Hi, there is a gurgling sound coming from my BH5 2 litre N/A Legacy. Yesterday it started overheating, it has yet to reach past 3/4 on the temp gauge but that's only because I stopped driving it

Is the thermostat opening at 195 degrees ? Does the radiator fan come on at 220 degrees ?
The gurgling noise is usually air or coolant moving around in the system. If the engine is very hot this noise can be normal.

Well it sounds like you have covered most of the bases.
One thing that could cause overheating is a restriction in the exhaust.
Do you know if the radiator fan is coming on when the engine reaches 220 degrees ?
How long can you drive it before it starts overheating, and does it boil over when it does ?

Hi there, i had a similar problem with my Legacy B4 RSK Blitzen, 2 litre Twin Turbo, Engine EJ208. Car would idle sort of ok when cold, after warming up it would idle erratically (idle hunting) and cut out sometimes. I notices the boost gauge hunting along with the RPM'S .I found it to be 2 faults. 1st fault - If you have an after market air filter and the car hasn't been mapped for the extra airflow past the MAF (Airflow Meter) then it confuses the ecu as its taking in un-metered air. Solution - Re-map car to take extra airflow or as i did, i took out the MAF and cleaned it with a can of Carb&Choke cleaner. It worked but still had rough idle.
2nd fault - Air could be in your cooling system. If there is air in the system then the engine temp sensor is reading hot/cold/hot/cold everytime an air bubble passes by, which will cause running problems. You may hear a gurgling or slushing noise in the car, which is air in the heater matrix. Solution - From cold open the header tank and coolant overflow bottle, un car untill engine warm and hold at 2000-4000 rpm untill you see air bubbles rise in the header tank. Make sure your hot air is turned on in the car and vents open. Do this process for 10-15 mins and when you think all air is out of system then re-fit header tank cap. Have a watering can at hand as you may require to top it up during bleeding. It will overflow but dont worry.


Only real problems Legacy's give are , Air Flow Meters, Knock sensors, and Lambda Sensors (O2 sensor). Hope this helps mate, keep us informed on how you get on.

Sounds like the thermostat is NOT functioning, since when its removed you can (apparently) fill the system. So ... replace the thermostat.

Bleed the system as follows:

1. Fill the radiator. Put on the cap, then squeeze the top hose 6 times. You'll likely hear some coolant gurgling.

2. Remove the cap, top up again.

3. Start the engine and let it idle. In about 5 minutes or less, the thermostat will open and the coolant level will lower. Turn off the engine. Go to Step #1.

4. You likely need to do this 2 or 3 times, till the gurgling stops, and you are done.

hi it could be a faulty water temp sensor, however if the car was overheating you would notice as it would be gurgling or steaming in the engine bay somewhere, it may also be a sick water pump or cracked radiator

sounds like the electric fans are not kicking in easy way to find out is to let the car idle and see if they start up when the car gets hot if not ther will be a thermo switch in the radiator that you can replace and if that doesnt fix the problem it could be the relay in your fuse box in your engine bay

sounds like your coolant level is low? this causes a air pocket in system and hot coolant does not reach the heater core in side of car to give you heat. This can also cause engine to run to hot.

How is the temp doin? the gurgle is a sign of overheating, does the elec fan work,is coolant full and reservoir full ?

Make sure the cooling fans are working when the engine reaches above normal temp,if they are not ,turn the ac on,and see if the cooling fans come on,if so,replace the coolant temp sensor,if it has a clutch fan,then replace it,for it is not staying engaged ,and is not turning fast enough to cool the radiator.

Check the water coolant level because some of the hot water goes into the heater radiator behind the dash. Seems you have air in the system.