Synthetic oil in my '05 2.5 LGT Limited

[420bpm]

I read that synthetic engine oil is preferred in a FAQ/Pre-purchase Questions thread.

My question is: Specifically - which kind should I buy?

Same question for engine coolant and transmission oil, and any other suggestions regarding maintaining engine with proper fluids.

The manual does not even suggest synthetic engine oil. The manual does express great concern however over using "genuine Subaru Coolant" and "genuine Subaru Coolant conditioner" when coolant is replaced. Is this as important as they say, or are they looking to sell their coolant and coolant conditioner??

I will of course buy whichever is best for my car be it Subaru or brand X.

Thanks for all the help you guys have given me. I am not only new to Subaru ownership, but to caring one iota about maintaining a car at all. I am not at all mechanically inclined, so please keep that in mind when I ask stupid questions.

[john]

Whatever synthetic you are comfortable with. I was a die hard mobil 1 fan until this car, which seems to consume mobil 1 more than "normal". I switched to Castrol synthetic, specifically German Castrol (GC) 0w30. My '05 LGBT digs it.

Use Subaru coolant and Subaru tranny/front diff lube. I opted for some mobil 1 synthetic 75w90 for my tranny & diffs and don't like the notchy shifting which I now have. I'll probably drain it this summer and switch back to the Subaru stuff.

I believe there was a TSB issued which now suggests synthetic as well as a more frequent oil change interval due to some failures which occurring.

[TSi+WRX]

^ Three and a half months (or was it 4?) or 3,750 miles, whichever first. :)


----

FWIW:

Neither my wife's '05 WRX nor my '05 LGT ever drank a drop of Mobil1 5W30 or 10W30. Of note is that my car saw the dyno twice, if not three times, during its use of the M1 - no consumption whatsoever.

I go through about a quarter of a quart of 0W30 "Made in Germany" Castrol Syntec - aka "GC" as john cited (typically considered a "magical" engine oil for modern force-fed Subarus) every 3K mile/3-month OCI.

Yet, strangely enough, my oil-pressures are much more solid on the GC - and by this I mean that I can see a reliable 2-3 PSI drop on my idling pressure when I'm just that quarter of a quart down. The M1s were never this stable.

In-truth, 420bpm, as long as you can maintain this relatively short OCI, you can pretty much run anything short of olive-oil, and you should still be fine. If you're really worried, invest in a couple of UOAs for the first two or three OCIs, to see where you stand. As long as the engine's happy - and the UOAs are undeniable proof - you're simply and completely just fine.

Many will tell you to stick with the genuine Subaru oil-filters due to their bypass specs. If you currently have no set filter preference, I'd say that going this route isn't a bad idea at all.

Personally, I've used Purolator filters on my Subarus (the standard on my wife's WRX and FXT, and the PurOne on my LGT) to no noticeable ill effect.

As for the coolant, the issue is a bit more involved.

I think that these posts of mine on SF.org will serve as a good guide.

Why we should use Subaru-brand coolant - and why, if we don't we have to be careful and read the "ingredients" listing on our chosen anti-freeze/coolant's packaging:
- http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/608392-post20.html

General information, including the "green" versus "blue" Subaru coolant:
- http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/608355-post14.html

Coolant conditioner:
- http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/608384-post18.html
- http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/608401-post23.html

:)

[havanisda]

I go through about a quarter of a quart of 0W30 "Made in Germany" Castrol Syntec - aka "GC" as john cited (typically considered a "magical" engine oil for modern force-fed Subarus) every 3K mile/3-month OCI.



I guess I should switch. I been runnin Quaker State Peak Performance til I hit 75k miles then switched 2 QS High Mileage.

Almost @ 87k miles now. I also just get cheapo Fram oil filters. Walmart all 4 under $20. :devil:

[TSi+WRX]

^ If you've done a UOA and your engine's happy, then I truly see no reason to switch.

For me, my choices are more about "treating" myself/the car, and my low OCI is just a part of my ingrained beliefs, carried over from guys like my father. :redface:

Subaru's insistence on the turbocharged vehicles going with the "Severe Service" OCI of 3.5-4 months (can't remember which :redface:) or 3,750 miles - whichever first - was spawned partially due to the banjo-bolt screen/mesh issue, and was a change which came abruptly in late October of 2007.

To many of us early owners on LGT.com, this went down with an extremely bad taste in our mouths, as while many "old-school" guys like me still went by our die-hard, overprotective/overzealous OCIs, many had also followed their Owners Manuals' recommendations of the 7.5K-miles intervals, with truly nothing but the best of intentions.

unclemat, at one point, said that it was simple - that Subaru F'ed up.

That's my view, too.

[420bpm]

What is a "UOA"? OCI I guess is oil change something.

[havanisda]

Used Oil Analysis & Oil Change Interval.

[blackfang]

unclemat, at one point, said that it was simple - that Subaru F'ed up.

That's my view, too.
And mine.

[john]

And mine.

Mine as well.

[Dookie]

I'm guilty, I've been changing my oil at about 5,000 miles. So far I haven't had any problems with my turbo. :Knockonwood:

[420bpm]

So an OCI every 3k mi is too often?

[TSi+WRX]

I'm guilty, I've been changing my oil at about 5,000 miles. So far I haven't had any problems with my turbo. :Knockonwood:

^ If you use a quality oil and filter, extended OCIs should be OK - run an UOA, just to be sure.

I truly believe that Subaru's 3.5-4 month/3750-mile, whichever first, schedule is conservative, but at the same time, I'm hesitant to recommend anything else, particularly if you're still under warranty and can provide documentation, should something go wrong.


---


So an OCI every 3k mi is too often?

In virtually all cases, yes, an OCI of 3K miles/3 months, whichever first, is simply overkill for modern gasoline engines and modern engine filters/lubes.

But old habits die hard, and this one was almost beaten into me as a kid. :p

It's a bad habit that I'm passing on to my daughter, too. :o:lol: She knows that when its December (on Dada's birthday), March, June, and September, it's time to change the oil (I don't put enough miles on the car to need to worry about the mileage part of the equation).

Truthfully, it *is* expensive to go for premium oils and filters. So if your budget doesn't allow you the luxury of fooling around like this, the better/best thing to do would be to run one or two UOAs, to see what oils can get you, where, so that you'll save more money in the long run with perhaps longer OCIs and perhaps even oil/filter selection, as well as can also rest-assured that your engine is happy.