I have a 2012 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium with CVT. It's a non-turbo. 20,700 miles.
Today went in for my yearly NY safety inspection. Emissions isn't needed the first two years. I had Royal Purple 5w30 with a RP filter in it. 4500 miles on the oil and filter. I've been running 7500 mile intervals as per the warranty requirements. The sticker was put as 3000 miles when I had the oil done, even though I run it 7500 miles.
Got a call from the dealer, went to my voicemail since phone was on silent. They asked if I wanted an oil change done since it was past due as per the sticker.
An hour later, on my lunch break, I noticed a call from them. Called the dealer and said "no, I have synthetic in there, leave it". The service advisor (SA) said, "uhhh, oooo-kay" and I knew by the tone of his voice that they did an oil change. He called back 5 minutes later saying the oil was already changed but he wouldn't charge me. He said it was regular oil, not synthetic. I said I gave no permission to change it and that I spent good money on the Royal Purple synthetic that was in there that I've been running in 7500 mile intervals. He said he'll have them drain it and put the Subaru Synthetic in there. Still [censored] off, I said ok.
I get to the dealer and the invoice says "0w20 Synthetic". I said to the SA, "My manual states only 5w30 conventional or synthetic is supposed to be in there." He said it's fine and pulled out a chart showing "Subaru only uses 0w20 synthetic on vehicles that requires them, yours doesn't even require it, so it's fine". I got the manual and said "it says only 5w30 is to be used in either conventional or synthetic". He got the tech who did the stuff (I find it odd, or a lie, that an A tech would do a state inspection, ECU upgrade for a recall, and an oil change when it's the nation's 3rd largest Subaru dealer). The tech said, "oh they billed it wrong, I really put 5w30 Synthetic in there. We have both." The SA said he can have them re-do the oil change again with me watching them put 5w30 in it if I didn't believe them. They said it is "Gulf" brand 5w30 synthetic. Is that stuff any good?
I said leave it and they gave me a coupon to have them either put synthetic in for free, or for them to put my own supplied oil in it for free. Should I do another run on their synthetic after 7500 miles and then switch back to Royal Purple or whatever I planned on using once the RP ran out (PP)? Is it safe to do a 7500 interval with this "Gulf" brand oil? What about with the Subaru filter that they used? Is 7500 ok?
What happens if there really is 0w20 in it, will it hurt? I still think there is. I'm in Upstate NY, I don't know how the lower weight oils act in the cold winters.
Your take on this?
Today went in for my yearly NY safety inspection. Emissions isn't needed the first two years. I had Royal Purple 5w30 with a RP filter in it. 4500 miles on the oil and filter. I've been running 7500 mile intervals as per the warranty requirements. The sticker was put as 3000 miles when I had the oil done, even though I run it 7500 miles.
Got a call from the dealer, went to my voicemail since phone was on silent. They asked if I wanted an oil change done since it was past due as per the sticker.
An hour later, on my lunch break, I noticed a call from them. Called the dealer and said "no, I have synthetic in there, leave it". The service advisor (SA) said, "uhhh, oooo-kay" and I knew by the tone of his voice that they did an oil change. He called back 5 minutes later saying the oil was already changed but he wouldn't charge me. He said it was regular oil, not synthetic. I said I gave no permission to change it and that I spent good money on the Royal Purple synthetic that was in there that I've been running in 7500 mile intervals. He said he'll have them drain it and put the Subaru Synthetic in there. Still [censored] off, I said ok.
I get to the dealer and the invoice says "0w20 Synthetic". I said to the SA, "My manual states only 5w30 conventional or synthetic is supposed to be in there." He said it's fine and pulled out a chart showing "Subaru only uses 0w20 synthetic on vehicles that requires them, yours doesn't even require it, so it's fine". I got the manual and said "it says only 5w30 is to be used in either conventional or synthetic". He got the tech who did the stuff (I find it odd, or a lie, that an A tech would do a state inspection, ECU upgrade for a recall, and an oil change when it's the nation's 3rd largest Subaru dealer). The tech said, "oh they billed it wrong, I really put 5w30 Synthetic in there. We have both." The SA said he can have them re-do the oil change again with me watching them put 5w30 in it if I didn't believe them. They said it is "Gulf" brand 5w30 synthetic. Is that stuff any good?
I said leave it and they gave me a coupon to have them either put synthetic in for free, or for them to put my own supplied oil in it for free. Should I do another run on their synthetic after 7500 miles and then switch back to Royal Purple or whatever I planned on using once the RP ran out (PP)? Is it safe to do a 7500 interval with this "Gulf" brand oil? What about with the Subaru filter that they used? Is 7500 ok?
What happens if there really is 0w20 in it, will it hurt? I still think there is. I'm in Upstate NY, I don't know how the lower weight oils act in the cold winters.
Your take on this?
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