New 2018 Subaru Forester Touring 2.5l

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I'll be buying a 2018 Subaru Forester Touring with the 2.5l NA motor.I do mostly highway milage and I plan on break-in in the motor by what the owners manual states.My question is would it pay to leave the factory fill in for the entire oil change interval(6K) or cut that in half and replace at 3K with Castrol Edge 0w20 with Subaru oil filters?Thanks Joe
 
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With mostly hiwy miles, you may want to keep the FF oil in for most of the duration. If you did more stop & go driving then, you might consider going less miles. Others will chime in with their recommendations. However, you can't go wrong with the owner's manual recommendation.
 
I drained the FF from our '17 Forester at 5830 miles.
The recommended OCI is only 6K anyway.
If it makes you feel better, drain the FF early. I did this with our '09 and now realize that this was probably not needed.
 
Ya see, a lot of folks don't realize that engines are really cleaned from the factory today, way better(in the last 20-30 yrs or so) that, we don't need to change the oil & filter at that ol'school thinking of 500-1000 miles as was once branded into our brains.

The manufactures want their break-in oil in the engine longer. Others may be able to explain as to why. My BIL explained it to me in the way I understood it but, I can't duplicate it here in writing. It has not only to do with the ring seating but, the cross hatches in the cylinder walls. And longer(within reason) is better for this.

^^^IDK if I said that right!

CB
 
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I kept the oil in for the full duration on the factory fill and now my engine has 150,000 miles and does not use oil.
smile.gif
 
I changed my factory fill at 500 miles now at 170,000 miles it does not use oil
 
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you shoild wait. The new 2019 Forester is about to be announced in 2 weeks.

If anything this may get you a better deal on the 2018.
Or you may want the new 2019 which is expected to be for sale by oct/nov
 
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Reminds me of the old debate. Should you buy a vehicle that hopefully got the bugs out during the years of production, or should you get one that is newly revised, especially if the engine is revised. Also, during a major change like the 2019 change coming up, they might blow 2018's out the door in early 2019.

Anyway, to the OP. Buy your car and enjoy it. Summer is coming. "You only have so many summers".
 
I am in the change it early camp. The 1000 mile mark is a good point. If you want to keep the high Moly oil in place it is available on line.
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Reminds me of the old debate. Should you buy a vehicle that hopefully got the bugs out during the years of production, or should you get one that is newly revised, especially if the engine is revised. Also, during a major change like the 2019 change coming up, they might blow 2018's out the door in early 2019.

Anyway, to the OP. Buy your car and enjoy it. Summer is coming. "You only have so many summers".


I think it's a matter of whether you intend to keep the vehicle for a long time or not. If you are keeping then I think getting a model that has been in production and went through it's "teething pains" is most likely better. If you're a short term owner then it doesn't matter except for "new model" repair inconveniences you might experience.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Ya see, a lot of folks don't realize that engines are really cleaned from the factory today, way better(in the last 20-30 yrs or so) that, we don't need to change the oil & filter at that ol'school thinking of 500-1000 miles as was once branded into our brains.

The manufactures want their break-in oil in the engine longer. Others may be able to explain as to why. My BIL explained it to me in the way I understood it but, I can't duplicate it here in writing. It has not only to do with the ring seating but, the cross hatches in the cylinder walls. And longer(within reason) is better for this.

^^^IDK if I said that right!

CB


What proof do you have that factory fill is something other than bulk synthetic 0W20?
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
With mostly hiwy miles, you may want to keep the FF oil in for most of the duration. If you did more stop & go driving then, you might consider going less miles. Others will chime in with their recommendations. However, you can't go wrong with the owner's manual recommendation.


+1. My greater concern than FF OCI is the potential for long durations at the same speed/load/RPM during the first 500-1000 miles, due to highway cruising.
 
I've had three brand-new Subarus since 2012 and I let each of them run within minus 1K miles of the 7500 or 6000mi limit. IIRC, I've opened up the oil filters on all of them and did find very minute amounts of sealant and a few very small metallic flakes buried in the pleats. Amounts that you really had to hunt for.
 
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