2019 Subaru Crosstrek oil options..with REDLINE oil response!

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Welcome Turn_N_Burn, I will be switching to 5w30 after next oil change on my '17 Crosstrek. The reason I am waiting to change to the 5w30 is because my first four oil changes are free.
 
Welcome.

Maybe a good Subaru forum would be a better place to get the answers you require without dealing with a bunch of
self imposed gatekeepers we have here. This subject comes up all the time on those forums. Good luck!
 
Congratulations on the new ride.

All of this hand wringing around here about which oil is "better" is a bit ridiculous. IMO as long as it is a reputable brand and has the required builder approvals/certifications the oil you use will make no difference.

I would stick with the manufacturers recommendation during the warranty period, but beyond that do what you want. I personally would probably not spend 50ish bucks for 4QTs when any number of oils on the shelf at Wally World will do the same thing for half (or less) the price.

Not that I have anything against redline, I have used it particularly in transmissions.
 
tUrn n burn, I have never owned a Subaru. I would run the factory fill according to mfg instructions. I would also run their oci during this period. After warranty there isn't a reason not run redline that I am aware of.
 
Turn n Burn,
You have good taste in cars, and kudos on ordering from the factory. I had to do so to get mine with a 6MT last year, as the dealers within about a hundred miles only had CVT models. I got a slightly better price that way, too, which was a nice bonus.

During the warranty period I'd stick with the manual/warranty booklet's terms: 6k mile/6 month OCI, 0w20 with the API SN designation.

FWIW I kept the factory fill (which is a 0w20 with LOTS of moly) in through the first 6k per the published maintenance schedule, and the UOA came back looking good. You can buy Zepro for reasonable prices online, and the 5qt jug is very convenient for a ~4.7 qt sump capacity. For my wife's van, which is out of warranty and has more miles on it(and sees probably 25/75 highway/city, compared to my Crosstrek's 60/40), I put a quart or two of 5w30 synthetic in the 6.x quart sump after the jug of 0w20 goes in.

Incidentally, now is the time to think about getting a Fumoto valve if you want to go that route. We have a top-mounted filter, so you can make oil changes real quick and easy. Under the car there's a plastic pseudo-skidplate with a cutout to access the recessed drain plug, so you have a modicum of protection against the valve getting whacked. Alternatively, you could look into a vacuum oil extractor (Topsider, Mityvac, etc), although I don't know whether the dipstick location on the FB20 allows a full drain that way. Of course, you could always do things the old-fashioned way with a wrench if that suits you best.
 
Welcome!!

Don't let any of us get under your skin. It's really a great forum to be a part of. Some people here are just honest to a fault. Most of us will tell it like we think it is or should be. Don't take it personally.

Also, I know that you are probably wanting the "best" oil for your new car. The truth is, IMO, the best oil is the oil that meets your manufacturers recommendations and warranty requirements.
This is a new car and would be more than fine running any oil that meets those manufacturer specs. Stay with API cert and OEM recommendations and you and your car are going to be happy.
 
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Originally Posted by sloinker
You will find that many folks that post are very thrifty. Can I go 30k between oil changes using my toilet paper filter and 30 weight non detergent oil? I have four 55 gallon barrels of 30 weight non detergent oil I found in an old barn and many miles of toilet paper only used on one side, is akin to much of what you will see.


BITOG in a nutshell
 
Originally Posted by Brigadier
Originally Posted by sloinker
You will find that many folks that post are very thrifty. Can I go 30k between oil changes using my toilet paper filter and 30 weight non detergent oil? I have four 55 gallon barrels of 30 weight non detergent oil I found in an old barn and many miles of toilet paper only used on one side, is akin to much of what you will see.


BITOG in a nutshell

Far from it. The more common post by a wide margin is to use Redline/Amsoil SS/M1EP and a Fram Ultra pay for a UOA with TBN/TAN particle count and change it every 5K because TAN is 50% of TBN
This is somehow "cheap insurance".
 
Originally Posted by dave1251
Originally Posted by Brigadier
Originally Posted by sloinker
You will find that many folks that post are very thrifty. Can I go 30k between oil changes using my toilet paper filter and 30 weight non detergent oil? I have four 55 gallon barrels of 30 weight non detergent oil I found in an old barn and many miles of toilet paper only used on one side, is akin to much of what you will see.


BITOG in a nutshell

Far from it. The more common post by a wide margin is to use Redline/Amsoil SS/M1EP and a Fram Ultra pay for a UOA with TBN/TAN particle count and change it every 5K because TAN is 50% of TBN
This is somehow "cheap insurance".


Please point out these very common 5000 mile changes with tbn, tan and particle count UOAs.
 
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Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
Max, I've never denied there were issues. Every manufacturer has some. However, even you can see that a majority of people on this board who have actually OWNED Subarus generally have good things to say (other than some EJ257 owners who still seem to have a valid beef). What gets me are the people who have never owned one but only have third-party stories of issues with no real knowledge of how the car was (ab)used by their owner prior to the failure. ANY vehicle made will suffer some major failure if not properly maintained. Some folks like you seem to search out positive posts about Subaru and try to stir the feces for no good purpose.

