Subaru - Legacy :: AC Fan Never Turn On - Overheating / Coolant Loss On Hot Days
Oct 9, 2012
Hitting a diagnostic dead end here - car wants to overheat/drink coolant on hot days when inevitably the A/C is on. A/C fan never comes on. Car was in a front-ender accident about 18 months ago, could be related, unclear. The A/C condenser was damaged then, but I replaced it, recharged the system, and the A/C now blows nice and cold. I've swapped the fans and the same fan works fine when plugged into the other side. I've swapped the fuses.
I've taken a working relay (as the other fan stops when I pull the relay out) and rotated that relay thru the other 3 sockets with the engine and A/C on. Still no movement. So I'm a bit stumped puzzled as to what to consider next, and then a part of me started to wonder if the fan is the red herring, and might I have a radiator issue which is the real culprit. I don't see any leaks. I had the thermostat fail about 1-2 months after the accident but a shop replaced it and this overheating issue really only flared this summer. This is a 99 Subaru Legacy SUS Sedan, the 30th Anniversary edition, with 189K+ miles, so minimal expenditure is the game plan.
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So this car is having overheating problems -- it's a 2001, Subaru outback legacy wagon, 125,000 miles on it, automatic. I was driving it an hour on the highway, pulled off an exit, it overheated and stalled. Got it into a gas station only to find the coolant cap on the reserve had blown off and coolant went everywhere. So i put new coolant and water in and got it to go 20 minutes only to overheat again.
Drove it back home blowing the heater and seemed to somewhat remain at 1/2 to 3/4 mark on the temp gauge. Then i took it to shop-- they said probably an air bubble that worked its way out?! and they basically did nothing. Drove it again an hour this weekend, same thing happened--drove it back with the heater on. Brought it to ANOTHER shop that first off thinks its the timing belt. The person i bought it from had head gaskets, timing belt, water pump and thermostat all replaced. The only thing they were told to do was flush the radiator which they did not do.
SO...what do i do? I'm taking it to yet another place and don't want to be ripped off -- Change the radiator cap? Could it be one of the parts blew again? They were replaced last year. Should i flush the radiator-- what would that do really? Could it be an electrical/fuse problem with the fans?
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I've noticed now that it's winter that my Legacy with 14k on it will shift somewhat hard into drive from reverse if I don't let it idle and warm up for 2-5 minutes before setting off. After that one shift, the car is fine the rest of the day. I checked the transmission fluid and it appears full, I had a more mechanically inclined person check also and it looked full to them as well. It seems more pronounced if I parked on my hill with the front of the car facing up the hill - but i use the parking break to hold the car, and release it before starting out.
The issue is if I just go - sometimes it will jerk into drive - one time even though I've learned to back up, come to a complete stop, wait a second, hold the break down all the way and then shift into drive, it jerked forward some distance over the breaks, but then stopped. This only happened once - but it happened with my father in the car, so it was a bit disconcerting... It happens before I even touch the gas...
This is the 5 speed automatic with a manual mode and paddle shifters - I'm just using the fully automatic R and D.
Now, my family likes Subarus and has owned a number, and my last one, an 07 impreza with automatic sometimes jerked into drive also, and my relatives have sometimes had that happen with Autos. Is this just a Subaru traditional Automatic thing? I spent many hours with my 07 in the dealer for this, only to be told it was normal, so I'd rather not waste everyones time again with the 2012 Legacy if it's just "a subaru thing". I can certainly live with warming the car up when it's cold, though that seems to not usually be a best practice with modern cars.
