2.5L oil recomendations

Same in US. I was using 5w30 in the winter and it was down to -10-to -20 F with wind chill but usuallu in the 20-30F range. Once it warmed up I use 1ow30 and noticed the engine is quieter with no loss in economy.

FWIW I'm using 0w40 at my next oil change (and no, warranty issues are of no concern to me, because my Outback is out of warranty).

Really? Those are the same recommendations in the US. I was a bit surprised at the 10W-40 weight as a "standard" recommendation. My owner's manual also has recommended weights for extreme temps or towing: 30wt, 40wt, 20W-40, 10W-50, or 20W-50. A few of these weights are downright uncommon, but I suppose a 15W-40 (typically a heavy duty diesel oil weight) might work in place of 20W-40.

OK - I don't have access to a "live" newsreader right now, so my previous post might have been answered.

My 2004 US Impreza owner's manual states that 5W-30 is suitable for year-round use for all climates, and that 10W-30 or 10W-40 is suitable for use above freezing temperatures (maybe a bit higher). I find it surprising because we've heard that similar Japanese cars that come with 5W-30/10W-30 recommendations in the US come with 10W-40 or 20W-50 recommendations in other parts of the world. Some believe that may be due to meeting the CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards for a manufacturer's cars sold in the US.

In addition, my manual has a separate section relating to high temperature or high-load operation, with several recommended single or heavier multi-viscosity oils. When I get home, I'll try to take a picture of the pages and post them here. I'd be interested in how they compare with what our friends in Oz deal with.

As for Edward, I'm guessing that his original question was posed to those in Oz because it's an English speaking country where Subarus tend to be popular, and where (perhaps) the drive for government-mandated fuel economy may not be as big a concern.

So my question to our friend in Oz is:

Are you sure there isn't an additional list of oil weights recommended for towing or extreme heat, beyond just the

Hi,

Perhaps some of these weights are sold rather locally depending on market? I know in the late '60's and early '70s, 20W-40 was marketed in the US by Castrol under their "XL" brand. I believe it disappeared when "GTX" came along. I ran it in several cars back then, but don't remember that weight from any other mfr.

In answer to the 15W-40 idea, I've run Chevron Delo 400 (meets gas engine specs as well as diesel) for many 10s of 1000s of miles in my '90 Loyale that's got 354k miles on the clock. It gets ever so slightly better fuel economy than 20W-50 during what "winter" we have in SoCal, and holds better oil pressure than either 10W-40 OR 20W-50 in the summer (my car, of course, YMMV.)

From what I've been told of the climate in Oz, it's very similar to ours in SoCal, so I'd imagine IF there's any difference in mfr's recommendations, it would be, as Edward H suggests, probably due to gov't regs.

Rick

The oil recommendations here are identical to the USA. As I said, 5w30 is still the preferred weight here, not 10w40, which is only recommended in high heat and load situations. In extreme conditions, Subaru Oz also state that 10w50, 20w40 or 20w50 is also acceptable.

I've never seen a 20w40 oil either. :)