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The OP is just messing with us, right?
a different top up oil was used
- Thread starter pickler
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I don't think so. It's a valid question, and you hear people concerned about such things all the time. The concerns are still out there about mixing brands, mixing viscosities, and so forth.
It's an important question for somebody who didn't already know the answer, and now he has his answer, so yay.
I will just add one detail - when topping up oil, always stick with known reputable brand names. Some rinky dink shops like gas stations will sell obscure brands of so-called "top up oil". Never use that stuff, even for a short time, because much of it has been found to be truly horrible/fraudulent. Stick with major brands and you're fine.
I will just add one detail - when topping up oil, always stick with known reputable brand names. Some rinky dink shops like gas stations will sell obscure brands of so-called "top up oil". Never use that stuff, even for a short time, because much of it has been found to be truly horrible/fraudulent. Stick with major brands and you're fine.
Intentionally "creating" a mix, believing that it's offering benefits is misguided, as all lubricants must be miscible, it doesn't mean that things like cold temperature performance (the 0W) part will remain a 0W in the blend.
Being forced to top up with something else isn't harmful per se...but as others have advised, the dipstick doesn't have to read "full" at the end of the OCI.
My Nissan ends up at the add mark at about 7,000km into a 10,000km OCI, so I have to add (this time it was at 5,000km).
Being forced to top up with something else isn't harmful per se...but as others have advised, the dipstick doesn't have to read "full" at the end of the OCI.
My Nissan ends up at the add mark at about 7,000km into a 10,000km OCI, so I have to add (this time it was at 5,000km).
Bingo - this is the perfect example. This is, in my view, why the API has interchange guidelines. One can top up without going on a hunt for the same brand, viscosity, and lot number.
Thanks again for all the responses. The reason I asked was I remember reading somewhere (I believe in my owners manual) not to mix different grade oils which I did here. Also I rathered have oil at full level with wrong mix rather than low level with good mix because these engines suffer from oil starvation easily specially with lower than normal oil level and pressure. And no I don't have a head gasket leak it was a drain gasket leak. Now that I know such small different grade mixes are no issues I will not waste oil and do a early oil change.
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These Subies have a deep and narrow sump, not a wide, shallow one, so I think that you'd have to be somewhere beyond two quarts low for oil starvation to become a possibility.
Most of these engines will have some oil consumption.
For example, our '99 Legacy 2.2 will go through a quart in about 3K while our '09 Forester used 1.5 quarts of GC in nearly 8K.
If the oil were run for a very long time and if the oil were never checked and topped off when the level on the dipstick reached the add line or at all, then I could see the possibility of oil starvation due to very low oil level in the sump.
Rack it into a hard corner and the pickup might then suck air.
Any level between full and add on the dipstick is perfectly safe.
Were this not the case, Subaru would have mentioned that in the OM, or the add line would be at the half quart down level.
Most of these engines will have some oil consumption.
For example, our '99 Legacy 2.2 will go through a quart in about 3K while our '09 Forester used 1.5 quarts of GC in nearly 8K.
If the oil were run for a very long time and if the oil were never checked and topped off when the level on the dipstick reached the add line or at all, then I could see the possibility of oil starvation due to very low oil level in the sump.
Rack it into a hard corner and the pickup might then suck air.
Any level between full and add on the dipstick is perfectly safe.
Were this not the case, Subaru would have mentioned that in the OM, or the add line would be at the half quart down level.
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
These Subies have a deep and narrow sump, not a wide, shallow one, so I think that you'd have to be somewhere beyond two quarts low for oil starvation to become a possibility.
Most of these engines will have some oil consumption.
For example, our '99 Legacy 2.2 will go through a quart in about 3K while our '09 Forester used 1.5 quarts of GC in nearly 8K.
If the oil were run for a very long time and if the oil were never checked and topped off when the level on the dipstick reached the add line or at all, then I could see the possibility of oil starvation due to very low oil level in the sump.
Rack it into a hard corner and the pickup might then suck air.
Any level between full and add on the dipstick is perfectly safe.
Were this not the case, Subaru would have mentioned that in the OM, or the add line would be at the half quart down level.
Subaru's oil starvation occurs mostly during cornering at high RPM. even with good oil level these engines have a tendency to starve the bearings.
These Subies have a deep and narrow sump, not a wide, shallow one, so I think that you'd have to be somewhere beyond two quarts low for oil starvation to become a possibility.
Most of these engines will have some oil consumption.
For example, our '99 Legacy 2.2 will go through a quart in about 3K while our '09 Forester used 1.5 quarts of GC in nearly 8K.
If the oil were run for a very long time and if the oil were never checked and topped off when the level on the dipstick reached the add line or at all, then I could see the possibility of oil starvation due to very low oil level in the sump.
Rack it into a hard corner and the pickup might then suck air.
Any level between full and add on the dipstick is perfectly safe.
Were this not the case, Subaru would have mentioned that in the OM, or the add line would be at the half quart down level.
Subaru's oil starvation occurs mostly during cornering at high RPM. even with good oil level these engines have a tendency to starve the bearings.
You got any links showing examples of where this really happened?
I've never seen it nor heard of it, and I corner all of our cars hard and think nothing of being a quart low at drain time with any car, including the three Subies we've had, two of which we still have.
I've never seen it nor heard of it, and I corner all of our cars hard and think nothing of being a quart low at drain time with any car, including the three Subies we've had, two of which we still have.
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