2005 Subaru 2.5L turbo, German Castrol, poor UOA!

[wujek]

Hello BITOGers. I've been lurker here, but now I got my second UOA form Blackstone and I am worried. German Castrol 0W30, ~5k miles. Previous UOA on Exxon dino 10W40.

Mixed driving, 60% highway, 40% commute 12 miles one way. Car always warmed up properly - under 3k rpm until oil temperature reaches 80-85 C.

I don't understand the high silicone content - I replaced air filter at the time oil was changed. Checked the filter and it's clean and installation appears fine (properly sealed intake tube to the filter box).

I took the sample while changing oil and perhaps I did not warm up it enough. Just to reach the working oil temperature.

Also I mistake I made was to not clean fumoto valve before dumping oil. However I didn't take the sample immediately, I let a quart or so to drain first.

I need to resample. Should I use a pump like the one blackstone sells, or it's okay to drain some oil (when hot) via fumoto? I guess the pump is a safer bet.

I'd appreciate your help!
[image]http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s108/wujek1976/[/image]

 

[wujek]

 

[Pablo]

First all - relax - it's simply not that bad. I mean no one wants 15ppm Fe in 5K but your engine will not suddenly self destruct. It's apparent that dirt is getting into your top end (Ni and Cr). So check your entire top end – past the air filter to intake valves. The huge fuel probably didn’t help – because your solids are a might elevated.

 

[ATS-V]

Looks like a leak past the air filter or possibly just due to fuel dilution. I most likely think air intake leak.

 

[Pablo]

Also check on the high Na. Is that salted roads???

 

[TeeDub]

This is an almost new engine and it should NOT have any serious air leaks, per se. However a turbocharged engine has a higher intake velocity if you run it at full throttle and is more prone to pulling dirt past and around the lip of the air filter. I'd consider using some grease on the filter gasket and see if you can't improve the lip seal of the air filter. Some of this silicon is likely to be contamination from your sampling technique. However the upper engine metals are a bit elevated, so I'd say it's a little of both.

Bearing wear is also high due to the # of fuel dilution you are seeing and the corrosive effect this has on the softer bearing alloys. It may make sense to use a thicker, 5w-40 or 10w-40 synthetic in order to mitigate this problem.

TD

 

[bluesubie]

My Si has never been below 13 running OEM or Amsoil foam air filters. My OCI's have always been 6 - 7.5k miles.

As already mentioned, it could be the airbox seal. That's also quite a bit of make-up oil using GC. I've run it to 7,500 miles in summer temps of 100F with no make-up oil.

Any mods?

-Dennis

 

[Triple_Se7en]

How long were you idling this vehicle?

Try an upper level oil filter too...ie... Amsoil, Mobil-1 or K&N.

 

[TeeDub]

Amsoil now makes a nanofiber media, EAA air filter for the WRX and the STI, ie the "EAA-74". However they do not yet make one for this engine or the N/A, 2.5L motor in my Outback...

TD

 

[Titan]

I wouldn't call this a poor UOA. Not stellar for a Subaru, but, some cars would be doing great to get these results.

 

[wujek]

Thanks for replies everyone.

1. I never idle the car needlessly. 10-30 seconds and I take off (slowly and drive it gently until it warms up).

2. No mods.

3. The car seemed to burn oil since new - around 1 qt 3000-4000 miles. That was on 5w30 dino I initially run (unfortunatelly no uoas for two first oil changes).

 

[Triple_Se7en]

If you are not idling, you have a fuel leak.

Better keep an eye on that! Sometimes they won't worsen - but a change to more frequent dino OCIs may be the best answer - outside of a gasket replacement.

Best resort is to save this report - do another at 5K - then if the fuel issue isn't improved, show the paper UOAs - plus a sample - to the dealer for warranty service.

That gives them an option to conduct their own UOA.

 

[wujek]

Dang. Actually I suspected something is off with my car due to somewhat increased gas consumption, few mpg less than other owners report for this car. Even when I babied it, I could not get very good gas mileage numbers. Probably like 22mpg highway at 75-79mph.

Would you think it's related? Head gasket? How the fuel can leak? Piston rings and/or bad injectors?

Car drives perfectly fine. And no modifications to the engine whatsoever.

It's 2005 Subaru Legacy GT.


I am again on the GC, I want to resample in 1000 miles and then go to a dino.

 

[wujek]

Btw, I took the car to a dealer, actually two at about 10k miles, about the gas consumption issue, and both said it's fine (which didn't suprised me).

 

[wujek]

Here is the link to previous UOA. There were also traces of fuel:

 

[wujek]

Quote:

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Also check on the high Na. Is that salted roads???

---

Not much salt, few days. The winter has been very mild here.

 

[ekpolk]

Please, don't make us speculate about your location. Multiple climate factors may bear upon your results. The "personal information" you add here is pretty general. Don't worry, legions of oil salesmen will not show up on your doorstep.

I would take your UOA results to the dealership and push them about it. They're probably not used to seeing these, but press on anyway. They would not ignore dripping fuel as evidence of an overt fuel leak. Similarly, they should not ignore this report. They may have to refer it up their chain-of-command, but keep going until someone fixes this for you. If this is a growing problem, it may not be long before even the legendary GC will fail to stay in grade.

Good luck with it.

 

[wujek]

I am in Delaware.

Yeah, I'll take the UOA to a dealer.

As far as GC is concerned, I guess I need to pretend the oil is an "5W30".... Officially 0W30 is not on Subaru "recommended" viscosity list. I hate lying, but heard some horror stories of Subaru dening warranty for silly issues, so I don't want to give them any excuse. Obviously "0W" viscosity cannot be responsible for the leak. Besides, GC 0W30 has proven record in Subaru engines.

I chose GC given it's low cold viscosity for winter, and then nearly-40 weight viscosity, since it's turbo I've read it's good to go bit heavier in turbos.

 

[wujek]

One more thing I have not mentioned.

I've had coolant very slowly going down. Can't tell for sure how much. Probably 100ml over 3000 miles or so.

Dealer could not find any obvious leak and said "it's normal". I wasn't concerned given no trace of antifreeze in the UOA.

 

[gfcrane]

Buy a new OEM radiator cap, but don't expect dealer to pay for it. My 05 Forester XT had a small coolant leak, dealer couldn't find anything, SOA said 1.7 liters in 18 months was normal. New cap stopped leak instantly.