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2004 forester slowly leaking/burning oil. 150,000 miles

('03-'05) 
4K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  dave5358 
#1 ·
I have a 2004 Forester with 240,000 km's (150,000 miles). It leaks oil intermittently. Every few weeks I have to top it up.

Is there any point in changing the oil if I am (slowly) replacing the oil every few weeks?

Is there a known issue with 2004 Foresters with leaking/burning oil, or is this just a typical "old car oil leaking" problem?

Is there anything I can do to fix the oil leak?

Many thanks,

Peter
 
#2 ·
An "old" engine doesn't have to leak oil. Our '95 Neon doesn't leak oil. :wink:

Do you know where the oil is leaking? One of common places on a non-turbo engine is from failing head gaskets. :confused:

Bobby...

['07 FSXT MODding Journal] ['03 X MODding Journal]
 
#3 ·
I have a 2004 Forester with 240,000 km's (150,000 miles). It leaks oil intermittently. Every few weeks I have to top it up.
How do you know it's a leak and not using oil (e.g. past the rings)? If you remove the under-engine cover and put a flattened cardboard box under the engine area when you park the vehicle at the end of the day, a leak should be fairly obvious.

A vehicle using oil is not that obvious. If it's a real oil burner - 1 quart every 10 miles - that's obvious. The tail pipe will be oily... the EPA will visit your house ;-). An engine using 1 quart every 1000 or 2000 miles is much more difficult to diagnose.

Is there any point in changing the oil if I am (slowly) replacing the oil every few weeks?
Yes, change the oil. The old oil that did not leak or get burned still has impurities and foreign matter that needs to get out.

You did not mention the brand/weight of oil in use. You might try switching to a high-mileage synthetic on the next oil change. See if that helps.

Is there a known issue with 2004 Foresters with leaking/burning oil, or is this just a typical "old car oil leaking" problem?
As another user pointed out... not really an issue. My '06 XT has 135k on the clock... no leaks. I previously owned an 05 X with 155k miles - no leaks (although there were coolant stains along the cylinder head joints). If you have a head-gasket-leaking-oil issue, that's more akin to the engine using oil past the rings. And, the fix is just as painful. FWIW, many Subaru head gasket leaks involve coolant - not oil.

Is there anything I can do to fix the oil leak?
That's putting the cart before the horse. The first task is to determine where that oil is going. Leaks to the outside are fixable, generally without too much pain. There may be steps you can take to reduce oil usage past the rings. Leaking head gaskets are fixable... but painful.
 
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