The OP has purchased a fine new vehicle, and with proper care and feeding, will likely enjoy a long and happy ownership. Just like 90% of all other new cars made these days.
Welcome to being a VW owning BITOGer, except the board actually likes the brand of car that you own. VW threads literally get crashed on this board, it just happened earlier this week. I own one of the cars that gave VW a bad reputation and you don't here me whining, the 1.8T pickup-clogging sludge monster.

1. In the thread where you called me out, I had mentioned I would buy a Subaru specifically because they have a bad rep and can probably be had cheap. Stop pretending that I hate Subarus, I would buy most any car with a manual transmission. This is the second time I have mentioned this now.
2. Subaru owners have it easy compared to any German car brand on this board and IRL, stop playing the victim.
 
"If you're driving a new car, and you're worried about compatibility with certain manufacturers, Redline has gone to great lengths to ease concerns of enthusiasts in regards to that compatibility. "We've gotten approval letters from companies like Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes. It took three years to get them, said Kyle Neal of Redline Oil."
 
Coming from a Subaru family... your non-turbo crosstrek wont care about oil.

Use the cheap $16/jug Supertech synthetic 0w20 and change it every 6000-8000 miles depending on your type of usage. Don't even worry about using something heavier like 5w30, unless it starts to burn the thinner 0w20.
 
Originally Posted by Turn__N__Burn
Hey all
smile.gif
...this is my first post to a forum I've been reading for years now. One thing I learned about on bitog was the CAFE requirements...

In December I'll be getting a 19' Crosstrek with a 6 SPEED. Calls for 0w20...like most anything these days. I for one don't care to much for 20w oils as I do believe they favor mpg's over protection.

REDLINE'S RESPONSE - Thank you for contacting Red Line Oil, in your Crosstrek a 0W20 is recommended in the engine, likely primarily for the CAFÃ improvement and that would be our recommendation once the rings have seated. Using the lower viscosity oil wouldn't expect to cause harm or be detrimental to the engine, Subaru no doubt having done extensive evaluation. If you preferred a higher viscosity the 0W30 or 5W30 could be used.


I'm thinking REDLINE'S 0w30 would be a perfect match for my 4 season climate...Thoughts???

Also Am I choosing an overkill oil for a vehicle like this? Would a group 3 synthetic like Pennzoil UP be just as good?


Nice...save the manuals! 0w-30 Redline will serve you well. However be sure to use it to potential....at least 10k miles; and I would wait until broken in to do that.
 
If I had known the Subaru blue filter was made by the dreaded fram I probably would not have bought the car.
It has however worked fine so far, 112k Crosstrek Premium CVT.
 
Originally Posted by dgoldstein
If I had known the Subaru blue filter was made by the dreaded fram I probably would not have bought the car.
It has however worked fine so far, 112k Crosstrek Premium CVT.

I scored a bunch of Tokyo Roki oil filters intended for the WRX to use in my FXT on Amazon for about $4 each, but that source has dried up. They are shorter and wider than the filter that came on my FXT due to limited hood clearance in the WRX.
I didn't like the blue cans after I could feel them flexing while I was tightening them, but I have been using those on my daughter's Impreza as my TR filters are too wide to fit in the "cup" the filter screws into. I will probably use these in my car once the TRs run out in about a year.
I have tried the Wix/NAPA Gold 5/7055 filters a few times, but have had issues with the gasket sealing.
I had one on my FXT that seeped oil no matter how gorilla I went on it...I noticed that the square cut seal had a prominent ridge on it when I finally took it off, guess I could have tried to trim it but I felt like these items should be ready to go out of the box.
Used another one in my daughter's car that seeped after initial installation but seemed to be OK after I retightened.
Maybe I don't have the right "touch" for the square cut gaskets, but I have never had a problem with any TR or blue can with the O ring. I like the construction of the X7055 filters otherwise, but the gasket is a deal breaker for me.

BTW, I should mention that my daughter said her Impreza was hard to start after my wife took it to Midas for a change. I freaked out and checked the oil immediately, level was fine and it was fresh...then I noticed the oil filter was tiny and had no markings to speak of on it. I put a blue can on there and my daughter never complained about starting again...some folks here helped me figure out that the cheapo jobber filter had no ADBV.
 
Hey Turn n Burn

I agree with the posters that said you should follow the book as long as the warranty is valid, as soon as the warranty runs out then use whatever oil you like.
Remember that climate dictates viscosity, CAFE does not.

Redline is arguably one of the best oils available in terms of protection, the question is will you ever use the car hard enough to make use of what redline offers? For normal driving with the occasional on-ramp redline, supertech will be perfectly suitable but may keep you awake at night. Redline helps me sleep
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted by Olas
Hey Turn n Burn

I agree with the posters that said you should follow the book as long as the warranty is valid, as soon as the warranty runs out then use whatever oil you like.
Remember that climate dictates viscosity, CAFE does not.

Redline is arguably one of the best oils available in terms of protection, the question is will you ever use the car hard enough to make use of what redline offers? For normal driving with the occasional on-ramp redline, supertech will be perfectly suitable but may keep you awake at night. Redline helps me sleep
wink.gif





I doubt he is going to reply.
 
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