Overheating problem!
 

Can anyone help as I've run out of ideas?! I have a V reg Outback which has had the head gasket done, a new water pump, thermostat and radiator and is STILL overheating!! The car is fine for the first five miles or so, then the engine light comes on and the performance becomes 'lumpy', with hills and pulling out of junctions, a nightmare! After all of the above was done to the car, the overheating stopped for about two weeks until I was stuck in traffic then up it went again - ironic since the only time it didn't overheat before, was in traffic!! The water can be heard 'gurgling' behind the dash and the occasional 'overheating smell', even when the temperature gauge is registering normal?! The garage checked for an air lock - nada! I have spent a heap of money, as you can imagine, so really want to get to the bottom of this, as I love my scooby but not enough to go bankrupt for - can you advise?!

A couple of long shots but as I've been there myself, worth a look. You mention the gurgling noise from the heater area. Does the heater operate correctly as the gurgling noise sounds like the matrix is not bled. Run the engine and check both the heater inlet and outlet pipes are hot, loosen and remove one and check that the water is running through them correctly. Sometimes you don't get the correct flow and water has trouble running through the sytem leaving a small amount to sit in the block getting hotter and hotter with nowhere to go. Secondly, has Radweld been used at all. I once had an Alfa with the same overheating problems even after the head gasket was changed. In frustration I ripped the head off to find that the block waterway channels were full of solidified Radweld causing limited water flow through the system. Thirdly, try removing the thermostat and run it without, there may be a very slim chance that the new thermostsat is faulty. All the best and I hope you get it sorted.

Thank you very much for your advice. I haven't used Radweld in it but the previous owner may have! I will do the other checks and let you know! I must say the thing about the correct flow would make the most sense, as it often smells like a pan does when it runs dry and it was doing that before they did the gasket etc. It's so frustrating because before all this it was just great, hope you've solved the mystery! Many thanks.