My Outback seems to be burning oil - I dont have a leak, and my emissions seem clean, but its using oil nonetheless!? The car has done 135 000k's full Subaru service, and mostly highway running!

 

Are the EJ2.5's prone to burning oil?

 

and im considering fitting an oil pressure guage to better monitor the situation! Does anyone have any suggestions on sourcing and/or fitting one of these?

 

Cheers

Scott

My Outback seems to be burning oil - I dont have a leak, and my emissions seem clean, but its using oil nonetheless!? The car has done 135 000k's full Subaru service, and mostly highway running!

 

Are the EJ2.5's prone to burning oil?

 

and im considering fitting an oil pressure guage to better monitor the situation! Does anyone have any suggestions on sourcing and/or fitting one of these?

 

Cheers

Scott

 

Double check your service records and make sure the PCV has been replaced(cleaned). If not, have it replaced - cheap. Other than that I dunno. Start looking for one plug that is different from the others - might point to which set of rings or valves guides are bad. Compression tes may be warranted. You don't mention the oil consumption rate. How bad is it?

 

Carl

Double check your service records and make sure the PCV has been replaced(cleaned). If not, have it replaced - cheap. Other than that I dunno. Start looking for one plug that is different from the others - might point to which set of rings or valves guides are bad. Compression tes may be warranted. You don't mention the oil consumption rate. How bad is it?

 

Carl

 

PCV? Ive only had the car for 20000k's! So ill check the records tonight, thanks!

 

Consumption - It took the better part of a liter this morning, and i had travelled about 3000k's (or there abouts!). They are really rough figures. High consuimption nonetheless, but its not necessarily constant!! Ill be paying more attention now!

 

Ill pull plugs and compression test tonight!

 

Cheers

PCV? Ive only had the car for 20000k's! So ill check the records tonight, thanks!

 

Consumption - It took the better part of a liter this morning, and i had travelled about 3000k's (or there abouts!). They are really rough figures. High consuimption nonetheless, but its not necessarily constant!! Ill be paying more attention now!

 

Ill pull plugs and compression test tonight!

 

Cheers

 

sorry , left out the word valve - Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, unlikely to be the problem as it should have been replaced/serviced, just something to check. You might also check the tranny fluid. maybe someone else will have some ideas.

 

Carl

You vehicle has a flat motor like a volkswagen, it is common for flat motors to use a little oil. My ea81 BRAT uses about a quarter every 1000 miles, very good for the age/ mileage (149k). But you question is why hasn't it burned oil before 135k miles?

 

When oil gets old and dirty the oil it starts to break down, as the vehicle gets older build up of slugg in the engine will make the oil dirtier faster. If you are really worried about this, which I do not think you should be, then you should do an oil log. Change the oil and filter. And then check the oil every 500 miles, write down how much it has used, Add oil at 1/2 liter incriments. Always check the oil cold as that is when most of the oil is in the pan, so it is most accurate. What I think you will find is that up to 2000 miles you vehicle will hardly use a drop and then as the oil gets old and dirty it will start using more oil.

 

You may want to consider a throttle body cleaning or add some cleaner that cleans the injectors and throttle body.

 

My wife's 2000 Legacy GT has 64k on it, and never used any oil even when I was over due by 1000 miles. But we took a trip to Boise ID, and we got back and I down a quart even though it had only been 2000 miles since the last oil change. And basically it is because we ran the car for a long time and the oil gets hot and it is easier for it to burn. That is why it is always advisible to get you oil change before and after a cross country trip. Hope this post made sense and answered some questions.

 

Richie

You vehicle has a flat motor like a volkswagen, it is common for flat motors to use a little oil. My ea81 BRAT uses about a quarter every 1000 miles, very good for the age/ mileage (149k). But you question is why hasn't it burned oil before 135k miles?

 

When oil gets old and dirty the oil it starts to break down, as the vehicle gets older build up of slugg in the engine will make the oil dirtier faster. If you are really worried about this, which I do not think you should be, then you should do an oil log. Change the oil and filter. And then check the oil every 500 miles, write down how much it has used, Add oil at 1/2 liter incriments. Always check the oil cold as that is when most of the oil is in the pan, so it is most accurate. What I think you will find is that up to 2000 miles you vehicle will hardly use a drop and then as the oil gets old and dirty it will start using more oil.

 

You may want to consider a throttle body cleaning or add some cleaner that cleans the injectors and throttle body.

 

My wife's 2000 Legacy GT has 64k on it, and never used any oil even when I was over due by 1000 miles. But we took a trip to Boise ID, and we got back and I down a quart even though it had only been 2000 miles since the last oil change. And basically it is because we ran the car for a long time and the oil gets hot and it is easier for it to burn. That is why it is always advisible to get you oil change before and after a cross country trip. Hope this post made sense and answered some questions.

 

Richie

 

Yep - my background is VW's, which contributed to my evolution into Subi's! But this consumption is excessive even compared to the bus!

 

I change the oil and filter as/per schedule, which in my experience is really excessive changing, although ive never used full-synthetic oil before this car! Im pretty easy on the engine - most of my driving has been highway, accept for the past 8 weeks, and this is where ive been burning the oil, while commuting. The previous owner said most of his k's were highway aswell, and its got a good service record, as i have all the receipts now! I have run a system cleaner through in the last 1000 kilometers.

 

Ill do a log as you suggested just so i know whats actually happening!

 

From what i have read, these engines are good for well over 300 000kilometers in good driving conditions, so 135 000, with a good history shouldnt be posing a problem!

 

Any other thoughts appreciated - including info on fitting an Oil Pressure guage to this donk!

 

Cheers

Scott