The hot weather - and possibly an as yet unseen leak - has meant that I have burned through a ton of oil recently. I got a CEL on a big drive from Kent to Derbyshire, but the car cooled down, and a nice RAC chap confirmed that there were no error codes. Little did I know, this was my oil getting low. ****.

Anyway - I dipped my stick yesterday, and there was next to no oil in the engine. I topped up today with Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 ECT C3 - which was the same oil as used in my service in June.

My mechanic has checked the car over - no damage. BUT, we want to swap this oil for something less thin/more durable. Car is daily drive and family wagon.

So - what should I get? I know to avoid Mobil 1, but I like the Shell. Question is, do I need a stickier grade, or will that blunt performance?

Thoughts?

 

Decent 10w40 or 10w50 if your seeing high oil temps,

Usual suspects, Millers, Fuschs, 300v etc.

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

i agree, there is obviously a problem somewhere. mine hasnt used a drop of oil since feb when it was changed to 10w60 fuch's

 

I use Millers CFS (Competition Fully Synthetic) 10w60
Mine is a forged 2.5 though.....None the less, a very good quality oil.

 

Thanks, all.

My mechanic will be looking for leaks etc: I hear you!

I used to have a P reg MX5, which drank tons of oil - but never this much. We're on it!

 

is it a hawkeye 2.5 or a late blob 2.0?

 

Hawkeye 2.5.

 

oh dear................be prepared

 

 

Go on: don't spare me. What's happening to my darn engine?

HAHAHAHAHA....*puts a brave face on it*

 

 

Is it a standard (none forged ) engine ?
Has your mechanic done a compression test and /or leak down test?

 

Standard. I had compression test in June - but not since this oil incident. I'll ask him to do one, I think. Good call.

 

 

 

As I understand it, by the time a light comes on for oil, it is dangerously low. Surely the first thing the RAC did was to check it? How many miles did you drive afterwards before you checked and topped up?

 

Actually, it was the generic amber CEL: not the evil red oil canister of doom. I don't want to tell you how many miles I added after that...

I'm going for 10W 50, with an OEM filter, and having the oil changed today.

Will then monitor oil use very, very carefully. I feel such a schmuck, but I never thought a car could lose so much oil - given that I have never seen oil pooling under the car. I'm no mechanic: I know cars lose oil elsewhere (evaporation etc), but...still...

Thanks for all the replies, guys. VIVA SUBIE!

 

 

What sort of mileage have you done in that time?
Oh,and what sort of journeys/driving!!

Cheers

 

around 3000 miles, just fast road use and 1 x dyno session. longest journey was around 65 miles. never go above 6k rpm and i dont hammer it until its warmed up (including diffs/gearbox)

 

Yup. Did that. I went to East Kent Subaru for the oil: Silverline 10-50. Looks nice and gloopy. Old oil (Shell Ultra) came out like water - and I only topped it up yesterday!

 

Ok, there are so many myths about oil that its a mine field, so you need to know the basics.

Subaru state 5w30, its tried and tested, the 5 being the cold weight and the 30 being the hot weight.
With a hot weight, 30 is more than fine for a standard or near standard car, it flows easily and moves heat from the parts it has to, it also has a lower shear value (ie it breaks down less quickly) than say a 10w60.
2 things your engine needs to do is lubricate well and move heat, that 30 weight does both perfectly on your engine, if its using oil then putting a thicker oil in will either covering up and issue or ensuring the issue will become far worse, and where do you stop? Do you put an even thicker oil in or do you actually get the issue resolved?

You said the oil came out looking like water, well its a 30 grade so its going to be warm and have better flow characteristics over a 40, 50 and 60 weight oil, it will also squeeze into those tighter corners and provide better lubrication than those other higher weighted oils.

Your first issue is why is my car using so much oil? And I doubt its because its a 5w30 grade.

 

 

my 04 legacy wr limited has been serviced every 4k with mobil 1 by me and previous owner and it hasn't missed a beat.
oil comes out golden still at 4k.
car gets used to it's potential as well.

 

I have no experience in subarus using oil as the 4 I've had haven't used a drop but I'm experienced enough to know if a car is using oil then it's normally bad news and just an oil change to thicker won't help.
main reason why I own 2 Japanese cars is because of the oil consumption in previous German cars.

 

Noted - understood.

I will be watching the dipstick like an oil-loving rodent of some kind, and, if the engine looks shafted or on the way out, I will take evasive.

Danger close. Watch and shoot.