MY13 XT Forester Penrite Enviro+ C3 5W30

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Now that my car is out of warranty with 85000km on it and is mainly doing short city trips I was worried about fuel dilution and carbon build up with the FA20DIT and the recommended 5W30 GF5. Here in Australia Penrite released a new mid SAPS 5W30 C3 SN oil that it claims can be used where a GF5 oil is specified. http://www.penrite.com.au/products.php?id_categ=1&id_viscosity=106&id_products=710

So I thought I'd give it a try and here are the results after 10000km. As expected the fuel dilution is at 2% but the rest of the figures aren't too bad. I had them test TBN afterwards and it came in at 2.8. Ideally I'd like to be able to push the change intervals out to 12500km but I'm not too sure if this is feasible? Wear and viscosity look to be fine but do the fuel dilution and TBN matter for another 2500km?

 
Thanks for sharing.
Good metal wear rates and used oil still serviceable.
Could've moved beyond 12500 km OCI , I suppose.
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
too many abbreviations for me whats a saps c3 and a fa 20dit


SAPS - Sulphated Ash Phosphorous and Sulphur, a major inorganic component of engine oil.
C3 - a European Oil grade that limits SAPS levels, but requires a high oil strength (HTHS)
dit - direct injection turbo,

OP, thanks for posting. The viscosity and TBN are still OK, wear metals are under control, I think you can go a bit further.
 
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Thanks for the comments. Looks like the full 12500km factory recommended change is easily achievable.

One thing that was really noticeable since about 50000km with the dealer GF5 oil was a slight, but noticeable, ticking at idle when the oil had more than a few thousand kms on it. This has completely disappear with this C3 oil.
 
Why the penrite mid saps if you don't mind me asking? Is carbon build up an issue with full saps oil in this engine? I'd be going with castrol edge A3/B4 in the turbo fuel dilution subaru if full saps is allowed.

Can be had for under the $30 mark a few times per year in our land down under.

Penrite did hold up well though. Maybe you could squish in a few more kms bit results are safe there at 10k.
 
Originally Posted By: KL31
Why the penrite mid saps if you don't mind me asking? Is carbon build up an issue with full saps oil in this engine? I'd be going with castrol edge A3/B4 in the turbo fuel dilution subaru if full saps is allowed.

Can be had for under the $30 mark a few times per year in our land down under.

Penrite did hold up well though. Maybe you could squish in a few more kms bit results are safe there at 10k.

Full SAPS is allowed but many turbo Subaru owner's are running C3 oils in hopes of mitigating carbon build up. I don't think it's an "issue" per se, but folks are posting pics of carbon build up in forums. I don't think anyone (or only very few) has actually had a check engine light from the build up. Of course many are reporting better fuel economy and better performance after walnut shell blasting.

One guy on nasioc actually posted a DIY for walnut shell blasting and is offering to perform this service to others for a fee. I didn't think the carbon build up was really that bad in his case (in comparison to VAG pics from recent years).

FWIW, Subaru Japan still allows high SAPS 0W30 and 5W40. Do they, or FHI, know something that we don't know? Or are they just slow to adapt to new technology?

OP -

I'd be very cautious about pushing your intervals on C3 oil. Isn't the sulphur in your petrol on the high-ish side? Last time I pushed my intervals too far it cost me a turbo (different engine, clogged banjo bolt screens). Still waiting for the bitog members that told me my uoa's looked fine and to extend my interval to contribute to my turbo replacement.
grin2.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: KL31
Why the penrite mid saps if you don't mind me asking? Is carbon build up an issue with full saps oil in this engine? I'd be going with castrol edge A3/B4 in the turbo fuel dilution subaru if full saps is allowed.


As bluesubie says to mitigate carbon build up but also I'm worried about fuel dilution and its affect on viscosity of a GF5 oil so the higher HTHS helps. I plan on keeping this car for close to 200k so want to avoid engine problems.

Originally Posted By: bluesubie
I'd be very cautious about pushing your intervals on C3 oil. Isn't the sulphur in your petrol on the high-ish side? Last time I pushed my intervals too far it cost me a turbo (different engine, clogged banjo bolt screens). Still waiting for the bitog members that told me my uoa's looked fine and to extend my interval to contribute to my turbo replacement.
grin2.gif



Sulphur is on the high side and that is why I went with 10k for the first time with this oil. I can live with 10k as I buy it for $160 for 20 litres on special and have a fumotu drain valve so with that and the oil filter on top of the motor a change takes no time at all.
 
I would have thought most carbon deposits would be caused by egr and fuel quality rather than oil. But I suppose if the oil is diluted with some fuel than it would more easily break down. All just my theory and no fact there though.

Perhaps an even lower oci could help a little given bluesubie's recent experience. Maybe 8000kms if you plan to keep for the long haul. I personally changed my wrx oil every 5k using a cheap $20 shell 10w40 semi syn because my kms were all city.
 
OP, do you use regular ULP or PULP petrol ?
The premium unleaded is required to be both higher octane and lower sulphur.

For a mid-SAPS C3 oil, I would only use lower sulphur PULP fuel.
 
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