2011 Subaru STi - need input

[ormandj]

Hi,

I'm looking for input on the oil to use, the filter to use, and the suggestions related to the first change.

The suggested interval (including first change) in the manual is 3750 miles/3.75 months.

From the "What oil should I use" post:

1) 2011 Subaru STi Hatchback
2) Oil grade:

"ILSAC GF-4 or GF-5, which can be identified with the ILSAC Certification Mark (Starburst Mark) or API classification SN or SM with the words "ENERGY CONSERVING""

5W-30 is recommended.

From the graph (estimates, as the graph is not clear):

-30C or lower to 40C or higher, 5W-30, 5W-40
-10C to 40C or higher, 10W-30, 10W-40

Under severe conditions:

API classification SN (or SM):

SAE viscosity No.: 30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50

3) I live in San Antonio, TX USA
4) I am (trying) to drive the car somewhere in the middle, but I will be driving the car hard in general, post break-in (1000 miles).
5) Daily drive is mostly city, from 0-45mph, about 5 miles to work and back, plus errands. Weekends will be mainly highway, 70mph being the general speed limit, for 30-200 miles. This is not counting track days, which will be track/driver limited speeds.
6) No known problems, it's brand new. Only 160 miles on it (not bad for 2 days of ownership, all city miles.)

I'm not too concerned with money, maintenance is inexpensive compared to repairs. I'd actually like to do oil analysis (suggestions here.. Blackstone?) on each change. I want the best for my engine. I'm looking for both summer and winter suggestions, bearing in mind the heat in TX. If the same oil is fine for both, that's wonderful, if I should switch at a certain average temperature, that's fine too.

Also, as mentioned, I'm looking for filter suggestions. On both oil/filter, I'm open to purchasing online, or locally.

Thank you,
David

 

[Solo2driver]

I used to use Shell Rotella T6 Synthetic 5w-40 year-round in my WRX, but that also is a track/autocross car. Now that I have access to Pennzoil Ultra 5w-40, of course I'm trying it

In your warranty period 3750mi changes AND synthetic oils are mandated, and I would stick to the OEM blue Subaru filter. Find whatever you're comfortable with and just stick to your published intervals. No need to switch weights for summer/winter in San Antonio, anything from 5w-30 to 5w-40 should be fine. Keep in mind though that the EJ25 engine is well-known to shear down and thin out 30-wt oils.

 

[shpankey]

The best for your car? Well all the Scooby guys gush over Motul 300v 5w40. That's what they all run if they have money.

The guys who don't have a lot of money usually use Rotella T6 5w40.

If it were me, and I wanted the best of the best, I'd use Royal Purple XPR 10w40. That's some bad boy oil. Redline would be another good choice. But I have to admit, the Motul 300v 5w40 is amazing and is tried and true tested on Subaru's. That's a guaranteed home run.

 

[ormandj]

Do you suggest doing the first change at 3750, as well? It sounds like I should run Motul 300v 5w40 in Texas, and if I plan on driving North to sub-0 temps, switch to 5w30. Does this make sense? Is the 5w40 safe with the temperatures TX achieves in the winter (I've seen 10 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit)? I do let my car warm up before driving above 3500-4000rpm or so.

I'm not one in the penny-wise/pound-foolish camp, I'd rather spend more upfront, but not worry about the 'later' scenario.

Thank you for the informative advice! Any suggestions where to buy the Subaru blue filter/Motul? I'm a neophyte when it comes to oil/filters, so I want to make sure I draw upon the knowledge of those who have experience and a deeper understanding than myself.

 

[dparm]

5w30/5w40 is fine at -10 F.

Motul 300V is probably one of the best oils you can buy, just get ready to fork over serious coin...$15/qt usually. There may be some local speedshops that have it. Otherwise, there's tons of online retailers. Any Subaru parts website will probably stock it.

 

[ormandj]

Originally Posted By: dparm
5w30/5w40 is fine at -10 F.

Motul 300V is probably one of the best oils you can buy, just get ready to fork over serious coin...$15/qt usually. There may be some local speedshops that have it. Otherwise, there's tons of online retailers. Any Subaru parts website will probably stock it.


At 15/qt, 5 qts will run about the same as a change (with run of the mill synthetic oil) at a shop, but I'll know it was done properly. That is fairly high, but with the replacement engine cost being $3500+, it comes into perspective. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Should I run the 5-30 or 5-40 where I am located? Should I run 5w-30 until fall, and 5w-40 until spring?

Any suggestions on reliable suppliers - online or not? Should I wait until the first 3750 before the change?

 

[SubLGT]

5W-40 year round in Texas will be fine. The first change at 3750 will be fine, or if you are itching to change it earlier, that will be OK also.

For online Subaru parts, I've never had a problem with Chaplin's subarugenuineparts in Washington.

If as you imply, money is not an issue, then use dysonanalysis for oil analysis, $99 for an in depth analysis.

