[bluzed91]

Greetings folks, there is an email posted over at SubaruOutback.org from Subaru corporate where they clearly state that 0W30 grade synthetic oil is permissible to be used in the FA24F engine.

I for one plan to use Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 in my recently purchased 2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness as many have shared UOA data using that oil in that engine that has proven, excellent results.

That is what I am currently running for the second straight OCI

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Greetings folks, there is an email posted over at SubaruOutback.org from Subaru corporate where they clearly state that 0W30 grade synthetic oil is permissible to be used in the FA24F engine.

LOL, really? Because, I've checked, and SoA said "No. The Owner's Manual is correct, and anything else is wrong". And I don't write some Customer Service Rep to get answers to my questions.

In Outback, they also go on about how Subaru Japan says weird things about using heavier weight oils for performance - they do not. I've translated the Owner's Manual and they say use 0W-20 or Performance 0W-20.

https://www.subaruoutback.org/posts/6566380/

I for one plan to use Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 in my recently purchased 2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness as many have shared UOA data using that oil in that engine that has proven, excellent results.

Be aware that Subaru may rightly deny engine related warranty claims if you do. I'd wait until your warranty is up before you do so.

 

[ifly021956]

Greetings folks, there is an email posted over at SubaruOutback.org from Subaru corporate where they clearly state that 0W30 grade synthetic oil is permissible to be used in the FA24F engine.

I for one plan to use Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 in my recently purchased 2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness as many have shared UOA data using that oil in that engine that has proven, excellent results.

What are these "excellent" results you're talking about?
Even when I'm towing a 4,600 hundred pounds camper, temps are fine, don't burn any oil, and my engine just purrs.

 

[Outback King]

What are these "excellent" results you're talking about?
Even when I'm towing a 4,600 hundred pounds camper, temps are fine, don't burn any oil, and my engine just purrs.

My main concern with this engine is not oil burn off but rather mechanical shearing which reduces the viscosity of the motor oil used below its acceptable range. That has been proven definitively on this website, SubaruOutback.org, BITOG, etc through used oil analysis.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

What are these "excellent" results you're talking about?
Even when I'm towing a 4,600 hundred pounds camper, temps are fine, don't burn any oil, and my engine just purrs.

The truth of the OAs has been that the engines have been performing in spec on 0W20, and a couple have not been on other weights.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

My main concern with this engine is not oil burn off but rather mechanical shearing which reduces the viscosity of the motor oil used below its acceptable range. That has been proven definitively on this website, SubaruOutback.org, BITOG, etc through used oil analysis.

That has NOT been proven. This is the second time you refer to something NOT proven over there.

 

[Scooter56]

My main concern with this engine is not oil burn off but rather mechanical shearing which reduces the viscosity of the motor oil used below its acceptable range. That has been proven definitively on this website, SubaruOutback.org, BITOG, etc through used oil analysis.

I will need to see true testing reports first before I switch oil weights. So far, I have not see ANY proof on this site. Show something like SAE, PQUI, or API testing results please.

 

[Outback King]

That has NOT been proven. This is the second time you refer to something NOT proven over there.

Here is one example from a thread on this site you have posted in several times:

https://www.ascentforums.com/posts/206173/

I'm not going to do all the legwork for you and you and/or anyone else is welcome to do your own research and make up your own mind. We have a big thread about this over at SubaruOutback.org and I will post a spreadsheet below with detailed results. BITOG has an entire sub-forum dedicated to this topic of discussion. YMMV

 

[Outback King]

I will need to see true testing reports first before I switch oil weights. So far, I have not see ANY proof on this site. Show something like SAE, PQUI, or API testing results please.

Logical fallacy: appeal to authority. I am sure that if those entities or any others that you would demand information from were to actually do whatever testing to meet your specific criteria you could simply dismiss it out of hand. If you would like them to do that testing according to your specific criteria YOU need to petition them until they do it and unless or until they do it, taking such a stance is irrelevant.

I'm not here to convince anyone, I came to this website to do research and I've been satisfied by what I found here. But if anyone here has already made up their mind and refuses to change that no matter what information is presented, I don't really care because your opinion doesn't matter to me. I do appreciate anyone who has shared their information because it has helped me become better informed and make better decisions.

 

[Scooter56]

Logical fallacy: appeal to authority. I am sure that if those entities or any others that you would demand information from were to actually do whatever testing to meet your specific criteria you could simply dismiss it out of hand. If you would like them to do that testing according to your specific criteria YOU need to petition them until they do it and unless or until they do it, taking such a stance is irrelevant.

