Hi folks, I've go this strange slooshing sound, like flowing water when I start the car and give the throttle a blip, sounds like its coming from behind the dash. It seems to dissapear once I start driving. Only notice it now and again.

Does anybody know what this is? Is it bad? lol

Cheers
Scott

 

You've more than likely got an airlock in your cooling system. They can be a bit of a swine to get out but it is possible with patience.

The noise you here is the water rushing through the heater matrix in the dashboard. Like a mini radiator which the fan blows air over to obtain warm air for the cabin. Air likes to get stuck in here & can be a git to remove.

Have you had you coolant changed recently, or water pump changed or thermostat? Or has it just come along this sound?

If it has just come along, it may suggest there is a small leak in the cooling system that is dragging in air? Check the thermostat gasket or water pump gasket as these are areas which can somethimes fail & drag air in.

Anyway to remove air you must 'burp' the cooling system. This involves starting the car from COLD, removing the radiator cap & allowing the car to tick over DO NOT REV! Put the fan in the car on HOT & turn on the blower (doesn't have to be full blast 1 click will do). As the car warms up air should bubble to the highest point, being the open radiator cap. When the car starts to get too hot the system should be 'burped' by then. Get that radiator cap on quick. Repeat again from cold to shift troublesome airlocks.

Hope this helps.

 

I have the same on my 93wrx it just seems to be something that happens (at least on classics) as my temp gauge gets to it's normal position and stays there.

Does your water temp gauge fluctuate?
Do your heaters blow out hot air when they should?

 

Or you could do a complete coolant change
undo all rad caps, take off top rad hose from the engine (not the rad)
put 1 pint of water down the rad hose, 1pint of water in the rad header tank.
Then 1 pint of coolant down the rad hose, 1 pint of coolant in rad header tank.
Then 1 pint of water down rad hose / when it gets full connect the rad hose back to the engine, you might lose some but thats ok ( make sure the rad is full)
1 pint of coolant in header tank / you might not be able to get it all in thats ok
Get someone else to put heater on full and turn on blower to 1.
Start the car and when its running keep filling up if needed.
From the rad filler cap bubbles will start to come out when the car is warming up. Make sure all bubles come out before putting on rad cap. You will lose a bit of coolant Once your happy put the cap on and watch coolant level dont drop. what ever is needed to top up water or coolant just half it. Take her round the block keep checking. Your system should be air free

 

Nice one, thanks for your replies guys, glad its not something serious! When I first heard the watery sound I was like 'what the f*ck!' I've not done anything with the cooling system in the year I've had her, It just noticed it recently one morning when I fired her up.

Yeah, the heaters blow hot air fine and she warms up steadily as normal and sits just below the halfway mark on the gauge. Must just be an air lock as you lads have said.

I'll give that a crack this weekend and get it sorted. I'll have a look at the gaskets aswell and see if they caused it.

Cheers again for your help though folks, much appreciated
Scott

 

check the header cap is working properly or treat her to a new one. they are only £20 ish for a nice one. an old cap will not suck in the water from the over flow when the engine cools down and then you get the build up of air.
changed mine and the problem is gone.

 

Cool, cheers for that, I'll get new cap aswell. Don't want that happening again, was a pain in the **** doing that on a Sunday morning with a hangover! Changed the coolant as ian b suggested and the little water party behind the dash has gone, lol, sorted!

Thanks guys!