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So after hitting a deer in my car a few weeks ago I fixed it and drove it around town a little bit and it ran fine. But 15 mins onto the highway the next day it overheated. It was out of oil, which I had checked a couple days before when I fixed it. so after it had cooled down I filled it up with Coolant and oil and started driving it home. the roads where bad and I wanted to go easy on the engine so I took it at about 25-30 MPH. as I was driving it would slowly overheat, but I could get it to start cooling down but dropping it into neutral and just letting it idle while I coasted. I had to get off the frontage road and take the highway the last couple miles before town so I turned the engine off and let the fan run for about 20 mins, and started off again, the weird thing was when I got on the highway I was doing about 55Mph and the engine didn't try to overheat at all, but as soon as I got back in town and started doing 25 again it started overheating again. another thing that is happening is that the car will blow air through the heating system but won't heat it. I realize that was long but I'm really at a loss. I replaced the head gaskets less than a year ago so it's not from worn gaskets.
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No white smoke, no water in the oil. I think the antifreeze is not circulating. thermostat? plugged radiator? faulty water pump? air blocked? I have had heat in the car when the gauge is on "H" and then cool air when in the same place. Have loosened the radiator cap and the engine appeared to cool off quickly then when it got up on "H" again opening the radiator cap just to relieve pressure did nothing.
The next time i let it idle and it started to come down, then accelerated to 2000 rpm and it cooled quickly. The next time repeated this same type of thing and did no good. Next time the gauge said "H" i kept moving and the heater blew hot air for 4 miles then it blew cold air?Start with a thermostat? Try bleeding the heater? replace radiator? take a compression test?
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problem is the my 1998 Legacy (142K) overheated this past weekend. It shut off and I had it towed to a "new" mechanic around the corner from my house. He diagnosed the problem as being a faulty thermostat. He replaced the thermostat and returned the vehicle to me. Two days later my wife was driving home and the car had a major overheating incident with resulting serious mechanical failure. I did a little research and within about five minutes found that this problem is quite common for this car and is more commonly related to a head gasket issue. My question is should this mechanic be held responsible in any way for the misdiagnosed problem? If so, what would be the best course of action? The car was otherwise running fine and in fact I recently had the transmission rebuilt.
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I have a 1997 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited, ~180,000 miles. It has been a good car but we've run into some problems the last few months. About a month ago we were driving back from vacation and experienced a loud belt squeal from the engine. Had a nearby mechanic look at it -- turned out it was a timing belt pulley which we had to have replaced.
Now, a couple weeks ago, the day after getting my fluids changed, I was driving over the mountain on another, shorter, trip and experienced sudden overheating - steam coming out from the radiator - lots of discouraging gurgling and clunking sounds as liquid moved around. Had to have it towed 40 miles back home.First thought being a Subaru person -- head gasket. A couple of mechanics nearby when I was broken down on the side of the road gave that as a preliminary diagnosis as well.
Unfortunately, we were leaving for a week on another trip, so I had to wait to have my car looked at until we got back -- about 2 weeks. Now my regular mechanic takes a look -- he says it isn't the head gaskets, but a hold corroded in the bottom of the radiator that the coolant is just pouring out of. Also the fans aren't working. F
I have heard that most people get their radiators replaced before it becomes clear that it is a head gasket issue. So I am very nervous that this issue is actually a head gasket and that for whatever reason my normal mechanic can't find the signs for because it was sitting for two weeks, or for some other reason. He's not a Subaru specialist. I asked specifically that he check the head gaskets and he says no oil in coolant, coolant in oil or sweet smell from tailpipe.
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My Legacy sedan is not behaving well. On more than one occasion, when pressing on the accelerator, the rpms do not rise. I put it in park and try to press gas pedal, nothing. Turn the car off and let rest for a few minutes, then start it up again, and it's fine.....
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I had plugs and wires changed to try clear code. Car seemed to do some better but while trying to go up a steep hill car started stuttering and jerking. Power went out of car and check engine light started blinking fast.after let the car sit for bout 45mins car started running fine again and light stopped flashing but remained on. Code read cylinder2 misfire again.
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Acquired a 1997 Subaru Legacy a few weeks ago. Drive it for a prolonged time in the heat, at speed, and you can smell warm coolant from the engine compartment. And the temperature gauge hovers in the middle of the dial, no matter what.
