Cooling fans are acting up?

[Expertize]

This problem has been bothering me since i got the car.

 

So my car is a 1997 Subaru Legacy GT and it has a cooling issue(?). So the problem is when the temp gauge reaches above 3/4 the cooling fans still dont kick in. So i tested the relay and the fan motor at the same time by connecting the green connectors under the dash. I hear and felt all the relays clicking. Great. Then both the fans kick on too. Even better. I then disconnected the green connectors and start the car again. Suddenly my fans are now working. A few days later i was stuck in traffic and then the temp gauge started to rise again. So it seemed that the cooling fans are not working again... Im stumped. Is there such thing as a sticking relay or something?

 

Any suggestions?

[08SpecB_DE]

Relays do go bad. If they come on every time in self test mode, I doubt it's a relay. Your coolant temp sensor could be bad. If you have access to a scan tool, what does the ect read cold and what does it read when operating temp?

[cseagle08]

Coolant level low, or air in the system is my bet

[Expertize]

I would doubt there is air in the system since I drove it all winter and the heat was just fine, also i dont get random overheats only in somewhat heavy traffic? I checked the coolent level and it was a bit low but the coolent still covered the overflow tube so i think that should be good also. I will get back to you tommorow with the coolent temps though.

[08SpecB_DE]

If the temps check good, you will want to do a headgasket test.