i have a my95 WRX, drove down from Newcastle to london and back yesterday and when i go back i noticed the fans were not blowing hot air as much as they should, just topped coolant up as it was very low, now i have just opened up the (header tank - i think thats what it is) the samll silver cap that says "don't open when hot" and its completly empty!!

any suggestions as am try to find the fault now!

please help

Mickey

 

ps only ahd the coolant changed 3 months ago, cant find a aleak or have i just ragged it too much?

 

Check your coolant levels and top up at expansion tank, marked A, not header tank B

 

Sounds like the coolant change didn't get done properly.
Coolant needs to be added at the radiator first (if there is a cap) and then the reservoir (marked B above).
The engine then needs to be run and coolant topped to full at point B until the level stops going down.

Nick

 

cheers for the help guys!

 

You do not fill your coolant up at bottle A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chances are that the system was not bled properly when refilled, keep filling the header tank up 2/3rds and hold the throttle at 2.5krevs, when the system if full you will see the water in the tank swirling with the flow, if the water level rises when you rev the engine you have air in the system still.
A properly filled system's water level will drop slightly in the header tank when you rev it.

Rob

p.s. if you filled up the coolant by the EXPANSION tank, how would you get 7lt in via the 7mm ID pipe that runs to the header tank? better than that how would the water get in with the rad cap on and the engien cool

 

nice pic of a 95 engine

 

You're right Rob, you should fill an empty system via the header tank, but Mickey said he had topped up the coolant and was checking the level by looking into the header tank.

Subaru Impreza Owners Manual

11-14

Checking the coolant level

1. Check the coolant level on the outside of the reservoir while the engine
is cool.

2. If the level is close to or lower than the "LOW" level mark, add coolant
up to the "FULL" level mark. If the reserve tank is empty, remove
the radiator cap and refill as required.

3. After refilling the reserve tank and the radiator, reinstall the caps and
check that the rubber gaskets inside the radiator cap are in the proper
position.