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I have a 2010 Legacy 2.5i with 137,000 miles on it. For last couple of years, I noticed that i would get my old changed and the regular oil would get low about 1000 miles or so short of when my next oil change was due so i'd need auto ad a quart. I thought that it could be that valvoline was not giving me enough oil. I switched to Jiffy Lube and the same thing was happening. I suppose it's possible that all these places put the bare minimum oil in it and shame on me for not making them show me the dip stick every time they change it. There is no noticeable oil leak. Last time I went to a synthetic because I thought that might be it. It seemed like the synthetic ran out even sooner than the standard. Has anyone else experience this? Any fixes? Is it just common practice that you need more oil in these things once they get higher miles on them? Any Additives to help? Open to your thoughts on this... ...and while i'm at it, do any of you all put seafoam in your oil to clean things? I'm sure that doesn't impact my issue but I've come across folks doing this to help performance and thought I'd throw that out while I'm at it!

I finally tracked down the oil sensor on our 2012 Outback. On this 6 cylinder engine, it is down low, screwed in just above the oil filter assembly. If I remove the sensor when the engine is full of oil, will it leak all over me and the floor ? Would it be best to do this as part of an oil change, and pull the sensor after draining the oil? The sensor comes with some red sealant on the threads, is that all I need when putting the new one in? Thanks for the input! Craig

Motor: EJ 251 block, stock pistons EJ 25D heads, STI headgaskets Transmission: 5mt 4.11 ends Hey folks, I have a question about RPMs and oil pressure. I have noticed that if I am to drive with RPMs above 3k, say on the highway or if I'm accelerating aggressively often that my oil level will drop quickly. I know that I am leaking from the lower half-moons on each lower-rear corner of the heads, and the rear main is leaking as well. If I am to drive around like a grandmother, and stay under 70 mph (under 3k rpm) on the interstate, that the oil leak is very slow, and I can last a month (two fuel fill-ups) before needing to add any additional oil. Could I be at too high of oil pressure when I'm in the higher RPM ranges? If I'm running a #9 oil pump, would this have any effect? I've yet to check the PCV valve, as it's maybe three years old. I will have this motor out in about a month or two, and was going to re-seal (and mate to 5mt from '05 GT-t wagon) it, but I'd like to try and address the theory now. Are there PCVs that work better for high compression options, if this is a contributor? Any thoughts or suggestions will be appreciated. Greg

Warm engine, 1,000 rpm, 50+ psi, 4,000rpm, about 30 psi oil pressure. This seems bass ackwards! Is it a problem?

Well, as a recently-arrived forumster, I have more tales from the little Vivio. its 660cc 4cyl works quite hard- 4200rpm at 60mph +-. Recently I changed the head gasket and cam seals hoping to curb the leaking at the top of the engine, and the serious oil consumption, and basically to check the general engine condition. Without noting much difference between the condition of each piston, I rebuilt as best I could with new plugs, and no proper specs to help me except head bolt torque and valve clearances. I plan on rebuilding the whole engine this month, once my rings and seals kits arrive, as there is considerable smoke at higher revs, and the power seems down. Today I pulled the plugs and found some ugliness, especially cylinder 2... Left to Right, cylinders 1,2,3,4 respectively, 4 at the flywheel end. So the rebuild needs to go ahead urgently, I don't think I can use this car until it's fixed properly. I am stumped because the other car (Forester) has just decided to split its radiator too! two sick soobs...

Today I discovered very, very low oil and coolant levels in the Forester, and at 200000 KM I am hoping for good luck and a simple gasket change. As far as I can tell there is a delicate oily rainbow on the surface of the coolant in the radiator (difficult to tell with fresh pink coolant and brand new clean oil, and maybe this is possible under normal circumstances). I check levels more or less weekly, and until today all was OK... I have not noticed steam, smoke or whatnot from the exhaust, but I am alarmed at the rate at which the oil has suddenly gone. I am going to run the engine to temp and make a visual. What is more obvious is the fact that there is no external oil leak (I recently replaced the gushing plastic oil separator plate and crank main seal, and everything is still dry down there) but coolant has been spraying itself around the radiator top hose and cap area. Over -pressurised cooling system? I am going to drive the car down to my workshop and start to dismantle. I have ordered two standard genuine gaskets, 11044AA483, in the hope that I shall be lucky and the aluminium is fine. Regarding the head bolts, (can of worms) I have done a number of head geaskets on various vehicles, always renewing bolts, where recommended, possible or economic - why not? I notice on this forum (and others) some heated discussions regarding this topic. I dont see it mentioned in the official Subaru Forester workshop manual - they say USE NEW GASKETS, but the bolts are not mentioned. Looking at the torques applied, and compared to some cast iron diesels i have work on, one could agree that they are reusable... Wish me luck PS the car is a 1999 SF Forester I, 2.0 N/A , totally stock standard, maintained with genuine parts (even down to the Geolandars), family runner, regular oil, general maintenance, NO racing, doughnuts, drag or burnouts. I do enjoy brisk driving. Thank you in advance for any gems- SAVE THE FORESTER!!

