drskorzy

My Fozzie is just over one year old! She's a 2010 2.5X "Special Edition" automatic. Its due for its 15K mile service interval. Since this is the first "mid" tier service interval for the car, I figured it'd be worth it to have the dealership do it. The tasks involved are something I can do myself, but time dictates I won't be able to this time.

I contacted two Subaru specialists for the service. My regular dealership here in SoCal quoted me $150 for the service. I called an independent (and highly recommended) Subaru specialist about the same service, and was quoted $225. That's the first time an independent garage quoted a higher price than the dealership for service! I'm going into my dealership for the service this time around.

So.. to the point. I asked the independent about putting synthetic into the car, and he didn't recommend it. He said if you do regular oil changes the extra cost of synthetic wasn't worth it unless you regularly drive under extreme conditions. What caught my attention most was he said synthetic can cause "more problems" with time. I've never heard that before.

I asked the dealership the same question, and the mechanic seemed hesitant at first and said "well, you can, and it won't hurt it".

Am curious if anyone has heard something similar? I can understand the "extra costs aren't worth it" argument, but causing more problems?

I swapped my Fozzie to Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic at 12K miles with a Mobil 1 filter. Its been running on that for about 3K miles so far, and I'm wondering if I should go back to dino juice or disregard the synthetic argument?

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2010 Forester 2.5X Special Edition AT

guroove

Total BS. This guy really doesn't know what he is talking about. In general, the added costs can be made to be worth it if you do oil analysis and extend the change intervals. As for it causing more problems, the only times I have seen synthetic fluids cause problems were in cases where it was a very old car gunked up with old fluid, and the synthetic fluid revealed leaks that had been stopped up by the gunked up fluid.

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2005 Obsidian Black Pearl XT w/4eat

bluesubie

That about sums it up! There is tons of data on synthetic performing well in n/a Subaru's. Some up to 12,000 miles on the oil, guided by used oil analysis. There's actually a sticky up top (Blackstone).

-Dennis

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2004 PSM FXT

DerekDaniel

I bought a 2010 NA 60k miles switched to synthetic now above my oil pan on the driver sign is seeping oil :( have had syn for about 2 k and noticed unusual consumption stick to reg oil and change oil a lil more frequently

I am putting non synthetic back in and praying this stops :(

yes old post but real life experience. maybe mech had known of others were this happened... is it really worth rolling the dice for a couple thousand more miles??

Loscaldazar

Synthetic doesn't cause oil leaks or consumption. Plain and simple.

The only way a synthetic oil can "cause" an oil leak, is if your engine is so gummed up and had leaks plugged by that sludge, then the synthetic cleaned out the sludge and now you have leaks.

As far as the consumption, I would wonder what the volatility rating of that synthetic was. My 03 ran 70,000 miles on Dino oil, and then I switched to Synthetic at 75,000 miles and noticed a bunch of consumption. It was because the volatility rating on the oil was poor. Switched to Amsoil 100% synthetic and no consumption or leaks. That was 10 years of Dino and then no problem with synthetic.

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2003 Forester 2.5XS Mod Journal

adc

People are still dealing with 30 year old information when synthetics leaked because they were not compatable to gaskets and seals. And that oil did not have the additives to prevent seal swell or shrinkage. There is no truth to rumer that synthetics leak more than dino oils.

A quality synthetic can go several times the length of oil change interval than that of dino oils , although a used oil analysis should be used to verify that.

If you change oil every 3000 miles you are throwing away money no matter what oil you use. Also the Mobil 1 oil filter is way overpriced and does not have the correct bypass setting for the Subaru engine.

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Be careful what you wish for.

Easy Fixer

For sure synthetic oil is better than conventional. But I don't need it! I live in California where it doesn't get very cold or hot. I don't drive in difficult conditions, most of my driving is on the freeway at 70 mph. I change the oil and filter on my 2006 Forester as Subaru recommends. I use OEM filters because as long as I keep up the maintenance it don't have to worry about the filter even getting close to being clogged. So a low bypass setting doesn't concern me.

stan_t

What non-synthetic 0w20 are you switching to? Curious.

Your leaking did not start because "switching to synthetic". Your car should have come with synthetic oil from the factory anyway, and I don't know of any non-synthetic 0w20 oils readily available out there.

Stan

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Shocks > struts.

crewzer

The OP claims he/she has a 2010. IIRC, it was the last MY for the EJ25 in the non-turbo U.S. Forster; Subaru spec'd 5W-30.

FB25-equipped Foresters with 0W-20 synthetic oil started with MY2012.

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

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12 Forester 2.5X FB25 5MT Premium AWP PZEV
09 Forester 2.5X EJ25 5MT Premium AWP PZEV (sold 7/2011)

dave5358

+1. If it looks like BS and smells like BS and squishes like BS, then . . .

Get thyself to Bob is the Oil Guy and take Motor Oil 101 http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/. Chances are that all the the folklore on motor oil you have ever learned is mostly wrong.

Lone Ranger

For the non-turbo EJ engine, split the difference and run a top notch synthetic blend priced at or below most major brand conventional oils. ----> Kendall GT-1 synthetic blend.

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2009 2.5X, Dark Gray Metallic

builtnotboughtauto

I run non synthetic in my 300hp turbo forester. If you change the oil often, your fine.

dave5358

Exactly right. If you change your oil frequently (and Subaru tells you to do this on the turbo cars), then non-synthetic oil is fine - the additives which make the oil flow at low temperatures will still be present. The longer you run the oil, the more the low-temp additives tend to go away - your 10w-30 morphs into straight 30.

However, nothing in the above suggests that synthetic oil should not be used in the 2010 Foz - it should work just fine. You may be paying extra for synthetic oil and not getting the full benefit.

Go to Bob is the Oil Guy and take Motor Oil 101 Motor Oil 101 - Bob is the Oil Guy - it's the oily path to enlightenment.

DerekDaniel

Yeah I was using amsoil oe too. I put some pennzoil HM in and cleaned the area up with brake cleaner to see if seepage persist... If so I guess Imma need a new HG soon :(

DerekDaniel

no the my10 takes non syn 5w30

the synthetic did clean up sludge and exposed leak. I put pennzoil hm in it is really thick. Car had no issues with non synthetic, just started when I switched about 2k miles ago..