Oil consumption on new Forrester

[AHNC]

First post here and glad to have found this place. My daughter has a 2015 4 cyl Forrester. 32k miles. Apparently, this is a known problem. Our independent shop mechanic has had several customers with recent Subaru's getting new engines. She has been into the dealer and her car falls just outside the Vin # Oil Consumption Test which apparently is the new motor trigger. She took it into the dealer at 27k miles. Dealer agreed that it was an oil consumption issue, but being out of the vin range they won't do the test. I should point out that my girls knows how to deal with people that try to blow her off. The dealer said, "Bring it in every 1200 miles". Sure, she is self employed and works her rump roast off so that isn't happening. What would you suggest as a way to deal with this?

 

I should add that this car has been a problem with a lot of little things. Trim falling off, tailgate randomly opens (be out of town at a hotel and come out in the morning with the tailgate open and this is not uncommon), and on and on. To bad really, we have always bought Subs because of good quality and good value.

 

 

[gbrand]

my 2012 2.5 na Forester does use oil-have been racking, just got done with 800 mile trip and used 1/2 Q. seems to be about average rate that seems excessive, but does vary-will post my detail and I need to type up and at least make a record of a complaint to SUBARU. got 2 yr ago at 58K now has about 76K

[GeneralDisorder]

Typical. All you can do is complain. If they don't fix it then you will have to replace the short block or try a new set of rings. Both are very, very expensive jobs.

 

GD

[1 Lucky Texan]

contact SOA - dealer will do nothing outside the guidelines without the OK from a Regional Rep or Mother Subie.

[GreaseMonkey03]

Very common. The customers that come in with the oil light on are usually past there maintenance interval. In other words, they're neglecting the oil changes. Can she check her own oil every 1500 miles or so and top off as needed? Just don't over fill, the new subarus have a warning light for that that doesn't seem to go away unless reset with a scanner. It's a pain, but it'll keep the motor running and hopefully Subaru does something for you eventually.

[Stevo F]

hHis was a common problem on 2012- 2013 FB series engines, not as common, but not unheard of on 2014's and later. I guess I'm lucky in that 2014 Impreza doesn't use any oil.

[ronk]

Still an issue as late as 2014 Forester...

 

Burning a quart in a thousand they said is normal.  Let's stay on that train of thought, burn a quart in a thousand and by 7k oil change you are empty. 

 

How to rectify issue.

 

1. complain to service writer ( at this point they will do an oil change and mark dip stick)

2. they will tell you drive a thousand miles and come back for them to verify.

  2a. this is the important part. (Check the oil before you go there and take a picture of dipstick.)

  2b. when they ask tell them that you DID NOT CHECK THE OIL BEFORE BRINGING IT IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. they will take the car into service have their tech add a quart and say look no problem

4. get new long block for free because you caught them in a horrific lie.

  4a.  If you do not have the intestinal fortitude to do that call your son, friend whoever and asked them what they found when they checked the oil for you and have second party send over the picture.

 

Bad News though, the new long blocks with the upgraded rings or whatever they claim to have done gets a few miles to the gallon less than the old two-stroke they pulled out.

 

 

OH yeah, not saying that this has been done, might if seen it in a movie or something don't quite remember ;-)

[GeneralDisorder]

It's typical. Honestly people are way too caught up in the oil consumption thing.

 

You actually lose a lot of money from dropping the fuel economy by installing high tension rings vs. just adding some oil every 1k mikes. The oil is far less expensive than the lost fuel economy.

 

The only mistake Subaru made was in not increasing the oil capacity and changing the dipstick to not read low till multiple quarts down.

 

In the quest for reducing friction, oil consumption is here to stay. It shouldn't have the negative connotation that it had in decades past. It's a good thing - it saves you money. These early engines just need the oil level checked more often.

 

GD

[1 Lucky Texan]

kinda reminds me of all the dieseling and knock cars did in the late 70s and 80s - they told us it was "the sound of economy" lol!

 

  they brag about a 5% increase in FUEL economy but they're ashamed to tell folks they're gonna burn oil 300% faster than before!, the LEAST they could have done is WARN people that they must check their oil more frequently. And why doesn't the maintenance schedule have a 1,000 mile interval with an 'I' to inspect the oil level?


still, if this is the new normal, some of us old guys will struggle to adapt!

