Popping gurgling sounds coming from center of dash

I'm pretty sure this is coolant/HVAC related. Just noticing it becoming more prevalent in the last couple months. My coolant overflow was empty when I checked a couple weeks ago and I filled it up. Didn't make the sounds go away though. You can hear it even after I shut the car off.

Anybody know what the cause/solution is?

thx

Jack up the right fornt corner of the car as high as you can.

Run the engine until the thermostat opens with the cap off the small bottle by the turbo.

You can squeeze the top radiator hose too.

You have air in the system.

It's not what you think. It's some kind of a control motor for the heat and A/C system. I think it's the motor that controls where the air goes (defrost, feet, front vents, etc.). My mechanics looked at it and said it would be around $400 IIRC. I guess they have to pull a pretty large chunk of the dash out. I don't remember for sure though.

I'm just going to wait until it dies completely to do anything about it. Mine's been doing it for at least 2 years.

See if your car is sluggish / incorrectly responding to your commands to switch the air output. Mine will take a second or sometimes I have to push the button a few times and cycle through to get it set right.

Bumping an old thread. OP, did you try this? Did it work?

Jack up the right fornt corner of the car as high as you can.

 

Run the engine until the thermostat opens with the cap off the small bottle by the turbo.

 

You can squeeze the top radiator hose too.

 

You have air in the system.

It's not what you think. It's some kind of a control motor for the heat and A/C system. I think it's the motor that controls where the air goes (defrost, feet, front vents, etc.). My mechanics looked at it and said it would be around $400 IIRC. I guess they have to pull a pretty large chunk of the dash out. I don't remember for sure though.

 

I'm just going to wait until it dies completely to do anything about it. Mine's been doing it for at least 2 years.

 

See if your car is sluggish / incorrectly responding to your commands to switch the air output. Mine will take a second or sometimes I have to push the button a few times and cycle through to get it set right.

Mode control actuator I think it is called - mine has the same problem and noise. Wait for it to fail completely is all you can do. I had a tech listen to it with a stethoscope to diagnose what it was.

I had gurgling.

It was the cooling system.

Fortunately, unless you have a LOT of air, the system pretty much self-bleeds.

With the car stone cold, just make sure coolant is above the pickup in the overflow tank.

mine does it as well sounds like water lol

+1

mine does it as well sounds like water lol

Check the coolant overflow bottle when cold.

After further research it seems like my sound is the HVAC flapper controls behind the dash. The clicking sounds I hear change when I change the vent settings. The diagnosis is to leave it alone until it stops working.

Thanks for the update. I was curious about the jacking-up the right side approach to the "Subaru gurgle and pop". Every subie I've had starts doing it eventually. As long as everything still works correctly, and fluid levels and running temp are good, I'll continue to ignore.

Same symptoms and the problem is coolant related and air in the system.

The cause is the radiator cap has failed. Looks like it just fell to bits, took off the cap and the spring and rubber was sitting down inside. Its not all metal and the plastic has sheared from age and the constant force of the spring.

The 2000 Lancaster 6 appears to be fitted with a 1.1 Bar radiator cap, just fitted a Toyota 0.9 Bar cap as a temporary measure.