Alright folks, yet another Subaru guy asking for advice. I guess, at the very least, it says we care or maybe are paranoid about our cars. Here is the pertinent info.
1. What kind of vehicle you have
Just picked up a 2008 Subaru STi hatch back with 33,000 miles on it.
2. What your owner's manual says -- not just viscosity, but certifications (look for acronyms like API SM, ILSAC GF-4, etc.) and change intervals as well
ILSAC GF-4 or API SM.
5W-30 preferred for all operating ranges.
10W-30/40/50 for temperatures greater than 0 degrees F.
For severe driving conditions, API SM (or SL) SAE No.: 30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50.
OCI: 3750 miles
3. Where you live
Dothan, Alabama. Avg temps are between 92 for the high and 38 for the low. Record low was 0F back in 1985.
Yes, I know, why do you have a Subaru in Alabama? Because I wanted one.
4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)
I tend to mix it up. Fast on the way to work. Slow and easy on the way home. Of course I let the inner child come out and rage every once in a while. I will be autocrossing the car once/once-every-other month with a full track day probably once a year.
5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)
My daily drive is 20 miles one way of mostly highway. 75mph on the way to work. 65mph on the way home.
6. Whether your car has any known problems
There are zero problems with the car. It was driven by an older gentleman to and from work (hence the low miles) and all maintenance was done on schedule by the dealership.
BLUF: Synthetic or organic? Rotella T6 5W-40 or alternative? OEM blue filter or Bosch/Purolator/alternative? OCI: every 3750 or longer?
The consensus I get from searching your boards leans towards Rotella T6 5W-40. With my climate, do I need something that low in weight? Are there alternatives that would be better for turbo performance/safety or gas mileage?
The guy I bought the car from said the dealership always filled it up with organic 5W-30 until the last oil change when they said Subaru now recommended all turbo cars use synthetic. He also said his oil change bill was now double what it was. Synthetic oil performance aside, you'll have to excuse me if I don't see this as a little bit of a dealer racket especially since no change to the OCI was recommended. Should I go with a synthetic or not? The OCI makes the organic price point look attractive especially since I drive 250+ miles a week. Should I extend the OCI regardless? Obviously for autocross weekends and track days the OCI goes out the window.
Finally, the debate between using the OEM blue filter (Honeywell/Fram?) since the Roki Tokyo black filters are no longer available in the states and what seems to be the top picks either a Bosch or Purolator. Personal preference, price point, doesn't really matter anyway with how often the oil is being changed? Recommendations?
Thanks in advance for the help and reading this far.
1. What kind of vehicle you have
Just picked up a 2008 Subaru STi hatch back with 33,000 miles on it.
2. What your owner's manual says -- not just viscosity, but certifications (look for acronyms like API SM, ILSAC GF-4, etc.) and change intervals as well
ILSAC GF-4 or API SM.
5W-30 preferred for all operating ranges.
10W-30/40/50 for temperatures greater than 0 degrees F.
For severe driving conditions, API SM (or SL) SAE No.: 30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50.
OCI: 3750 miles
3. Where you live
Dothan, Alabama. Avg temps are between 92 for the high and 38 for the low. Record low was 0F back in 1985.
Yes, I know, why do you have a Subaru in Alabama? Because I wanted one.
4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)
I tend to mix it up. Fast on the way to work. Slow and easy on the way home. Of course I let the inner child come out and rage every once in a while. I will be autocrossing the car once/once-every-other month with a full track day probably once a year.
5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)
My daily drive is 20 miles one way of mostly highway. 75mph on the way to work. 65mph on the way home.
6. Whether your car has any known problems
There are zero problems with the car. It was driven by an older gentleman to and from work (hence the low miles) and all maintenance was done on schedule by the dealership.
BLUF: Synthetic or organic? Rotella T6 5W-40 or alternative? OEM blue filter or Bosch/Purolator/alternative? OCI: every 3750 or longer?
The consensus I get from searching your boards leans towards Rotella T6 5W-40. With my climate, do I need something that low in weight? Are there alternatives that would be better for turbo performance/safety or gas mileage?
The guy I bought the car from said the dealership always filled it up with organic 5W-30 until the last oil change when they said Subaru now recommended all turbo cars use synthetic. He also said his oil change bill was now double what it was. Synthetic oil performance aside, you'll have to excuse me if I don't see this as a little bit of a dealer racket especially since no change to the OCI was recommended. Should I go with a synthetic or not? The OCI makes the organic price point look attractive especially since I drive 250+ miles a week. Should I extend the OCI regardless? Obviously for autocross weekends and track days the OCI goes out the window.
Finally, the debate between using the OEM blue filter (Honeywell/Fram?) since the Roki Tokyo black filters are no longer available in the states and what seems to be the top picks either a Bosch or Purolator. Personal preference, price point, doesn't really matter anyway with how often the oil is being changed? Recommendations?
Thanks in advance for the help and reading this far.