1998 Subaru Legacy Logo
Posted on Mar 04, 2009
Answered by a Fixya Expert

Trustworthy Expert Solutions

At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.

View Our Top Experts

Temperature Gauge Always On Cold

I have a '98 Subaru Legacy GT Limited. The temperature gauge is always on cold. I changed the thermostat and put all new coolant in and it's still stuck on cold. I just changed the coolant temperature sensor and still stuck at cold... does anybody know what else could be causing this problem? I am still getting decent heat coming from the vents and it has been pretty cold outside. When I am driving, the temp gauge is at the bottom of the gauge but when I am stopped, it rises just a little bit to the first notch but doesn't go any higher than that... any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

  • LMW1216 Mar 26, 2009

    I found out what was wrong... it was the Temp Sender. After that was replaced, the gauge went back to normal!

×

1 Answer

Jeff3fg

Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Scholar:

An expert who has written 20 answers of more than 400 characters.

  • Expert 124 Answers
  • Posted on Mar 26, 2009
Jeff3fg
Expert
Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Scholar:

An expert who has written 20 answers of more than 400 characters.

Joined: Mar 21, 2009
Answers
124
Questions
2
Helped
48902
Points
381

As long as your gauge is still moving up, there's no real problem. You have heat coming from the heater. It's only a problem if it's getting too hot. What's going on is that you don't let the vehicle run long enough, and it's so cold outside that the engine stays cold. It raises in temp when your stopped because there's no airflow through the radiator. The thermostat just heats up the engine block, and won't change the reading on the gauge. When this goes bad your car will overheat in just a few miles.

1 Related Answer

Anonymous

  • 23 Answers
  • Posted on May 28, 2010

SOURCE: Need mechanics manual for 2005 Subaru Legacy GT

Try this site
http://carservicemanuals.blogspot.com/search/label/Subaru

Ad

Add Your Answer

×

Uploading: 0%

my-video-file.mp4

Complete. Click "Add" to insert your video. Add

×

Loading...
Loading...

Related Questions:

1helpful
1answer

Changed out water pump and thermostat and vehicle runs high temperature what could be issue?

Reasons the Temperature Gauge Reads High

If the temperature gauge reads high, it could mean your engine is overheating. Another reason your reading might be high is you could be losing coolant. A small leak or evaporation may cause your radiator to slowly lose coolant. A third reason your temperature gauge reads high could be because the thermostat is broken. If this is the case, you may need a coolant temperature switch replacement. The last reason the temperature gauge could read high is because of a water pump, or water pump gasket failure. If the water pump is malfunctioning, it may need to be replaced by a professional.

What to Do If Your Temperature Gauge is High

If your temperature gauge is reading high, it means your car is overheating. This is a very serious matter and you should never drive an overheating car. If your car starts to overheat, shut off the air conditioner and open the windows immediately. If this does not reduce the overheating, turn on the heater as high as it can go. If this still doesn't work, pull over on the side of the road, turn off the engine, open the hood carefully, and wait until the vehicle cools down. Never open the radiator cap while the engine is hot - coolant can spray and burn you. Once the vehicle has cooled, take the car to a mechanic right away so they can diagnose the problem. Cars are especially susceptible to overheating in hot climates, like what's common in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, or Atlanta.
The temperature gauge is an important tool in your vehicle that shows the temperature of your engine's coolant. Contact YourMechanic and have your car inspected for overheating if it reads too high, as this can cause serious problems...

Reasons the Temperature Gauge Reads Cold

On most vehicles, the temperature gauge reads cold until the engine has run for a few minutes. If the temperature gauge still reads cold after the engine has warmed up, the gauge may simply be broken. Another reason the temperature gauge could read cold is if the thermostat in the vehicle stays open. With the thermostat stuck open, the engine can be overcooled, causing a low temperature reading. If this is the case, the thermostat may need to be replaced.
0helpful
1answer

My car wont go in between the hot and cold meter

engine - Car temperature displaying below Cold or just ...

mechanics.stackexchange.com/.../car-temperature-displaying-below-cold...
Jun 25, 2012 - Today I was boiling inside my car as it was a very hot day and my ...cold, it almost never goes up to even 1/4 of the temperature gauge, the ... Where I live, it's hot enough that even with the thermostat wide open the engine won't stay at C.. ... How to Match Skin Color Between Pictures Of The Same Person In ...

