Need some advice for my 2008 Subaru Impreza STI...

[webfors]

very nice! The good ol' days when the engine was more important then the fuel economy stats

I'll be running 5w30 in the winter only, and my PP 10w30 stash the rest of the year in my non-turbo forester. Yes, it does get pushed with a full roof box, bikes, full load of kids, dog and luggage, with 5mt spirited driving

 

[Merlot]

Here's what the new manual's say:

I guess it would be ok to use Rotella T 5w-40 the more I read into this...

 

[webfors]

That's exactly what my 08 Forester manual says too. So they are definitely *not* against thicker oils for the boxer engine.

 

[VK56VD]

I guess not much has changed in Subaru's recommendation since '92 except that they are pushing 5w-30 more for fuel efficiency but at the expense of longevity. I'd run 10w-40 synthetic all year round except when it gets below -10 degrees Fahrenheit. You will rarely see that cold of temperatures in S. Jersey. For high heat Auto-X sessions, I'd maybe even consider a 10w-50 synthetic. All this is clearly stated in your owner's manual and the '92 owner's manual. Do not use 5w-30 and stick to a synthetic for gasoline rated engines. M1, PP, GC, Valvoline would all be good choices in 10w-40 if available or 5w-40, if 10w-40 is not made in the above synthetics. Don't stretch out your oil changes as you did in your previous WRX as fuel dilution and high heat from the Turbo will degrade and stress out the oil more so than in a N/A Flat 4 engine or any other N/A engine for that matter. I'd stick to no more than 4k mile OCI until a UOA tells me otherwise.

 

[thunderchild]

I would say use the Rotella T synth 5w-40. I am using the PP 5w-40 European. I have to order it but it is great oil. 5K OCI's for me and 95%+ highway miles.

 

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: thunderchild
I would say use the Rotella T synth 5w-40. I am using the PP 5w-40 European. I have to order it but it is great oil. 5K OCI's for me and 95%+ highway miles.


Where do you order the PP 5w40 from?

 

[VK56VD]

Another thing I would do with this car is use conventional oil for the first 15k miles. I would do the first 4 oil changes with a maximum of 3k mile OCI's using 10w-40 GTX or Pennzoil Yellow Bottle. I would than switch over to a 10w-40 full synthetic.

 

[Merlot]

Originally Posted By: Spartuss
Another thing I would do with this car is use conventional oil for the first 15k miles. I would do the first 4 oil changes with a maximum of 3k mile OCI's using 10w-40 GTX or Pennzoil Yellow Bottle. I would than switch over to a 10w-40 full synthetic.


That's another questions I was going to ask; when I should make the switch to synthetic. The owner's manual states it's fine to use, which leads me to believe I can use it from the first change. why would I not want too?

Mike

 

[VK56VD]

A lot of people switch to synthetic right away and report no problems. I tend to follow the advice of those who have had consumption problems when switching to synthetic too early.

Another reason for using conventional at first is because it is less expensive and you are able to do OCI's with less miles in between in order to flush out any break in gunk that can accumulate from a new engine. Then again, a lot will argue that with today's manufacturing this is not necessary as engines are relatively clean and don't produce any wear metals that accumulate in the oil.

The choice is yours, but if the STI were mine, this is what I would do. I tend to over do things like this, but I think the STI would deserve it, since it would put a smile on my face every time I drive it.

BTW, congratulations on the purchase. The STI is also on my list of cars I would consider when I'm ready to purchase another vehicle.

 

[BigEWRX]

As soon as my WRX hit 100 or so miles on it I switched immediately to synthetic. I have had zero problems or issues to date.

From around 15k miles to current (about 21k I use Schaeffer's 9000 Series of 5w-30 synthetic oil with a Subaru Tokyo Roki oil filter and do 5k OCI's. I will however once it gets to late winter/early spring (should be time for an oil change in late Feb/early March) order and use Schaeffer's 9000 Series of 5w-50 synthetic oil because the temps don't get that cold in this area and I will autocross it in the spring.

Both of their 9000 series of 5w-30 and 5w-50 synthetic oils are SM rated.

Also with the Schaeffer's oil I have no/negligible oil consumption.

 

[webfors]

This is starting to sway me towards thicker oil for that boxer engine...

thin, thick, thin, think... aaahhhh

I think PP 10w30 would be fine for my NA boxer, but all this talk of 40 weight has me thinking.

 

[VK56VD]

Originally Posted By: webfors
This is starting to sway me towards thicker oil for that boxer engine...

thin, thick, thin, think... aaahhhh

I think PP 10w30 would be fine for my NA boxer, but all this talk of 40 weight has me thinking.


Switch w/o worries. It even say's so to use in your owner's manual. The boxer engines prefer thicker oil. 144k miles on the Legacy my family once owned that saw nothing but 10w-40 on Castrol GTX all its life and saw ZERO engine problems. Too bad the car was totaled, otherwise I would have still been driving it.

 

[webfors]

10w40 dino in winter would be too thick in the extreme temps... Maybe a good xw40 syn would be fine though.

Can I expect that boxer to quiet down with thicker oil... not that I want it to, I'm starting to love the sound

 

[VK56VD]

The boxer engine sound will always be there. Will probably sound better with the 10w-40.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Wow! During my Gran Turismo days the WRX was my dream car! What color did you get? How much do you want for your 03?

 

[Merlot]

Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
Wow! During my Gran Turismo days the WRX was my dream car! What color did you get? How much do you want for your 03?


If you are seriously interested in my 2003 WRX, here's my listing on Craiglist:

2003 Subaru WRX

The price IS negotiable

My 08 STI is dark grey metallic, the 03 WRX is silver.

I've ordered the free test kits from Blackstone as I decided it's in my best interest to monitor my engine health. I have one the cars whose VIN falls into the Stop Sale range. Subaru issued a stop sale due to engine failures. My car should be fine since it was checked, but I'd like to be sure.

I'll post my results in this thread.

 

[Merlot]

As promised, my UOA for my first oil change:

I filled with Rotella T 5w-40 synthetic.

 

[bluesubie]

Typical (IMO) factory fill Subaru uoa. You should post this in the UOA forum.

There was an n/a Forester factory fill (same assembly plant) posted recently. His moly was lower than any Sube factory uoa I've seen.

What intervals do you plan on for the RTS?

-Dennis

 

[LoneRanger]

Do you think all that moly is in the factory fill oil or do you think it is residual from assembly lube smeared on the engine components during production, and blends into the oil that way?

 

[Merlot]

Originally Posted By: bluesubie
Typical (IMO) factory fill Subaru uoa. You should post this in the UOA forum.

There was an n/a Forester factory fill (same assembly plant) posted recently. His moly was lower than any Sube factory uoa I've seen.

What intervals do you plan on for the RTS?

-Dennis


RTS? Sorry, I'm not sure about all the terminology yet. If you are talking about my change interval, I'll be sticking to Subaru's recommended 3750 interval... for now.