SUBARU synthetic motor oil : Is this ..

[odie]

the SM or SN ( pic: http://www.flatironstuning.com/popup.aspx?src=images/Product/large/2027.jpg ) ? There's no print on the bottle stating SN or SM . Is there a manufactured date on the bottle ? If so , how to read it . Last , is there any difference in the amount of MOLY in the SM and SN ? Thanks .

 

[Bill in Utah]

Thread on Subaru and their recommending Syn oil. Thread about their article in their mag.

 

[CATERHAM]

I can only comment on the 0W-20 oil and the SM GF-4 oil contains a boatload of organic moly but apparently according to Idemitsu the additive has been discontinued from the SN GF-5 version.

 

[bluesubie]

I'm not sure whether or not it's in the links that Bill provided, but they finally started labeling the bottles with the API spec. When they first started with the label it showed SM and I do not know whether or not SN is out now. Judging from some uoa's, there isn't much moly in the 5W-30 and I've only seen a factory fill uoa on the 0W-20 here and that doesn't tell you much about what's in the dealer service fill or what a broken in Subaru would show in a uoa. I asked SoA in September when the oil would be switched to API SN and they did not know, although any new oil after September 30th has to be SN. From SoA:

Quote:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. All Subaru Synthetic Motor Oil is licensed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) as Energy Conserving SM for Gasoline Engines and GF-4 ILSAC rated. Information on our future products is not available. We do appreciate though that you brought your interest to our attention. Your message has been documented in our Customer/Dealer Services database. This will allow for your message to be properly reviewed, tracked and considered by our Product Management Department. Subaru is always striving to improve upon our products and appreciates when our customers bring their recommendations to our attention.

Further to CATERHAM's comments, this is from correspondence that our very own ARCO had with an Idemitsu engineer:

Quote:

OEMs specify Moly in their factory fill formulations to increase fuel economy during the initial period. In general a factory fill formula will be more robust in the additive treatments etc. This is done for a variety of reasons which I will not go into here. Some of the service fill formulations also contained molybdenum however, with the transition to the ILSAC GF-5 specification, most 0W-20 service fill 0W-20 formulations now do not have Moly. That being said, you are always safest following the OEMs recommendations. All service fill OE formulas that we supply have been submitted to a full battery of tests at that respective OEM’s R&D facilities in Japan and have been approved.

I would presume that the add pack of the 0W-20 and 5W-30 is similar. IMO, if you're looking for a moly loaded synthetic oil go with something other than the Subaru oil. Unless someone can provide a VOA showing otherwise. -Dennis