So my 05 WRX is coming up on the 24k service and I have an appointment made. Now I brought up with the dealer that I want to do the oil change and also the tranny and both differentials all of which I would provide the fluids, I'm planning on

Royal Purple 5w30 for the engine

Redline 75w90 GL-5 for the diff's

Uncle Scotty's cocktail- Which I will premix in a 1gallon jug to give to the dealer

The dealer has already showed some nervousness about it and I told him that I'm doing it because I have a hard time getting into 1st gear and reverse and that I've read that this mix would help since the OEM fluid doesn't seem to be cutting it. He's hesitant but he said he'll do it but as far as warranty, he can't give any if something happens which is almoat like saying that my warranty is voided.

Anyways, Is there another alternative that I can go with regarding fluids? Why am I not changing it myself? Because I work all week and the weekends are the only time I have with my car since I have it parked at my gf's house in LI while I live in Manhattan. Also, I have no garage and my gf only has a gravel driveway.

Also, would a STi oil filter fit and would it offer better filtration then the WRX filter? TIA

I used a plain stock 75w-90 from Advance Auto Parts and since then 1st gear is great.

I was thinking about that also as I've also read ppl that have used just Redline 75w90 in the tranny

There's a 24K service? Why not just use the OEM fluids and let them do it. OEM has never been a problem on mine. Why risk voiding warranty work on your transmission?

Because I went through Unabombers FAQ's regarding both the fluids and tranny and found symptoms much like mine and that they were usually resolved by using something OTHER then the OEM fluids, trust me, if I didn't have to then I wouldn't use anything but the OEM fluid but it is stated that in regards to the tranny, it actually has shown some improvement in engagement by using non-OEM fluid.

Read the Maintenance FAQ, there is no such thing as the 24,000 mile service. If it's not on www.subaru.com it's something your dealer is making up to fleece you.

Thoughts:

Royal Purple is a waste, go with cheaper stuff.
WRX and STi filter are identical
tranny and rear diff are done at 30k not 24k
you CAN do this stuff now if it makes you feel better, but it's a genuine waste unless you know you will miss the 30K due to a long trip or something.
you can use Uncle Scotty's cocktail as SOA would have to prove the fluid did something wrong in your tranny. Burden of proof is on them and your dealer has ZERO say in warranty work, that is up to the SOA service writer who does not work for the dealer and could give a rip about what they say.

This is taken directly from My.Subaru Acct

24000 miles / 24 month service
27000 miles / 27 month service
30000 miles / 30 month service

I don't think that I'll miss the 30k service but I figure if it's there and I have the oppurtunity then why not? Also, the earlier I start, in my head I feel that it makes it less likely for something to happen as opposed to waiting an extra 6k miles you know. Obviously it is not something I NEED to do, I just think if I can do it now as sort of a preventative maintnence thing then sure.

I've heard ppl having problems with Mobil 1 Syn which is what I usually use so Royal Purple was always a second I wanted to try.

As for the diff, should I do just the rear or both the front and the rear?

And is it awkward for me to walk into the dealership with a pre-mixed jug of the cocktail lol :p

:lol:

Notice I said www.subaru.com? my.subaru.com is NOT www.subaru.com, that is a subaru site that is used in conjunction with dealers who fill that out willy-nilly. I STILL get mailings from my dealer to come in for my 73,415 mile service. :lol:

http://www.subaru.com/owners/schedules/index.jsp?navid=SCHEDULE_2005

This is the Mecca/Bible/Lord Arisen/Cadillac/Gold Standard/Other Cliche of Subaru maintenance. NOTHING trumps the information on this page. Why is it on there as it is? It's mandated by the Federal Trade Commission.

You can do the service earlier mind you, but you just bumped every service onto the new schedule, so it's hurting you in the long run.

Motor oil is motor oil, use what you like really. Wesson Oil, Mobil1, OMFGBBQ Oil....it's all the same.

Your front diff is inside your tranny, so tranny fluid=front diff fluid all at the same time.

Go in there with a jug, those dudes won't care as it saves them probably $20 in oil (which you'll never see back).

Ahhh, well noted Unabomber, thanks for the info. Since I have the oils for the cocktail coming in I'm probably just gonna ahead and do it but I'll reserve the rear diff for the 30k service. Thanks!

you can use Uncle Scotty's cocktail as SOA would have to prove the fluid did something wrong in your tranny.
That would be a piece of cake. $20 and a used transmission oil analysis. Although someone could spend $20 and do a virgin oil analysis to see if it might hold up as well as straight GL5 oil.

I've heard ppl having problems with Mobil 1 Syn which is what I usually use so Royal Purple was always a second I wanted to try.
The viscosity drops fairly quickly with RP 30 weights. You'll have a 20 weight in no time!

-Dennis

Ok, so maybe I'll try Redline engine oil then.

The cocktail you are going to use will definately void your drivetrain waraanty i.e. transmission. Why do you want to go againt Subaru.com and void your waraanty and to do it early?? Sounds like a rethink is in order. JMO Ed

1- They would have to prove that the cocktail is the cause of any mishaps in order to void my warranty as stated by Unabomber no?

2- Is the 6k mile difference really that much that I can't do it early? I don't understand how doing it early will void my warranty and also, If it wasn't for the fact that my tranny symptoms are exactly the same as others who have had it fixed by using the cocktail or just straight redline fluid, of course I'd keep the stock fluid. Do you have any recommendations then as to what I can do about the difficult 1st and reverse gear if by your opinion I should stay with the OEM fluid. I hate having to force it into 1st and reverse just about all the time.

