So, in "short", my Legacy will overheat regularly in the winter (weird, yes?). Well, after replacing the thermostat, housing, water pump, hoses, etc; I've determined that during this year, Subaru made a design error. When I'm at a constant rpm on the highway (70mph or more) for an extended period of time (30min+) and go to slow down, the car will overheat. I believe that in the cold weather, the outside of the housing for the thermostat will super-cool, and when rpms are reduced, the thermostat will close and not reopen because the housing is too cold for the slow coolant to flow through and keep it open.
The best solution that worked for me was to insulate the thermostat housing and put a skid plate underneath this area to restrict airflow. It is still something to keep an eye on, because this is not a bulletproof solution. Great car, otherwise!
I cant even drive 20 miles with out it blowing all the anti-freeze out and then having to stop where ever i am and letting it cool down for about 25-30 min. then puting more anti-freeze in it so it can blow it out too. trying to make it back home!
- Erica R.,
Carlisle, IN, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
So, in "short", my Legacy will overheat regularly in the winter (weird, yes?). Well, after replacing the thermostat, housing, water pump, hoses, etc; I've determined that during this year, Subaru made a design error. When I'm at a constant rpm on the highway (70mph or more) for an extended period of time (30min+) and go to slow down, the car will overheat. I believe that in the cold weather, the outside of the housing for the thermostat will super-cool, and when rpms are reduced, the thermostat will close and not reopen because the housing is too cold for the slow coolant to flow through and keep it open.
The best solution that worked for me was to insulate the thermostat housing and put a skid plate underneath this area to restrict airflow. It is still something to keep an eye on, because this is not a bulletproof solution. Great car, otherwise!
- shwykert, Leetonia, US