2015 Outback owner's manual oil recommendations

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NormanBuntz

NormanBuntz

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I took delivery of my '15 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium today and was reading the OM. I have questions about the oil recommendations stated in the OM:

"0w-20 synthetic oil is the required oil for optimum engine performance and protection. Conventional oil may be used if synthetic oil is unavailable." Also the only viscosity listed on the temperature chart is 0w-20. It also says "5w-30 or 5w-40 conventional oil may be used if replenishment is needed but should be changed to 0w-20 synthetic oil at the next oil change."

I'm aware of some 2013 and 2014 Outback models having some oil consumption issues. Supposedly there was a piston ring flaw that has been corrected.

The car will rarely see sub-freezing temperatures. I have a big stash of 5w-20 synthetic that I'd hate to hassle with returning or exchanging.

So other than for "optimum" results or for extra CAFE mpg, why would using 5w-20 synthetic be any problem except in the case of an engine warranty claim? And if you can top off with 5w-30 or 5w-40, why would 5w-20 synthetic be unacceptable?
 
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Does it say 0W20 is "required" or "recommended"?


It says "required for optimum engine performance and protection."


If it says required,I wonder if you absolutely have to use 0W20 without getting bent over if something were to happen? If a certain oil is required by the manufacturer,do they have to provide it to the customer for free (I remember a discussion on that topic here awhile back)?

Congrats on your new car!
11.gif
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Does it say 0W20 is "required" or "recommended"?


It says "required for optimum engine performance and protection."


If it says required,I wonder if you absolutely have to use 0W20 without getting bent over if something were to happen? If a certain oil is required by the manufacturer,do they have to provide it to the customer for free (I remember a discussion on that topic here awhile back)?

Congrats on your new car!
11.gif



IIRC, they would only have to provide it at no cost, if they were requiring the exclusive use of a Subaru product, in order to maintain warranty. In this case, Subaru only requires that the owner use motor oil that meets certain specifications, which can be purchased from several sources.
 
I would use your 5W-20 stash. If you ever run into a problem, ask them to prove how an oil tested at -30C makes a difference over one tested at -35C. And have them show you a 5W-40 conventional.
thumbsup2.gif


-Dennis
 
No, if they said using Valvoline 0w-20 is required to maintain your warranty, then they would have to provide you with it. But because they just say 0w-20 is the required grade, you get your choice of companies and therefore don't have to be provided with it.

It's like saying you have to use an oil with a certain certification, they don't have to provide it to you because you get your choice of all the oils that meet the requirements for certification.


Back to the original question. No, there is no reason why 5w-20 would be a problem to that engine. But that doesn't mean Subaru wont hassle you in the unlikely event there is an oil related warranty issue. So because of the oil burning issue that was previously experienced (but supposedly fixed), I'd suggest using 0w-20 at first, just in case you have an oil burning issue they wont be able to blame it on not using a 0w oil.
 
If you still have receipt(s) for the 5W20 oils you can easily exchange for 0W20 of the same brand, just have your OM with you they will accommodate your new car requirement.

For warranty purpose I would follow OM recommendation.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
If you still have receipt(s) for the 5W20 oils you can easily exchange for 0W20 of the same brand, just have your OM with you they will accommodate your new car requirement.

For warranty purpose I would follow OM recommendation.


Best answer. I would take back the stuff you bought an exchange it. ALSO MAKE SURE YOU KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS FOR THE OC IN THE EVENT THEY WANT TO SEE PROOF OF MAINTENANCE!
 
0w20 is used by Subaru for one reason... fuel economy. And if you use 0w20 for the EPA testing, you are required to list it as the recommended oil grade...

Subaru has poor fleet CAFE numbers... they don't have a Yaris or Fit or Micra type subcompact in their line-up to boost the average... so they "require..." the 0w20 to eak out every tenth of an mpg...

The reasoning is that the 0w20 is slightly less thick when cold, so when the cold engine is started the oil pumps and flows with slightly less energy required, using less fuel as the engine warms up... which is true, but to a very small degree...

And once the oil reaches operating temps, a 5w20 is the same viscosity as the 0w20.

