2014 WRX Oil

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So I am about to get my car back this week after a spun bearing at 22000 miles. The dealership and SOA deemed, after 4 months of delegation, that the cause was oil starvation. I disagree. But they are fixing it at no cost to me. The tech told me that Mobil 1 was bad for this specific car. Said the molecules were too small. What oil should I be using? Some have said that Rotella is a good choice despite it's "cheapness." I am just wondering if I need to change the oil I use? This is my dream car and I want to know what I can do to keep it running.
 
The tech has no idea what he's talking about. It amazes me how many mechanics are so ignorant to things like this.

Use whatever weight and specs your owners manual calls for. If Mobil 1 meets the specs then run it.
 
Well, you clearly need to find some oil with larger molecules! Lol, JK. Did they actually put in writing that Mobil 1 is bad for the car? Mobil 1 is as good as or better than anything else IMO. Subaru seems to have a lot of engine issues these days, mostly on the oil consumption side. If you had the car full of oil, in the correct grade, and you weren't doing some sort of race track driving, then i think it was just a defective engine.
 
Thats pretty funny. Not about your car, but about the molecules being too small for your WRX.
 
Originally Posted By: bananaman82
The tech told me that Mobil 1 was bad for this specific car.

Then why didn't they go after XOM for the bill?

Maybe a thicker oil could be of benefit. But, we have to know what your manual will allow for viscosities and specifications. Rotella might work just fine, and is a fine lubricant, but if the vehicle's manual doesn't allow for an SM 5w-40, then you have to keep that in mind for future warranty claims. It won't "void your warranty" as some might claim, but it certainly won't help your case, either.

Molecules too small indeed....
 
Did they require proof of every oil / filter change, receipts etc on products used?

Everyone's fear here on do it yourself during warranty!
 
LMAO...

Did you ask him what size molecules were spec'd for your engine. God forbid you choose an oil with molecules too large for your engine this time around... lol. Beginning to sound like you need some of that Goldilocks Full Synthetic oil!!
 
OP,

You say you disagree with the 'oil starvation' diagnosis. What do you think it was?

The molecule statement is complete nonsense, don't listen to that garbage. If i were you, RT6, or either Mobil1 and Castrol Edge in 0W-40 would be my choice. (If no concern for warranty issues)

If the warranty is of concern, I'd make sure to change my oil at the severe service interval and use any major brand with the required specs. Mobil1, Pennzoil Platinum (Ultra), Valvoline Synpower, Castrol Edge etc.
 
Mobil 1 is a little self-conscious of its small molecules. Don't mention that out loud in front of a bottle.
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Beyond funny. You should ask that tech if 0.5 nanometers is too big or too small, just to see the look on his face.

Anyway, choose motor oil by specs and viscosity. Subaru says to run a full-synthetic 5w-30 or 0w-30, certified API and SN, GF-5, thats all you need to know. Any brand thats certified will be fine, as every major company I've seen is responsible enough to blend correctly to meet or exceed the specs.

I'll say if you run the car at the track regularly, a euro-spec 0w-40 or Rotella T6 would be extra protection for that hard use. Normal driving a full-syn 5w-30 or 0w-30 is perfect.
 
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The manual just calls for full synthetic 5-W30. I have been using that. I just dont understand what caused the "oilstarvation" how can I prevent this?
 
Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
LMAO...

Did you ask him what size molecules were spec'd for your engine. God forbid you choose an oil with molecules too large for your engine this time around... lol. Beginning to sound like you need some of that Goldilocks Full Synthetic oil!!


HAHAHAHAHA
 
Originally Posted By: bananaman82
The manual just calls for full synthetic 5-W30. I have been using that. I just dont understand what caused the "oilstarvation" how can I prevent this?


You can't. If you're using a Subaru oil filter they should be OK for normal usage. I'd personally go to a Fram Ultra oil filter but its not absolutely necessary. Its beyond your control how the engine responds to pumping oil. Assuming you didn't run it a couple of quarts or more low on oil, its not under your control at all.

Does it have a low oil level warning dashboard light? ( Not the oil pressure light. When the oil pressure light comes on, oil starvation is happening in right now, and the car should be pulled over and turned off immediately. Should be rare. ) The oil level warning is something I thought Subarus have these days, not sure.
 
Originally Posted By: bananaman82
The manual just calls for full synthetic 5-W30. I have been using that. I just dont understand what caused the "oilstarvation" how can I prevent this?

It depends how the starvation happend. When Subaru first went with the turbo 2.5's, they had banjo bolt screens that were notorious for clogging and causing oil starvation to the turbo.
In late model EJ's such as yours (without the banjo bolt screens), it's more common to see bearing failure from a variety of conditions (oil level being run too low, oil too thin for the application, etc.), but I don't know if that would be considered "oil starvation".
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You need to find out exactly what kind of warranty you have now and what oil you are allowed to run. In all likelihood, for repairs made under SoA's "goodwill" you are only covered under a Powertrain Warranty for this particular problem for one year or 12k miles.

The EJ's do not like to be run low on oil and some of them do not like to be run on Resource Conserving GF5 oil, regardless of the brand. If you want to follow what many enthusiasts run, go with the something from the Holy Trinity (Mobil 1 0W40, Rotella T6 5W40, or Euro Castrol 0W30/0W40).

If you're concerned about running specifically what's in the manual, go with any GF5 5W30. I would change these at 3,000 miles maximum though and check your oil weekly. If you are modified at all (even a Stage I reflash), I definitely would not run a GF5 oil and would switch to a Holy Trinity oil after your 12 month/12k mile warranty is up (if that's what you have).

Many enthusiasts that want to run a "5W-30" while under warranty are also running Euro oils like Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 or Motul X-clean 5W-30. Some dealerships actually offer Motul X-clean is their premium oil, although it is technically not a GF5 oil.

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Cracked oil pick up tubes have been known to happen too. Not sure if that has all be fixed with the newer models. It seems cars with heavy mods to both engine and suspension were seeing those. Also full group N engine /trans mounts probably contribute.
 
Originally Posted By: lubricatosaurus
You can't. If you're using a Subaru oil filter they should be OK for normal usage. I'd personally go to a Fram Ultra oil filter but its not absolutely necessary. Its beyond your control how the engine responds to pumping oil. Assuming you didn't run it a couple of quarts or more low on oil, its not under your control at all.

Does it have a low oil level warning dashboard light? ( Not the oil pressure light. When the oil pressure light comes on, oil starvation is happening in right now, and the car should be pulled over and turned off immediately. Should be rare. ) The oil level warning is something I thought Subarus have these days, not sure.


Many people don't really care, but Subaru oil filters have unusually high bypass pressures and there do not seem to be many third party filters that are similar in that respect. Probably a bit of a stretch to assume that a warranty claim could be denied due to low filter bypass pressure...but I still hunted down a Wix I was more comfortable with.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
The tech has no idea what he's talking about. It amazes me how many mechanics are so ignorant to things like this.

Use whatever weight and specs your owners manual calls for. If Mobil 1 meets the specs then run it.


+1....Mobil 1 is an excellent top-tier oil.
 
I like Castrol Edge 0w-40 for turbo vehicles as you can see in my signature. M1 0w-40 is also a really good choice.

And the per quart price is comparable or better than Rotella T6 (which is also really good).

The molecule size is sufficient on all three...
 
I'm considering a 2015 CPO WRX STI; does it require the same size oil molecules as a 2014 WRX?

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