Coolant fill up?

[LLBEANSUBIE]

My 2010 Outback wagon, 2.5 coolant level is about 3/4" below the low line on the overflow bottle with engine stone cold. Auto tranny.
Is this normal?
Dealership says it's normal and that one could run the engine with NO coolant showing in the bottle(but who would?). They also say to use ONLY Subaru coolant due to the coolant the factory uses and the life span of the Subie OEM coolant. True or false?
Car has a bit over 14K on it--yes I know, we don't drive much.
Thanks.

[plain OM]

No, it's not normal. And I would not accept the idea of driving the car without topping up the reservoir. The "LOW" mark is there for a reason. If there's no coolant in the reservoir, then what's in the engine.

But the dealer is correct -- use only the same coolant that was installed at the factory -- it's a (relatively) new Subaru long-life type and I believe is blue. It should be available at dealers, and might come pre-mixed so it doesn't have to be diluted (but check to be sure -- it should say on the container).

It's not unusual for the level in the reservoir to be lower when the outside temperature drops (due to liquid contraction) but it should not go below LOW. In fact, the proper fill level for the reservoir with the engine cold is at the FULL mark.

It's also a good idea to periodically remove the radiator cap to make sure that the level inside is up to the top, where the radiator cap gasket seals against the ledge in the radiator cap neck. (The level can go low if the level in the reservoir is down below the bottom of the hose going into the reservoir from the radiator.)