Subaru now recommends Synthetic, some 0W-20.

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What Dennis said. It's right in the owner's manual. Recommended grade anything from 5W-30 to 20w-50, depending on conditions. Synthetic OK at their recommended OCI.

Ed
 
Originally Posted By: bluesubie
Originally Posted By: snajper69
As far as I am aware any one e-mailing SOA got the same answer saying that they do not recomend Synthetic in their engine?

SoA has never had a problem with folks running synthetic as long as you use the recommended grade and stick to their oci.

-Dennis


yes but they never recomended. Any time you would e-mail SOA you would get do whatever you want but we do not endorce it
wink.gif
. Now with them saying they actually recomend is complete change of position.
 
Originally Posted By: edhackett
What Dennis said. It's right in the owner's manual. Recommended grade anything from 5W-30 to 20w-50, depending on conditions. Synthetic OK at their recommended OCI.

Ed
..what is says in the manual about oil grades,..they have been saying this for decades, my early '80's manual says the same thing..it really needs an update, and also an article at "subaru endwrench" recommended 10w20 for towing (no longer available or easily gotten).. the point here is that for towing it still takes a Xw20..think about it,..under what "conditions" would the car have to be in to safely use a 20w50 especially with bearing clearances of .0005(quarter of your hair width)( not a good idea)..I used this 20w50 weight way back in the sixties because the piston bores where so greatly enlarged from wear and bearing clearances of .0015 (much larger),that the next step for lubrication would be to fill the sump with straight STP..useing heavy weight oil was the thing to do for worn out motors...
 
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Originally Posted By: ottotheclown
Wow, noticed that Subaru is now switching over to chains rather than timing belts.What were they waiting for?????That link was cool. Thanks.
..I hope they don't have the same problems concerning the chain "tensioners and guides" prematurely wearing out like on the 6 cyl..it just means that the oil has to be exchanged earlier for those older cars..about the newer cars with chains..I guess we will have to wait and see..not just subaru, but chrysler has had there share of problimatic tensioners,..what they have in common is that it takes motor oil to lub them..the tensioners really need clean or perhaps a more slippery oil thus more frequent oil changes...
 
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Originally Posted By: snajper69
Originally Posted By: bluesubie
Originally Posted By: snajper69
As far as I am aware any one e-mailing SOA got the same answer saying that they do not recomend Synthetic in their engine?

SoA has never had a problem with folks running synthetic as long as you use the recommended grade and stick to their oci.

-Dennis


yes but they never recomended. Any time you would e-mail SOA you would get do whatever you want but we do not endorce it
wink.gif
. Now with them saying they actually recomend is complete change of position.
..I "think" that their postion concerning syn oil has more to do with the newer cars coming for 2011 and because they are chain driven..anything to help with there past previous chain problems...the cost of subaru maintanence and maintaining warrenty has just gone up drasticly...
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
0w20 in an H4!? Blasphemy!!
grin2.gif

...if those timing chains are still lubed by the motor oil..then the upgrade to syn is for the chain and not the motor..I hope this doesn't lead me to buy a Ford
 
Part of the reason for the move could be CAFE as well. It was mentioned in End Wrench a few years ago that some NA cars came with xW-20 from the factory .

-Dennis
 
I dunno.
Ours seems very happy on GC.
Maybe it would like an XW-20?
Still, I will continue with the thickish GC for the moment.
Great fuel economy has never been an AWD Subaru virtue.
 
That's quite a surprise, since many of the Subaru guys at the Subaru tech forum I frequent recommend dino oil and/or thicker oils.

As for the source, I haven't heard of Idemitsu until now.

And speaking of which, Subaru Tecnica International in Japan sells rebranded Motul oils, so I would assume maybe this would also be rebranded Motul...
 
My Subaru doesn't even like Amsoil 5W-30, though does better on Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30. I'm switching to German Castrol after this winter. No way I'm running 5W-20, just so they can meet some overall fuel efficiency number. That is my conspiracy theory anyway. :)
 
The 2011 NA Forester will probably have tighter tolerances and a longer piston skirt if it's going to run 0w20, otherwise new owners will get a wonderful piston slap musical treat
grin2.gif


I wouldn't run a 20 weight in the boxer. Just my opinion.
 
Originally Posted By: AWDfreak
That's quite a surprise, since many of the Subaru guys at the Subaru tech forum I frequent recommend dino oil and/or thicker oils.

As for the source, I haven't heard of Idemitsu until now.

And speaking of which, Subaru Tecnica International in Japan sells rebranded Motul oils, so I would assume maybe this would also be rebranded Motul...

Idemitsu has been making the SoA ATF for several years now. They have also been making Subaru branded 5W-30 and 0W-20 worldwide for a few years.

-Dennis
 
Originally Posted By: bluesubie
Originally Posted By: AWDfreak
That's quite a surprise, since many of the Subaru guys at the Subaru tech forum I frequent recommend dino oil and/or thicker oils.

As for the source, I haven't heard of Idemitsu until now.

And speaking of which, Subaru Tecnica International in Japan sells rebranded Motul oils, so I would assume maybe this would also be rebranded Motul...

Idemitsu has been making the SoA ATF for several years now. They have also been making Subaru branded 5W-30 and 0W-20 worldwide for a few years.

-Dennis


Thanks a lot!!! This is exactly the response I was waiting for!
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
The 2011 NA Forester will probably have tighter tolerances and a longer piston skirt if it's going to run 0w20, otherwise new owners will get a wonderful piston slap musical treat
grin2.gif


I wouldn't run a 20 weight in the boxer. Just my opinion.
..Not true..go back to the first page and read the 2 links I have provided..
 
Asked the parts manager today at the local Subaru dealership, they recently got the 5W-30 and 0W-20 Subaru synthetic oil.

As I had expected, he said it wasn't necessary for a pre-2011 model year naturally-aspirated Subaru, and that it was recommended for turbocharged Subarus and the 2011 and after model year Subarus. Well, at least that's what I remember, but my memory is kinda fuzzy right now...
 
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