Used car oil concern

[Hollow]

Just purchased a 2002 Subaru Outback L.L.Bean with the H6 engine. Recommended oil is 5w30.

Dealer changed the oil as part of their prep for sale. Sticker says Motorcraft synlend 5w20. Now, I know this could be a generic print out as many Ford vehicles (Ford and Lincoln dealership)calls for 5w20.

How much should this bug me? For the price of testing the oil, I could do 2 oil changes myself. Dunno if I trust the dealer tech to use the weight on the cap and not the oil from the bulk tanks.

I doubt the 5w20 will hurt anything IF it is what is in the sump, but it is not an acceptable weight per the owner's manual.

Thoughts?

 

[Olas]

The 30 they recommend probably shears to a 20 in service. Starting with a 20 is ok for a short OCI but don't leave it too long lest it shear to a point of being too thin.
If you're really concerned drain and fill with 30.

 

[Kamele0N]

Use it as a engine flush..then switch on 5w40

 

[Eddie]

I would not approve of 5w20 in this vehicle unless the Subaru Manufacture (Not the dealer) put out a statement to that fact. If no statement from the dealer is available then try to get the 5w20 changed out and replaced with the required weight. This [censored] about 5w30 oil is not in the computer is just that-[censored]. More than likely the cheap dealer only wants to carry a 5w20 oil and just uses it in all vehicle that are in for service. Ed

 

[Tdbo]

Drive it 3K, then change to 5W30.

 

[Kuato]

Change right away. I did tons of research on Subaru and the H6 needs the 5w30. Maybe "needs" isn't the right word, but the older Subies prefer thicker oil.

 

[Xrs2zz]

If it was me and that was done to my matrix which calls for 5w30, I'd dump it asap and put correct grade in.

 

[mrsilv04]

I never leave whatever it is, that any dealership puts in a used car, for too long. Who knows *what* they put in.

And with the last one I bought, they supposedly installed all sorts of whatever it is from BG... even more reason to dump it.

 

[CT8]

Change it .

 

[Nick1994]

I'd change it right now.

 

[SOHCman]

Change it, like others said... treat it as if it is just a flush.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: SOHCman
Change it, like others said... treat it as if it is just a flush.


+7

5w30 jugs from WM are $9 bought online.

 

[Hollow]

I've only got 100 miles since purchase right now, probably give it a little bit to see if there is anything to clean up.

Car has a 6 quart sump. I have 5 quarts of Quaker State conventional and 1 quart of Quaker State synthetic left in my stash.

Coincidence? I think not.

That being said, I have no way of knowing if it is 5w20 or 5w30. Dealer says 5w30 and they printed out the wrong label. But...that's exactly what I'd expect them to say.

 

[demarpaint]

+ 8 Change it. I don't buy into 30 grade oil shearing to a 20 grade. That seems to be a rumor that just won't die here. On occasion a 30 grade oil might shear to a 20 grade, but I'd say that is the exception and not the norm. The 30 grade oils that did shear probably had some underlying factor contributing, like maybe fuel dilution?

 

[BrocLuno]

+9, go to 500 miles and change it to what you have on hand

You can prolly leave the filter ...

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Hollow
I've only got 100 miles since purchase right now, probably give it a little bit to see if there is anything to clean up.

Car has a 6 quart sump. I have 5 quarts of Quaker State conventional and 1 quart of Quaker State synthetic left in my stash.

Coincidence? I think not.

That being said, I have no way of knowing if it is 5w20 or 5w30. Dealer says 5w30 and they printed out the wrong label. But...that's exactly what I'd expect them to say.


Dealer did this to me twice with my Forester XT, slip said 0W20 when Subaru recommends 5W30. Both times, after I mentioned it to the "service advisor", I got blank looks followed by assurances that they must have used the right oil. I do my own oil now.

As far as the shearing from 30 down to 20, that is a topic that comes up a lot with Subaru turbos and a bunch of people say they have UOAs to back it up...I doubt this is going to be as much of a concern with the 6 cylinder NA.

 

[Whimsey]

Ford dealers do have 5W-30 oil in stock because many new Ford's require it now. So maybe the service writer just used the wrong code/description. But for cheap peace of mind change it sooner.

Whimsey

 

[2KBMW]

If it bothers you that much, just change it now. Oil is cheap in the
States so don't worry about it.

 

[surfstar]

Its a Subaru - let it burn off a quart, then add 10w60

 

[meborder]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
+ 8 Change it. I don't buy into 30 grade oil shearing to a 20 grade. That seems to be a rumor that just won't die here. On occasion a 30 grade oil might shear to a 20 grade, but I'd say that is the exception and not the norm. The 30 grade oils that did shear probably had some underlying factor contributing, like maybe fuel dilution?


here's one in my expedition:
my 5w30 sheared more in 5,000 summer highway miles than the Napa Syn 5w20 did in 6,000+ of winter idling and towing

Trop Artic 5W-30, 5KOCI, 2006 Expeditition, 125K

Code:


OIL Trop 5w30 NAPA 5w20

Artic Synthetic

SynBlend



MILES IN USE 4,989 6,447

MILES 125,086 114,429

SAMPLE TAKEN 10/23/14 06/01/14





Metals (ppm)

IRON 10 45

CHROMIUM
LEAD
COPPER 1 2

TIN
ALUMINUM 4 22

NICKEL
SILVER
TITANIUM
VANADIUM



Contaminants (ppm)

SILICON 8 10

SODIUM 17 278

POTASSIUM


Additives (ppm)

MAGNESIUM 14 118

CALCIUM 2044 1792

BARIUM
PHOSPHORUS 690 627

ZINC 761 730

MOLYBDENUM 15 6

BORON 70 9



Contaminants

WATER
Coolant No No



Physical Tests

Visc (cSt 100C) 8.9 9.0



TBN (mgKOH/g) 2.6 2.5


now, if I had waited long enough, it would have oxidized back up to the 30 spec.

viscosity is a moving target.

now the napa Syn in the Subaru didn't shear out of grade in 5500 miles:

2002 Subaru Outback H6

Code:


OIL NAPA 5w20

Synthetic





MILES IN USE 5,500

MILES 115,500

SAMPLE TAKEN 6/01/14





Metals (ppm)

IRON 6

CHROMIUM
LEAD
COPPER 1

TIN
ALUMINUM 2

NICKEL
SILVER
TITANIUM
VANADIUM



Contaminants (ppm)

SILICON 4

SODIUM 217

POTASSIUM 6



Additives (ppm)

MAGNESIUM
CALCIUM 1832

BARIUM
PHOSPHORUS 554

ZINC 661

MOLYBDENUM 4

BORON 20



Contaminants

WATER
Coolant No No



Physical Tests

Visc (cSt 100C) 9.5



TBN (mgKOH/g) 2.3



to the question at hand ... I'd probably change it, just for piece of mind. that being said, I doubt any harm will come from leaving it.