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Old 01-10-2018, 11:35 PM   #1
Subluv
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Default Oil consumption question

I was wondering how much is a typical oil consumption rate I recently bought a new 2017 2.5l and im burning a lot of oil. My dealer says its normal
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Old 01-11-2018, 12:58 AM   #2
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Brand, brand new, like as in break in new, it's acceptable to eat some oil. But after the first thousand miles it shouldn't have oil consumption issues. How much oil is burning? What car do you have? How many miles/oil changes?
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Old 01-11-2018, 05:40 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GlarryHoodDIT View Post
Brand, brand new, like as in break in new, it's acceptable to eat some oil. But after the first thousand miles it shouldn't have oil consumption issues. How much oil is burning? What car do you have? How many miles/oil changes?
+1 on this. Almost every owners manual of various manufacturers I have ever read has an oil consumption disclaimer. Something like "It is normal for an engine to consume 15 gallons of oil between change intervals." The 15 gallons is sarcasm, but it is to cover their butts in the event you get a "burner" fresh off the lot new. I luckily have never had this issue, but I have had friends that have. I would check your owners manual, but usually the manual says like 1-2 quarts between changes, which in my opinion is unacceptable in this day and age. I could understand 30 years ago, but with the manufacturing technology and tolerances they can achieve today it is just bunk.
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Old 01-11-2018, 01:56 AM   #4
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As I understand it, Subaru has an "Oil Consumption test" you can request be done. There is also an acceptable limit of oil burning per miles that the dealer should be able to tell you.

Apparently this was an issue that was supposed to be fixed in 2016 from my research.
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Old 01-11-2018, 07:19 AM   #5
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The engine in the '17 is new compared with the FB20 from 2012-2016. With the older engine, the test is to change the oil and drive 1200 miles. If the level drops 10 ounces or more, the short block is replaced.

How many miles on the car? How much is "a lot of oil"? With the upside down oil filter, if you change the oil and add until it's at the top of the dipstick and don't recheck after the car runs, it's going to be down a bit and you should add enough to bring it up to level.
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Old 01-11-2018, 08:00 AM   #6
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Default Oil consumption question

2.5L is N/A Foz/Legacy/Outback but fill out your profile and provide more details please. Regardless, I believe this info is the same in all manuals.

• Engine Oil Consumption

Some engine oil will be consumed while driving. The rate of consumption can be affected by such factors as transmission type, driving style, terrain and temperature. Under the following conditions, oil consumption can be increased and thus require refilling between maintenance intervals:

• When the engine is new and within the break-in period.

...

Under these or similar conditions, you should check your oil at least every 2nd fuel fill-up and change your engine oil more frequently. Different drivers in the same car may experience different results. If your oil consumption rate is greater than expected, contact your authorized SUBARU retailer who may perform a test under controlled conditions."

Check the manual for all conditions listed.


https://stis.subaru.com/proxy/130146...A-BSTIS_16.pdf
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Old 01-11-2018, 09:05 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subluv View Post
I was wondering how much is a typical oil consumption rate I recently bought a new 2017 2.5l and im burning a lot of oil. My dealer says its normal
mine consumed oil up to about 4000 miles, decreasing gradually up to that point.
now at 52,000 it still consumes zero between 5k intervals

In it's first 800 miles (first change) it consumed a whole quart.
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Old 01-11-2018, 08:55 PM   #8
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I think subaru standard is 1/3qt per 1200 miles. If more than that it's considered excessive.
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Old 01-12-2018, 09:56 AM   #9
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My car is a 2017 crosstrek with about 6500 miles on it. The first 4000 miles it was burning about 1 quart every 1000 miles. It has lowes a little recently but not to an acceptable level. I have taken it back to my dealer and done the oil consumption test. Each time the dealer fills it over the top fill mark by about a quarter inch and it will be half way between the top and bottom mark when i bring it back in 1200 miles. The dealer says its fine and it's what Subaru do and they will refill it any time I bring it in.

Even of it is normal I agree in this day and age it is not acceptable. I also own a '66 Ford that leaks from every gasket and I still don't have to add oil between changes. I don't know what to do now.
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Old 01-12-2018, 12:28 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonwrx86 View Post
I think subaru standard is 1/3qt per 1200 miles. If more than that it's considered excessive.
Hmmmm....I think it's a quart of oil every 1000 miles. Your number is a quart every "normal oil change".

