2002 WRX Thermostat Help

[Marne_Aeok]

I recently replaced the radiator on my aging WRX due to the top part of the rad busting at the seam and spraying coolant like a fountain. That was about a month ago.

Well now that the weather is getting colder i had to turn on the heat today for the first time since i bought the car (well besides testing to see if the heat worked after the rad install which it did. both ac and heat work great).

After a few min of going down the road i notice my temps are SOARING. The needle almost got to the red line. I immediately killed the heat.and the temps went back down slightly. We made sure to refill and burp the cooling system completely when we changed the radiator but we never replaced the thermostat.

Could this be the reason why its doing this? I topped off the coolant in the reservoir and also the cap up on the block itself. Making sure to squeeze the upper hose a few times to remove any bubbles in system.

If indeed the thermo needs to be replaced is this a valid item to purchase as a replacement? Im not looking for a race ready component. This subie is strictly a daily beater I do like to take care of it tho.

She has 163k now ^_^

Beck Arnley Thermostat

[tarmacsti]

Judging from what you have replaced/tested to resolve this I suspect something else is wrong... maybe check your fuses and also replace the coolant/water temp sensor (one on the block behind the alturnator)

If you switch on the heat it should cool down the water temp in the system to a certain degree... because ->

If you look at the coolant system you will see that the heat you getting in cabin comes from air that gets blown over a small radiator behind your dash. (thats why there isnt any heat when the car is cold) Switch that on and it brings down the temps!

This leads me to believe that something else could be wrong.

[EvoEatr]

Just throwing this out there..Subarus are extremely touchy when it comes to certain aftermarket parts..axles,thermostats, certain brake parts..just to name a few..I have seen many problems on these cars resulting in replacement of the thermostat again with a Subaru genuine one..If you do end up replacing the thermostat go grab one from the dealer..the price difference should be nominal if anything...As mentioned though I would make sure you have no leaks, no air in the system, and that the system is full. Are the fans cycling? and when they cycle are they blowing hot air?

[tarmacsti]

+1 on original parts