Coolant temp varies after ATF drain/fill

[djay]

Hi folks,

Long time no write on this NG (ever since verizon stopped supporting NGs
anyway).
I drained the ATF from the subie and replaced 5 quarts with 4 quarts of ATF.
I obviously needed another quart and so I drove it 8 miles to the Auto parts
store and bought the same brand - quart size. On the way my coolant temp
spiked to the upper 3/4 range of the gauge deflection. This is the first
time this has happend to my subie.

I put the remaining qt of ATF in the tranny and ran the car again and while
the temp didn't spike that high it fluctuated for two days. Now it only
creeps up when I've run the car and am sitting at a stop light. As I
accelerate from the stop the needle creeps a slight bit higher and then
falls back to the "normal" range.

Before I did this the sub would warm up as usual and then sit rock solid at
one point on the coolant gauge. Now it moves around a little (as
mentioned).

Did I get an air bubble in the tranny coolant to the radiator? Did I do
something else? What normally would cause something like this?

Car stats:
1998 Legacy L, 2.2L AWD - stock everything and 142K miles.

Thanks for ANY help!!!

Djay

 

[djay]

Hi folks,

Long time no write on this NG (ever since verizon stopped supporting NGs
anyway).
I drained the ATF from the subie and replaced 5 quarts with 4 quarts of
ATF.
I obviously needed another quart and so I drove it 8 miles to the Auto
parts
store and bought the same brand - quart size. On the way my coolant temp
spiked to the upper 3/4 range of the gauge deflection. This is the first
time this has happend to my subie.

I put the remaining qt of ATF in the tranny and ran the car again and
while
the temp didn't spike that high it fluctuated for two days. Now it only
creeps up when I've run the car and am sitting at a stop light. As I
accelerate from the stop the needle creeps a slight bit higher and then
falls back to the "normal" range.

Before I did this the sub would warm up as usual and then sit rock solid
at
one point on the coolant gauge. Now it moves around a little (as
mentioned).

Did I get an air bubble in the tranny coolant to the radiator? Did I do
something else? What normally would cause something like this?

Car stats:
1998 Legacy L, 2.2L AWD - stock everything and 142K miles.

Thanks for ANY help!!!

Djay

Oh - forgot to mention that the fans are coming on and seem to be working
okay. Thanks! Djay

 

[djay]

Oh - forgot to mention that the fans are coming on and seem to be working
okay. Thanks! Djay

Okay, I think the low Tranny fluid exacerbated my failing thermostat. I
replaced it and the lower radiator hose (because it was very mushy and had
never been replaced) and now the temps are rock steady as before.

Djay