2017 Subaru Crosstrek 10,319 miles, High Performance Lubricants Premium Plus 0W/20

[wwillson]

In the picture of your oil filter that I have marked up here, you can see the hard carbon being cleaned by the AN and esters in the HPL oil. I think you'll see more removed in the next 20,000-30,000 miles. I would suggest you change your oil filter every 5,000 miles until you stop seeing the cleaning.

 

[OVERKILL]

Looks pretty clean to me.

Definitely some carbonaceous grit there though.

 

[The Critic]

Definitely some carbonaceous grit there though.

Sure, but overall, the filter is very clean. This small amount of carbon grit (which can be found in a lot of filters, HPL oil or not) warrants more frequent filter replacements.

 

[Rex]

In the picture of your oil filter that I have marked up here, you can see the hard carbon being cleaned by the AN and esters in the HPL oil. I think you'll see more removed in the next 20,000-30,000 miles. I would suggest you change your oil filter every 5,000 miles until you stop seeing the cleaning.

View attachment 119800

So I understand why you'd suggest a filter change every 5k, but looking at the 10k filter results, does a spec of carbon as shown in your highlights justify a 5K filter replacement? I've seen your post and others showing filters containing much more carbon than mine. Just a conversation question rather a controversial one BTW! Appreciate your input..

 

[buster]

How do we know the oil is cleaning and as a result the filter is catching this carbon buildup? I find it hard to believe especially if Mobil 1 was previously used.

*Correction - Subaru OEM oil was used. It's possible then there was some significant cleaning going on.

 

[OVERKILL]

How do we know the oil is cleaning and as a result the filter is catching this carbon buildup? I find it hard to believe especially if Mobil 1 was previously used.

*Correction - Subaru OEM oil was used. It's possible then there was some significant cleaning going on.

Yes, I'm sure you recall my saga of Mobil 1 cleaning our Expedition and yielding the same sort of carbonaceous grit in the filter.

 

[wwillson]

So I understand why you'd suggest a filter change every 5k, but looking at the 10k filter results, does a spec of carbon as shown in your highlights justify a 5K filter replacement? I've seen your post and others showing filters containing much more carbon than mine. Just a conversation question rather a controversial one BTW! Appreciate your input..

My 5k recommendation is a swag and just a conservative recommendation. Will the cleaning increase or decline over time? We have no way to know. What I wouldn't want to see is a loaded filter like the one in my Durango. Whatever duration you decide on, please cut the next filter so we can compare to this 10,000 filter.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I think this is an awesome project. Looking forward to more cut filters! Nice that your Subie is turning out incredible numbers!

 

[Rex]

My 5k recommendation is a swag and just a conservative recommendation. Will the cleaning increase or decline over time? We have no way to know. What I wouldn't want to see if a loaded filter like the one in my Durango. Whatever duration you decide on, please cut the next filter so we can compare to this 10,000 filter.

The "carbon" you described is like sludge, with no grit. And if you look at my original picture showing the inside of the filter media, you'll see some of that sludge working its way thru. Did the carbon found inside your Durango filter resemble the same consistency as mine?

 

[wwillson]

The "carbon" you described is like sludge, with no grit.

Ah, maybe it is just that, sludge.

Did the carbon found inside your Durango filter resemble the same consistency as mine?

It looked the same, but was gritty between my fingers.

 

[Al]

I suppose I am just old and am a senile veteran of the oil wars I have been in.

I see little point of running an oil past 10K miles. My'22 Forester 2.5 now has 12.5 Kmiles on it. I grained the 20 wt oil at 1500 and replaced it with 5W-30 Fram oil and changed at 5500 miles. I am at 12,500 miles. I am going to sample and run at least another 3K miles if everyting is OK. May go to 17,500 miles.

Obviously the UOA by the OP is fabulous

 

[FZ1]

I suppose I am just old and am a senile veteran of the oil wars I have been in.

I see little point of running an oil past 10K miles. My'22 Forester 2.5 now has 12.5 Kmiles on it. I grained the 20 wt oil at 1500 and replaced it with 5W-30 Fram oil and changed at 5500 miles. I am at 12,500 miles. I am going to sample and run at least another 3K miles if everyting is OK. May go to 17,500 miles.

Obviously the UOA by the OP is fabulous

Different strokes. Just change the oil and save the sample $.

 

[Al]

Different strokes. Just change the oil and save the sample $.

Its really a curiosity thing

 

[FZ1]

Its really a curiosity thing

Understand.

 

[TiGeo]

The silicon seems high? Is that from anti-foamant, sealant or contamination? It doesn't seem like contamination because wear numbers look low, which is great. What is the total mileage on this Crosstrek.

I am running HPL 10w30 in the CK flavor in a 2008 Subaru Outback. Before using HPL lubricants, I had been using mostly HDEO's and later Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 in the winter. Oil consumption has always been about a quart every 3000 miles. Now, using HPL CK4 oil in 10w30, the engine seems to burn a quart about every 5000 miles. The car has about 235,000 miles on it total.

Based on the result of the HPL oil in the Subaru, I am going to use the same HPL oil in the rest of the fleet and probably HPL's 15w40. HDEO in the Dodge diesel truck.

Their oils are higher in Si than others I've used so need to know the VOA/starting number here.

 

[doublebase]

Great report! I’m considering giving the HPL a try (how can you not after seeing reports like this?).

Looking at that filter, it’s so hard to tell, looks like sludge, but I’d question there would be patches of sludge like that on an engine with only 55,000 miles (doing factory recommended intervals). So, perhaps the HPL is doing a fantastic job cleaning.

I do find that these synthetic oil filters are hard to diagnose/read/look at, after an oil change. They just have a lot of different fibrous looking media in them, and they look a little different than your typical oil filter after an oil change. Mine looked basically the same after a 10,000 mile run (Mobil1 EP/Fram Ultra synthetic filter).