Switching oil bad? 05 Wrx

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94exa2

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Hey guys, I am just curious what you guys think about the old saying when it comes to switching from "dino" oil to synthetic oil.

With my 94 civic I didnt care less and when straight to Mobil1 530, but I just bought an 05 Wrx and the 1 owner said he used nothing but non-synthetic Castrol 530, and am curious if it would be best to continue using Castrol 530, or if it'd be more than fine to switch to Mobil1 synthetic?

Also, a friend said I should switch to 10w30 since I am about to pass 125k miles. Good idea? Or stick to 5w30? Switch to Mobil1 syn, or continue using Castrol non syn?

Also, are K&N oil filters worth the little extra $$???? I do plan on spending money on "only the best" for my "new" WRX lol.
 
If it specs 5w30, use it. In an engine like a WRX I'd use synthetic, and there's no risk switching to it. If everything is running good, use what makes you happy!
 
Originally Posted By: 94exa2
Hey guys, I am just curious what you guys think about the old saying when it comes to switching from "dino" oil to synthetic oil.

.... Also, a friend said I should switch to 10w30 since I am about to pass 125k miles. Good idea? ....

....Also, are K&N oil filters worth the little extra $$????


There is no problem switching back and forth between modern synthetics and modern non-synthetics or synthetic blends. All of the synthetic manufacturers say the same thing.

There is no reason to change viscosity oil simply due to mileage. The only thing 10W-30 would accomplish is slow down oil circulating in your engine when you start compared to the 5W-30. As long as your oil consumption remains low I'd stick with what worked.

The K&N filters are made by the same folks that make the Mobil 1 and several others. They are well regarded and well respected.

You might want to check the filter forum - several comparisons have been done illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of different brands and models.
 
If the motor is running well now, why switch to 10w30? That's not even what's spec'd for the car. If you are truly concerned about burning oil as it ages, you can always go for a high-mileage 5w30 (there are several good choices), but 125k is not even that high in my opinion.

The K&N filters have the huge welded nut on the end, which makes removal very easy. Internally they're identical to several other filters...so buy it if you are changing it yourself and hate dealing with filters that are stuck.
 
Thanks guys! I never paid that myth any mind because I drove a 94 Civic 1.6vtec and always ran Mobil1 in that for 9 years, but figured I should look into this myth with my newer 05 Wrx lol.

I guess I will go with my usual Mobil1 syn 5w30 and K&N.
 
I would just get whichever 5w30 sync is on sale. M1 is good, but why spend extra when Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 will work just as well (for example).
 
Mobil1 5W30 is not the oil of choice for many WRX owners who frequent the website NASIOC.

Subaru states in the owners manual: The use of a higher viscosity oil may be needed in certain conditions.

Many WRX owners have experienced high oil consumption using typical 5W30 energy conserving oils. The WRX is one car that should have never specified an energy conserving 5W30 oil.

Read your owners manual and check your oil every time you get fuel or 300 miles.

Many lazy WRX 2.0L owners over the years have used 5W30, neglected to check the oil, let the oil get low, turn a corner, starve the engine and spin a rod bearing.
 
Actually, 10W-30 is among the grades Subaru recommends for the car.
Subaru included an old tyme tem/visc chart in their OMs which allowed for a variety of grades.
Our 2009 Forester is the same, even allowing for straight 30 or forty grades or 20W-50 under "severe conditions".
 
So I might be better off with 10w30 instead of the 530 the cap calls for/has been used since day one?
 
OTOH, many turbo Subie owners prefer Rotella 5W-40.
You might also consider M1 0W-40.
I'd personally prefer a synthetic oil with a turbo, although it may not matter.
 
Ive read a bunch of people, mostly Wrx owners, saying Mobil1 5w30 is "thinner" than 5w30, and in return burning oil.

Is Mobil1 10w30 "thinner" than 10w30? Would that be what I am looking for? Or are they complaining about the 30 and not the 5?
 
I have read nothing but bad things about both Mobil1 and Royal Purple, especially in the Wrx crowd.

Honestly, it seems like 90% of Wrx owners (or "performance car enthusiasts" in general) seem to suggest Amsoil and Redline, being the only "real" synthetic's in the group.

Should I go with 5w30 as Subaru suggested new,
or 5w40 since I have ~125k and Wrx owners seem to complain to oil consumption with thinner oils?
 
Originally Posted By: Wilhelm_D
Originally Posted By: 94exa2
Hey guys, I am just curious what you guys think about the old saying when it comes to switching from "dino" oil to synthetic oil.

.... Also, a friend said I should switch to 10w30 since I am about to pass 125k miles. Good idea? ....

