Oil Choice for new WRX!

[05LGTLtd]

Originally Posted By: KHP
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Now that engine oil is out of the way, have you thought about gear oil?


I've heard great things about Subaru's synthetic Extra-S 75w90. That is the factory for all 6spd STi's.

Factory fill for WRX's is some conventional 75w90 I believe. Now that I'm approaching 30,000 miles I will be dumping the old gear oil fill for Extra-S.

Check Out: Fred Beans Extra-S

Pretty pricey at $15 per quart, 4.3 quarts total is needed for both rear diff and transmission case, but they only have to be dumped every 30k miles. Possibly 60k for synthetic. I've got mine lined up in the garage to be done in a few weeks.

I've heard Motul Gear 300 works well with our 5spd transmission also, but I'll stick with Subaru's offering.



Extra-S is worth the money, excellent recommendation.

Also get a chase Subaru cc, and start racking up those subiebucks!

 

[Spector]

What synthetic does the dealer use when they do the change?

 

[05LGTLtd]

You would have to ask your specific dealer. Depending on the pricing dealers get, I'd imagine lots have shifted to the genuine Subaru synthetic, but it's been a while since I've been to a dealer for service.

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: edhackett
Originally Posted By: randomhero439
Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
All H4 Subies have a oil cooler. (water to oil)

The 2010 WRX manual states 10w-50 is fine down to 0* F, BTW. and 5w-40 is good for full range...


08+ WRX do not come with a stock oil cooler. STI does. Actually outside of the US, the WRX still comes with an oil cooler.


As stated, all turbo Subaru cars have an oil cooler. It's liquid to oil and is incorporated into the oil filter mounting.

Ed


No, as stated by others the new ones do NOT have the oil filter mount cooler. Here's mine -- not a great pic (wasn't taking it to show the lack of an oil cooler) but you can see that the filter mounts directly to the block:

Part diagrams bear this out as well, IIRC, and there are no coolant lines going down there anyway. Personally I find this a little disappointing but it's pretty consistent with the WRX's position in the market IMO, which is more of a "spirited daily driver" than a track ready car. You have to get the STi if you want the factory oil cooler, bigger wheel hubs, stronger suspension bushings, beefier transmission, etc.



As to oil, I've decided that at least during the warranty period I'm using the Subaru branded syn (mfg by Idemitsu) and OEM filters purchased from my local dealership. Having dealer receipts might be marginally better if I need warranty work, and the oil is actually priced about the same as any other decent syn at an auto parts store when not on sale. Even cheaper for me because I have a credit card which for its rewards program provides "Subaru dollars" at some percentage of money spent on the card. Since I already use a card for most things, what this amounts to is free oil and filters. Hard to argue with that

The Subaru oil has had some good showings in UOAs. I should have another UOA arriving from Blackstone next week, which I will post. I'm doing ~5k mile OCIs though b/c I feel like that provides a bigger safety margin and is a better interval for tire rotations anyway.

I was going to suggest avoiding Redline due to the API certification issue but that's already been covered. I think Redline or another 5w-40 would probably be a decent choice out of warranty though and this has been an interesting thread from that perspective IMO.

 

[donnyj08]

the Amsoil recommendation that was made earlier here makes good sense to me. the subaru's seem to prefer a little thicker oil, and the XL line as well as the OE line seems to run pretty thick for their grades. It would seem the XL would give you a little more HTHS and still retain the API SN requirement to keep Subaru happy.

it seems win win to me. does your manual not allow a 5w40 rated oil? if it does that wouls be and excellent all around good grade for daily use as well as autocross.

it seems your stuck on the 5w30 however, so i would consider the Amsoil OE/XL line for their thickness. Redline is a great oil but it does not meet any warranty requirements.

 

[edhackett]

Originally Posted By: rationull

08+ WRX do not come with a stock oil cooler. STI does. Actually outside of the US, the WRX still comes with an oil cooler.

No, as stated by others the new ones do NOT have the oil filter mount cooler. Here's mine -- not a great pic (wasn't taking it to show the lack of an oil cooler) but you can see that the filter mounts directly to the block:

Part diagrams bear this out as well, IIRC, and there are no coolant lines going down there anyway. Personally I find this a little disappointing but it's pretty consistent with the WRX's position in the market IMO, which is more of a "spirited daily driver" than a track ready car. You have to get the STi if you want the factory oil cooler, bigger wheel hubs, stronger suspension bushings, beefier transmission, etc.


It looks like I was wrong. My reply was a quick response to the '08+ STI only having the oil cooler. My '08 LGT has the cooler. It's the same engine and tune as the WRX. They weren't supposed to have the WRX tune, but it does.

