I went to the local Subaru dealership to pick up an oil filter for my '05 RS for it's first oil change. They gave me a tiny looking Subaru filter with part number SCI530009. The parts guy commented that they just switched to a smaller filter...

The part numbers that I see here refers to AA060 and AA080?

This thing looks just tiny....I haven't had a chance to look under my car to check the filter since it is -20C right now.

I believe the new, tiny, filters are WRX specific, but we'll let someone else post up.

There is a HUGE oil filter thread in the 'stickies' at the top of this forum....read it, love it, live it.......

There is a HUGE oil filter thread in the 'stickies' at the top of this forum....read it, love it, live it.......

The first thing I did was read the sticky...but all that is there is the reference to the change from A060 to A080 (and A100). The filter that I have does not have any of those numbers. Looking at the filter again I see that it is made in Canada and has "Subaru Canada" stamped on it...I guess the part numbers are different up here.

Scotty -- gettin on the RS boys I see -- see ya at On Tap when you get the Kong back in Melbourne again ;)

Sounds like you got the USDM 080 filter but thats the canadian part number you have, AFAIK the the n/a motors are still using the 060, so you will need the 060 canadian equivilent.

The part numbers in the oil filter thread are the us part numbers, the candian part numbers will be different.

what color is the filter you got? the 080 in the US is black, and made in Japan, by tokyo roki (sp?), and is very small in size.

Maybe in SOC is using the small filter on all its cars, dunno.

Jay

Agreed...and those turbo filters are quite a bit more expensive than the filters that your car takes.

I went in a couple weeks ago and they handed me the same thing for my MY04 2.5RS...

they said subaru has switched to this ridiculously small oil filter... I asked the parts guy if he had any larger ones left in stock and took it instead...

You have the right filter it just looks all wrong!

later
Daniel

ps I'm hoping two dealers in different provinces aren't wrong!

Finally got around to changing the oil...it was "only" -12C tonight...

Anyways, the stock filter that came with my '05 2.5RS wagon is indeed the small filter (A100) that is now used in the WRX, per Sticky above, not the A060 filter.

http://img19.exs.cx/img19/9864/blackfilter5si.jpg

The filter from the dealership (SCI530009) is the same size but the construction of the Japanese filter looks to be better (seal has round x-section vs the typical square). I picked up a filter for my Passat 1.8T also since the dealerships were next to each other. VW went the opposite direction in terms of filter size, after problems with oil sludge clogging things up.

http://img142.exs.cx/img142/3128/whitefilter8da.jpg

Any wonder I was nervous after getting that tiny filter for my 2.5RS?

Subaru ships all the cars with the tiny filter (AA080/AA100), but the turbo models are the only ones that should continue using them. NA cars should use the AA060.


Brian

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Subaru ships all the cars with the tiny filter (AA080/AA100), but the turbo models are the only ones that should continue using them. NA cars should use the AA060.


Brian

And the reason would be?

yeah I just picked up a few filters and got the tiny sci530009, it does look all wrong.
why would we go back to a bigger one though as said by North Ursailia?

Well, it's cheaper.

I thought the whole reason they thought they switched to the smaller filter was due to a clearance issue(for heat) on the turbo blocks. They have never come out and said it needs replacement.

I'd check the 05 RS service manual and see what it states is the Subaru replacement part for the EJ25 NA engine. If they still allow the AA060, and it's cheaper, that would be the logical choice.

Maybe they just use the AA100 on the new cars to simplify parts availability on the line.

Well, it's cheaper.

I thought the whole reason they thought they switched to the smaller filter was due to a clearance issue(for heat) on the turbo blocks. They have never come out and said it needs replacement.

I'd check the 05 RS service manual and see what it states is the Subaru replacement part for the EJ25 NA engine. If they still allow the AA060, and it's cheaper, that would be the logical choice.

Maybe they just use the AA100 on the new cars to simplify parts availability on the line.

I'd be very interested to see what the correct filter for the 05 RS is! Thanks for looking.

The filter from the dealership (SCI530009) is the same size but the construction of the Japanese filter looks to be better (seal has round x-section vs the typical square).
I wouldn't consider a round o-ring to seal better than a square one (hence my distaste for the OEM filters).

Resurrecting an old post here... the SCI530009 is just a private label FRAM.

There's a post on IWSTI by Wolfplayer that has pics and when you compare the two - it's obvious it's a FRAM.

Based on the data he gathered cutting them apart etc, he rated it as one of the worst of the bunch. Ugh. I just bought a case of them from the local dealer. I think I'll be taking them back and start looking for a deal on the Tokyo Roki's...

Andrew