I'm not here to convince anyone, I came to this website to do research and I've been satisfied by what I found here. But if anyone here has already made up their mind and refuses to change that no matter what information is presented, I don't really care because your opinion doesn't matter to me. I do appreciate anyone who has shared their information because it has helped me become better informed and make better decisions.

Blackstone only tests used oil, which can skew any testing, depending on the engine it was run in. The results you show are not from baseline testing.
True testing results can only be accurate by testing virgin oil to it's limits. That is the testing performed by SAE, PQUI, or API. It's a good thing you are not trying to convince me and others, be cause you haven't.

You can believe what you want, but I put my trust in the people who designed this engine. May we each continue to believe in our own opinions. There is no reason to prove my decision logic, as I am comfortable with my opinion. Enjoy your thoughts.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Here is one example from a thread on this site you have posted in several times:

https://www.ascentforums.com/posts/206173/

I'm not going to do all the legwork for you and you and/or anyone else is welcome to do your own research and make up your own mind. We have a big thread about this over at SubaruOutback.org and I will post a spreadsheet below with detailed results. BITOG has an entire sub-forum dedicated to this topic of discussion. YMMV

View attachment 27301

You were looking for confirmation bias. I have read every single oil analysis posted in this group and on the 55,000 strong Facebook group that I run.

Do what you want with your car, but be aware of that Subaru has declined engine related repairs because people chose the wrong oil.

Regardless, the conclusions you are coming up with are literally made up because you are confirmation biasing everything.

People should be very aware of that and do their own research to find out that it's true. Have a great weekend.

 

[Packard8]

My main concern with this engine is not oil burn off but rather mechanical shearing which reduces the viscosity of the motor oil used below its acceptable range. That has been proven definitively on this website, SubaruOutback.org, BITOG, etc through used oil analysis.

My thoughts are.....

IF you are running hard (towing etc in a hot climate), the 0-30W might have an advantage. However, I have trust in the engineering folks at SoA who will honor any warranty claims (or not) for engine failures. I've migrated from an Ascent to a WRX (same basic FA24DTi engine).

There is a lot of "teenage chatter" on the WRX forums on this subject. Many quote the JDM manual which "seems" to say 30W is OK, until you read the fineprint translation about "only for topping off when 0-20 full syn is not readily available."

I do OCIs of around 3K miles, with 0W-20 (Idemitsu oil at the dealer, via the Maintain the Love free OC program), so "High RPM Molecuar Shear" and "Fuel Dilution, plus H2O Condensation" aren't an issue with 3K mile OCIs (IMHO)
When the freebies expire, I'll do DIYs using Kirkland full syn 0-20 from Costco and the OEM Tokyo Riki filters, as I did with my Ascent.

Each oil change is only around $30 when I catch the oil on sale for $3/Qt.

Without picking nits on BITOG, I'll maintain my SoA Gold Plus 5/60 full warranty by reading and following the Owner's Manual and keeping receipts.

I sleep well at night.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

I just wanted to circle back to this, because I am thoroughly annoyed with how idiotic the AI Bots are (eg: Google, ChatGPT, and the rest) when it comes to technical info on the Ascent, driven by "technicians" who literally make stuff up.

People claim this is a "US Only" thing. That's nonsense.

We got the new generation FA and FB series before everyone else, because our model years can start orders often 10 months before the actual year, with deliveries shortly after, while in other countries, they often coincide with calendar years. On top of that, being Subaru's biggest market, we get some of the cool stuff first.

A rampant rumor is that Subaru uses 5W30 (and some people like to pretend even higher) in these new engines, everywhere but the US. That's false. Here's Subaru JAPAN, where, in the Outback (they don't sell the Ascent anywhere except North America and the Philippines), where they use solely 0w20 and 0w16. Yes, 0w16.

Here it is translated for you...

As a side note, in ALL of the NEW versions of the FA and FB series used in Legacy, Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, Levorg and Ascent/Evoltis, in EVERY major market (EU, Australia, Japan, Canada, United States), Subaru specs are 0w20 and/or 0w16.


Some horribly misinformed person started the 5w30 and higher weight oil rumors without bothering to check (and those rumors took off like wildfire)... so, I checked for myself.

There was a point where Japan was using thicker weight oils vs what we were using, and that was before they transitioned to the current FA and FB series. Also, even their 1.6's use 0w20 and/or 0w16.