What to run in new 2.5 Subaru Boxer?

[mount]

Lease just ended on the MKZ, so my parents bought a new 2012 Subaru Legacy 2.5i.

I can see us driving this thing till the wheels fall off, so I'd like to condition it to something good for the long run.
I found plenty of UOAs and threads about boosted 2.5's, but I was wondering if the NA Boxers don't thrive on quite the same needs?

The manual specs a synthetic 5w30 (I wish the motor was the new 2.5 in the Forester, (specs to 0W-20, and a timing chain instead of belt) right up my alley),

I don't mind conventional for our other vehicles in the summer, but the winters are brutal, so for this I'd like to stick to a 0W, Group III-IV year round.

It's all highway driving.
25 miles to work for my mom.
15k-20k a year, we'll see.

It'd be nice to get where I change it once in the spring after it warms up, and once in the fall (every 6 months) and not worry so much about mileage. I don't mind spending a little more on this car, so i was thinking maybe...

0W-30 Amsoil XL
or even
0W-30 Amsoil Signature Series
maybe
0W-30 Redline (feel the SSO Amsoil would last better, for the same price)

fyi I don't mind changing the oil too soon, (I still only go 3,500 on conventionals )

but what do the boxers wear nicely on? I see the turbo guys mention a few oils, but this car by no means is going to get hot or pushed.

 

[Eddie]

I ran PP 5w30 in my 2005 Forester using 6,000 OCI and OEM or PureOne oil filters. UOAs were outstanding and suggested I go ut to8K miles. This car started very well in IL winters at temps of minus 15 F. Car is still being driven by a neighbor and it has 176,000 miles on it without any major issues. TB changes by me at ~ 100,000mi.

 

[tig1]

All of the choices you mentioned are excellant oils. However I see you are already using M1 0-20 is some of your engines. If you are looking for a 0 wt oil and a 30wt, I would step up to M1 0-30. This oil will give your engine as long a life as the others you mentioned with good cold temp starts, and it's easy to find. Also I would forget the summer use of conventional oil as your engine builder already calls for 30wt synthetic. Remember synthetic oil will give you better protection in the higher temps of summer.
Also M1 5-30 is an excellant choice for a turbo if your engine has one. It's one of the few oils that carry the Honda HTO-6 turbo high temp low deposit spec.

 

[bluesubie]

The NA engines show good results on basically anything. There was a uoa in the uoa forum a while back with a good 8k run on Mobil conventional and a recent one with a 10k run on Red Line.

And don't be in a rush to switch out the moly/zinc loaded factory fill.

-Dennis

 

[LargeCarManX2]

I read that you have your mind already made up. And your choice will work wonderfully.

Every six months change the oil and filter Spring and Fall with Amsoil 0w30.....great decision!

 

[bmwtechguy]

the Amsoil 0w30 XL you mentioned does not exist. I was looking at their website and found that out. Local Wal-mart here had Pennzoil Ultra 5w30 5 quart for $22 and Mobil 1 0w30 or 5w30 for $23 in a 5 quart. The M1 Extended Life 5w30 was like $28. All good choices. Pennzoil Platinum syn was only $18.75, another good one. I would save my money and run one of these. For these prices you could change your oil twice as often for less money than Amsoil or Redline, and with quality oils too.

 

[Pablo]

Use Amsoil OE 5w30 for the first change or three (can be had for $4.44/qt).

Amsoil OE 5w30 - Code OEF

Then switch to the 5w30 XL ($5.56/qt):

Amsoil XL 5w30 - Code XLF

Both are approved oils. The XL has a stronger additive package, but they both use the same base oil blend.

 

[sopususer]

My wife has a 2010 Legacy 2.5 Premium with the NA boxer engine. (our fifth Subaru) It has around 30K currently. In its short life it has had PP, PU and now QSUD all in 5w30 flavor. Not sure with newer models, but on the 10 model the 5w30 is the recommended viscosity. Although the chance of a Subie engine failure with anything short of Wesson oil is remote, I've stayed with the recommendation for warranty. The car is garage kept, so very cold starts are at a minimum, but feel like all I have used would perform well.

If you want major miles on a Subaru, make sure you keep the cooling system in A+ condition, as head gasket leaks have been common in previous years. I'm hoping they finally have this problem solved, but doing the coolant service has historically been a must. Otherwise, my experience with Subaru has been MANY miles of trouble free motoring. Good luck.

 

[fdcg27]

Does Subaru still require 7.5K changes?
If so, I'd stick with that while still under warranty.
That said, you could use any thirty grade oil.
If you want to use M1 0W-30, you could, although some 5w30s are actually thinner at typical winter morning temperatures.
I've run GC in our 2.5i Forester over the past three winters, and its on Synpower 5w30 for this one.
It gets nothing like as cold here as it does where you are, though.
On a -14F Saturday morning last February (the coldest of the year), the Forester was on GC, the newer Accord was on M1 0W-30, while the Impreza and the older Accord were both on PP 5w30.
I couldn't really see any difference between the cars in how easily or quietly any of them started.
The twice a year 12K change idea is a good one for a car used the way you've said this one will be, but it is so easy to change the oil on these cars that more frequent changes are not any hardship.
You don't need to lift the car at all, and the oil filter is right there at the front on the passenger side.
With our Forester, there is a tangle of exhaust pipes to reach through to get to the filter, and I'd assume that this Legacy installation will be the same.
You'll need either a cap type or finger type wrench to get the filter off easily.
There is barely enough room that you might be able to grip it without any tool, but it would be hard to avoid burns from the hot exhaust pipes.