....Also, are K&N oil filters worth the little extra $$????


There is no problem switching back and forth between modern synthetics and modern non-synthetics or synthetic blends. All of the synthetic manufacturers say the same thing.

There is no reason to change viscosity oil simply due to mileage. The only thing 10W-30 would accomplish is slow down oil circulating in your engine when you start compared to the 5W-30. As long as your oil consumption remains low I'd stick with what worked.

The K&N filters are made by the same folks that make the Mobil 1 and several others. They are well regarded and well respected.

You might want to check the filter forum - several comparisons have been done illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of different brands and models.





K&N oil filters are not longer made like they used to be. I don't recommend them now. They used to be in the mid 90s efficiency now it's in the 80s and lower quality made somewhere like Korea. If they say made in the USA it's a good old stock filter otherwise avoid KN now.

To the OP do you have a non turbo or turbo? If turbo try the Mobil 1 0W40. If non turbo you can use any flavor of conventional or synthetic 5w30.

FYI most forums besides this one are ripe with brand biast and incorrect information. Buy based on data and results. You can find knowledgeable members on any forum but I've seen some pretty bad information on vehicle specific forums.
 
Turbo. "stage 2" 2005 Wrx.

Yeah I figured this would be the best site to ask, since most car forums are just walking advertisements for whatever brand is "in" at the time.

I read Mobil1 isn't a "real" synthetic, being a group 3?
And Royal Purple, Amsoil and Redline with a couple others are "real" synthetics being group 4 or 5.
But I read a bunch of bad posts about Mobil1 and Royal Purple specifically in the Wrx crowd.

And it seems that most car enthusiasts recommend either Amsoil or Redline. Good choices? One better than the other? I know one is a group 4 and the other is a 5, but not sure which, or which is better.

I think I would most likely avoid 0w-anything, but am curious if I should go with 5w40 since it seems alot of Wrx owners complain about "thin oil" and "eating oil up" lol.
 
Last edited:
First off Mobil 1 0W40 isn't a grp 3 product. It's a proprietary blend of many base oils and they call it visom. With the stringent list of specs it meets, it's certainly one of the best oils for your car. You can pay more for redline or another boutique oil if you want, but you're not really gaining anything measurable.

There is no reason to avoid a 0w oil but Rotella T6 5w40 is a top competitor in recommendations for turbo Suburu engines and many other 40 weight applications.


When anyone who knows anything about motor oil refers to the oil being too thin they are referring to the 40 weight part of 0w40 or 5w40. This is the viscosity at 100C. All oil is too thick for an engine at startup even in a hot climate, all motor oil is thicker the colder it is and this magnifies greatly at low temperatures.

Amsoil makes grp 3 products just like all the store brand synthetics, if you want higher grp 4 content you have to get the signature series Amsoil. Redline does contain some Group 5.

It's been said a lot but I'll say it again, base oils are but one small part of the total oil composition which is why it's important to look at which specs the oil meets and Mobil 1 0W40 has more than any of them which can give you a warm fuzzy feeling. Don't fixate on base oils too much, it's not very productive.

Walmart has both Mobil 1 0W40 and Rotella T6 5w40 for about $25 per 5+ quart jug. They are the value leaders and spending 2-3x as much on boutique oil won't net much.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis

Amsoil makes grp 3 products just like all the store brand synthetics, if you want higher grp 4 content you have to get the signature series Amsoil. Redline does contain some Group 5.

Is this group 5 in Redline mostly referred to ESTERS or does it also contain any Alkyl-Benzene and/or Alkyl-Naphthalene base oils ?
 
Originally Posted By: fpracha
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis

Amsoil makes grp 3 products just like all the store brand synthetics, if you want higher grp 4 content you have to get the signature series Amsoil. Redline does contain some Group 5.

Is this group 5 in Redline mostly referred to ESTERS or does it also contain any Alkyl-Benzene and/or Alkyl-Naphthalene base oils ?


I'm not familiar with the proprietary formulation of Redline, but there is enough information that has been throw around to conclude they are using at least some Esters in their oils.

http://www.redlineoil.com/whyRedline.aspx

Here is a quote from the above link.

"Red Line formulates fully-synthetic oils and chemically-advanced additives using the world's finest base stocks. Rather than cutting costs by blending in petroleum products, Red Line's motor oils and gear oils use superior ester base stocks that provide extreme stability at high temperatures and superior film strength at lower viscosities where more power can be produced."



https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=110076


http://forums.noria.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/616604995/m/875102955

http://www.redlineoil.com.au/product-information.asp

" Red Line lubricants contain polyol ester base stocks"
 
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