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1996 Subaru Legacy Outback overheating

41 messages,  Last post on Aug 30, 2010 at 10:04 AM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 3 of 5

#16 of 41 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? by dan_koch

Mar 08, 2010 (4:51 pm)

I recently purchased a 1996 outback with a 2.5 from a repo Auction. i got the car home it ran great but i noticed the temp gauge never raised. so i went bought a thermostat and put it in and now the car overheats. the radiator is cold, and the bottom radiator is cold but the top radiator hose is hot, so i flushed the whole system and still no help... my next step is a water pump what do you think?

#17 of 41 Re: 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? [dan_koch] by xwesx

Mar 08, 2010 (7:42 pm)

Replying to: dan_koch (Mar 08, 2010 4:51 pm)
I think it is either water pump or air in the system that is preventing proper circulation.
 
However, if you did not have an overheating problem before the work, I doubt it is the water pump. Did it have a thermostat in it when you installed the new one? I am stuck on the "temp gauge never raised."

#18 of 41 Re: 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? by dan_koch

Mar 08, 2010 (8:35 pm)

i did not have a thermostat in it... i too thought it was air in the system. because it was doing this after i first put the stat in after about an hour of working with it i had it to where the heater was working and not overheating then on my way to work last night about 15 miles away it started over heating again.. im a night guard so after finally making it there i parked my car on a incline so that all the air should be pushed towards the radiator and checked it every hour all night and topped it off with coolant every time, then this morning coming home it ran great didn't get close to over heating then this evening i didnt drive 2 miles b4 it was over heated so the only thing i can think of it being is a bad water pump...
 
also i pulled the thermostat back out. because i have to make it to work heat or no heat and i tested the thermostat with a pan of water over heat and it was working good

#19 of 41 Re: 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? [dan_koch] by xwesx

Mar 09, 2010 (10:23 am)

Replying to: dan_koch (Mar 08, 2010 8:35 pm)
It could be the water pump, but the intermittent nature of it makes me think you should perform a thorough inspection of the head gaskets (compression test, check for bubbles in the coolant, look for combustion gunk/oil sheen in coolant, check oil for signs of coolant, leak down test) as well. Head gasket problems often result in sporadic and unpredictable overheating. That said, I did have the water pump fail on my '96 Outback w/ 2.5L (it had about 177K on it at the time) and it warned me a couple of times before it quit altogether.

#20 of 41 re: 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? by dan_koch

Mar 09, 2010 (10:16 pm)

Lucky my step dad is a certified GM Mechanic so he had everything to test if i had a bad head gasket he said everything looked good to him from what he could tell, we got the motor torn down and the old water pump off and the new one on it was putting the timing belt back on when the clouds busted and rained us out and since i have no way to get it in a garage im stuck the the rain stops... but comparing the new and old water pump, the impeller is a different design, and the new one doesnt spin as freely as the old one. but it is still smooth and the old one you could hear the bearing rubbing in it but other than that it looked good, i kinda have my doubts about it being bad but i guess ill find out tomorrow when the rain stops lol

#21 of 41 re: 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? [dan_koch] by ateixeira

Mar 10, 2010 (9:24 am)

Replying to: dan_koch (Mar 09, 2010 10:16 pm)
Sorry, it was my fault. I washed my car.
 
100% chance of rain right after I do that, every time.

#22 of 41 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? by dan_koch

Mar 11, 2010 (10:05 pm)

lol its ok... now i dont have to wash mine lol got it back together everything is working good so far

#23 of 41 Re: 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? [dan_koch] by ateixeira

Mar 12, 2010 (7:41 am)

Replying to: dan_koch (Mar 11, 2010 10:05 pm)
Ha ha, I washed all 3 cars, now we have a full flood warning and two and a half days of rain in the forecast.

#24 of 41 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? by dan_koch

Mar 12, 2010 (4:22 pm)

yea thats how it goes around here too.. lol well it looks like my luck keeps getting worse the car ran good for a day and started the same stuff again.... the only thing left is a bad radiator which i dont think it is. or head gaskets are blown

#25 of 41 Re: 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Overheating PLease help!? [dan_koch] by bigfrank3

Mar 13, 2010 (3:39 pm)

Replying to: dan_koch (Mar 12, 2010 4:22 pm)
If you are again getting no overheating signal on the gauge itself that is a sure sign of a big air pocket. Automotive temp sensors do not read air temp very well and are designed to be immersed in fluid. I have run into that a bunch of times.

Messages Page 3 of 5

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