 

[Hollow]

Pennzoil 5w30 every 7.5k miles per warranty requirements.

 

[mount]

I like GC, I used to run it in my Passat, but it's a heavier 30 grade.

I think I'll just run Mobil 0w30 every >5k miles. Its $5 a quart on sale, and if you can't tell, I'm one of those guys who likes to change oil. Next change i'll start Mobil 0W-40 in the Passat, and I can make a massive stockpile of Mobil 1 in the basement, and can quit wasting time obsessing over oil when I should be studying!

I guess I need to stock up on filters too, so what should I get? I'm not going OEM, because those Blue Honeywell filters are nothing more than a Fram. (shudders)

I was thinking either a

WIX 51365

or what's that purolator thats popular on here, a PureOne? if so what s the pt. # for my application? I can probably get a nice case of these for cheap. EDIT: I found it in the guy above me's sig: PL14460 then?

I see the American Manns are on sale at Rock Auto (Mann ML1014), but how does a rebadged Purolator Classic stack up?

Motorcraft FL816 - I like the price, and the construction.

How much stake do people put in Bypass pressure specs?


Originally Posted By: sopususer
If you want major miles on a Subaru, make sure you keep the cooling system in A+ condition, as head gasket leaks have been common in previous years. I'm hoping they finally have this problem solved, but doing the coolant service has historically been a must. Otherwise, my experience with Subaru has been MANY miles of trouble free motoring. Good luck.

Is Subaru's OEM coolant expensive? Or in say three years, do a full flush and run something inexpensive like peak, changing every 3 years?

Also, whats the consensus on here about changing your brake fluid? I do it every 2-3 years on the Passat.

 

[rrounds]

The 51365 oil filter is a very small filter, that's the same filter that came on my 1100cc motorcycle. I moved up to a larger oil filter, I use a Wix 51347 filter on my bike and my '09 Honda(which also took the small 51365 filter from the factory. The Wix 51347 oil filter is taller and a little bit wider than the stock filter.
http://www.wixfilters.com/filterlookup/PartDetail.asp?Part=51347
Both have a micron rating of 21, so if the larger filter will fit I would use it before I put such a small filter on my car or bike.

ROD

 

[steve20]

"""I'm not going OEM, because those Blue Honeywell filters are nothing more than a Fram. (shudders)"""

newbie !!!

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: mount
................Is Subaru's OEM coolant expensive? Or in say three years, do a full flush and run something inexpensive like peak, changing every 3 years?..........


What is your definition of expensive?

3 years is way too early to change the coolant. The change interval is 11 years/137,500 miles on the factory fill, and 6 years/75,000 miles on the second fill.

 

[mount]

Originally Posted By: SubLGT

What is your definition of expensive?


It sounds like you can get a gallon of the Super Blue for around $20, but it only comes premixed. Then their additive is another $5-10. So this might get a little spendy. Some people run Peak Global which would still be about $10. The G12 for Volkswagens is around $30 a gallon concentrated, but my car needs more than a gallon for a change.

With the problems you hear with the head gaskets on these, $50 every 30k miles, is probably the tipping point where it might start to become not worth it to change the fluid. Every 60k ~(4yrs. or so) I's probably do it.

 

[jddssc121]

I don't think GC meets the SM requirement does it (for warranty purpose)?

(at work, can't look right now)

 

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted By: steve20
"""I'm not going OEM, because those Blue Honeywell filters are nothing more than a Fram. (shudders)"""

newbie !!!


+1 and there's no data to suggest any problems with the OEM Honeywell. I actually run them on three Subaru's, including some 7,500+ mile OCI's in my turbo.

-Dennis

 

[jddssc121]

Originally Posted By: bluesubie
Originally Posted By: steve20
"""I'm not going OEM, because those Blue Honeywell filters are nothing more than a Fram. (shudders)"""

newbie !!!


+1 and there's no data to suggest any problems with the OEM Honeywell. I actually run them on three Subaru's, including some 7,500+ mile OCI's in my turbo.

-Dennis


I run them as well. I have yet to find another filter that has the correct bypass valve PSI

 

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted By: jddssc121
I don't think GC meets the SM requirement does it (for warranty purpose)?

(at work, can't look right now)

It's SL, but I wouldn't have a problem running it in a new Subaru, especially when SoA is all over the place with their oil requirements and say something different every time they comment on oil.

The 2012 Forester says that 0W-20 synthetic is required for optimum engine performance, not "0W-20 is required". I got an email newsletter from SoA on Friday that stated the new 2012 Impreza specs 0w30 conventional. I'll hold my breath until someone finds some.

-Dennis

 

[mount]

Alright, the blue OEMs are probably fine. Its just a pet peeve of mine when the media doesn't have metal end-caps.

Originally Posted By: bluesubie
The 2012 Forester says that 0W-20 synthetic is required for optimum engine performance, not "0W-20 is required". I got an email newsletter from SoA on Friday that stated the new 2012 Impreza specs 0w30 conventional. I'll hold my breath until someone finds some.

I wonder if they actually changed any of the internals on this engine, or why they decided to spec 0W-20. If they're essentially the same 2.5 Boxer, I wish they'd back-spec the last few years as well. If given a choice, I'd rather run 20-grade in an engine that was speced for both.