87 Subaru DL Wgn.

[DONJEEP]

Have overheating problem. Car is 4 WD, 5 Spd. No airconditioning. Car has two
fans. Electric on right side which works. And another electric tgat dies not.
My mechanic says that not problem in that fan on that side is only for cars
with air conditioning. That does not make sense to me, but can't find any
info about it when WEB searching. Does anybody have any idar where I could
go for answer?

 

[johninKY]

Vast majority of the time when a 20-year old Subaru begins to overheat i
is the radiator. Most of the tubes are now clogged.

 

[DONJEEP via CarKB.com]

Vast majority of the time when a 20-year old Subaru begins to overheat i
is the radiator. Most of the tubes are now clogged.

Thank you John. I,m having Radiator replaced as we speak. Mechanic thinks
that is problem also. Will keep you posted. Again thanks for the quick heads
up.

 

[DONJEEP via CarKB.com]

Vast majority of the time when a 20-year old Subaru begins to overheat i
is the radiator. Most of the tubes are now clogged.

John just wanted to let u know that new radaitor fixed overheating prob.
Tnks again Don S.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Have overheating problem. Car is 4 WD, 5 Spd. No airconditioning. Car has two
fans. Electric on right side which works. And another electric tgat dies not.

Hi,

First, I'm glad the new radiator did the trick. I haven't a clue what
coolant went in w/ it, but I've found a 50-50 mix of antifreeze and
DISTILLED water prevents almost all the "usual" clogging if one starts
w/ a fresh radiator and changes the stuff no less infrequently than two
year intervals.

The "pre-mix" coolant on the shelves is made w/ "de-ionized" or some
other "purified" water. I don't know if that's as good as distilled. I
do know it's an expensive way to buy a half gallon of water! And, though
you see a lot of "Leave it in for five years" kinds of advertising, I
don't think that's directed at those of us who think 20 yr old cars are
just starting to get broken in! The two year change is kinda like the
3000 mile oil change: maybe a bit of overkill, but harms nothing in the
engine, and though it lightens your wallet short term, MAY actually save
a buck or two in the long run. The choice is yours, of course!

Now, getting to the fans:

It's hardly like a mfr to install two fans if one of them's not intended
to work. The bean counters would have a conniption fit on something like
that. So my guess is you need to do some troubleshooting. Do you have a
manual on the car (Haynes, Chiltons or factory?) They should have test
procedures. I didn't know models that old used dual electric fans: my
'90 Loyale w/ essentially the same engine uses a belt driven fan w/ a
fan clutch on the left, an electric fan on the right. The clutch kicks
in at a certain temp, then, if it continues to get hotter, the electric
fan kicks in. It's possible you have two different temp ratings on your
fan switches in addition to the usual "broken wire, corroded connector,
blown fuse, burnt out motor" kinds of problems...

Check the "Ultimate Subaru Message Board" for lots of tips about the
"ol' timers." www.ultimatesubaru.org should get you there. I haven't
checked the other guys but the forums at www.nasioc.com might be of
help, too.

Rick