danz75 Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 Hi, I have a 03 OBW 4cyl AT at 19500mi. I have decided to try using syn oil since it appears that it helps with the ticking and also overall engine reliability... plus not having to change oil so frequently. My question is is it safe to do so at this mileage since I've heard that using syn oil at a high mileage may cause the oil to slip through the seals? Also, I'm currently using Castrol 5w-30 and am thinking if I'm using Mobile 1 but am unsure what rating would be ideal. Suggestions? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyFlicker Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 I don't exactly consider 19,500 miles to be high mileage. And yes, you'll be just fine running syn. As a matter of fact I switched my GF's '92 Legacy over to Mobil 1 at 121,000 miles with out a problem. And stick with the 5W-30 and do not use Castoroil Syntec! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danz75 Posted February 10, 2005 Author Share Posted February 10, 2005 I intend to use Mobile 1 syn since I've heard good things about that and it's widely available. It'll probably take about 2 or more oil changes to purge out the regular oil and should I change the oil at an earlier interval for the first 2? I know that not all the oil will be drained out in a change. What's the interval for regular changes? 5kmi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron917 Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 No need to worry about the small amount of conventional oil left over after switching to synthetic. Just change your oil and filter. Your car is still under warranty, so you must follow the intervals recommended in your owners manual. Also, keep a log of maintenance and all of your receipts. If you don't have your owner's manual, you can find the service intervals at http://www.subaru.com/owners/care/schedules/middle.jsp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyFlicker Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 When I switch over to syn I usually do the first to oil changes at around 2k. I don't know if that is necessary but it's just a habit I've gotten into. Even with syn I still try to follow the schedule in the manual but have upon occasion pushed 5k. If you are still under warranty you will definately want to follow the manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottbaru Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 I've switched several cars over at around 100k and had no problems running over 200k. I notice the grunge visible on the cap and in the engine gradually goes away, probably from the extra detergents in Mobil1. I've heard the congealed, waxy buildup on seals can also dissolve and result in leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danz75 Posted February 10, 2005 Author Share Posted February 10, 2005 So the question that remains is should I still run 5W30 as recommended by the manufacturer? Thanks for all the tips..... it's been a really great help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 So the question that remains is should I still run 5W30 as recommended by the manufacturer? Thanks for all the tips..... it's been a really great help! and the answer to that is YES. Subarus like a thin oil/lubricant. That is the viscosity that you need, and what will work best for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friendly_jacek Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 and the answer to that is YES. Subarus like a thin oil/lubricant. That is the viscosity that you need, and what will work best for you. Interesting. Usually people say the opposite, that subaru engines are less noisy with heavier oils. I personally did not hear/feel any difference between 5W30 and 5W40. However, I never used the thin Mobil 1 oil (HTHS 3.0). And BTW, the manual states that heavier oils like multigrade30, multigrade40, or 20W50 are required when heavy duty or hight temp service is present. I find synthetic 5W40 (HTHS of 4 or more) a good balance between short trips and towing service. 0W40 would also be satisfactory for that (HTHS of 3.6). However, technically, the car manual does not mention 0W40 or 5W40 under recommended oils. If one uses the car for light duty driving, 5W30 or 10W30 of any kind (quality dino or synthetic) is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 danz75: I suggest that you change oil and filter. After about a 1000 miles, replace the filter alone. If you fill the new filter with fresh oil then you shouldn't need to top off after the swap. The filter will catch most of the crud - if any at your mileage - and changing it will be plenty. No need to drain all that good expensive oil out so soon! 5W-40 Mobil 1 would be my recommendation. If you expect serious cold, you can go for 0W-40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danz75 Posted February 11, 2005 Author Share Posted February 11, 2005 danz75: I suggest that you change oil and filter. After about a 1000 miles, replace the filter alone. If you fill the new filter with fresh oil then you shouldn't need to top off after the swap. The filter will catch most of the crud - if any at your mileage - and changing it will be plenty. No need to drain all that good expensive oil out so soon! 5W-40 Mobil 1 would be my recommendation. If you expect serious cold, you can go for 0W-40. Is the filter sitting above the sump? I always thought that removing the filter without draining the oil would result in the oil draining through the filter connection point too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Is the filter sitting above the sump? I always thought that removing the filter without draining the oil would result in the oil draining through the filter connection point too. The filter is ABOVE the sump, so no problem removing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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