It is too bad they did away with it. I'm not happy with the "Toyotafication" of Subaru. Not at all.

Ed

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: edhackett

It looks like I was wrong. My reply was a quick response to the '08+ STI only having the oil cooler. My '08 LGT has the cooler. It's the same engine and tune as the WRX. They weren't supposed to have the WRX tune, but it does.

It is too bad they did away with it. I'm not happy with the "Toyotafication" of Subaru. Not at all.

Ed


Yeah, it is too bad. The WRX has been getting slowly decontented from the STi for years though -- the aluminum control arms are gone too, and didn't it have Brembos at some point? Not anymore (still dual piston on front though). The front and rear diffs are open (err .. "electronic" -- brake intervention takes their place -- lot of cars are doing this now). Still a great car all around and for the price, IMO.

Doesn't the Legacy GT have the turbo down under the engine instead of up near the firewall, and have a tune that gets more torque? (258 ft*lbs up from the WRX's 244 IIRC)? Maybe that came after 2008 though. Interesting setup. Is yours a wagon or a sedan?

 

[edhackett]

Mine has the turbo up near the firewall. It's the sedan.

For 2008 the GT was listed at 243 hp @ 6000 rpm, 241 lb-ft at 3600 rpm. The '08 WRX was 224 hp @ 5200, 226 lb-ft @ 2800. The 2009 WRX is 265 hp @ 6000 rpm, 244 lb-ft @ 4000.

It appears the 2008 GT had the 2009 WRX tuning, as people running the 2008 GTs on a dyno were getting 240+ hp at the wheels, about right for 265. I know my GT is very noticeably faster than my stage 1 2003 WRX was, which should have been ~250 hp.

I stopped paying attention when the GT got big and ugly in 2010. Now it's gone from the line-up. It's really to bad they don't have anything like the 2005-2009 GT anymore. It is a true driver's car and lives up to the GT moniker. Mine actually handles better than my WRX did too, due to the lower center of gravity and more rubber on the road.

Ed

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: edhackett

I stopped paying attention when the GT got big and ugly in 2010. Now it's gone from the line-up. It's really to bad they don't have anything like the 2005-2009 GT anymore. It is a true driver's car and lives up to the GT moniker. Mine actually handles better than my WRX did too, due to the lower center of gravity and more rubber on the road.

Ed



I agree. I love my WRX, but I would've been all over a Legacy GT wagon with 6MT if they were still making one when I was in the market.

Back to topic though. I will post my latest UOA on Subaru Syn 5w-30 as soon as it comes in!

 

[KHP]

Originally Posted By: rationull

I agree. I love my WRX, but I would've been all over a Legacy GT wagon with 6MT if they were still making one when I was in the market.

Back to topic though. I will post my latest UOA on Subaru Syn 5w-30 as soon as it comes in!


There have been a lack of turbo Subaru UOA's here for the past few months. I'm guessing us owners have our OCI's synced.

My OCI is due within the next four weeks so I'll also have a UOA to share. I'm currently running PU 5w30 SN with OEM blue filter. So after a period of hiatus we're going to flood the UOA section with Subaru UOA's.

 

[BrewCityR]

Yeah, I will not be posting a UOA until late autumn as I changed my plan for oil...

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2751611

Above is my UOA for M1 5w30 for 4,500 miles. Ran M1HM 5w30 for most of this winter, then changed oil to German Castrol last month. So, I will run this for 5 to 6,000 miles (Feb. through June), do another GC OCI and UOA that run (likely June through October/Nov.).

 

[rationull]

Got my UOA results back. I am reaffirmed once again in my plans to continue using Subaru Synthetic 5w-30 at least until my warranty is up. I don't see a reason to switch to any other "normal" off the shelf oil, anyway.

 

[rg200amp]

I went with 5w30 PU API SN.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp
I went with 5w30 PU API SN.


And. . . . . . .

Every local store that once carried PU has discounted it, sold out, and is no longer carrying it.



Back to the drawing board. . . . .

 

[Josh8519]

Any 5w-30 oils out there that are not energy resource or whatever and meet Subaru requirements?

I want to keep my warranty, but don't want a thin oil.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp
Originally Posted By: rg200amp
I went with 5w30 PU API SN.


And. . . . . . .

Every local store that once carried PU has discounted it, sold out, and is no longer carrying it.



Back to the drawing board. . . . .


So, when you wrote that you "went with it", you didn't actually purchase it? My local WM still carries it.

 

[Josh8519]

I found some PU for $4/quart at auto zone just now. I thought the price was a mistake but I guess not.

However I'd rather have a thicker 5w-30 non resource conserving oil that meets Subaru specs if there's one out there.