hello all, I have found so many varied opinions on whether to use conditioner for a HG leak, I have decided to put it up here for a vote Our 2008 OB is definitely leaking as the mechanic showed me when it was up on the lift. Both sides. However, it is really not leaking any noticeable amount on the ground or the overflow tank. I went and got a bottle of conditioner from the dealer and the parts guy told me that they just got a bulletin saying they should add conditioner on ALL vehicles they work on with remanufactured engines. Anyway, I usually live by the "if it aint broke don't fix it" code but in this case I know there is a leak. What say you guys? jim
OK. Serious answer. I assume it's leaking coolant? If it's just oil, you can wait a while. You can leak/seep oil externally for a long time and be fine. If it's leaking coolant, it's time to do the head gaskets. The stop-leak (conditioner) may slow the leak and possibly delay the inevitable. Then again, it may not. But it's cheap to try.
And if you replace the head gaskets, have the shop use the ones for the turbo motor and not the gaskets for the naturally aspirated motor.
Yep. +1 on this Almost all EJ253s leak oil from the head gaskets. The conditioner goes in the coolant. Guess what? Coolant conditioner won't effect the oil leak. The assumption with reman engines (I assume) is aftermarket head gaskets, which fail even quicker than OE.
it was coolant. i will try the conditioner and hope it buys me some time...still paying off my mechanic for the HG job on my 99 OB! thanks for all the replies!!
https://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-head-gasket-problems-explained/ https://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-head-gaskets-problems-explained-part-ii/ Here's a couple links that I found helpful in understanding the HG issue. They are kinda long reads but basically he talks about what causes the problem, how it can be delayed with good maintenance practices and what kind of HGs to use so they won't fail again. It's kinda nerdy and sciencey but very informational.
Isn't all this warranty work? When did Subaru finally go to the steel head gaskets? For anything with the leak problem, this was normally the warranty repair, aka rip out the crappy stock ones and toss in the multi layer steel ones, problem solved...sort of. From that point, it just kind of depended on how flat your parts were.
you know that is an interesting question...it has less than 100,000 miles and just turned 10 yrs this year (not sure of the manufacture date?). do warranties transfer ownership?
I do agree with you though that replacing head gaskets that early in an engine's life is just not acceptable (did our Outback at 124,000 miles). Subaru should truly be ashamed of that gasket design instead of acting like there is nothing wrong.
They do the same thing with the EJ2.5’s as well. “Ringlands, don’t know what you’re talking about?” -Subaru
Subaru never officially went to an MLS. They did redesign the gasket a few times, but it's still a single layer coated steel. It's pretty common to use the OE MLS gasket for an EJ255 And no, I don't believe any are still under warranty. There was a recall for the EJ251s, which involved the coolant conditioner, and I believe extended coverage on the gaskets, but the newest of those engines is 13 years old now....
