After taking my car in for transmission service (a whole other story and working with SOA) my Subaru local service/dealer guys looked up recalls and voila, the coolant additive was outstanding. So, they put it into my cars cooling system and now I smell coolant when I turn on the heater and my radiator has coolant fluid leaking from the top of it. Need advice from all you pros! Does the additive cause blockage that would create pressure and force a leak in the rad?

 

Ryan

shortly after the recall was performed on my car,

same thing happened.

 

i think that in some cases the stop leak additive

gets into the thermostat, causing it to stick open

causing some bubbling/spillage issues.

 

i drained the coolant

replaced the thermostat and gasket

 

and did not re add the additive.

 

i've not had a problem since!

 

*shrug*

 

not sure if this applies to you but in my case...

that's how it worked out

 

Jamie

Yes it is possible for the additive to cause a blockage and create trouble. I pasted my reply yesterday because 3 weeks later we figured out what happened. A new radiator cured the probelm, but follow the directions below for adding the conditioner and you should not have a problem. I did it this way now and my outback is fine...

 

Re: Overheating Engine on Highway

Well it has been 3 weeks later and we figured it out. The crappy conditioner that Subaru recommends to "Condition" the headgasket, or really probably nothing more then their version of "Stop Leak" sat in my radiator overnight and caked and clogged up.. I am going to write and call the 800-Subaru number. I have the insert that they sent for my manual and NOWHERE does it say to add the conditioner and make sure you circulate thourougly throughout the system right away. I figured when I went out for a drive the next morning is would be fine. I guess I was wrong.. Now thinking about it when I added it this time, I idled the car until hot, then shut the engine for about 5 mins. opened the cap added the conditioner and then took the car on a 45 min trip to a friends house. I figured I would let the stuff fully circulate so there would not be any problem this time. I do ALL the mainenece on my car, and have a good deal of knowledge but never thought about this conditioner clumping up. After a new radiator car is good as new.. I guess I can't complain. 108,000 miles and have not put a DIME in to the car other then maintenece. Save for the radiator....

 

 

 

 

After taking my car in for transmission service (a whole other story and working with SOA) my Subaru local service/dealer guys looked up recalls and voila, the coolant additive was outstanding. So, they put it into my cars cooling system and now I smell coolant when I turn on the heater and my radiator has coolant fluid leaking from the top of it. Need advice from all you pros! Does the additive cause blockage that would create pressure and force a leak in the rad?

 

Ryan

I worked at the Local Subaru dealership for a while during this recall and the master technician there, told me that he usually runs the conditioner through the system after he puts it in just becuase of the stories that he has heard from other techs even though no where has he ever heard from an official stand point that you are supposed to do that.

 

...Meh..who knows..

 

~Mike