I just bought a 2007 STI. I had another STI previously that burned Amsoil 5W-30 like crazy and I've heard Subarus don't like Mobil 1. I've done some searching and it seems that our cars prefer Rotella T6 5W-40, Royal Purple HPS 5W-30, or Motul 300V 5W-40. Post up what you use.
Rotella T6 for me and a large percentage of the members here. Amsoil and motul aren't bad either, but I haven't used either for motor oil. I wouldn't imagine that a certain oil would burn worse then another, unless it's way too thin. Sounds like a mechanical issue with your last sti.
Just changed today with T6. You're right, the cylinder walls were scored a bit on my last STI. It burned the Amsoil a lot until I switched to a heavier weight. Thanks for the reply, anyone else running something besides T6, Amsoil, or Motul?
I know it isn't exactly the answer you are looking for but... You can't go wrong with any of those choices. I'd rank them Motul and Amsoil Signature Series first, then T6, but T6 is darn cheap and close enough in performance that it be ranked above the other two....
I think i'll stick with the T6. I change every 3,000 anyway and it's hard to justify amsoil even at wholesale prices. Thanks for the input guys!
Eax Exactly ^^ OP- what are you wanting to hear? Tons of people on here with hundreds of years of combined WRX/ STI experience have said T6, AMSOIL, and Motul. You don't need anymore options. Or are you waiting until someone says Mobil 1 or something else because that's what you have your heart set on? Those last two options above are two of the best oils money can buy. T6 seems to "mix" very well with our engines, but I personally run AMSOIL. If you're very cost conscious and don't like research or figuring things out for yourself just run T6 and don't think (or post) about it anymore.
I know I'm in the minority, but I typically just run Valvoline/Castrol/Penzoil fully synthetic...never Mobil 1 though. In the 6 years of owning my wrx, I haven't noticed any sign of oil consumption. Oil changes come every 3K for me...4K at the very latest, but that's only been a couple of times.
I'm at almost 80k miles on my 07 wrx and I always use Valvoline Synpower 5w-30 and I don't have any oil consumption even going 5k miles between changes. I am sure most people have read this but it is a good write up about motor oil and engine wear and explains why just going to a higher grade (thicker) oil isn't necessarily the best thing to do just because of oil consumption concerns (although it can be the right solution depending on driving conditions. Track vs highway cruising etc). http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/ Basically you need to test the new oil in your car and monitor it regularly to make sure it behaves well with your engine at its current level of wear and your driving style. If it doesn't work out for whatever reason then try another until you find what works best for you and your engine.
Mobil 1 0w40 works great for me. Been using it in various STi's and our WRX for years. Walmart has it in 5qt jugs for about $25.
Been looking for Rotella T 5w40 and all I'm finding is synthetic... used to be able to buy it in non-synthetic everywhere... anybody heard anything?
Do yourself a favor and just get the synthetic one... Synthetics do much much better in cold weather, I really wouldn't use dino oil especially in the winter and especially in a turbo car.
It's only recommended for break-in that you run non-synthetic. I ran Rotella T 15-40 for my last break in. I've heard the mineral content has a higher shear rating for new engines, allowing for better ring seating. If you look at the content of Amsoil break-in blend, it has VERY high zinc and phosphorous levels.
I like non-synthetic because I change oil every 3k anyway, no advantage to synthetic except a lighter wallet.
There is an advantage to synthetic especially in cold weather. It is much thinner when things are this cold which reduces engine wear significantly. Read this: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/ "More confusion occurs because people think in terms of the oil thinning when it gets hot. They think this thinning with heat is the problem with motor oil. It would be more correct to think that oil thickens when it cools to room temperature and THIS is the problem. In fact this is the problem. It is said that 90 percent of engine wear occurs at startup. If we are interested in engine longevity then we should concentrate our attention at reducing engine wear at startup."
I'm not sure if I follow that logic, or agree with it at any rate... 5w40 is not exactly thick oil at even 40*, and mine rarely if ever drops below 60. It's in a heated garage at home and when I get to work I pull my work truck out and the car goes into the heated shop there... I could be wrong, but I don't see it being an issue.
I suppose if you always keep it heated it could be fine but what happens when you park outside at work or whatever? But even with identical 5w40 ratings the synthetic will be much thinner at cold temps. Im not saying you will destroy your engine or anything but just changing your oil more often won't make up for the downsides of dino oil, because breaking down and thinning out typically isn't the real problem except on heavily worn engines or in a track setting.
You could also pick and oil, use it, and then send it to Blackstone for an oil analysis: http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ They will tell you more than you ever needed to know about your oil and provide good recommendations.
So basically no, no one's heard anything about why I haven't been able to find the non-synthetic 5w40???
