1998 Outback Wagon Engine Overheats When AC is On

[Paul Vandervoort]

My 1998 Outback Wagon engine overheats only when I turn the air conditioner on. Any theories on why this might be?

Lisa
Reno, NV

 

[Edward Hayes]

Things to check. 1 With engine cool remove radiator cap and check that coolant is full. 2. With the engine running and up to temp. turn on AC. Do cooling fans run? If not the a bad fan sensor or fan may be defective. Post back hear Lisa and keep us informed. Eddie

 

[null_pointer]

Another technique which could be useful to help diagnose overheats is to turn the heater up fully and see if the temp drops any. This will help to see if there is a coolant flow problem due to radiator restrictions or t-stat not opening fully.