In 1998, Subaru added another unique wagon to its lineup: the Forester. The 2001 Forester came standard with a 165-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Rust-inhibiting antifreeze mixed with water kept the Forester's engine within its specified operating temperature. Selecting the correct antifreeze may be overwhelming, as there are now make-specific antifreezes available. Fortunately, the 2001 Forester uses fairly common type of antifreeze.
Subaru factory-filled the 2001 Forester with genuine Subaru coolant, and the company recommends filling the Forester with this type of coolant. Subaru does, however, state that you can fill the Forester with an ethylene glycol-based coolant, which is the standard green coolant. You must mix the coolant in a 50-50 ratio with clean water prior to adding it to the Forester's cooling system.
Check the coolant level in the coolant overflow tank, located on the front, driver's side of the engine compartment. If the coolant level is below the "Low" line with the engine cool, add coolant to the reservoir until it reaches the "Full" line. After filling the overflow tank, open the radiator cap and fill the radiator with coolant until the level reaches about halfway up the radiator's filler neck.
Coolant contains highly toxic chemicals. Keep new and old coolant away from animals and children.
