[4MLA1FN]

just visited my dealer to check on a part. the tech, who had just finished sti training, told me that subaru wants to get out the word that....the sti radiator cap should NOT be removed. to check the level and refill, only use the overflow bottle. (the owner's manual says you can remove the cap, but don't do it.)

apparently, it's a special spring-loaded kind of cap (??) that, if removed, cannot be reinstalled and would require a full radiator replacement. !!

the other day, i *almost* removed my cap. i loosened it, saw some fluid droplets come out, and, for some reason, decided to just screw it back on without removing it. there is a God and He likes me.

 

[BHODGES3]

Crikey! I wonder if you can put a different cap on it then? If not, it makes it sound like that actual radiator has some mechanism in it. This also defeats the purpose of those "Official STI Radiator Caps" that you can buy from different places on line.

 

[4MLA1FN]

This also defeats the purpose of those "Official STI Radiator Caps" that you can buy...

yep, i thought the same thing. i also think that subaru will be doing a *lot* of free radiator replacements. this has to be covered under warranty since the manual says to remove the cap. (the cap in the manual is different from our cap; it doesn't have the customary "fingers" to let you turn it easily.) this is also perhaps a good reason to only go to a dealer to have work done (if you're not going to do it yourself).

 

[RDiamond]

Uh oh -- I was listening to Goss' Garage last weekend (the guy on Motorweek), and he said you should change your radiator cap yearly. Guess I won't be following his advice now.

 

[Tb311]

You guys are talking about the one circled in Red right? Cause I already opened the one in green and no fluids came out. Just making sure cause when I got my car there was a bunch of dried up coolant around the the one circled in red.

 

[ldivinag]

the STi cap has a higher pressure. IIRC, stock is like 13 pounds while the pink one is like 18'ish...

only if you get an aluminum radiator should you go higher. just my 2 cents...

 

[darwood]

Gee that sure makes it hard to flush the coolant system if you can't take the cap off. :-?

 

[4MLA1FN]

You guys are talking about the one circled in Red right?

no, i was talking about the green-circled one in your pic. the tech and i went to the car and he pointed to that one was we talked. that other one isn't on the radiator.

 

[ha-evolution]

Does this help the discussion at all?

-I have no idea where this came from :wink:

 

[4MLA1FN]

of course, the owners manual covers both the wrx and sti. yet it seems, in at least this regard, that the sti is significantly different; i.e. subaru is now say not to do the procedure outlined in the manual. {shrug} i'd be cool if someone else could check with their dealer on this. hmm. maybe there's a tsb....off to techline.subaru.com....apparently not.

 

[ha-evolution]

I'm giving your source the benefit of the doubt. I don't mind leaving radiator fluid replacement to the dealer anyway. The stuff is too messy.

 

[WRX_Mundi]

If you can't open the radiator cap, how do you add something like WaterWetter? I could siphon off stuff from the overflow tank and then add it there, but that doesn't mix very well, does it?

 

[4MLA1FN]

I'm giving your source the benefit of the doubt.

do me a favor and check with your dealer. it seems hard for me to believe also, but the tech and i talked about it for a while, so i'm hesitant to think he was mistaken or fabricating a story. {shrug}

 

[ha-evolution]

but the tech and i talked about it for a while, so i'm hesitant to think he was mistaken or fabricating a story. {shrug}

I doubt it was made up as well, but I will ask next time I'm at the dealership. Hopefully that will be soon as I'm impatiently waiting for "the call" (white/gold STi).

 

[Hummer]

I removed my cap today and put it right back on. It is just a radiator cap.

MYTH DEBUNKED!

 

[4MLA1FN]

when i was at the regional i-club meeting, i was reminded of this two times by the subaru service manager and the regional subaru rep.

 

[Tb311]

If you have removed your radiator cap a while back please check your coolant level because it might be low. This might be what they are talking about. Because I took my cap off a long time before I read this thread and I recently checked my coolant level and it was below the LOW marking.

 

[Hummer]

when i was at the regional i-club meeting, i was reminded of this two times by the subaru service manager and the regional subaru rep.

I did it cold of course, but it was just a nomal cap radiator cap. Push down and twist to put on or take off. I went out for a 30 mile drive after and there is no problem with leaks or temp.

 

[RDiamond]

STi rear bumper same with 03 WRX???

hmm, I just went to my dealer (Fitzgerald in Maryland) and he said don't take off the cap.

It's a mystery! :roll:

 

[4MLA1FN]

the really scary thing is them (soa) saying you'll have to replace the entire radiator if you remove the cap.