Need help diagnosing Subaru cooling system problem

knownaught

I have a 95 Subaru Legacy wagon. After a couple hours on the interstate, driving at 70 - 75, noticed loss of AC. Sometime later and after leaving interstate, noticed that temp gauge was near top of range. Not sure how closely the rise in temperature followed the loss of AC (I have a gauge, not the light named after me). Was close to home, so continued there as the gauge moved out the top of the range. When I stopped, the car smelled like a hot radiator. Next day, found reservoir full, radiator empty. The hoses between the radiator and engine seemed OK. When I poured coolant into the radiator, it streamed out of an opening at the bottom of the plastic housing on the front of the engine, the one the belt drive wheels stick through. My user name pretty well describes me, so any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

adc100

You described the problem very well. Usually problems are related, but in this case I'm not sure why the A/C stopped unless it has an auto-cutout when engine temp goes up. Where the leak was-it sounds like this is your water pump. Now the water pump may have failed due to the loss of coolant in the radiator. My sense is that the pump seal failed and hence the radiator went dry. But I would also have them or someone chech the thermostat for being stuck closed- thats unlikely though during summertime. The other thing I don't understand is why the coolant reservoir did not empty into radiator over nnight. I'm just shooting from the hip here. Others may have better ideas. After the pump seal?? is replaced to a radiator pressure test. Good luck.

knownaught

I left out some crucial info. Car started fine and I didn't find anything but oil on the dip stick. Still, because of the location (thought there was nothing but engine on the other side of that housing), I feared the worst. Thanks much for your reply. Didn't need a definite diagnosis as much as some assurance that I didn't have to come up with a couple thousand before sending the car to the repair shop.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, sounds like water pump to me as well.