Subaru Coolant System Conditioner - SOA635071 - Genuine OEM

This coolant conditioner is highly effective, easy to use, and delivers reliable results. Designed to help prevent leaks, it is an affordable and safe way to maintain your Subaru's cooling system. Subaru appears to recommend this product, making it a trusted choice for preventative maintenance. Simply pour it into the radiator to condition the system, reducing the risk of leaks before they start. It can also help slow or seal minor leaks if they arise. I highly recommend considering this for routine upkeep or as a quick solution for small leaks.

Don't be fooled. This conditioner, AND THIS CONDITIONER SPECIFICALLY, is a VERY NECESSARY PART of the preventative maintenance for your Subaru!If you DON'T use it, you probably won't notice the difference quite as quickly as if you decided to do away with the use of let's say, MOTOR OIL, for instance. In fact, you MAY even get lucky and have no trouble at all.More than likely though, if you go without using this stuff as the FSM (Factory Service Manual) specifies, you WILL eventually be replacing head gaskets at some point. (Between $2,200 and $2,500 going by some 2011/2012 pricing I have) Parts alone run about $900. (This includes timing belt/tensioner/pulleys, and a few other sundry items that you'd be a fool if you forgo while you are this deep into the job)If you have also warped the heads because you didn't add a bottle or two of this stuff, the machine work JUST to resurface the decks on the heads will run you about $800 on top of the rest of it. (No valve work or anything else. Just make 'em flat again)I have worked in the automotive field as a mechanic for independent shops, as well as for dealerships as a factory authorized line mechanic. If it has a gasoline powered engine, two or four stroke, there is a good chance I have worked on it or something very similar. American, British and Japanese motorcycles. Automobiles ranging from K-Cars, MG A's, and Triumphs, all the way to being factory authorized by BMW. (Also worked on a fair share of Mercedes, Audi, Land Rover and Porsche at that dealership too when there was overflow)All I'm trying to say is that I know which end of the screwdriver I'm supposed to hold in my hand in order to use it effectively, as it was designed to be used, and am at least fairly qualified to speak to this subject with some degree of understanding.Because (non-turbo) Subaru automobile engines have what is called an, "Opened Deck," design, head gaskets can be prone to weeping some. (The decks on the turbos are not entirely opened, OR entirely closed. And yes, you absolutely SHOULD be using this conditioner in those turbo engines too!) This "coolant conditioner" prevents a weep that will soon resolve itself if given the chance, from developing into a larger LEAK, requiring expensive service. It is an eloquent solution that has allowed the engineers to produce an amazing opened deck (and semi-opened deck) power plant that truly IS a piece of engineering art. (At least, to a geek like me!)Some say, "It's a poor design if you have to put stuff in the radiator to protect head gaskets." Well, I challenge ANY of those folks to design an engine that can out-perform the 4 cylinder Subaru boxer engine. I will warn you, however, that this is a pretty lofty goal. One of the criteria is, right now, the worlds FASTEST 4 cylinder 1/4 mile car, you guessed it, is a VERY DECKED OUT Subaru WRX. Granted, we're talking about a highly modified Subaru engine here, BUT, it's still the same Subaru H-4 design that trips the lights at the far end of the 1/4 mile track faster than any other design on the planet. Other very skilled race teams try and try, and with with every other power plant under the sun, too, but Subaru (so far) can't be caught. Let us NOT forget who dominates the off-road rallies too. So, go design me a better engine, and then I'll agree with you. (Further, you will become very wealthy if you play your cards right)The truth is, if you read carefully and assess the actual working knowledge of those who quickly dismiss the conditioner as "snake oil," or, "evidence of poor design," or make some other trite remark, you will see that, ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION, these folks have never owned a Subaru, serviced a Subaru, and for that matter, often don't even understand how the internal combustion engine works.Please, do NOT think that another type of "radiator fix in a bottle," is, "just fine." This product is in fact "Rad Weld," manufactured in England by Holts, and re-branded by Subaru. Subaru didn't choose this product over everything else because they can buy it cheaper than they can buy anything else. They choose THIS PRODUCT because it is THE ONE PRODUCT that WORKS WORKS FOR THIS APPLICATION. PERIOD. If Subaru engineers could have invented their OWN solution to make this system work the way they wanted, BELIEVE ME, THEY WOULD HAVE!. . . those engineers at Subaru have enough A.) WISDOM AND B.) HUMILITY to say, "Yup, THIS is THE product that works, so, we'll use it."You've been warned.Oh, yeah, while were on the subject of, "how to destroy a Subaru engine needlessly":The H-4 engine is ALSO what is called an "interference engine." Further, the cam shaft is driven by a belt. Subaru, {AHEM} "suggests," that the belt BE REPLACED AT 105,000 MILES. I believe the FSM uses verbiage similar to, "Timing belt and tensioner MUST be replaced at 105,000 miles or severe engine damage may occur."If an engine is an "interference engine," that means that when the timing belt breaks, resulting in the cam shaft no longer rotating to open AND CLOSE the valves at the right time, the pistons will continue to move up and down for many, MANY rotations before the crankshaft ALSO stops turning. During this time, of the valves that stopped in the opened position are going to get slammed into repeatedly by the tops of their corresponding pistons each time those pistons come back up to and past top dead center again, over and over again until the crankshaft finally stops turning too.In other words, an entire replacement engine is now far more cost-effective that repairing the one that basically just turned it's insides into a hand grenade.So, if you have more than 105,000 miles on your Subie, and the timing belt has never been changed of you don't KNOW if it has or not, it's a real good idea to take care of that too. I currently have 190K on My 2005 Forester. Guess what I'll be doing at 210k. Yup, the same thing that I did to get it from 105k to 210k without breaking valves off at the stems and smashing holes in the tops of the pistons. HIGH QUALITY belt, tensioner, and everything else in the belt path that has a bearing in it. (If memory serves, I believe there IS another pulley, or, actually, no no no, it's the WATER PUMP! That's right. THAT is the other bearing-containing item driven off the timing belt. You replace that too, because, well, because they don't typically last forever, and you're THERE already! :o) Labor to replace the pump is considerable higher that the cost of a good pump.

