so this perplexes me. Before that Blu got a new radiator from Subaru with the engine.

 

So Basically under the hood Blu is a new car with 20,000 miles on him.

 

I am thinking some traped air from after the body shop replaced the radiator? I dont know as Ive had the car on a few 400 mile trips since then.

 

The cap was replaced with the engine.

 

Suggestions?

 

nipper

It wouldn't hurt to try and burp out any potential air.

 

My experience with my Sube is that they are kinda picky when it comes to filling them with coolant compared to non-Sube cars.

It wouldn't hurt to try and burp out any potential air.

 

My experience with my Sube is that they are kinda picky when it comes to filling them with coolant compared to non-Sube cars.

 

I have never had the air problem, just because of the way I fill the radiators on any car. I am not used to the problem first hand . if the temp gauge went up I would have known immediatly it was air in the system.

 

I even asked the body shop If the knew about the radiators, and they said yes they are a pain in the but

 

So i figured they knew.

 

nipper

Are the roads wet, snowy, slushy?

 

Could just be steam rising from water on exhaust. Snow, slush, water on radiator.

 

Any traped air after last radiator replacement should be out of the cooling system by now.

 

In my experiance it takes way more than a couple of miles of driving before the t-stat opens. In the mean time the coolant is getting up to temp. and building pressure. If there is no air in the system this could explain the rise in coolant recovery bottle level. Maybe?

 

Was the recovery bottle level back to "normal" as soon as you got home, or was there time for the engine to cool and draw the coolant back out?

Nipper, I am going to assume because of the wind

that you could not smell the vapor.

 

We both know that sickening smell in the cockpit

right before you say

"Chit the heater core must be leaking"

 

I will also assume you have seen the recent post on a similar

vapor issue from the rad of a car after it rains.

 

Maybe something melted, wish we had those temps.

 

Wait till Sunday/Monday it will refreeze fo sho

Are the roads wet, snowy, slushy?

 

Could just be steam rising from water on exhaust. Snow, slush, water on radiator.

 

Any traped air after last radiator replacement should be out of the cooling system by now.

 

In my experiance it takes way more than a couple of miles of driving before the t-stat opens. In the mean time the coolant is getting up to temp. and building pressure. If there is no air in the system this could explain the rise in coolant recovery bottle level. Maybe?

 

Was the recovery bottle level back to "normal" as soon as you got home, or was there time for the engine to cool and draw the coolant back out?

 

49 degrees and sadly clean and dry roads.

 

I didnt shut the engine off when I got home. I pooped the hood, and the overflow was back to normal, actually a bit low. once the engine cools off I'll check the radiator level. Who knows it may have just been some trapped air and I'm worring about nothing.

 

I just know Blu to well, when I have money, he wants some of it too.

 

nipper

Coolant level normal. Got the car up to 180 degrees, and all seems normal.

Did find some drips under the car, that may have come from the overflow. Not wet, just drops.

 

Radiator level is normal.

 

And now there is some odd "hum" from the passnger side of the engine bay. It doesnt really follow engine rpm, more like it gets drowned out. Shut the key off, and a half second later its stopped. I can't tell when it starts. Its an odd haunting sort of hum. Put my hand on the abs unit, I can't feel it running. I cant rule out the ABS.

 

I did the rolled up newspaper as stethascope and I am sure its not a mechanical noise. It sounds like your going hmmmmmmm softly.

 

grrrrrrr

 

It's defenitly a new noise. After Dinner I'll take blu for an oil change and see what happens.

 

nipper

Air intake noise maybe?

Thats what im thinking, as it seems to be much more velocity oriented then engine rpm.

 

I have owned many soobies, with the one before Blu being a high mileage legacy, a year newer. It never had a personality, so never a name. Blu on the other hand, simply refuses to wait till to 7500 miles for an oil change. If its not done by 5000 miles, he starts to run rough at idle, and in general is a bit grumpy.

 

So at 5600 miles I got him an oil change, and he is running smoother again and no more tantrums, so far.

 

I checked the paperwork, I have exaclty 6000 miles left on the engine warrenty. I will be keeping a close on the coolant to see what is going on.

 

Tomorrow i'll check the air intake.

 

Thanks

 

nipper