Hi All. Simple inquiry. Our 2005 and 2012 Outbacks each have the 6 cylinder engine. Each car is over 100,000 miles. I use the Valvoline high mileage synthetic blend motor oil, 5W-30. One reason I use this is because I can run the exact same oil in our 1995 Chevy van - so I only have to stock one kind of oil in the garage. I can also purchase it easily nationwide. My wife puts a lot of highway miles on the 2012, but the 2005 only does about 8-10K per year. So, how often would you change oil ? Thanks for the ideas. C

I just did a clutch replacement on a 1984 4WD GL. I replaced the rear main engine seal, and the orange gasket featured in this video It looks like the oil pan gasket is leaking, and also I have some oil in the clutch housing. Can oil leaking from the oil pan gasket migrate up into the clutch housing? The bottom of the clutch bell housing is open. I am hoping it can, it would be an easy fix. Otherwise, I am looking at fixing a leak in the transmission.

Blast, double post. Moderator, please delete.

I am ready to put the engine in, but first I need to install the oil pump. "Keep Your Subaru Alive" says to not to use gasket sealant when installing the oil pump. The surface the pump will attach to is scratched, is "no gasket sealant" still the best course of action? Hopefully, picture below

The input shaft holder seems to be on there pretty well, I cannot pry it off with a screwdriver. Can I replace the oil seal for the transmission from here? edit: the video may be upside down.

The videos.... 22 and 24 seconds I am trying to fix an oil leak at the rear min seal, but it looks like the larger ring isn't the thing that is leaking. It looks like an inner, orange ring is leaking, and that is not a part of the clutch replacement kit What is the name of the orange rubbery part? I think I need to replace it, because it looks like that's the only place the oil could've come from. Suggestions?

Subaru specs synthetic oil for the above. The Subaru oil 0-20 is $7+/quart from the dealer, Is 0-20w Mobil One acceptable, or is there some additional Subaru specific requirements?

Hello everyone, I'm new here & I'm a proud daddy of 2 Foresters ( Just got my 2nd). My 03 Forester XS was purchased with about 130,00 just about 4 years ago and it still runs strong & looks good too ( see the pic) but, it has some issues I'd like to ask if anyone has experienced. 1st it looks like I have an oil leak emanating from my oil cooler & oil filter area, I worked at a quick change I know the filter is tight. I went ahead and got a new oil cooler gasket ring and replaced it and it seems like it didn't help. I also noticed that oil is starting to seep from my head gaskets. I lose about half a quart of oil every few weeks or so, depending on how far I drive. 2nd When I start her up it feels like the entire engine shakes like all heck, could be the exhaust but still not sure I know it didn't do it the first 3 years. 3rd is a question, What weight of oil do u guys recommend? I've heard some guys using 5W40 full synth in their Subies, does anyone know if this is better than just 5w30 Full Synth? I would really like to keep her running for another few years she's been good to my family and the wife doesn't want her to leave lol. Thank you in advance!

Hello all, Even though I have my fair share of experience as a mechanic (been working on and around cars since I was 8), sometimes you need help with the basics. I am the owner of a 2002 Legacy Outback wagon with the base EJ251, and I cannot for the life of me get an accurate reading on the dipstick when I check the oil. I'm still somewhat new to this community and new to the nitty gritty details of these cars, so sometimes even with the basics I need to ask for advice. The problem I am having is that I can get anything from no oil at all when hot/warm, to the front of the stick (the side with the L and F stamped on it) registering no oil at all and the back side registering overfull, and once in every 10 tries or so it will actually register something meaningful. Ive tried waiting anywhere from 15 mins to 2 hrs to get as much oil drained back into the sump as possible as these engines don't really have the help of gravity to get the oil back to the sump like a V or inline engine would, and Im officially out of ideas on how to do something as basic as checking the oil on this thing. Just a little bit of background to help with things, it does not leak or burn oil (the head gaskets were done a few years ago shortly after my stepfather purchased the car, and there is no smoke, smell, or indication that it is burning an abnormal amount of oil.) Also according to records and testimony from previous owners the oil was always changed regularly, and has been as long as it has been in the possession of me and my family. I've had this problem during the five or so years my stepfather had this car, and the two years that I have had it. Are there any suggestions anyone can offer up on checking the oil in EJ's? I appreciate any advice or help I can get!

