2017 WRX STi - Motul X-Clean 5w30

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Coogles

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3rd run on Motul X-Clean 5w30, I'm using a 5w30 in an attempt to keep Subaru happy under warranty. Break-in oil was changed out at 1k miles, with subsequent changes at 3k, 6k, then again at 9k. Car is (and will remain) bone stock aside from having the noise pipe removed.

With only a 2.8 TBN remaining I'm not sure I buy this oil being good for 6k miles, though.

 
Just curious, why this particular Motul oil? Why not an A3/B4 oil instead (honest question, know nothing about your car oil requirements, just that here we are mostly using this X-clean oil in DPF fitted small diesels that calls for ACEA C2/C3) ?
I don't know if Motul has an A3/B4 5W30 oil though. There's the 300V.. and the million of "Motul specific" oils. Have to look at their catalog!

TBN looks fairly low after 3000 miles...probably means that the oil did its job and neutralized what had to be. Is copper coming from an oil cooler?
 
I chose this oil because it has one of the higher HTHS specs (3.6) of any 5w30 I found with an API seal (even though it's not the newest SN spec the manual calls for). More than anything else I'm concerned about keeping those bearings happy, so I'm willing to go with a shorter interval to use an oil that won't get too thin if need be. Most everyone recommends a 5w40 in the EJ, and this is about as close as I can get while staying with the grade the manual calls for.

Copper should be from the factory oil cooler.
 
Probably still breaking in to some extent. Going to an HTHS 3.6 oil is on the heavy side. With an oil cooler I don't see how that's necessary. I'd probably go with Ravenol DXG 5w30 or Mobil1 Annual Protection 5w30 in that new engine, HTHS around 3.0 for those. You don't have fuel dilution issues, so Subaru spec oil is fine here.
 
Originally Posted By: Coogles
I chose this oil because it has one of the higher HTHS specs (3.6) of any 5w30 I found with an API seal (even though it's not the newest SN spec the manual calls for).

There are other options with the elevated HTHS, including various A3/B4 lubes readily available at a decent price. If you look in my signature, you'll find a product the has the elevated HTHS, reduced phosphorus, 5w-30, and an SN in the API Donut. Mobil and Chevron also have comparable products. Castrol does, but it lacks the SN for some peculiar reason.
 
This interval will be my last with the Motul, that was my final jug of it. The T6 multi-vehicle 5w30 will likely be what I go with next at 12k miles. Still hoping to see the copper come down on the next run, but if not, at least it's a lease and I can hand back the keys before the warranty expires.
 
I think someone at the Subaru factory puts a little copper anode in every engine to give people who do UOAs a headache.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Coogles
I'm using a 5w30 in an attempt to keep Subaru happy under warranty.
Except all the oils you choose don't meet warranty requirements. According to the Owner's Manual, which apparently nobody reads, you need a 5w-30 full-synthetic that is SN-RC and/or GF-5. Whether Subaru will enforce that is up in the air, since I've heard stories that go both ways. Some say they don't care as long as the oil "looks OK on the dipstick", and some say they will demand the correct Owner's Manual spec be used exactly. Your risk.


I don't think using Motul or Rotella T6, as you're planning, will do anything to damage your engine. I'm siding with Subaru engineers who put an oil cooler in there and just use the best SN-RC GF-5 oil I can find, not a high HTHS oil for no apparent reason.
 
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Originally Posted By: Coogles
I'm using a 5w30 in an attempt to keep Subaru happy under warranty.
Except all the oils you choose don't meet warranty requirements. According to the Owner's Manual, which apparently nobody reads, you need a 5w-30 full-synthetic that is SN-RC and/or GF-5. Whether Subaru will enforce that is up in the air, since I've heard stories that go both ways. Some say they don't care as long as the oil "looks OK on the dipstick", and some say they will demand the correct Owner's Manual spec be used exactly. Your risk.


I don't think using Motul or Rotella T6, as you're planning, will do anything to damage your engine. I'm siding with Subaru engineers who put an oil cooler in there and just use the best SN-RC GF-5 oil I can find, not a high HTHS oil for no apparent reason.