Why do I feel like there is conflicting information being given out here.

1- They would have to prove that the cocktail is the cause of any mishaps in order to void my warranty as stated by Unabomber no?

2- Is the 6k mile difference really that much that I can't do it early? I don't understand how doing it early will void my warranty and also, If it wasn't for the fact that my tranny symptoms are exactly the same as others who have had it fixed by using the cocktail or just straight redline fluid, of course I'd keep the stock fluid. Do you have any recommendations then as to what I can do about the difficult 1st and reverse gear if by your opinion I should stay with the OEM fluid. I hate having to force it into 1st and reverse just about all the time.

Why do I feel like there is conflicting information being given out here.

What if using Scotty's mix doesn't fix your tranny issues? It will be a battle to get warranty work done after that. Since your car is under warranty, show the dealer the problems you're having and have them fix it. Of course they'll probably come back and say it's "normal".

Another suggestion I have: instead of going all out with the cocktail, several people including myself have has great luck with running just 1 qt. of the sychromesh with the rest of the fill being dino gear oil. After your service, if your tranny doesn't improve, drain a qt. out and fill it back with syncromesh. Give it 500 miles or so and the tranny should start feeling better. At least this way it could be easier to avoid warranty problems.

Sounds like a plan, I'll have the dealer look at the tranny regarding the difficult shifting and then we'll go from there. Guess I'll just sell off the ingredients of the cocktail to a local then since I won't be using it.

1- They would have to prove that the cocktail is the cause of any mishaps in order to void my warranty as stated by Unabomber no?

2- Is the 6k mile difference really that much that I can't do it early? I don't understand how doing it early will void my warranty and also, If it wasn't for the fact that my tranny symptoms are exactly the same as others who have had it fixed by using the cocktail or just straight redline fluid, of course I'd keep the stock fluid. Do you have any recommendations then as to what I can do about the difficult 1st and reverse gear if by your opinion I should stay with the OEM fluid. I hate having to force it into 1st and reverse just about all the time.

Why do I feel like there is conflicting information being given out here.

They don't have to prove anything. They can deny service and it's up to you to hire a lawyer ( at $300 an hour). Even if you took it to arbitration I bet they could make a pretty good case that your tranny failed because you put some kind of "cocktail" into it. Especially since it would all be documented. They might be more friendly with it if you gave them the bottles instead of coming in with some jug of "mystery oil".

you can use Uncle Scotty's cocktail as SOA would have to prove the fluid did something wrong in your tranny. Burden of proof is on them and your dealer has ZERO say in warranty work, that is up to the SOA service writer who does not work for the dealer and could give a rip about what they say.

I'm just going by what is said here, this is why I feel like there is conflicting info being given. Some of you say that this will instantaneously void my warranty, others are saying that it has to be proven in order to void the warranty. So when does one find the time to actually use this cocktail?!

I just don't want the trouble of having to force my shifter into 1st and reverse anymore.

Dont believe me or anyone else. Call/visit your dealer and say:

Mr service manager, lets say I come in with a busted tranny, can you roughly step me through the warranty repair process from start to finish? Then later when you PM me saying I was right, you and I can laugh like school girls.

Who says I don't laugh like that now lol. I'm gonna have the dealer look at the tranny first and if they feel it's warranted, to have them replace the fluid, if that still doesn't help then I'm gonna have my mechanic replace it with the cocktail. What they don't know won't hurt them right?

There's a 24K service? Why not just use the OEM fluids and let them do it. OEM has never been a problem on mine. Why risk voiding warranty work on your transmission? ....apparently, not all dealers will use factory fluids to replace what they drain. While that may be fine for things like the brakes & motor, it seems as though the 5MT can be a bit more picky.

Personally, I experienced a 1st gear grind after my 30k service at my local dealer. A combination of laziness and a hectic schedule meant that I would put up with it until my next oil change @ 60k miles (I simply rowed the shifter through 2nd before engaging 1st to avoid the "crunch"). Although I knew about the success of Scotty's mix, I had also read about others who were quite happy after trying the factory Extra-S fluid. I figured I would give it a go. ....so far so good. :)

Well I spoke with one of the mechanics at the dealer my car is going to and his advice was that the factory fluid may not resolve the issue I'm having but to let them check it out. He said worse case scenerio, if it's nothing that they can determine wrong then to use the cocktail but have it installed aome place other then the dealer to avoid any potential warranty issues but he also said the if I was just changing out the fluid say from conventional to synthetic, they can't void my warranty for that anyways.

...you already have the ingredients for the cocktail coming so I would definitely try that. A search through these forums will show that it's a popular choice and has had more success than not. The factory gear oil is expensive and inconvinient for most folks (the smallest available container is a 20 liter drum which typically sells for around $140).

This is taken directly from My.Subaru Acct

24000 miles / 24 month service
27000 miles / 27 month service
30000 miles / 30 month service


That schedule is based on changing oil every 3000 which is more often than even Subaru's severe service interval (which is 3750). If you drive the car only in Manhattan traffic it might be a good idea to do it that often, but otherwise its a waste of money.

1- They would have to prove that the cocktail is the cause of any mishaps in order to void my warranty as stated by Unabomber no?

See post #10. Heck, you're in Manhattan. Put 10k miles on the cocktail and then drive to my house and I'll prove that it doesn't meet Subaru specs. ;) A lot of it depends on the driver. Some people can go 100,000 miles on straight synchromesh. It depends on how much you want to gamble.

-Dennis

I love how subaru's site doesnt sa a single thing about an Alingment in the be all end all maintenance guide.