phillijp Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I recently swapped out the water pump and thermostat and after getting everything back together this car won't stop over heating. Is there a trick to purging the engine of the air pockets? I've tried pointing the car uphill, downhill, level ground and I still can't it to run normal tempurature and/or get heat inside the car. This is the 2.2 engine on a 96 legacy sedan. This car has definitely pushed all of my buttons so any tricks are appreciated. I did check the thermostat by cooking it in a pot and it does open completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opie Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Is it an aftermarket thermostat? I've seen a few that can be installed upside down...then they don't work at all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 With the engine cool, remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Let the engine warm up and top off the radiator if it needs it. The coolant won't shoot out with the radiator cap off since there's no pressure to build up in an open system. If you filled the radiator and simply closed the system without running the engine minus the radiator cap, you're not really filling the entire system, you're only filling the radiator. One way to check the fluid level/ thermostat operation with the car assembled and the radiator cap on is to start the car, let it warm up, and rev the car by pulling on the throttle cable under the hood. If the radiator hoses compress themselves then there's either not enough fluid, or the thermostat isn't opening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillijp Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Is it an aftermarket thermostat? I've seen a few that can be installed upside down...then they don't work at all... Nope, it's a Subaru thermostat but to be honest it can go either way. I currently have the pointy end away from the water pump. I took the car apart about three weeks ago and quite frankly don't remember which way it goes in. In any event I've put it in both ways and it still overheats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener2 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 headgasket? My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Another cause may be a faulty temperature sensor. It's worth to double-check. If there is a headgasket problem you may see that the water disappears or that there are always bubbles coming out of the radiator no matter how long you work on bleeding it. Of course - the thermostat mounted backwards is always a possibility. Also notice that there often is a small hole in the thermostat to allow air to leak through. That hole shall of course be at the top or you will have an air pocket around the sensor which makes the thermostat malfunction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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