Found what happened to my oil... and it's not on the driveway

Apparently after going to the dealership and talking with them... they asked what kind of oil I was using I said Mobil 1 syth. "AHHHHHH" they said......apparently Subies motors burn fully synthetic oil... I said "BS" so they said ok how about we put syth blend back in then come back in 1k miles.....I said cool.....I drove like a mad man for almost 2k miles and never checked my oil; brought it back to the dealer and they checked the oil in right in front of me and showed me the dip stick...it was dead on balls full. They said Subaru motors tolerances aren't tight enough for full syth motor oil ....hmmmm that may be true.... because my buddy is on his second motor because after switching to syth and didn't check it on the regular... To drive the point home....(no pun intended) they showed me two STI motors there one was warrentied......both "had" syth motor oil in them.....

Hmmm. I'm using Penzoil Platinum synth and I have not noticed any oil consumption after 2K miles. I guess the Platinum is not fully synthetic?

I've been using mobil 1 5w30 since I picked up my 05 LGT last April, and have put just under 20k miles. 5 oil changes, and no evidence of oil consumption.

I've been using mobil 1 5w30 since I picked up my 05 LGT last April, and have put just under 20k miles. 5 oil changes, and no evidence of oil consumption.

 

 

could have just been mobil 1 ....I don't know... what I do know is after about 2k miles I was about .5 qt low

Don't you think that if that were the case, the owners manual would warn you not to use synthetic?

 

I've used M1 since the first oil change. I burn maybe a cup in 5,000 miles. 28k on odometer.

Oh crap. Maybe I need to change...NOT. I've been using Mobil 1 since the first oil change. 63,000 miles later, dip stick always shows full every time I change the oil.

It's good information to have - thanks for the post.

Don't you think that if that were the case, the owners manual would warn you not to use synthetic?

 

I've used M1 since the first oil change. I burn maybe a cup in 5,000 miles. 28k on odometer.

 

 

u would think.....but there are other members complaining about oil cunsumption as well.... not lately though

M1 does seem to burn off at a faster rate than some other syn oils. M1 5w30 is on the thinner side of 30 weight oils. I personally run German Castrol Syntec 0w30 and never burn more than about .25 qt over my 5000 mile oil change interval.

German Castrol Syntec burnt about half a quart 5000 mile change with a highway trip to Ithaca and back. Use that oil on my Benz now. I switched to Pennzoil Platinum on the Suby mainly because of price and availability, it stays dead on full now no matter what I do.

PP, as good as it is, is not as highly refined as GC. I think if you want to use pure synthetics like GC on your Suby and you drive hard then you need to get a high weight like a 5w50 or 5w60 weight version like the Europeans use.

 

Before we start another oil debate or before someone post about Amsoil and how they would love to have their child let me just say that this is just from my personal observations only

put over a 70k miles on my wrx with mobil 1. my friend put a 130k miles on his wrx as well with mobil 1. BUT YOUR USING THE WRONG WEIGHT!!!! MUST USE MOBIL 1 15W-50.

mobil 1 5w30 is pretty thin stuff. I always mix it with a quart of pennzoil platinum to thicken it up a bit for less burnoff.

I've been running M1 since my 3rd oil change. My car doesn't use any oil.

Penzoil platinum user here ... but 10w30

I had my engine replaced at 36k kms after complaining of zero oil levels on dipstick just a few thousand kms after oilchanges (5-6 times). I was using Mobil 1, which frankly was pretty much recommended by Subaru.

 

Ended up being some bad cylinder heads or something? But in any case I havent touched synthetic since, despite my "new" dealership suggesting Mobil 1 as well. Im just sticking with the standard oil for now, so far no problems, good oil levels.

There seems to be a consensus that the motor oil seems to be to thin……..I was thinking the whole time that Synthetic motor oil has smaller molecules…allowing for leakage or blow by……or whatever ……. I could be completely off base…..

I had my engine replaced at 36k kms after complaining of zero oil levels on dipstick just a few thousand kms after oilchanges (5-6 times). I was using Mobil 1, which frankly was pretty much recommended by Subaru.

 

Ended up being some bad cylinder heads or something? But in any case I havent touched synthetic since, despite my "new" dealership suggesting Mobil 1 as well. Im just sticking with the standard oil for now, so far no problems, good oil levels.

 

 

hmmmm......case -n- point

They use Mobile 1 if you ask for synthetic at my local dealership. The only time I notice any burnoff is when I spend extended amounts of time in boost. On my last trip to Mammoth (700 miles) I burned about half off my dipstick (whatever that equates too) but that was being in boost for like 85% of the driving. Always carry a bottle in the trunk, check it regularly, and you'll be fine.

Its just the nature of the boxer engine design I think. It just doesn't like thin viscosities especially at highway speeds (or high revs). If you do a lot of extended highway driving definitely throw in something a little thicker or use something a little less refined but still good.

 

My car was fine with the oil until I went on the trip upstate for the weekend when I got back I continued to drive it until the oil change and that is when I noticed it was low. I double checked it before we left too.

I consumed more oil when I was running Moble 1, now I'm running Amsoil and consumption has gone down.

 

I check my oil a weekly basis.

I believe my dealer (metric) uses 10w40 in all their cars.

The local dealer here uses Mobil 1 for the 'premium' oil change.

Used Motul Synth. in my 02'wrx and had to switch back to non-synth, was burning the stuff up halfway between oil changes!! Seeing the oil light come on and a bone dry dipstick was quite the shocker! Thought I had a leak, had it checked thoroughly at the dealer, and nada?!

Tried running that for a year.......that was an expensive yearlong experiment, I think I'll stick with non-synth with the LGT.

So for those of you using the magical 0w30 "German" Castrol, WTF happens IF you have some sort of engine failure and you are using a weight that is NOT even recommended in the owner's manual? I would expect a warranty claim to be denied, no ifs, ands, or buts, if and when they find out what weight of oil was in the engine.

i use m1, however 5w30 was way too thin so i've been using 10w30 since about 6k. im at 20k now. i drive faily aggresively and burn about .5 qt between oil changes.