I've seen a lot of avocation for the usual oil weights and blah blah blah. Has anyone used HD40 during the summer in your wheeler EA's? I'm liking the idea, we run steady high rpm's, idle for long periods of time, and don't shut the vehicles down. Everything the oil is designed for. SAE40 is on the recommended weight list from Subaru by the way, for above 60F.

Hello all! I am posting because I'm trying to figure out exactly what is going on with my engine in my Loyale. For a while now, I have been having oil in my air box and intake snorkel. I have done a lot of work on this engine already, and with a baby on the way, I need it more reliable than ever. I'm due for a tune-up, but I don't want to spend money on an air filter and spark plugs when they're just going to get ruined again. Here's my issue: I have oil coming into my air box, and a pretty decent amount at that too. The whole bottom half of my air filter is covered in oil, with it puddling up at the bottom. The whole rubber intake snorkel going to the throttle body is coated with oil on the inside, pooling up in the grooves of it. My throttle body and inside my intake manifold remain clean, however. When I engine brake down long hills is when it seems to be happening, since when I get to the bottom of the hill and touch the gas, I get a cloud of blue smoke out the exhaust (temporarily), oil burning smell, the engine hesitates, and then goes back to normal when the oil is burned off. Going up hills and normal flat driving don't yield any abnormalities, and I can't see any blue smoke out the exhaust (from the rear view mirror). First things first, I took care of the obvious. Replaced the PCV valve with a genuine Subaru one and replaced all the PCV hoses. The T connections are free and clear, and I even have the updated design with the blue T fitting, and it's installed properly (don't have the T fittings switched around). I also have taken care of just about every single vacuum line in the engine bay since most were hard and cracking. When I replaced everything, the problem still continued, though arguable it got a little better, just a little. So the mystery is why is it still doing this? Just the other day I removed all the lines and PCV valve, made sure where the PCV valve goes into the intake manifold is free and clear. I have cleaned all the hoses and air box, but after just a drive or two, it goes back to the condition it's in now. Oil in the air box and intake snorkel, oil coated PCV lines lined on the inside with milky residue, similar to what you would find on an oil cap on an engine with head gasket issues. I presume this is just condensation, and it's worth noting that the oil cap has been replaced (it doesn't rattle; it seals properly) and it has no milky residue whatsoever. The oil in my air box becomes so much that it leaks out the bottom, spilling oil on my frame rail right underneath the air filter and eventually going onto the ground. What is this telling me? With all the basics covered and what all my extensive research has yielded, one can simply pass this off as blow-by. This doesn't make me a happy camper because again, I have a baby on the way so I can't have things like leaking piston rings. I had the piston rings go out on my old Loyale and I don't want to deal with that after the baby is born, so I'm trying to take care of things ASAP and fix everything properly, so my car is the last of my worries and I can focus my attention on the baby. So let's get into further diagnostics! I have a vacuum gauge hooked up in my car, and it reads perfectly. Like, I have not seen a vacuum gauge give more ideal readings on an engine. At idle when warmed up, it sits beautifully at around 22-23", like it should. The vacuum gauge is very responsive to throttle inputs and never fluctuates or crazy needle vibrations (my old Loyale had erratic readings on the vacuum gauge, indicating piston ring issues, and sure enough they went out on me). So according to the vacuum gauge, my engine is in good shape, at least the bottom end is. Today I did a compression test on the engine to see if it would yield any interesting results, and sure