What is the best oil for my 2005 Subaru Legacy GT

[2005LEGACYGT]

Hey guys, now that my car is getting older, I have put more thought into giving the old lady better lube for her engine

In all seriousness, the car is in very good condition. I had a leak-down test done and all of the pistons and chambers are in good shape. I have always used mobile 1 5w-30 but a couple months ago, on my way to work the engine began overheating and I checked the oil and coolant to find out both were gone. Turned out I had a leaking coolant hose and my car burned the oil much faster than expected. Since, I had switched to Mobile1 high mileage blend 5w-30 and began doing more research on oil.

Here is a little about the car: It has 137k mileage, runs on Shell V-power, (obviously) turbocharged.

I need an oil that will reduce engine wear, and keep the engine cool (I live in New England). To be honest, the car probably will never see a track.

What is a good oil? I have heard good things about: Rotella T6, Redline, Royal Purple, and Amsoil (ALL 5W-30).

What are your experiences with these oils? Which one is best for my needs? Should I keep the manufacturer recommendation grade (5W-30)?

 

[jc1112]

i would use mobil1 5w30 hm or any high mileage of the same grade.

is the car still in very good condition after overheating?
was the leak down done after overheating?

the head gaskets could easily get warped from the loss of coolant and oil.

 

[rjundi]

Mobil 1 or whatever suits your fancy. They all work quite well as long as topped if needed.

My wife has had 2005 Legacy GT wagon 5mt since brand new and used 3.5k to 4k oci with dino (Mobil at Subie indy) for 180k. It burned a valve at 178k and the pistons, internals and turbo were in exception condition.

 

[2005LEGACYGT]

The leak down was done after overheating. Nothing was damaged. My morning commute is only 3 miles. I immediately stopped at a gas station and filled it up with coolent and mobil 1.

Head gaskets and engine is in great shape despite 137k miles

 

[Bandito440]

Welcome to the site.

40-weight oils are generally accepted as a better option for turbo Subarus. NASIOC is a good resource too.

Mobil 1 HM 10w-40
Mobil 1 0w-40
Mobil 1 TDT 5w-40
Rotella T6 0w-40 or 5w-40
Castrol 0w-40

Pick one and run it with a Wix, Napa Gold, Fram Ultra, or OEM filter for 5,000 miles.

 

[BikeWhisperer]

Had a 2006 Outback 2.5 Limited that was a bit of an oil user.

I found Rotella T6 to work well and maybe slow the consumption a little. I like the high ZDDP and some moly in it for protection.

 

[rjundi]

Head gaskets are a non-worry on the 2.5 turbo. The burned valves though are more common and you'll get a new head gasket(at parts price) if it happens.

The critical part to change out or remove if you don't know is the banjo bolt. It is a fine mesh screen in front of turbo oil feed and if it clogs the turbo goes boom sometimes introducing metals bits to oil stream causing more damage.

 

[2005LEGACYGT]

@rjundi, at what mileage would you recommend replacing the bajo bolt?

 

[sicko]

Turbo Subarus tend to like thicker oils. If it were my vehicle I'd go with (in no particular order) Rotella T6 5w-40, Castrol 0w-40, M1 0w-40.

If you want to stick to a 30 weight, then any other quality synthetic Xw-30 oil would do (M1, Pennzoil Platinum, Valvoline SynPower, Quaker State, Kendall, etc). With your short commute, I'd suggest going with the M1 0w-30 for the thinner start up.

Valvoline MaxLife is also another good option, the full synthetic MaxLife 5w-30 was by far the smooth oil in my non-turbo Subaru.

Ultimately, you can't go wrong with any name brand Xw-30 or Xw-40. So pick which one you like the best, and run with it.

 

[rjundi]

On banjo bolt I'd recommend now since car is 10years old. It is the common culprit for failed turbo's even for folks who use synthetic oil(I don't).

Just keep topping/checking oil as a habit. Mine at 180k finally burns a bit by 4k but I just change it.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
On banjo bolt I'd recommend now since car is 10years old. It is the common culprit for failed turbo's even for folks who use synthetic oil(I don't).

Just keep topping/checking oil as a habit. Mine at 180k finally burns a bit by 4k but I just change it.


+1

 

[2005LEGACYGT]

I have read outstanding reviews about Rotella T-6 but I also read that technically it is considered a conventional (non-synthetic oil). But according to U.S. standards it performs just as well as synthetic oil.

Regardless, I would rather not switch from synthetic to conventional. Can anybody confirm that RT6 is conventional?

 

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted By: 2005LEGACYGT
I have read outstanding reviews about Rotella T-6 but I also read that technically it is considered a conventional (non-synthetic oil). But according to U.S. standards it performs just as well as synthetic oil.

Regardless, I would rather not switch from synthetic to conventional. Can anybody confirm that RT6 is conventional?

No, it is "synthetic" as far as most U.S. marketing "definitions" are concerned. It uses Group III base stocks and uoa's have shown that it does very well in our cars. If you want something thinner in winter, try Euro Castrol or Mobil1 0W40.

If you're still running the banjo bolt screens (AVCS and turbo), make sure you change the oil around every 5-6k miles.

 

[2005LEGACYGT]

Thanks Blue Subie, I'm going with Rotella T6 for the summer!

Also, why is Rotella t6 so cheap compared to the other top brands like Redline, Mobile 1, and Royal Purple? its like half the price of its competitors!

 

[wemay]

PQIA tests RT6

http://www.pqiamerica.com/June 2014/shellrotellat6.htm

 

[HangFire]

Read this thread:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...rands_later....

 

[94exa2]

I've had good results with Mobil 1 0w40 euro. I never have a problem finding it at Walmart, for the same price as the lesser Mobil 1 oils. I'd highly recommend it over their regular 5w30.

 

[Volv04Life]

Originally Posted By: 2005LEGACYGT
Thanks Blue Subie, I'm going with Rotella T6 for the summer!

Also, why is Rotella t6 so cheap compared to the other top brands like Redline, Mobile 1, and Royal Purple? its like half the price of its competitors!



Rotella comes in 1 gallon jugs (4 qts). Mobil 1 and redline usually come in 1.25 gallon jugs ( 5qts.) Buying single quarts can get pricey btw.