My wife explained the smell away by guessing she'd spilled coolant when she topped it up. But it's been weeks since she did that. Also - this sucker drinks coolant. I'm guessing every 2-3 days I'm adding another gallon.
It occurs to me that ... maybe .. a leak on top of a pipe so the coolant doesn't drip out, but the loss of pressure (from the hole) causes the fluid to boil and flash out? This might explain the 'higher than I'd like to see' operating temperature.
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I have a 1993 Mercury Cougar XR7 3.8 L V-6 with 138,000 miles that has been having overheating and coolant loss issues for the past 3 months. So far I have replaced the radiator (cracked), 2 thermostats (not opening), and the thermostat housing; which is where the mechanic said the leak was coming from. I don't have a visible leak now but it is still overheating after about 15 mins of driving it. I took it back to the same mechanic who said the sealant on the head gasket needed to be replaced.
As far as I know, there is no "sealant" ON the head gasket...the head gasket is the sealant. I took it to a different mechanic who said I have leaks in several of the coolant hoses. I can smell antifreeze every time I get out of my car, but I don't see any leaks. I am concerned I've blown the head gasket but the mechanic says they cannot test that until the hoses are fixed. Does this sound reliable? Could it be a hose issue and that's all?
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So a bit of background, I'm not the original owner, it has about 190,000 miles on it, and is almost definitely due for an oil change. Anyways, I was driving home, the car was running fine, I got into the left turn lane and had to come to a complete stop in the intersection. As I was about to turn, I felt the steering lock up, and there was no throttle response, I was in a bit of a panic so I didn't see if the engine shut off but several warning lights went on including the check engine light. I turned the key into the off position then restarted the car and it worked fine for the small remainder of the drive. What caused this or how I could prevent it from happening again?
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I am getting a P1150 code on a 06 Prius (240k). Red Triangle and temp light come on after about 15min of driving (no heat). I have taken it to the dealer. They said the Coolant control valve (stuck) and waterpump (leaking) needed replacing. I replaced both of these myself along with the temp sensor and radiator cap, but the problem persisted.
Coolant is also shooting out of the overflow hose in the reservoir tank when car warms up. I just took it to a different shop yesterday because I was assuming I could not get all of the air bled out of my system. They charged me $200 and said there was quite a bit of air in the system. The first thing I did when starting my Prius was to check the heat, no heat. I drove it home and immediately noticed there was yet again coolant spitting out of the overflow tube. I didn't want to believe this was happening again. I drove it to work this morning (15min drive) and the red triangle and temp light came back on.
I now have been driving it with the radiator cap loose so the pressure does not build up and spit the coolant out. This works for short drives, but I've noticed my coolant is disappearing quickly. No visible coolant on the ground or anywhere in the engine bay.
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When I turn my engine off and remove the key from the ignition, my front and back parking lights remain on. So every time I turn off my car I have been disconnecting the negative post so the lights turn off. How do I resolve this? 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback....
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I had overheating problem on the highway. Towed car to Automotive Clinic - They said I needed new radiator and hoses, so I installed. Couple weeks later, overheats again, this time said I need new head gasket, so I go ahead. Soon as I get back, my car overheats AGAIN. Now back in the shop, and they told me the head gasket blew again...they have taken all apart, and now say they can't find out whats wrong. The coolant is leaking, but they don't know why...it failed hydrocarbon testing. What can it be?
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Have a 2000 subaru outback 2.5l, automatic, with about 245k, I replaced the thermostat,water pump, the radiator and the car is still overheating. both fans are working. no leaking coolant. Maybe this is related- over heats mostly when driving on the highway. But if a shift the gear to neutral and coast for a minute the shift back to drive the temperature gauge goes down. Whats wrong, running out money fixing the car, but love it driving it in the snow.
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2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic 4.0L, in Palo Alto, CA.
My air conditioner clutch stops engaging after driving in hot weather.