enough it did. The two cylinders on the passenger side of the engine (2 & 4) came out both at exactly 120 psi. However, the two cylinders on the driver's side (1 & 3) came out to exactly 60 psi. Obviously something is going on with that side of the engine. First idea for this would be my exhaust leak. The exhaust studs on that driver side cylinder head are completely messed up. When I bought the car, one exhaust stud was missing and the hole was oversized. Last time I had the engine out, the other stud decided to break off in the block. With careful attention to detail and help from coworkers at the shop I was working at, the best I could do was drill a hole in the broken stud, but we kept breaking drill bits because it was so hardened. Currently, the exhaust is barely being held on on that head, but it's sketchy to say the least. Bottom line, if I unbolt the exhaust, I don't know if I'll be able to get it to tighten again. I need a new cylinder head on that side to fix the problem, but I've been putting it off since I don't want to deal with all that work. So I have a minor exhaust leak from the bottom of that cylinder head (as well as a muffler about to fall off, getting a new one next paycheck though), and I'm not sure if that would affect compression test results but it is worth noting. My question is, where do I go from here? Obviously my next step is a leak down test, but it might be a short while before I can get my hands on a leak down tester and air compressor (might be able to do it at the shop I work at, but finding time is hard). So I'm looking for some advice as to what it might be. I am more than happy to throw "new" (used, but machined) heads on the engine and do the head gaskets, but if it's the piston rings, I'd be looking at changing out the long block since I don't have the tools or extra money to rebuild the block. I would much, much, much rather do the head gaskets. It'd be nice to know that they've been done and I've got a lot of new parts on this engine (replaced just about every oil seal/gasket, brand new lifters, timing belts, etc.) so it would already make the job that much easier/cheaper. Oh yeah, last thing to mention is oil and coolant consumption. I do not lose any coolant, as the coolant level in both the radiator and the overflow reservoir stay steady and topped off. However, even after replacing all the oil leaks, I do lose oil. About 1 quart every 1800 miles or so. Usually by the time I do my oil change at 3000, I have had to add about a quart and a half. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. If it's blow-by, that means my rings are shot, yeah? If that's the case, then why is my vacuum gauge reading perfectly fine? Even if it was my valves having issues, that would be obvious on the vacuum gauge. So assuming the gauge is telling me the right things, then that means that I'll be needing to do the head gaskets and throw on some rebuilt heads with good valves and seals. But if THAT is the case, why is oil getting into my PCV and intake? The only thing I can think of is the valve seals letting oil in or something, but again, I feel like I would notice that on the vacuum gauge. Now I've never done a head gasket job before so I could be ignorant about small details inside the head that can cause things like this, but it's not outside my realm of what I can do/learn. Would the exhaust leak on that cylinder head affect compression reading? Would I fix the compression by replacing the head and fixing the exhaust? If so, how/why would that affect the oil getting in my intake? Any help is appreciated, even if it's just spit balling an idea. The baby is due in July and I'm trying to get this thing running like a top by the beginning of summer so I don't have to worry about my car. I could, and might, install an oil catch can just to ease the stress on the engine, but like I said, I like to get things done properly instead of just bypassing the issue. Thank you so much for reading all of this, I know it was a lot. I just try and give as many details as I can. I work as a technician and I know the smallest details can affect diagnostics a lot. Grant