I read the manual. I've also read dozens of UOAs and a recurring trend seems to be that EJs are not very happy with thinner oils. I asked my service advisor and have it in writing that I'm okay to use a 5w30 of my choosing even if it doesn't meet the exact API SN-RC GF-5 spec in the owners' manual.
 
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I think the dual rated CK-4/SN 5W-30s are a great choice for the fragile EJ engine. They tick all the OM requirements and are a “true” (in my opinion) 30-weight oil.
 
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I don't think it's reasonable to characterize the EJ-series engines as a group as fragile; the NA EJ20 and EJ22 are practically bulletproof, and the NA EJ25 had a series of bad headgasket designs during the first two thirds of its life (prone to failure after 100k miles, give or take) but was otherwise reasonably durable. It's only when you put a turbo on it that it gets a lil' sensitive.
 
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies

I don't think using Motul or Rotella T6, as you're planning, will do anything to damage your engine. I'm siding with Subaru engineers who put an oil cooler in there and just use the best SN-RC GF-5 oil I can find, not a high HTHS oil for no apparent reason.

The recommendation in the owner’s manual is that of Subaru of America and not necessarily the direct recommendation of Subaru engineers. Subaru Japan recommends Euro 0W-30 and 5W-40. Actually the N. American manual does have language that thicker viscosity is required in hot temps.

And OP, not that you’re going to follow Blackstone’s OCI advice, but the max I would run a reduced SAPS oil is 5k miles.

I’ll leave Ed Hackett’s signature here:

Originally Posted By: edhackett

Never attribute to engineers that into which politicians, lawyers, accountants, and marketeers have poked their fingers.


smile.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: Coogles
I'm using a 5w30 in an attempt to keep Subaru happy under warranty.
Originally Posted By: Coogles
I asked my service advisor and have it in writing that I'm okay to use a 5w30 of my choosing
You're confusing Subaru engineers with a dealership Service Advisor. Keep your Advisor "happy", yet its Subaru who pays warranty claims.

You're drawing the wrong conclusions from UOA's. Again, just read the Owner's Manual. It's really not that hard, for some at least.
 
Just to add to the confusion, look at the 5w-40 bit. Now, it's great to say follow the manual to the letter, but that gets problematic when it's impossible to follow the manual to the letter. 5w-40 is an acceptable viscosity, according to the page snippet posted. Now, they talk about SN/GF-5 service category. How are we supposed to find GF-5 in a 5w-40? That's become impossible since SAE J300 was revised years back.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Just to add to the confusion, look at the 5w-40 bit. Now, it's great to say follow the manual to the letter, but that gets problematic when it's impossible to follow the manual to the letter. 5w-40 is an acceptable viscosity, according to the page snippet posted. Now, they talk about SN/GF-5 service category. How are we supposed to find GF-5 in a 5w-40? That's become impossible since SAE J300 was revised years back.


But I thought the engineers were infallible? How can that be true?
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
5w-40 is an acceptable viscosity, according to the page snippet posted.
They say 5w40 is make-up oil only. Its the words right above the temperature chart. I agree the language is sloppy. Clear though. Subaru warranty people could possibly deny warranty coverage if someone didn't follow the instructions. Would they? People have had strict and non-strict experiences.

I guess Coogles can pinky-swear with salespeople at the dealership, or make secret deals with service advisors, but dealers aren't Subaru.
 
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
They say 5w40 is make-up oil only. Its the words right above the temperature chart. I agree the language is sloppy. Clear though. Subaru warranty people could possibly deny warranty coverage if someone didn't follow the instructions. Would they? People have had strict and non-strict experiences.

I'd like to see what Subaru had in mind when they mentioned 5w-40 conventional, too. To put it bluntly, whoever signed off on that manual page really needs to find another line of work.

It's pretty sad, but that page wouldn't even get past us dilettantes here if we were asked to approve a manual page. That goes for several OEMs, though, too.
 
Originally Posted By: Coogles
But I thought the engineers were infallible? How can that be true?

The editors clearly are not. Maybe the SN/GF-5 5w-40 is the one that comes in conventional.
whistle.gif


Heck, Petro-Canada pointed out years back in their lubricant guide that a 40 grade ILSAC isn't going to happen. What a mess of a page.
 
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