'97 subaru overheating

Make sure that the radiator is not restricted. Using a inferred thermometer make sure all the cooling tubes are cooling. Make sure there are no air restrictions between the condenser and radiator.

That's the sign of a bad head gasket

Was the engine overheating before you replaced the thermostat ?
By not putting the cap on tight, you are not allowing the cooling system to build up pressure. So it could be a restriction somewhere like a radiator hose.

COULD BE THERMOSTAT IF TOP RADIATOR HOSE IS NOT HOT AND BOTTOM RADIATOR HOSE GOING TO WATER PUMP IS HOT THE THERMOSTAT STICKING PARTIALLY CLOSE.IF TOP HOSE IS HOT THE RADIATOR,ENGINE BLOCK HEATER CORE NEED FLUSHING OUT.IF WATER PUMP WEEP HOLE LEAKING REPLACE WATER PUMP, FAULTY WATER PUMP WILL CAUSE ENGINE TO OVER HEAT.REPLACE RADIATOR CAP MAKE SURE YOU HAVE 50 / 50 MIX SOLUTION ANTIFREEZE AND WATER IN COOLANT SYSTEM. IF ALL LOOKS GOOD CHECK ENGINE OIL ON DIP STICK, IF OIL IN DIP STICK LOOK LIKE MILKSHAKE YOU HAVE BLOWED HEAD GASKET THAT WILL CAUSE ENGINE OVERHEATING WHILE DRIVING CAR IN SHORT DISTANCE AND ENGINE OVERHEATING.

It could be the thermostat not opening and closing as it should. Or it could be a bad overflow/radiator cap. If the cap starts to go bad, it won't hold pressure and this will cause overheating. Good Luck. There are other major issues possible, but hopefully it's not. Start the engine cold and as the engine warms you should feel the thermostat open and water flowing as you hold the radiator hose, just be careful around moving fans.

ENGINE NOT GOING TO START IF GET TOO HOT FIRST THING I WOULD REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP THEN ADD COOLANT UNTIL COOLANT LEVEL CORRECT THATS WHEN THERMOSTAT OPEN UP AND TOP HOSE HOT.CHECK FOR LEAKING RADIATOR HOSES CHECK TOP RADIATOR HOSE CHECK BOTTOM RADIATOR HOSE.CHECK FOR LEAKS AROUND THE RADIATOR LOOK DOWN BELOW COOLANTS FANS CHECK FOR LEAKS AT RADIATOR CORES OR LEAKS AT THE RADIATOR PLASTIC SIDE CONTAINERS. CHECK FOR LEAKS AT WATER PUMP WEEP HOLE AND CHECK FOR LEAKS AT THE HEATER HOSES AROUND ENGINE BLOCK TO THE HEATER CORE HOSES. THERE IS A REASON CAR OVERHEAT.IF CAR OVERHEAT WHILE DRIVING YOU HAVE FAULTY THERMOSTAT OR LEAKING OUT COOLANT OR BLOWN HEAD GASKET.IF ENGINE OVER HEAT WHILE SITTING DURING A LONG IDLING PERIOD.YOU COULD HAVE FAULTY COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR OR FAULTY COOLING FAN FUSE OR RELAY.HOT WIRE COOLANT TO SEE IF IT RUNS IF NO REPLACE FAN MOTOR. IF YES FAN MOTOR COULD HAVE FAULTY WIRE OR PCM FAILURE. CHECK ENGINE CRANKCASE IF OIL LOOKS LIKE MILK SHAKE ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAKING.

is your water pump circulating the water nissans used to have a problem with impellers on pump
leave rad cap off and run enginge should see water circulating when stat opens

Chances are that your engine is ok. Bad engine overheating can seize the engine. Less extensive overheating can crack the engine especially the cylinder head and lead to power loss or mixing of water and engine oil. If water is mixing with oil, the oil looks milky. If your car is not losing power and the oil looks normal then chances are that there was no damage to your engine.

Just make sure that whatever caused the overheating in the first place is sorted out - perhaps the radiator flushing resolved the cause of the overheating.

The thermostat is behind the upper radiator hose...remove the upper radiator hose and loosen and then remove the two bolts on the outlet (where the upper radiator hose ends) The thermostat is inside that outlet...Another thing to check is if there is water in the oil...If there is water in the oil then it could have a head gasket problem..Did you ever replace the thermostat? If it is stuck then it would also cause overheating...Excessive exhaust backpressure because of a clogged catalytic converter could also cause overheating..Also check belt tension and condition. A loose belt that slips may prevent the water pump from circulating coolant fast enough and/or the fan from turning fast for proper cooling...Another thing it could be is a faulty Water pump -- Any wobble in the pump shaft or seepage would call for replacement. In some instances, a pump can cause an engine to overheat if the impeller vanes are badly eroded due to corrosion or if the impeller has come loose from the shaft. The wrong pump may also cause an engine to overheat. Some engines with serpentine drive belts require a special water pump that turns in the opposite direction of those used on the same engine with ordinary V-belts... Also check the Fan -- With mechanical fans, most overheating problems are caused by a faulty fan clutch, though a missing fan shroud can reduce the fan's cooling effectiveness by as much as 50% (depending on the fan's distance from the radiator) which may be enough to cause the engine to overheat in hot weather or when working hard.

Hi,

I had the same problem with my 1993 Liberty LX. Remove the thermostat (located inside bottom radiator hose engine connection - take the connection off and thermostat is inside). Reassemble (minus thermostat), reconnect bottom hose. Slowly (very, very slowly) refill the radiator and remove the bleed plug ( located beside the top hose connection to the radiator - a black square plug with a phillips head cross in the middle). When the radiator is full and clear water (no air bubbles) is coming out of the bleed point, replace the bleed plug and then the radiator cap.

Run the engine for five minutes (approx) or until normal engine temperature is reached. Allow the engine to cool down and recheck the water level - fill if necessary ensuring that the bleed plug is open and clear water is coming out of that point. Replace Bleed plug and then radiator cap. Run engine for five minutes (approx) and then test dive. If the engine overheats keep filling the radiator until there are no air bubbles coming from out of the bleed point.

This fixed my overheating problem. Good luck and safe motoring.