I started getting PO 420 for a number of days before i recognized losing coolant over 4k foot mountain pass, changed out coolant but continued to leak. Added the Subaru Coolant Conditioner as i had nothing to lose. Leak has disappeared completely. Never found any leak in the system, maybe some coolant on windshield. PO 420 came on after the ascent of two separate 3k mountain pass trips and then went away soon after but now it never comes on. Car is fine. Coolant temperature generally stays below 200°F, when leaking temperature hit 220°F, this is all during ambient temperatures of 25-35°F.I had just had my engine rebuilt w/bored cylinders, flattened engine and head gasket surfaces etc by a fellow who i believe did a meticulous job. But i believe, in the absence of any evidence of visible leaking, that the head gaskets were leaking, causing coolant to contaminate the catalytic converter, hence the PO 420 error message. Fingers are crossed but everything is working great now.

Good job!

Very little information about what it truly does. I suspect I know. It has chopped up linseed in there that migrates to fill up leaks, important for a Subaru headgasket and other small leaks that may form, worth adding every time you change the coolant out. "According to the product label, it contains a proprietary resin solution, borax decahydrate, and linseed meal."It's the only coolant additive that the manufacturer suggests you use. This was particularly the case for 2000-2002 series, but won't hurt to add to other Subaru engines apparently. Subaru switched coolant however in 2008-2009 to a blue coolant that has longer change intervals.The head gaskets were also improved to the point where there are 450HP Subarus getting around with the standard headgaskets, so this addition may no longer be necessary. With the green PEG Ethylene-Glycol coolants Subaru state you should of course only use GENUINE Subaru coolant, because it is designed to prevent galvanic corrosion inside the engine cooling components between differing metals and the aluminium block.

Works great

Fast delivery. Just what I needed.

Exactly as intended