Warranty is the only issue when using the 5w20... most dealers ask for proof of oil changes, not proof of oil grade. Will a dealer play hardball if you use 5w20 and have a problem... ? Maybe, maybe not... but you won't know unless you have an engine issue under warranty... !
 
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the oil control ring issue was a major..... inconvenience.

I had a 2011 forester fb25 that used aprox 1qt in 3500-5000mi

a 2013 outback fb25 that used 1qt/1800mi it got new rings now its 1qt/3200mi

a 2015 fb25 (forester) that so far appears to be using nothing or such a small amount to not be determinable yet.
first OC was at 2800mi(time restriction) and was 3/4 up on the dipstick.

currently have aprox 2000mi on this oil change and its still dead on the full mark.

The oil issue seems very common because how many people go on forums and post "oh I dont have an oil issue" so the 2% who had issues .. are 1/3 the posters.(exaggerating)

I would use subaru 0w20 the first few changes. If it uses over 1qt/3000mi you will get most likely get new rings or a new shortblock.

Oil is very cheap compared to the price of the car I'd use 0w20.

and yes the manual has some engrish in it like that bad oil recommendation paragraph that's been in there for last few years.
 
Do you really want the hassle of even thinking...'what if.' There are excellent 0w20's out there, and they come with free piece-of-mind.
 
Keep obsessively good records. I used a spiral bound notebook and stapled receipts to the pages and kept the old oil filters and an oil sample in sealed plastic bags. The spiral binding is important because it keeps the pages in absolute order and you can't change them. I did this because previously I had to go to war with Audi to get a warranty problem covered. I vowed to never be caught again without excellent documentation. I won the battle with Audi but it was a terrible experience. I'll never again buy a quirky car with complicated running gear and a junk electrical system with running gear that needs to be dismantled for even routine maintenance. With today's vehicles you must keep records because almost anything that goes wrong can result in a whopping big repair bill if the warranty fails to cover it. The cost of a few quarts of oil pales in comparison to an engine repair.
 
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
I took delivery of my '15 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium today and was reading the OM. I have questions about the oil recommendations stated in the OM:

"0w-20 synthetic oil is the required oil for optimum engine performance and protection. Conventional oil may be used if synthetic oil is unavailable." Also the only viscosity listed on the temperature chart is 0w-20. It also says "5w-30 or 5w-40 conventional oil may be used if replenishment is needed but should be changed to 0w-20 synthetic oil at the next oil change."

I'm aware of some 2013 and 2014 Outback models having some oil consumption issues. Supposedly there was a piston ring flaw that has been corrected.

The car will rarely see sub-freezing temperatures. I have a big stash of 5w-20 synthetic that I'd hate to hassle with returning or exchanging.

So other than for "optimum" results or for extra CAFE mpg, why would using 5w-20 synthetic be any problem except in the case of an engine warranty claim? And if you can top off with 5w-30 or 5w-40, why would 5w-20 synthetic be unacceptable?


Congrats on the new Outback! I am waiting on delivery of my Premium in Wilderness Green, should be @ dealership the 15th or so.

While I don't have a stash, I do have some 5w20 that I expect to use for top offs. Outer Banks, especially in summer, probably won't see any difference in viscosity between the two so I would not be afraid to use it. But then again if it didn't concern you you wouldn't have posted...so even though it's a bit of a hassle, doing an exchange makes good sense.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
Thank you for all of the replies. 0w-20 it will be. But I know I'll get the itch to use my old 5w-20 synthetic in the summer.


Are you planning on running the full interval? If Subaru recommends 10K miles on 0w-20 and you only feel like 5K intervals just do the 5w-20 synthetic every other oil change and only document the 0w-20 oil changes.

You're far enough south that 0w-20 won't be of much benefit (if any) over a 5w-20, especially synthetic, in the winter.
 
Having lived in Syracuse for four years, I know about that weather.

For 2015 Outbacks the OCI is 6,000 miles or 6 months even with full synthetic. I will stick to that schedule, but my annual mileage will be about 10K, meaning 5K intervals at 6 months.
 
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