Which Amsoil and why?

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ssmokn

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2007 Subaru WRX STI 2.5L Turbo (300HP and 300 lb. ft. torque).

Driven daily year round in the Northeast (temp range from say 0 to 100).

Manual recommends different viscosities but the preference seems to be for 5W30 SL oil.

Considering the following Amsoil formulas which one would you recommend and why?

ASL 5W30
HDD 5W30
TSO 0W30

I'm not looking for extended drains but rather quality protection. Subaru recommends oil changes every 3750!
 
1st choice - TSO. Amsoil's longest oil change interval oil. Best fuel economy. Best cold weather oil. Recommended by Amsoil for this application.

2nd choice - ASL. Save a few bucks. Amsoil recommends for this application.

HDD - does not show up on Amsoil's recommended list for this application. Does not meet API SM, which may be a warranty requirement.
 
Don't know enough about the Amsoil lines to have input on which to choose - but that's wild that there are still new cars w/ OEM recommended intervals that low. I guess they have to assume you might use the cheapest dino, and since it has a Turbo.. (?)

One guiding principle though - the majority of wear is before reaching operating temp - which can be several times longer than reaching water temp (ie, when your temp guage tells you you're warmed up, you can double or triple that time before your oil is at full temp (20 to 30 min)). And don't just think this means winter time issues. If it's 100 deg. F outstide, your oil is still NOT lubricating properly - it flows and lubricates properly when its in the 212 deg range. So personally I would pick the one with the lowest visc. at 40deg C - and this is not always necs. the 0w.. oils - you have to look at the actual specs - the 0w's will flow at lower temps, but this does not mean they're the most fluid at typical ambient temps.

Good luck.
 
ASL - not only will it protect BETTER than TSO (based on UOA's), it costs less and has great low temp flow.

HDD - Same cost as TSO, protects better than ASL and TSO, but indeed has P over 1000. If this is a warranty risk you are willing to trade off, this will give the best protection on paper.

TSO - Best low temp flow. Has the high cost, and decent protection.

I would use ASL 5W-30
 
For 3.75 OCIs, I would use the ASL - then jug the used oil for another 3.75 OCI when the warranty expires. Either that, or put the used oil to use afterwards in another household vehicle.
 
Draining oil for use in another vehicle is just crazy talk. I have never seen a clean drain pan, even if you had a new drain pan what about all the dirt/dust/whatever that gets knocked loose and drops into the oil pan while wrenching the drain bolt, removing the filter etc. Oil is to cheap to risk dumping contaminated oil into your engine. My 2 cents.
 
Amsoil engine oil is good enough that I'll bet, given no extreme conditions and the correct viscosity it does not make much difference which one you choose. I can't imagine that the cheapest Amsoil Xw-30 would show any practical difference from the most expensive Amsoil Xw-30, other than specs, anecdotal stories and someone's personal preference. A person that has a personal preference, even a little bit misguided, may just be the kind of person that keeps on top of maintenance to the point that the brand name of the oil makes no difference at all. I would take Pablo's advise and go worry about something else. What tire gauge do you use?
 
Quote:

Don't know enough about the Amsoil lines to have input on which to choose - but that's wild that there are still new cars w/ OEM recommended intervals that low. I guess they have to assume you might use the cheapest dino, and since it has a Turbo.. (?)

One guiding principle though - the majority of wear is before reaching operating temp - which can be several times longer than reaching water temp (ie, when your temp guage tells you you're warmed up, you can double or triple that time before your oil is at full temp (20 to 30 min)). And don't just think this means winter time issues. If it's 100 deg. F outstide, your oil is still NOT lubricating properly - it flows and lubricates properly when its in the 212 deg range. So personally I would pick the one with the lowest visc. at 40deg C - and this is not always necs. the 0w.. oils - you have to look at the actual specs - the 0w's will flow at lower temps, but this does not mean they're the most fluid at typical ambient temps.

Good luck.

Click to expand...
please,,, The only cold start wear worth worrying about is when the wrong viscosity oil is used for the temperature ,for example 20w/50 oil when the temps are 0 degrees f. then the oil takes a real long time to reach the oil pump which means not enough oil to lube so then there is major wear taking place. untill proper temps are achieved the clearances are different the pistons aren't round yet etc The oil won't make any worthwile difference Syn 0/30 5w/30 10w30.
 
ASL 5w30, how long is your warranty? Run the oil 3000 first time then analysis then you will know how long to run the oil, also buy amsoil at regular intervals and print reciept so you can prove to Subaru.
 
Steve S - see the link below - this is the highly touted (from my perusing of BITOG) AeHass write-up on motor oils. A quick bottom line - when it's 100degF outstide, your oil is NOT adequately lubricating till it approaches operating temps. This is all moot for a car that spends most of it's time at op. temp. so I probably shouldn't have posted it here. But if a car is seeing almost all it's time on short trips (which applies to some of us), then the thinking that "it's a 100degF outside, so viscosity be darned" is incorrect, if Hass is to be belived.

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=haas_articles#faq_motor_oil_basics
 
One more bottom line from Haas' article - which he states fairly explicitly - if you have choice (eg) between our three Amsoils above - then he is going to pick (price, other qualities notwithstanding) the one with lowest viscosity at ambient temps - even if you live in Florida (and he doesn't make the distinction that this only applies to short trip vehicles as I did above -so I retract my above "moot" statement).

To hit the horse one more time - if it's 105deg oustide, you will still get the most engine wear in the first 20 minutes of operation. So if given the choice of otherwise equal oils, pick the most "fluid" at ambient temps.
 
Thanks for all the input. I really am not the least bit "worried" about this. I'm just trying to make heads or tails out of the options.

Before posting I was leaning towards TSO but now I'm going to go with ASL. I also think anyone will be fine but the cost benefit of ASL makes sense.

In reality SuperTech oil changes on a regular basis will probably make this car last longer than I'll want to own it. Thanks.
 
Seth,

Amsoil recently updated it's website.

AMSOIL Synthetic 0W-30 Motor Oil (TSO) meets or exceeds the engine protection requirements of all domestic and foreign gasoline and diesel engines specifying the following:

* API SM/CF, SL, SJ . . .
* ILSAC GF-4, 3 . . .
* ACEA A5/B5
* JASO VTW
* GM 4718M, 6094M
* Ford WSS-M2C-929A
* Chrysler MS-6395N
* VW 503
 
Series 3000 HD 5W30!!! It holds it viscosity better then the rest and it has Amsoils best additive package and highest amount of ester content!It gives consistently good UOA especialy when you are not looking at some extreme extended oil change. It will take all the abuse your turbo will throw at it!Oh and if fuel diloutins is an issue this oil does better then the other choices you selected.
 
John, having more ester doesn't mean anything. Amsoil uses multiple base oils.
 
A quick question, only because I'm kinda a fan of this car, with this being an extreemly high hp/tq engine, why is xx-40 not spec'ed? Even AFL is spec'ed for the 911 turbo.
confused.gif
 
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