Oil Analysis, 2011 Outback

2011 Subaru Outback, 2.5L non-turbo engine w/CVT....

 

Miles on engine, 36,000

Miles on oil, 14,500

Amsoil 10w-30/ATM, Signature Series

OEM paper air filter (changed @30k miles)

Amsoil "EAO-12" oil filter.

4.2 qt sump

0.5 quarts of makeup oil added, 10k into run

Oil in service for eight months - approx 75% highway/25% city

 

Wear metals:

 

Fe, 10 ppm

Cr, 0 ppm

Al, 4 ppm

Cu, 6 ppm

Pb, 0 ppm

Sn, 0 ppm

Ni, 0 ppm

 

 

Contaminants:

 

Si, 21 ppm (some is gasket leaching)

Na, 9 ppm

K, 1 ppm

 

 

Oil additives:

 

Moly, 129 ppm

Boron, 37 ppm

Ca, 3190 ppm

Mg, 15 ppm

P, 645 ppm

Zn, 755 ppm

 

Physical/Chemical Properties:

 

Fuel < 1.0%

Water < 0.1%

Soot < 0.1%

Viscosity @100C, 12.3 Cst

TBN, 2.62

Oxidation, 61 abs/cm*

Nitration, 18 abs/cm

 

*Some of this oxidation may be from esters used as the dilutant for the oil additives*

 

TS

Blackstone would say "Viscosity was a little thick for a 10W-30, but it doesn't appear to be hurting anything. That's one great wearing Subaru! TBN of 1 is too low. Try 20,000 miles next time"!

 

-Dennis

Blackstones comments are more like cheer leading than an objective engineering assessment. I think I'll stick with my own interpretation of UOA's....

 

TS

Blackstones comments are more like cheer leading than an objective engineering assessment. I think I'll stick with my own interpretation of UOA's....

 

TS

+1

 

-Dennis

Dennis,

 

I like this oil for turbos too. It's the most shear stable of the Amsoil 30 weight formulations, with very little polymeric thickener (VI modifier). I see lots of people using 0w-40 in turbos - but that's exactly the wrong thing to do. Every 0w-40 uses a lot of polymer and will shear down like crazy in a turbo. If you feel you need a 40 weight oil, a 5w-40 or 10w-40 will maintain its viscosity much better....

 

TS

Mobil1 0W-40 (SN version) actually held up well for me on a 5k run. But then again, I did need to add a 1.5 quarts make-up oil (burned through 1 quart on a 1,200 mile trip) so that probably helpd the uoa. I switched to M1 10W-30 High Mileage for one oci and consumption was down to about 1 quart in 5k miles. Mola told me that 10W-40 would be even less volatile than 10W-30 because of the more stable base.

 

Do you think VM's these days are more stable than ones from a few years ago? I change my mind on a daily basis about what oil to use. Currently using Motul 300V 0W-40 since I got it for free with Subaru bucks. I love uber moly oils. So smooth and quicker engine/turbo response (according to the butt dyno)!

 

Hmm, would 2 qts of RD30 + 3 quarts of ATM equal a Red Line street type oil?

 

-Dennis

I'd just run the 10w-30 Dominator by itself. It has a TBN of 8.0, so it will hold up fine. Another option would be the Z-Rod, 10w-30, which is another thick 30 weight (HT/HS of 3.6 Cp), also formulated for HiPo engines. There's a virgin analysis of it posted over on BITOG.

 

As a rule I'm against mixing oils; I just don't see the point.

I'd just run the 10w-30 Dominator by itself. It has a TBN of 8.0, so it will hold up fine. Another option would be the Z-Rod, 10w-30, which is another thick 30 weight (HT/HS of 3.6 Cp), also formulated for HiPo engines. There's a virgin analysis of it posted over on BITOG.

 

As a rule I'm against mixing oils; I just don't see the point.

I thought you might say this. The reason that I asked is because I wasn't sure if Dominator had enough detergents/dispersants to handle a 5-6k mile OCI in a Subaru turbo.