 

[Ronn]

Originally Posted By: ormandj
Originally Posted By: dparm
5w30/5w40 is fine at -10 F.

Motul 300V is probably one of the best oils you can buy, just get ready to fork over serious coin...$15/qt usually. There may be some local speedshops that have it. Otherwise, there's tons of online retailers. Any Subaru parts website will probably stock it.


At 15/qt, 5 qts will run about the same as a change (with run of the mill synthetic oil) at a shop, but I'll know it was done properly. That is fairly high, but with the replacement engine cost being $3500+, it comes into perspective. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Should I run the 5-30 or 5-40 where I am located? Should I run 5w-30 until fall, and 5w-40 until spring?

Any suggestions on reliable suppliers - online or not? Should I wait until the first 3750 before the change?


Pennzoil Ultra also has a EURO 5W30 that just came out. Higher HT/HS than US spec. It's available at the *oil-sore* dotcom. See my thread posted today on this oil for info. I'm considering using it instead of the Ultra *regular* 5W30.

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: ormandj
........At 15/qt, 5 qts will run about the same as a change (with run of the mill synthetic oil) at a shop, but I'll know it was done properly. That is fairly high,................


Motul is a fine oil, but I just don't see the need for $15/qt oil in your application. You will be changing your oil at least 3 times a year, if not more. Shell Rotella T 5W-40 should work well for you application, and for a lot less money than Motul.

 

[webfors]

T6 5w40 is a good oil for that application and easily available. OEM oil filters are a good choice, Tokyo Roki (black) filters if you can still get them (which I don't think you can) are the best filter I've seen. Next would be Purolator. I've cut several of these open after use and they are a very good filter for this app.

 

[ormandj]

Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: ormandj
........At 15/qt, 5 qts will run about the same as a change (with run of the mill synthetic oil) at a shop, but I'll know it was done properly. That is fairly high,................


Motul is a fine oil, but I just don't see the need for $15/qt oil in your application. You will be changing your oil at least 3 times a year, if not more. Shell Rotella T 5W-40 should work well for you application, and for a lot less money than Motul.


Thank you, everyone, for your input. While I'm not adverse to spending money to maintain my engine, I'm certainly not of the mindset that I should spend as much as I can, for no tangible gain, either. I'm somewhere in the middle, I don't mind spending enough to make sure I don't need to worry about my oil/filter being the cause of premature engine wear, that could have been avoided.

Re: dysonanalysis, are they really better than Blackstone/other alternatives - and in my situation, worth the money?

 

[lipadj46]

dyson used to use blackstone as a lab. Unless you are in this as a hobby and get off on tribology dyson is a waste. At 3750 Rotella T6 is perfect all year round and even up in buffalo winters

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: ormandj
.........Re: dysonanalysis, are they really better than Blackstone/other alternatives - and in my situation, worth the money?


Yes, if you really want a thorough picture of what is going on with your engine and oil, and if you want to learn something. Instead of spending $75 on Motul, spend $20 on some Rotella, and put the money you saved into a Dyson analysis. Also try a Blackstone analysis, and then you decide if the extra $74 for Dyson is worth it to you.

 

[shpankey]

If you do go with Rotella T6 5w40, which is a very fine oil, you would probably save a lot of cash because yes, absolutely you need to change the oil on that car every 3750 miles. There is a reason for this, though I'm not an expert, but I believe the scooby guys said something about an oil screen gets clogged up and you end up with spun main bearing. Or something to that effect. So yes, definitely do your changes on time on that car.

Having said that, I've also read a lot from scooby guys that speak about the Motul 300v 5w40 making their turbo's spool faster and all around giving more pep to the car. This probably has something to do with Motul being a double ester (read: Group V) oil. Which is the best basestocks on the planet. Whereas Rotella T6 is a Group III oil basestock. This doesn't mean as much as you might think, b/c basestocks do not an oil make. The end product is what's important and I can tell you two things, SOPUS, who makes Rotella makes probably the best Group III hydro-cracked oil out there. Most people call it Group III + (plus) as it's really that much better than all of the other Group III's out there. And the other thing is, Rotella T6 5w40's end product is superb. A lot of guys run it in my car too, which is a Mazdaspeed 3 which is Direct Injected, with VVT and Turbo and it is known to absolutely SHRED oil. And I've seen a lot of UOA (used oil analysis) of T6 come back even after 6k miles and the oil held up just fine with low wear numbers to boot. It's a great product for what you pay. Bang for your buck, it can't be beat.

But I would recommend at least giving the Motul 300v 5w40 at least one run in your car to see the difference for yourself. This oil is definitely some amazing stuff and no expense is spared in making it. It's double ester group V and pretty much is about the best you can put in your car. It will protect your turbo better b/c it's an ester and will cling to your internals much better and much longer than other oils (or so people say, I can't prove that myself). So since most wear occurs at startup, this will in effect create less wear.

