steveorchuck Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Hi All, I bought a pre-owned 2010 Suburu Legacy 2.5i Premium (sorry if I'm on the wrong forum since the url says legacygt, but I figured this would be the best source of information) back in July. Had 68k miles on it. For the first oil change after 3k miles, I put Mobil 1 Synthetic with a Mobile 1 filter in it. The owners manual said it could go 7.5k miles before the next change. I'm about 100 miles over the 8k mark (95% highway driving) and still need to change the oil. I'm a cheap b@st@rd and am waiting for autozone to have a deal on the oil and filter for about $36 again. This morning, after turning the car on, the engine oil light came on. I checked the oil and it was right at the low mark. I drove to the nearest place and threw a quart in and the light turned off. Hasn't been on since. There's the back story - now for the questions. Is it normal for the oil to be at that level after about 8k miles? Before, I had a 2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that could go 10k miles with zero burn off. Same oil and filter (10W-30 in the Jeep / 5W-30 in the Subaru) Should I still use synthetic in my Subaru, or go back to conventional? Any brand suggestions for oil and filter would be appreciated. I just checked the oil just now (it's been roughly 9 hours since I checked it last and two hours since the engine was on) and the oil is back at the low mark. I'm thinking this is normal because the engine isn't warm. I also checked under the car where there is snow, and I didn't see any oil so I don't think this is a leak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Oil usage is fairly common in Subaru's. My car currently has 141k, and has been consuming 1-2 quarts of oil over a 5k oil change interval since I drove it off the lot with 3 miles. A lot of people on this forum use shell rotella synthetic 5w-40 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Shell-Rotella-Synthetic-5W-40-Motor-Oil-1-Gal/14958681 Personally I don't use rotella since my car consumes oil, and I don't want the extra additives contained in a heavy duty engine oil to damage my catalytic converters, subaru cats are very expensive. You can change to conventional oil if you'd like, but I don't think that will reduce your oil consumption. If you want to reduce the consumption, I think you should try a heavier weight engine oil. 5w-40 fits the bill for the heavier weight (at operating temperature) if you'd like to give it a try. You could also try a conventional 10w-40 and see what happens. I like to run 5w-xx in the winter for better cold weather flow, but I wouldn't be too worried about a 10w in MA. If you're willing to spend the money, I'd recommend an OEM subaru oil filter. I prefer oem oil filters because they have a higher bypass valve setting versus aftermarket oil filters. Aftermarket oil filters allow oil to bypass the filtering media too soon, which isn't the end of the world, but not ideal. Down here in CT walmart's sell 5qt's of Mobil 1 for around $24.97, and local dealers will usually charge $6-7 for the oem filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJuan Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 The 2.5i vs. the 2.5GT are totally different when it comes to oil. If the oil light comes on for the 2.5i, it just means add oil ASAP and shouldn't cause too much problems. On the GT (turbo) models, if the light comes on it could mean death to the turbo, and which could lead to death to the motor. On a 2.5i motor, regular (dino) oil is fine and no need to spend $$$ for the expense brands. Subaru motors are know to burn oil, the piston rings are a weak point of these motors. Just make sure to check the levels on a weekly basis. My wife's balls are delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesubie Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 If you're going to push your intervals out to 8,000 miles or more, I would probably stick with synthetic. You could try switching to Mobil1 5W-30 High Mileage as that is a more robust oil than the regular Mobil1. I run Pennzoil conventional High Mileage in a 2000 RS for 5-6k intervals, but I would have no problem running it to 7,500 miles. I've actually seen a very good used oil analysis on an 8k mile interval in a Legacy 2.5i on Mobil conventional oil. Highway miles are very easy on oil. -Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZP Installs Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 On the new generation cars 2010+ Legacies there are 2 oil lights. One is an oil level light the other is oil pressure light. I am assuming the oil level light came on for you since you were only down 1 quart of oil. Oil consumption on Subarus as per the manufacturer can be up to 1 quart per 1,000 miles, so make sure to check it often. As for oil, we've found that Mobil 1 tends to consume/burn faster than other synthetics. From our testing Motul 5w30 and 5w40 and Amsoil will last significantly longer and maintain their properties better as well. -Mike Paisan http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/153798190.jpg Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Enthusiasts since 2001. Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) |AIM: AZP Installs "Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZP Installs Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 The 2.5i vs. the 2.5GT are totally different when it comes to oil. If the oil light comes on for the 2.5i, it just means add oil ASAP and shouldn't cause too much problems. On the GT (turbo) models, if the light comes on it could mean death to the turbo, and which could lead to death to the motor. On a 2.5i motor, regular (dino) oil is fine and no need to spend $$$ for the expense brands. Subaru motors are know to burn oil, the piston rings are a weak point of these motors. Just make sure to check the levels on a weekly basis. Sorry but on any car if the oil pressure light (which is what is on the legacies up to 2009) can signal the death of the engine due to low oil pressure. Since this guy was only down 1 quart I believe he had the low oil light which is a second light they added on 2010+ legacies. -Mike Paisan http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/153798190.jpg Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Enthusiasts since 2001. Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) |AIM: AZP Installs "Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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