Changing Oil in a Forrester

[jm47]

Gentlemen: my wife purchased an 05 Forrester this past January.She has been bringing it to the dealership every three thousand miles as they suggested.They are charging her around fifty dollars each visit.How difficult would it be to do the work myself?How often?Best oil/viscosity/filter?Does it need a drain plug gasket?Will I run the risk of voiding the warranty?Thanks...

[1 Lucky Texan]

Gentlemen: my wife purchased an 05 Forrester this past January.She has been bringing it to the dealership every three thousand miles as they suggested.They are charging her around fifty dollars each visit.How difficult would it be to do the work myself?How often?Best oil/viscosity/filter?Does it need a drain plug gasket?Will I run the risk of voiding the warranty?Thanks...

 

get a 6 pack or whatever of filters and washers from a discount dealership online (http://www.subarugenuineparts.com) and some Rhino ramps if you need a little xtra clearance to slide under the car.

here's some good info;

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=499177

[tcspeer]

Changing oil is very easy, the advice I would give is never put a wrench on drain plug when you are putting it back in, until you have got it all of the way back in by finger tight, to keep from cross threading. You also need to rub some of the oil on the rubber gasket before putting the oil filter on. I tighten mine hand tight never tighten with oil filter wrench. Some people like to fill the filter with oil before installing it but I put mine on without doing that. Make sure you have oil in engine before restarting and let idle before racing engine until oil light goes off. Always recheck the oil after you finish and also again after you run it a few miles. Keep your receipts for the oil and filters you buy until you go out of warranty, to prove you done the work. I dont think I have ever replaced the little gasket around the oil plug on my Subaru. I have replaced the little o-ring on the plugs of other cars I have had.

[gfcrane]

One tricky item is removing the plastic guard to expose the oil pan and filter. Don't, under any condition, drain the pan you can see or remove the filter next to it. This is the transmission if you have an automatic.

 

The guard is held in place by five, if I remember right, black plastic keepers. To remove, turn the center phillips screw out, then pull the fastener out of it's hole and try to catch it since they are easy to lose and only come from Subaru. One fastener is actually a hinge and the guard swings horizontally out of the way.

 

On my first oil change the filter was so tight nothing I had would loosen it so I had to make a trip to AutoZone and buy a wrench. If the dealer has been servicing your vehicle, chances are the filter is also very tight. Otherwise, there is nothing unusual about Subaru oil changes. Since the filter is mounted base up, it doesn't even spill much.

[Gnuman]

On my first oil change the filter was so tight nothing I had would loosen it so I had to make a trip to AutoZone and buy a wrench. If the dealer has been servicing your vehicle, chances are the filter is also very tight. Otherwise, there is nothing unusual about Subaru oil changes. Since the filter is mounted base up, it doesn't even spill much.

 

If your filter is as tight as this, punch a hole in the top and let it drain until it is no longer dripping (this avoids spills), then using a longish phillips screwdriver, punch the driver all the way through the filter and use it for a handle to loosten the filter until you can spin it off by hand. Thankfully, Subarus have enough room around the filter to actually do this.