Hello, me again. I was out doing some winter readying on our 2010 Outback (128,000 miles / 206,000 km). Since we just got it this year I wanted to check the spark plugs to see if I needed to change them before the winter. Open them up and oil in the wells. Alright need to change the seals, going to be a big pain in the butt but can likely do it myself. I had to do it on a 2001 Legacy before so I have the general idea. I think it leaked because there was too much oil. I had checked the oil level after getting it and it was a little high but didn't see any issues otherwise, though there has been a possible few drops on the driveway and when I was under it today to change the oil, the filter was pretty oily. I've been searching the forum for the past bit and see some varying and in a couple instances conflicting advice. That leads me to three questions: 1) How much of a pain is it to change the spark plug tube seals on a 2010 Outback? Any advice? 2) Is there anything else I should change while I'm changing the spark plug tube seals? 3) What else should I check for possible damage from too much oil? This would have been driving for several months. Thank you in advance everyone. I hope nothing is royally screwed up on it!

Thanks in advance to those of you reading this post... I've got a 'new to me' 04 Forester I just bought from a local Subaru Dealer, Performance Subaru in Chapel Hill, NC. It does have some character that I failed to notice prior to my purchase. A missing fuel door release handle cover, missing rear head rests, loose console latch. Ah,blinded by the excitement of being a potential Subaru owner! I had a week to get an independent inspection, post-purchase. The dealer said they would fix any significant issues, but are confident in their own thorough, in-house inspection. So, I just had a highly respected foreign car shop in town complete an inspection (Auto Logic). Auto Logic caught all of the aforementioned character flaws that I did not notice, nor which were pointed out to me during my extended, very indecisive negotiation with the dealer upon purchase. So, win for Auto Logic. They also discovered a few other issues: 1. The head gaskets are showing signs of oil seepage. An issue that they said is not urgent, but will need to be addressed down the road, as expected with Subarus. 2. The spark plug wells have oil in them. They are saying we must replace the spark plugs and spark plug valve cover gaskets (estimate $400-$500). 3. Battery is low with respect to ccas (440 of 550) and has the potential to fail in cold weather. I realize it's just a battery, but still worth noting in my opinion. The conundrum: The dealer says the first thing their mechanics look for are leaky head gaskets since it's a known Subaru issue. Had they seen anything described above when they originally inspected, particularly with head gaskets, it would have failed as a candidate for their lot and would have gone straight to auction. They are also saying the battery was tested in the same manner the shop did and it was not problematic. The Dealer Mechanic said to stop by to discuss these issues, but I am skeptical of the outcome. I hope they will take an actual, physical look again, but their lack of enthusiasm is concerning, and they remarked that I already got a 'big discount' (original sticker price, all told after dealer fees, registration, taxes, etc. was ~$7500, I ended up at $6600). So, Battle of the Mechanics. How would you recommend one who is uneducated with respect to all things automotive and mechanical proceed in this situation? Thanks in advance! Kari

My 2004 Subaru Outback wagon failed inspection today due to an oil leak. I saw the oily mess under the front end. They cleaned all the oil off the underside and put in UV dye to diagnose the leak. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow for a diagnosis, but I suspect they're going to "diagnose" something super expensive and possibly, totally unnecessary. Why? Because the very first thing they suggested was, "it's probably the head gasket." The head gasket was replaced at 140k miles in 2012 by a Subaru dealership I trust (in another state.) Since then, it's never overheated (never even close!) no white smoke, no coolant issues at all, no chocolate-milky oil goop, no head gasket symptoms. It's at 190k miles now, and the oil was changed just last week. (In another state at my parent's mechanic, he mentioned an oil leak but said it was "nothing serious.") Attached is a photo of the area they cleaned (I drove it 5 miles, took picture.) Can anyone point to a more likely source of the oil leak? I'd like to go in there tomorrow having a clue, but I can't even identify the parts in the photo. That's the oil pan, right? Could it honestly be the head gasket again? So soon? Help? Advice? Pity?

I recently took my 2012 Subaru Forester X 4 2.5L to a mechanic, for an annual checkup. They found oil in the coolant reservoir, and told me they suspect a faulty head gasket. In their own words: I took the car to the dealer since it is still just barely under warranty (58.5k miles out of 60k that are warranty-covered). The dealer took the car in, and after a while responded that they think the PCV connector has a leak in it, which cases the oil to get into the cooling system. In their words: I called back my mechanic who was extremely surprised and said that what the dealership described is not possible mechanically. I am now completely lost and not sure who is wrong. Can anyone weigh in based on the data I presented? Thanks!

I have an oil leak (maybe multiples) coming from my 96 subaru impreza outback 2.2L (268,000 miles). There was gunk and dirt and oil pretty much everywhere so to help find the leak we cleaned everything up with degreaser. After driving it around I found no signs of dripping but I am getting lots of smoke off my exhaust especially where the connector is. I'm thinking it could be a main seal or separator plate or perhaps even a differential leak but nothing is obvious so I'm quite unsure without any real knowledge of what to do next. In the last 4k miles I've only had to add a quart of oil to the car which doesn't seem like a lot given how much it has been smoking. The diff oil was slightly low as well as the tranny fluid but both within range. Any suggestions on what to do now?

Hey guys my wife uses our '84 ea81 brat as a dd to she was coming home oil pressure dropped from 50psi where it normally sits to under 25psi she pulled over popped the hood and there was oil every where so she got it towed home i got to looking and theres oil underneath from tip to tail, and theres a tiny bit of coolant coming off the front of the motor, the oil looks to be coming from either the front main seal or oil pump water pump area same place the coolant is dripping, but theres so much oil i can't see where its coming from, theres even oil on all 4 wheels ajd brakes literally every where any input would be nice as this is her dd. Thanks guys.

Hi All, We've just created an in-depth tutorial on changing the oil on your EJ201 2007 Subaru Impreza. We thought the members of USMB would find it useful. Tools Required Socket Set Flathead Screwdriver (To remove clips) Trolley Jack and Axle Stands Oil Pan See the guide in full here!

I've had a problem in the past with cam shaft oil seals working their way out and laying loose on the shaft. They seemed to fit plenty tight in the bore during installation, as expected. What's the deal with this, and is their a good preventive measure to stop it happening again? Adhesive,....? It looks like I have increasing oil leaks and need to do these again, and probably the crank seal as well. Hope I can get it out. Thanks.