What does it mean when my car's temperature gauge is halfway ...

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid...
Aug 23, 2011 - I think my temperature gauge is usually all the way to the left, which I think is "cold" (okay). ... before steam poured from under the hood of my car and I had to pay $217 ... Why does my A/C stop blowing cold & my temperature gauge goes toHOT? ... But the battery won't keep a charge after sitting over night. my temp gauge always stays on cold. never moves.? ' Yahoo Answers
Mar 28, 2014
My car temperature gauge started going crazy and it doesnt even ...
Nov 10, 2011
My engine temp gauge reads below normal, close to cold, even ...
Mar 23, 2007
my temperature gage on my car keeps going up and down.. does ...
Feb 15, 2007
More results from answers.yahoo.com
0helpful
1answer

High fuel consume

Maybe it is running higher than it should. Best guess would be to change the temperature switch for the engine controls and possibly the thermostat. Your engine has a "cold start sequence" and it will increase RPM and enrich the fuel to allow the engine to run better when cold starting.

The problem is the loss of signal after the engine warms up. If the water temp gauge seems normal, likely the temperature sensor is causing your problem. There can be 2 temperature sensors on your truck, one works the dash gauge and the other works the engine controls.
1helpful
1answer

Temperature gauge is always cold

For temperature gauge remain at cold problem,click the link below :---http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/02/temperature-gauge-stays-at-cold-on.html
---------Thanks.
1helpful
1answer

How can I resolve a eating problem. The temperature of the engine is always beetwen 90 and 96 degrees and I think that is ttoo hot for normal routing. Can change the thermostate? or chenge the rediator?...

If it is that low it is running too cold. Typical Operating temperature is 180 to 212 degree. Check your thermostat. If it's not boiling over or your temperature gauge is between the Hot and Cold marks on the dash indicator, close to the center between the two, then your engine is fine.
0helpful
1answer
2helpful
3answers

I have a 1998 Saturn SL2 DOHC with ~140,000 miles. The car runs great, but I am having trouble with the coolant temperature. When first starting the car up in the morning, the coolant temperature gauge...

When you said you replaced everything, did that include the temperature sending unit?
The temperature sensor just operates the cooling fan or fans for the radiator.
The temperature sending unit operates the temperature gauge in the dashboard. If that thing is faulty, the gauge won't work right.
If you did change the sending unit, it could be possible that the computor is screwing it up, but in my 41 years as a mechanic I never heard of it, when a computor goes, nothing works.
0helpful
1answer

Car revs up on its own, and also the temperature gauge never rises. it is always on zero.

If temp. guage never rises...most likely the radiator thermostat is stuck in the open position, therefore always running coolant thru the motor. Kills your gas mileage, because the engine is always running cold. And you won't get much heat when you turn the heater on. If this is so, have the thermostat changed.
0helpful
1answer
2helpful
4answers

'91 subaru legacy, the thermostat is bad. Can I drive my car without the thermostat temporarily?

Yes, it will be okay.
It's much better to go without than to use a stuck thermostat.
The only thing you will notice is the engine's temperature will take much longer to warm up, thus you will not have a functioning heater like you are used to.
Not finding what you are looking for?

857 views

Ask a Question

Usually answered in minutes!

Top Subaru Experts

ZJ Limited
ZJ Limited

Level 3 Expert

17989 Answers

Thomas Perkins
Thomas Perkins

Level 3 Expert

15088 Answers

Oliver Street

Level 2 Expert

73 Answers

Are you a Subaru Expert? Answer questions, earn points and help others

Answer questions

Manuals & User Guides

Loading...