 

-Dennis

The Amsoil Dominator is not an extended drain formulation. But it's going to be very resistant to oxidation with all that ZDDP. So a 5000-6000 mile service interval should be fine. For street use however, the higher TBN Z-rod, or 10w-30/40 motorcycle oils (TBN > 11.0), might be even better choices.

 

My suggestion is to look past bottle labels and study the chemical/physical properties of the lubricant you're considering for a particular application....

 

TS

I just picked up a 2013 Outback Premium with the CVT. It requires 0W-20, but I think that's too thin. I read somewhere that this is becasue of the CAFE laws. I read on a Amsoil website that 0W-30 Signature Series or 5W-30 would be better. What do you folks think? I don't want excessive wear for the sake of (marginly) better gas mileage.

 

Thanks.

idk, subaru is real specific about 0w-20 and only 0w-20. if you were to use say synthetic 0-30 or 5-30 i doubt your engine would explode. im not entirely convinced that 0w20 is some demon oil that eats engines though.

Subaru says 0w20 synthetic for all temperatures and conditions, I seriously doubt it will cause excessive engine wear. Between modern tight engine tolerances and the characteristics of a good synthetic oil there is little to worry about. If it worries you, you can always send samples off for analysis.

JohnnyT,

 

The 20wt oils have been used by Ford and Honda for over ten years and there have simply been no durability issues - even in taxi service. If you're referring specifically to Amsoil, their 0w-20 oils (they make three different ones), will work just fine here. If you're sticking to a maximum service interval of 7500 miles, the more economical OE or XL Series oils are the way to go. These are basically the same product except that the XL oils use a higher additive "treat" level. So they're good for 10,000 miles/6 months vs a nominal 7500 miles/6 months for the lower priced OE line.

 

I use the top tier, Signature Series oils, or the Series 3000, 5w-30 (a HD, gas/diesel oil). However I'm also going 15,000 miles between changes, which many people don't feel comfortable with for a vehicle under warranty.

 

I'd actually be more concerned about the durability of the CVT, since its fairly new technology. The fact that it holds 12.5-13.0 quarts of synthetic ATF does make me feel better, but I haven't seen how they hold up for hundreds of thousands of miles yet. Hopefully they were over tested by Subaru during development!

 

TS

I was a bit worried about the CVT as well and the timing chain actually. But let's be clear, neither is a new technology. Subaru in fact was using one (CVT) back in the 80's, and other manufacturers have also used them. Also they were updated for the 2013's from the 2012 model. Timing chains however can be a really good thing, or a really bad one. The twin cam Saturns had LOTS of timing chain issues, but then I've seen bigger chains on a ten-speed bike and they were oiled from the pan IIRC.

Hey folks, thanks for all your comments and advice. I think I'll just stick wit the 0W-20 and compare prices between the Subaru brand and Amsoil. If it's comparable and it's readily available I'll use the Amsoil. Only heard great things about this oil. I don't know who makes Subaru oil though.

 

I'm not worried about the CVT. It's been in the 5th gen. Legacys since 2010 (I think). That's enough time to shake them down. In all honesty, I thought all 2013 Outback Premiums don't offer another tranny but the CVT.

 

My wife will almost exclusively drive the Outback and she doesn't drive agressively, so I'm sure this car will give us many years of worry free service. I'll maintain it and she'll drive it.

 

Tooslick, thanks for the PM.

 

I appreciate the folks on this forum. It seems everyone takes an interst and are active. I posted the same general questions on subaruoutback.org 3 days ago and I didn't get a response yet.

 

Happy Motoring!

The 0w-20 Subaru brand oil is formulated by a Japanese company called "Idemitsu". The specs on it are decent, but I wouldn't pay a premium for it. The additive chemistry actually looks very similar to the Amsoil OE line for the 0w-20's....

 

TS

Thanks, Tooslick. I guess it will be based on availability then. I need to find who sells Amsoil in my area, NEPA.