I am in the process of installing a lower mileage 2000 2.5 into my 2000 Outback. We are doing all new HG gaskets, Water pump, tensioners seals etc. When I refill the radiator, should I put in that speciall additive or do I not need it since we are doing new OEM Head gaskets?

I dont think there IS a GOOD answer to this.

 

Subaru says to use it EVERY TIME you put a gallon of coolant in.

 

We put the conditioner in everytime we do a HG job FYI.

 

Everyone in the shop has about the same opinion... "not sure if it does any good, but it cant hurt"

Thanks Backwoodsboy.

If you read the bottle it makes it sound like you just shouldn't pour it in when you're filling the rad.

 

Don't know if it's beacuse they want the system warm or if they figure you're starting with a full rad.

 

The bpottle used to be a couple bucks. I only have 2 left so I don't know if they've gone up in price.

...so just one bottle per HG job then?

One bottle. Used to be a small blue bottle for like 2 bucks - but I haven't needed any for a while.

I put it in.

 

wouldn't it be better for Subaru to just fix the problem, instead of a band-aid magic blue bottle fix. I mean come on, they didn't need this conditioner back in 1992 on their engines.

 

^if this is their solution, then that is pretty low. engineers get paid big bucks, they otta fix the HG problems. I bet the old subie engineers laugh at the new ones who can't seem to get it right.

It is fixed. You don't hear of as many soob head gasket issues after '03. Plus the HG's for the motors that had issues had some changes so that the current Subaru genuine replacements when put in correctly don't seem to have high recurrance of failures.

we still see the OCCASIONAL car come back for a second helping of HGs, but it is OCCASIONAL.

 

Part # SOA635071

 

$1.75 plus tax.

 

I wonder how much the same stuff is with the Holts RAD-WELD sticker on it?

I had my RS's coolant changed at the start of winter. They told me that the new (green) subaru coolant came with the HG treatment already in it.

I had my RS's coolant changed at the start of winter. They told me that the new (green) subaru coolant came with the HG treatment already in it.

 

Hm...not sure. I know the conditioner stuff is a brown mess, if that stuff were in the coolant I don't think it would be a nice green color like that, it would look more muddy. I think Subaru was adding the conditioner at the factory on new vehicles for a while but I don't think it comes in the coolant jug themselves.

backwoodsboy Hi, can you email me please? Your PM box is full, and I would like to ask you a couple of quick questions, thanks.

Nat

nwlovell@yahoo.com

I had my RS's coolant changed at the start of winter. They told me that the new (green) subaru coolant came with the HG treatment already in it.

 

 

That is dealership BS.

 

They might have put conditioner in WITH the new coolant... but it does not contain conditioner.

It is fixed. You don't hear of as many soob head gasket issues after '03. Plus the HG's for the motors that had issues had some changes so that the current Subaru genuine replacements when put in correctly don't seem to have high recurrance of failures.

 

1996 (or was it 1995?) to 2003...and it's almost all fixed...gee, that's a confidence builder

Don't get me wrong...I've been driving subs since '79...but this HG issue is one huge black eye IMO

Yes there have been issues. The point of the post was the issue has been fixed. Subaru wasn't the only car maker with HG issues in that era.

porc

no offense meant

 

It just irks me to no end that they really dicked around with this issue...it hurts whan you are a fan of the company/car

Blame the people that banned the use of asbestos in head gaskets. Its no conicidence that the failures started popping up with the 2.5L engine and the head gasket material change also happened at the same time. I understand the damage asbestos can do but a head gasket is not being breathed in like insulation in your home.

Ah I hadn't heard about the asbestos. Would that explain why other vehicle makes started having HG issues as well around that time?

That is dealership BS.

 

They might have put conditioner in WITH the new coolant... but it does not contain conditioner.

 

I checked on the my.subaru page and they had previously put the HG treatment in the car. I needed to get the coolant changed because the car came from Georgia and was only rated for 20 degrees.