Quote:
Originally Posted by Subluv View Post
My car is a 2017 crosstrek with about 6500 miles on it. The first 4000 miles it was burning about 1 quart every 1000 miles. It has lowes a little recently but not to an acceptable level. I have taken it back to my dealer and done the oil consumption test. Each time the dealer fills it over the top fill mark by about a quarter inch and it will be half way between the top and bottom mark when i bring it back in 1200 miles. The dealer says its fine and it's what Subaru do and they will refill it any time I bring it in.

Even of it is normal I agree in this day and age it is not acceptable. I also own a '66 Ford that leaks from every gasket and I still don't have to add oil between changes. I don't know what to do now.
These are flat engines.....used in Subaru, Porsche, general aviation aircraft, etc. High oil consumption is part of flat engines compared to most other 4 cycle engines.
If you have never dealt with a flat engine, yes, oil burn tends to be higher than what you may be used to.
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Old 01-12-2018, 03:05 PM   #11
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Ok, so a 17 Crosstrek is exactly the same as my 13 Crosstrek. Give it several oil changes. Ours used a lot of oil at first and slowly got better. I will have the oil check done somewhere in the 90k mile area. Already gone through one expendable CVT. Once the warranty on it, extended by Subaru expires at 100k miles, that thing is gone. The FB20 is also warrantied to 100k miles because of the oil consumption settlement.

You've got a 2.0 by the way....not a 2.5.
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Old 01-12-2018, 07:56 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack View Post
Ok, so a 17 Crosstrek is exactly the same as my 13 Crosstrek. Give it several oil changes. Ours used a lot of oil at first and slowly got better. I will have the oil check done somewhere in the 90k mile area. Already gone through one expendable CVT. Once the warranty on it, extended by Subaru expires at 100k miles, that thing is gone. The FB20 is also warrantied to 100k miles because of the oil consumption settlement.

You've got a 2.0 by the way....not a 2.5.
Can you explain the last sentence. I was aware of the CVT warranty extension as I had a 15 Legacy but never found the 2.0 warranty extention. Are we talking the 2.0 Turbo here like in the WRX? I m a little confused as OPer seemed to be stating a 2.5 NA?
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Old 01-14-2018, 09:44 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by cerbomark View Post
Can you explain the last sentence. I was aware of the CVT warranty extension as I had a 15 Legacy but never found the 2.0 warranty extention. Are we talking the 2.0 Turbo here like in the WRX? I m a little confused as OPer seemed to be stating a 2.5 NA?
The OP's first post said mistakenly 2.5l and then later said they have a 2017 Crosstrek, which is a 2.0L N/A. This is an FB20 as is found in a 12-16 Impreza also. Impreza went to a new design 2.0 direct injected in 17 and Crosstrek in 18.

I don't know if there were design changes to solve the oil consumption issue during the run of FB engines.
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Old 01-12-2018, 08:20 PM   #14
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Surprisingly my '17 WRX has never used a measurable amount of oil since new. And it saw boost way before it should have according to manual. Not for any extended time a few seconds at most in low gears. It's been my experience rings babied too much lead to a weak seating and blowby.
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Old 01-12-2018, 11:41 PM   #15
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I realized right after I posted that I have the 2.0. And my spell check makes me sound illiterate so I apologize if I sound uninformed . I also have noticed in the past that cars that are babied seem to have more issues and not only Subarus. This o e has not been babied nor abused. It had 8 miles on it when we got it so it shouldnt have had much abuse before we got it. What is the consensus of the people out there, if the manual says 6000 miles for oil changes under normal conditions how many quarts is acceptable between oil changes. My opinion is that it should be none between. I have owned several other Subarus with no issues and they were perfect. I bought this for my daughter to take off to college and was hoping for trouble free times.
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Old 01-13-2018, 02:52 AM   #16
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Question Use NO oil in 6000 miles?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Subluv View Post

