ATF - Subaru Impreza 2.5i

[pickler]

Just got a 2009 impreza 2.5i - 35k miles

had it photoshoped for nasioc lol

anyway, i noticed rough shifting and checked the ATF. it was brown! however i read somewhere that subaru changed their atf colour from pink to brown. the dealer did promise to change my fluid before delivery but im not trusting them. i was wondering if i could switch to synthetic oil for better shifting and fuel economy (reduced friction). what about the differential? this is my first 4WD car and im unfamiliar with these fluids. thanks in advance.

i have this ATF in mind:
http://lubricants.petro-canada.ca/en/products/612.aspx

 

[gathermewool]

I'd stick with ATF-HP, though I haven't done the research recently to justify that position.

 

[Rand]

AT's need friction to operate.
you could change your front and rear diff's to syn though

75w90 GL-5

on AT's the front and rear diff's are separate

with a MT the front is combined with the transmission.

 

[ethangsmith]

I work in parts at a Subaru dealership. I can tell you that ATF-HP fluid turns a brownish color as it is exposed to air and heat over time. We've even had leaky bottles of ATF-HP show up and they are all brown. It is recommended to at least do a pan drain and fill every 30,000 miles. It will take just over 4 quarts of ATF-HP (SOA868V9241, quart) and a new crush washer on the drain pan plug (11126AA000). As far as we are aware, there are no aftermarket equivalents to ATF-HP. I'm sure there are some that would work, but I don't know what it would do in the long-term and I don't know which ones would work at all. As for your differential fluid, it is 80W90 gear oil. Nothing special. Synthetics are just fine if you'd like to use them. The front differential uses a drain plug gasket. I think the part number is 803926090.

 

[pickler]

thanks for the response. i will stick with oem fluid then. so does this mean my ATF is not recently changed since its dark brown? because dealership insists they changed it.

 

[ethangsmith]

I would say that is probably the case. It sounds like it's been in there since the car was made.

 

[Rand]

some dealers have no shame.

They "changed" the air filter on my grandma's 2001 taurus 3x...

except the filter box was rusted together and the original filter was in there for about 5 years.

Oh and the time the dealer changed my oil.. but it was still dirty and somehow they magically started stocking the off brand filter I had on there(complete with X mark too)


different dealer tried to tell my grandma her engine needed all new gaskets 1200$ or it was going to blow up..

that was 5 years and 60k miles ago.


I'd ask them if you changed it why did you put in used dirty fluid?

 

[ethangsmith]

Sounds like that was a Ford dealer. This is a Subaru dealer. Leave the "stealership" stories for another thread please. There ARE some dealerships that actually love their customers and care about their work.