In hot weather (>80 degrees), when I first turn on the AC it blows nice and cold for up to 30 minutes, after which it gradually gets warmer and then hot air comes out. If I leave the AC on when it is blowing hot air, it will suddenly blow cold again (sometimes it takes a couple minutes for it to work again, sometimes it takes 30 minutes). Then the cycle repeats.The AC seems to be dependent on outside temperature: on very hot days ~95 degrees the AC will only work for ~5 minutes before blowing hot, 80 degree days the AC works longer, limited testing in cooler weather (at night ~60 degrees) AC always blows cold. When it is blowing hot air, the clutch on the compressor hasn’t engaged. When the AC is blowing cold, the clutch engages/disengages normally depending on how you set the temperature. I replaced the low pressure switch, did not change AC function. I recharged the AC, did not change AC function.Engine temperature reading always in normal range <210 degrees. Heater is working normally.
I’m pretty sure the clutch is getting the signals to engage. When the AC is working normally the engine revs slightly higher when AC clutch is engaged.Likewise, when the AC is blowing hot air and the clutch isn’t engaged the engine revs higher. And if I disconnect either the low or the high pressure switches the engine reduces to normal idling.
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I have a 2003 Chevy Malibu, V6, 3.1, auto, 140k miles. Car started out with code 0420 with no noticeable symptoms, but then added code 0303 (miss fire cyl #3) with loud knock (mostly after warmup) and loss of power under load. Now internal loss of coolant (no puddles or external drips). Changed plugs and wires - no change - all plugs looked good with no sign of contamination. Questions - if this is a valve/piston/lifter problem (which would explain the knock, miss-fire and loss of power), why would I get the loss in coolant? If the loss of coolant is fouling plug #3 (which would explain the coolant loss, miss fire and loss of power), could that give me the loud knocking? I don't see how a valve/piston/lifter issue would cause a leak in coolant but I also don't see how a coolant leak into cyl #3 would give me such a loud knock. Do I have two different problems? If it is a leak into cyl #3, is there any way to tell if it is the intake manifold gasket (which leaked before and was replaced five-six years ago and which I could do again if I had to) or a blown head gasket (which I don't think I could fix or afford to get fixed)? Engine will occasionally get hot (but not overheat).
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One of my headlights has stopped working on my 1999 Subaru. Do I need to replace the entire headlight assembly or is it just a bulb? Approximately how much should it cost to fix? 1999 Subaru Legacy sedan
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I drive a 2000 Subaru Legacy and the radiator fan does not always come on. This sometimes makes the car run hot but has not (yet) put it into the "danger zone" overheating. It seems to happen if the car is in stop and go traffic and it's hot outside. If I'm driving down the highway or the weather is cool it doesn't happen.
I checked the fuses (yes, even the ones under the hood) and they are all fine. I am just curious if there is a sensor that could be the problem or if it is more likely the thermostat. It didn't quite fit the descriptions I found for thermostat but I'm a broke college student trying to keep an old car on the road, not a Subaru mechanic
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I have a 2003 Forester, recently noticed the front brakes locking up, especially on hot days. Completely immobilized car, to get going again I would have to wait for them to cool and/or cool them with water if pads smoking from trying to drive with brakes engaged, and tap on calipers and master cylinder to allow pads to release. Problem got worse as it got hotter out, due to job I rarely drive car and didn't get in for service yet. Last time pads burned a whole lot and braking felt odd (less pressure and uneven like rotors were messed up or pads burned up).
Took it into brake place, they had never seen before. When they inspected, discs were in bad shape with one cracked, but I don't think that was original problem, just caused by driving with them hot. Shop at first said fluid seemed clean but I left and later they said it was contaminated but I don't trust them. Shop solution is replace everything: calipers, pads, hoses, flush system, and replace ABS (the most expensive part I am hoping isn't actually necessary). I don't trust shop for several reasons including because they admitted having never seen this and seemed content to take maximum amount of money just to replace everything without knowing what actual problem was.
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