...if the manual says 6000 miles for oil changes under normal conditions how many quarts is acceptable between oil changes. My opinion is that it should be none between.
None? IMO, that's rather unrealistic with most any engine.
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Old 01-13-2018, 07:59 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subluv View Post
What is the consensus of the people out there, if the manual says 6000 miles for oil changes under normal conditions how many quarts is acceptable between oil changes. My opinion is that it should be none between. I have owned several other Subarus with no issues and they were perfect. I bought this for my daughter to take off to college and was hoping for trouble free times.
To start, I don't do extended changes, I tend to do 3-4K between changes.
Based on that, a quart added and maybe getting close to another one at change time.
So, 6K changes, 2 added and getting close at change time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vancouver98STi View Post
None? IMO, that's rather unrealistic with most any engine.
There are engines that don't go through much of any oil, but agreed, 6K miles and no add?
Type of oil, oil viscosity, miles on engine are all part of the consumption.
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Old 01-13-2018, 11:19 AM   #18
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So this is still a thing huh? They couldn't figure it out in almost 6 years?
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Old 01-13-2018, 11:29 AM   #19
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So this is still a thing huh? They couldn't figure it out in almost 6 years?
What, oil burn in a flat engine?
As I stated, flat engines "in general" burn more oil than an engine with the cylinders more upright.
This is automotive as well as aircraft (I do some aircraft maintenance as well as fly), it's a part of the basic engine design.
Some oil lays in the horizontal cylinder after shutdown and seeps past the rings. Then gets burned on startup.
Some burn more than others, but flat tends to burn more than other designs.
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Old 01-13-2018, 12:04 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subluv View Post
I realized right after I posted that I have the 2.0. And my spell check makes me sound illiterate so I apologize if I sound uninformed . I also have noticed in the past that cars that are babied seem to have more issues and not only Subarus. This o e has not been babied nor abused. It had 8 miles on it when we got it so it shouldnt have had much abuse before we got it. What is the consensus of the people out there, if the manual says 6000 miles for oil changes under normal conditions how many quarts is acceptable between oil changes. My opinion is that it should be none between. I have owned several other Subarus with no issues and they were perfect. I bought this for my daughter to take off to college and was hoping for trouble free times.
Babying an engine really is not a good thing. You think you are preserving the engine but what you are doing is allowing carbon to build up and gets wedged in between the piston rings and now allowing the rings to seal properly. Also piston rings never had the chance to expand and contract letting these carbon deposits out. Over time you have a stuck ring, now it starts letting oil pass though which just makes things ever worse. Also carbon can build up in the cats causing excessive back pressure and that can cause even more issues like excessive cylinder temperature. My WRX does not burn noticeable amount because I pretty much red line her once a day once it's fully warmed up.
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Old 01-14-2018, 09:25 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by jasonwrx86 View Post
Also piston rings never had the chance to expand and contract letting these carbon deposits out.
You dont have to beat the piss out of them to get them to do that though.
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Old 01-15-2018, 07:19 AM   #22
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You dont have to beat the piss out of them to get them to do that though.
Actually you do. Every heard of italian tune-up?
High heat, high pressure, and high rpm is the only way.
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Old 01-15-2018, 12:07 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by jasonwrx86 View Post
Actually you do. Every heard of italian tune-up?
High heat, high pressure, and high rpm is the only way.
simply driving on the highway at 75 will run the engine hot enough to keep it clean.

people that get sludgy engines get them because they drive 1.5 miles at a time at 20% throttle or less and never get the engine hot

like the ads you see selling grandma's 2003 camry with 'only' 13,000 miles on it, and then they state how it was only used once a week to go 1/2 mile to and from the store.

For some reason people think that's a good selling point. I wouldn't touch a car like that with a 10' pole.
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Old 01-15-2018, 09:41 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Subluv View Post
I also have noticed in the past that cars that are babied seem to have more issues and not only Subarus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonwrx86
Babying an engine really is not a good thing.
"Babied" is relative term. You have to be more definitive than "babied" to determine what you really mean here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Abismo
You dont have to beat the piss out of them to get them to do that though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonwrx86
Actually you do. Every heard of italian tune-up?
High heat, high pressure, and high rpm is the only way.
What kind of BS is this? ^^^

People who tend to beat the piss out of their cars on a daily basis tend to "burn out" the engine rather quickly, compared to those who don't.

This is why you see so may people complaining that after 60K ( or less ) they need a complete engine rebuild, as opposed to those who go 150K, 200K and more on the same engine.
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Old 01-13-2018, 02:59 PM   #25
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I break them in a little softer and all my Subi s get a 5-6000 synthetic oil change with zero added oil. I had four 2.5s and my first 2.0 has 1700 miles and used no oil so far. Most of those 2.5 s never saw read line. I also had a flat 6 911 and that got some higher RPM time and used no oil either. I think the majority don t use much oil but the few that do will be posted all over the place for obvious reasons.
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