I own a 87 GL wagon 4x4 with 1.8 2bbl and 3 speed auto. It's been mine since 97. Is there any way to get rid of the coolant gurgling in the heater core? I have tried everything I can think of to get the air out, but it's still there. It's really driving me nuts! Any suggestions? It's done this as long as I've owned it.

That's weird, mine only gurgles when my coolant leak (that I haven't had time to track down) has drained the system about a gallon. When I fill up the radiator (and the overflow), it goes away.

Try parking on a hill with the nose up, let it warm up till the thermostat opens,then slooooowly open the cap. Move to level ground and top off as needed. Be sure the heater is on full heat.

Get a flush/fill *T* connection for the heater hose. You can fill the system with a garden hose through it till it is at the correct level without letting air in. You can also bleed the cooling system from the cap on the *T.*

My car does it too...............I think in my case the heater core is going out.........no mist on the window or foul odor, just past experience with these types of problems...................I dread having to change out the heater core on one of these cars.......it got to be tough.......

I disconnected both coolant lines going from the engine to the core, and used the garden hose to spray water down one hose until all the junk stoped coming out the reversed the process over and over till it stoped. Now there is no more noise and a lot more heat coming out of the heater.

 

Matt

same stuff goin on here, but i do have the foul odor. that nasty anti-freeze smell. could this be a sign of things to come or does my car just stink?

Hi,

Procedure for removing air from cooling system (gurgling noise):-

1) Remove the fuse that controls radiator cooling fan (to prevent it from cutting in)

2) Run engine until temp guage goes into the red (ideally use a thermometer to accurately guage engine temp) Fan would normally cut in at around 94-95 degrees centigrade - when engine reaches approx 99 degrees switch off and allow to completely cool down then remove cap and top up to required level.

3) Refit fuse

Job done

 

Regards

DaveH

Into the RED?!?!?!?!

You nuts¿ Thats sounds a little extreme to me. Ido know 'bout that.

Hi,

No not nuts,

Subaru technical bulletin a few years ago !

Thanks for asking though !

DaveH

I wouldnt reccomend doing going into the red for anyone who's reading this thread.

 

Go for it if you want a cracked head..

Personally I dont.

 

Park on a hill nose up, do what the beauregaardhooligan said except I left my car on the hill.. Air bubbles goto the highest point which would be the raidator and hten I filled the rad up while it was on the hill.

 

This stoped the gurgling

EA81 heads won't crack from just going into the red. He's probably correct, although I haven't seen the technical bullitin myself. I have run my EA81's up to the red before with no problems.

 

GD

Hi,

Thanks GD, I would'nt make it up !,

Like I say you do have to watch the temp - in the workshop we used the select monitor to watch the temp and switch it off at around 99 degrees C.

 

DaveH

uhhh...a persistant gurgling, after draining all the air from the system, from what i know, means blown head gaskets. The head gasskets leak, allowing exuast to back flow into the cooling system. It then allows air into the heater core, it is the highest and least pressurized part of the cooling system. This has been the case on both of my cars that i had with blown head gaskets, heater core gurgled, i changed the head gaskets, it stopped. this is just me, it could still be just air in the system, head gaskets is the worst case scenario.

I have a tough time believing that it's head gaskets in my case. The original motor gurgled from day one that I owned it. I put 70k over six years on it. I just recently changed motors and this one gurgles also. When I tore down the original engine, I could find no evidence of gasket failures, either head or intake. The original motor experienced a sudden loss of coolant into the exhaust. The second motor is running like a champ. I will try some of the things mentioned and see what that gets me. Thanks.

Many domestic car heater cores come with a flow restrictor to stop the gurgling sound of coolant going through the heater core.