Also, Motul being an ester based oil, has INSANELY low pour point, I don't know what it is, but I'm betting somewhere around -69 Fahrenheit so you can definitely run this oil year round. This oil in fact would have a better pour point and lower viscosity than a conventional 5w30 oil. So trust me, you don't need to worry about running something else.

But like other's have said, since you're really bound to that 3750 miles OCI (oil change interval) Motul 300v is a really tough sell as that oil could probably do 4 times that long. And at that price, unless you don't put many miles on a year, it's tough to argue against the T6. If I only ran a few thousand miles a year, I'd definitely tell you the Motul is the way to go, especially since it clings to parts so much better, it would make sense.

But again, after you run the Rotella T6, at least give the Motul 300v one shot in your car and see what you think. There really is a reason all of the Subaru WRX and STI guys all run this oil. It's almost a religion over there on the scooby forums. But a lot of them do run T6 too.

If I was you, I would do the opposite of what they said. I'd run the Motul and skip the $99 Dyson analysis. At just 3750 miles and running one of the most elite oil's on the planet, there isn't anything to report. He only comes in handy when doing long OCI's and/or on troublesome cars w/ issues. But hey, that's just me. I'd rather spend my money on an awesome product instead. But I wouldn't blame you at all if you ran the T6. Motul is a lot of money for so few miles. Either way, skip the Dyson analysis. It's not needed IMO. If you start having issues, take it to the dealer under warranty. That's what you paid that for.

Good luck bro, and man... NICE CAR!!!

 

[bluesubie]

While oils like Motul 300V 5W-40, Red Line 5W-40, and Renewable Lubricants Inc. 5W-40 are probably the best oils that you can buy, I would not use them at 3,750 mile intervals. You're also not getting an API SM oil if that's a concern for you. It wouldn't be for me, but then again I don't have a brand new STI.

There are many good uoa's in Subaru turbo's on Rotella T 5W-40. Like Solo2driver, I'll be running Pennzoil Ultra 5W-40 next. There's a long thread about it in the Euro oil forum.

I use Oil Analyzers Inc. for uoa's. You get more for your money in comparison to Blackstone.

-Dennis

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: shpankey
If you do go with Rotella T6 5w40, which is a very fine oil, you would probably save a lot of cash because yes, absolutely you need to change the oil on that car every 3750 miles. There is a reason for this, though I'm not an expert, but I believe the scooby guys said something about an oil screen gets clogged up and you end up with spun main bearing.........


The end result of a clogged turbo oil feed screen is a destroyed turbo bearing, which may also send bits of turbocharger metal (from the impeller and housing) into the engine, destroying the engine. I'm not sure if the 2011 STI has this problematic screen.

 

[ormandj]

Originally Posted By: bluesubie
You're also not getting an API SM oil if that's a concern for you. It wouldn't be for me, but then again I don't have a brand new STI.

That's an issue, since the manual clearly states it needs to be API SN/SM, and I don't want to give Subaru any ammunition to shoot at me if I need warranty work. Is the Redline 5W-40 equivalent to the Motul 300v? Safe to run in winter/summer alike, even if I do go north? I like the sound of reports that the turbo spools quicker with the 300v, that'd be nice if the Redline has the same effect - I'd give it a shot, at least.

Thank all of you for your wonderful input, I'm learning a lot!

 

[shpankey]

According to one of the members here, saaber1, yes the Redline 5w40 definitely made his turbo spool quicker. He noticed no difference going down to a 5w30 either. But when he took it out and tried some Brad Penn, he said the turbo spooling was immediately noticeable and I believe he took it out within a few hundred miles and went back to the Redline 5w40 and reported that it definitely improved the turbo spool time again. I could probably find that thread for you if you wanted. It's in the UOA section I think.

I don't know if Redline or Motul have any specs met. They may, I'm just saying I don't know if they meet SN/SM. Though I'm sure someone here knows for sure.

 

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted By: shpankey

I don't know if Redline or Motul have any specs met. They may, I'm just saying I don't know if they meet SN/SM. Though I'm sure someone here knows for sure.

I'm pretty sure they don't. I believe it's exceeds, recommended for, etc., except for the Motul 8100 oils.

ormandj, I'll be using 5W-40 myself this winter. Unless I chicken out and go with Pennzoil Ultra Euro 5W-30.

-Dennis

 

[ormandj]

Went with Rotella T6 5W-40, and I can already feel a difference from the stock oil. Perhaps it is all mental, but the engine seems to be running smoother. Thank you for all of the suggestions. I'll do UOA on the next change, didn't see the point on the first (1960 mile, early drain) change. I have the Blackstone kit already, so 3750 miles from now I'll see how it goes. I check oil level every morning, but I didn't burn any stock oil, so I'm hoping I'll see the level stay stable with the new fill.

On a side note, this is the first car I've had to remove underbody aerodynamic material just to get to the filter. Wish I had a service manual, would have saved me some time looking for clips.