Overheating Issue, Can't work it out.

[Vuk]

Hi all,
I have a 98 bilstien liberty 2.5 and I am having an absolute shithouse time with it recently.
It all started about 3 weeks ago, I drove from the Central Coast to Sydney and on the way back noticed while sitting in traffic that the temps were climbing in to the reds but would drop back to normal within about 10 seconds of moving at a decent speed.
I would also like to add that the heater hasn't ever worked since I got it (A year ago last week).

I took it today to the mechanic and he assured me it was a thermostat problem, he changed the thermostat,3 hoses which were leaking and pressure tested and which came back fine (No fucked gasket)

Anyways, I picked it up late this afternoon and started to drive home, the heater was now working but within about 10 minutes the temps were hitting reds
it is worse now than when I originally took it in to get fixed and now I can smell a burning coolant smell.

Any one have any idea as to what could be the problem? I am taking it back tomorrow (was closing the shop when I left) but would like some insight as to what it could be?


After $350 for a thermostat, 3 hoses,some ring clamps and the most expensive coolant I have ever seen ($48!!!!!! for 4 litres) I am quite pissed off.

[AlpineRaven]

Has it been bleed properly?
Cheers
AP

[Vuk]

No idea, I just assumed the mechanic would know what he is doing.

How do i do that? Sorry but I don't know anything about cars.

[kiks]

park it facing uphill/on car ramps/on bricks, header tank cap off, heater on, let it idle for a fewmins and give it a few free revs. Repeat in half an hour when its cool again.

Usually can hear a coolant/air lock, sounds like bubbles, very audible.

Issue sounds like blocked radiator. Only circulates when pump speed increases with rpm.

[AlpineRaven]

park it facing uphill/on car ramps/on bricks, header tank cap off, heater on, let it idle for a fewmins and give it a few free revs. Repeat in half an hour when its cool again.

Usually can hear a coolant/air lock, sounds like bubbles, very audible.

Issue sounds like blocked radiator. Only circulates when pump speed increases with rpm.

yeah, if you have blocked radiator - you would feel warm and cold spots during the warm-ups - the involves disabling the fans before it starts up and put your hand there but be careful for the belts & pulleys.

Happened to me few years ago - half of the radiator was blocked and other half wasn't and was constant overheating. so replaced recon one and problem was solved.
Cheers
AP

[subyroo]

Issue sounds like blocked radiator. Only circulates when pump speed increases with rpm.

Sounds very much like it only my XS Forester was the reverse, it wasn't until the engine was put under load i.e. towing a heavy load in a trailer that the temps started to climb, I slowed to around 50 km/h and just crawled home keeping an eye on the needle. The bottom portion of my radiator was completely blocked and I had to buy a new radiator as the Radiator workshop couldn't clear it either, it was packed solid. Seems weird as the car is serviced regularly by my Subaru Specialist workshop and I only ever use rainwater to top it and the windscreen washer bottle off if and when needed.

My Subaru specialist workshop mechanic said that when the needle gets up to the red area it is generally too late to save the engine, he also said any movement of the needle from it's everyday normal position should be investigated ASAP.

I ended up buying an UltraGauge to keep a closer eye on the engine and coolant temps as I lost faith in the dashboard needle after the above incident.

http://www.ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/index.htm

[kiks]

As a side note to this, I still shit my pants every time the temp gauge in the v12 lib goes vertical, then open laptop and its at 87 degrees or something else normal. Stupid toyota sender

[The Sean]

I'm pretty sure I've got the same issue with my 2.5L Impreza. It gets the slight overheating issue about 2 hours into the 3 hour drive between Canberra and Sydney.

Thermostat was changed the last time, got to Sydney from Canberra fine but on the drive back, issue started again.

This time, when I limped back into Canberra tonight, I felt up the radiator Year 12 formal style, the top two inches were hot to touch and the rest of the radiator was cold. The mechanic thought it might have been this issue so I guess it goes back.

Good old Canberra weather though, the ambient temperature is so f#$king low that the guage never reads above 2 thirds!

[Robbks]

i've posted a billion times about things to check and fix.

-blocked heater core
-blocked radiator
-Airlocks (as posed above)
-thermostat (need to drill a hole in the diaphragm to allow more flow through it when cold so it opens properly)

[The Sean]

Blown head gasket on the left head, queue 'Most Expensive Head Job' for a long time.

[Dropz]

It may be a stuffed water pump. The propeller may have seized, or rusted away.

[The Sean]

I had it looked at by Haig Park Autos here in Canberra (down here for work for a while) and it is leaking oil out of the left head.

Thing with the car is it only has 53,000 on the clock and seeing as I've only had it for 3 months, there's every chance it has never had a radiator flush in the 8 years it's ran.

Also, I get the feeling it never really did much long driving and I suspect that it has had the minor blown head gasket issue since I've had it. It always has been a slow starter in the mornings (even after new battery and starter) and I suspect the first few turns clears whatever out of those cylinder bores (i.e missing) before turning over.

Oh well, life goes on.

[The Sean]

Oh yer, it was found to have a blocked radiator after the 2nd time it went back to the mechanic...the third time it went to the Haig Park Autos guys and they diagnosed the issue AND did the drilled hole in the diaphragm thing.

It actually seems fine but considering the up and back between Sydney and ACT I do, I don't want to risk further damage and just get it fixed properly (instead of re-torquing the head and using silver seal, a far cheaper way to fix it that was suggested to me)

[Robbks]

I had it looked at by Haig Park Autos here in Canberra (down here for work for a while) and it is leaking oil out of the left head.

leaking oil out the Rocker Cover Seal, NOT the head-gaskets

in three posts i'm really confused about what is ACTUALLY wrong with your car

1) WHERE is the oil leaking from.....? Most likely the Rocker Cover Seals, not the head-gasket.
2) has it ACTUALLY cooked the head-gaskets (confirmed with a TK test...?)

[The Sean]

Believe me, you aren't alone in the confusion, you can join the 3 previous mechanics here in Mitchell!

I honestly can't tell you if it is from the rocker cover seal or not, all I can say is what they said and they are Subaru specialists.

My problem is that I know there is an issue and as such, I get the misery of driving for 6 hours up and back constantly watching the temperature in case it changes. For this alone, I'd rather get it fixed than blowing $300 each time someone has another look at it.

It passed the TK tester twice but from what I've gathered listening to various parties, the TK tester will only show up combustion gases in the coolant BUT there are a few other ways the head gasket can go.

I appreciate the input though but at this point, I'm willing to take their word for it and just bite the bullet.