Edited June 25, 2017 by 1 Lucky Texan

[GeneralDisorder]

It is the new normal.

 

No matter how you sex it up, if you tell customers about oil consumption you will lose a certain type of buyer. They will run in fear.

 

But yeah it's now the new normal. Welcome to the future.

 

GD

[lmdew]

I've always tell people, check the oil at every gas fill.  You are there waiting on the tank to fill, Pop the hood and check the fluids and take a good look at the engine.  Easy!

[GeneralDisorder]

I've always tell people, check the oil at every gas fill. You are there waiting on the tank to fill, Pop the hood and check the fluids and take a good look at the engine. Easy!

I tell everyone this.

 

Fortunately for me, people in Oregon don't pump their own gas, and also don't listen to me, and end up coming to me for engine replacements because they ran it out. Hey a man's got to eat. I tell them to check it and show them how. I can only do so much. They never listen anyway. I get to replace their engine AND tell them "I told you so....".

 

I make engines not burn oil for people all the time. It's not to their benefit financially but it's what they want. They lose fuel economy but they take enormous pride in having an engine that uses no oil. Whatever. I sell what people want. And on the older engines it is caused by oil control ring carbon buildup.

 

People want them to be quiet (no piston slap) and not consume oil. I can do this. But at the cost of friction.

 

And to be totally honest - none of my customers seem to give a crap about fuel economy. They don't even notice or seem to care. As long as it uses no oil and makes no noise it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

 

This situation may be the end of the line for the boxer engine arrangement. I can build an inline 4 that has almost no ring drag and burns very little oil. Subaru engines have to have a lot of ring friction because they get no gravity assist with cylinder wall drainage. I built my first 4G63 (2005 EVO) engine about a year ago and the Cosworth internals would allow you to turn the engine easily by hand just by grabbing the crank snout. It made near 400 AWHP from a 2.0 displacement with no effort. That's near 500 crank HP. It turns 9,000 RPM and has a power band from 4000 to 9000. It's ridiculous....

 

GD

Edited June 25, 2017 by GeneralDisorder

[Numbchux]

I'm not in service, so I don't know much about warranty stuff...

 

 

But, I do know that we have replaced short blocks under warranty for several cars that weren't in the VIN range. If it's feasible, you might want to try a different dealership. Or get Subaru of America involved. If the vehicle is under warranty, it should be covered....

[Mike104]

Sounds like Subaru needs to consider adding a "Low Oil Level" idiot light like as some other manufacturers have since many seem to not want to check the oil.  I'm old school so I check my oil frequently. Not every time I get gas but certainly once a month at least and before going on any long trips.

[forester2002s]

The 2017 Forester has both an "Low Oil Pressure Light", as well as a "Low Oil Level Light".

I don't know when Subaru first started including the Oil Level Light.

It would be interesting to know if this coincided with the use of low viscosity oil.

[matt167]

low oil level light started in the Legacy chassis around 2010 IIRC. Comes on at 1 qt down.

 

From experience, the MPG goes down 2-3 MPG with the replacement short block ( in a 2012 Impreza ). From 37 mpg to about 34-35 MPG. Not enough to write home about, but burning through a quart of $8 oil in 900 miles, unacceptable no matter how you look.

 

This isn't 1955 where there is an oil slick on the road from the draft tubes and filling the oil with the gas was deemed acceptable.

[Subaru Scott]

Yeah, even with my horrible math skills, close to 1 cent/mile in that instance is quite a bit more than what 2-3 mpg is saving. 

 

Ah yes, the blowby pipes. I still remember the brown stripes down the center of the road. 

[Numbchux]

Sounds like Subaru needs to consider adding a "Low Oil Level" idiot light like as some other manufacturers have since many seem to not want to check the oil.  I'm old school so I check my oil frequently. Not every time I get gas but certainly once a month at least and before going on any long trips.

 

All the FB cars have low oil lights, except 11-13 Foresters.

[golucky66]

All the FB cars have low oil lights, except 11-13 Foresters.

What the heck Subaru. Why don't the foresters get it! Lol

[wirelessenabled]

I bought a 2013 Outback that before I purchased it had oil consumption problems.  When I got it there were 500 miles on a new short block put in by the local dealer.  I have driven the car about 3000 miles and it has used less than 1/2 quart. 

 

I get 29 MPG on daily short trip driving and 31.5 MPG on the freeway at 74 MPH.