2013 Forester oil leak/burning?
My Forester seems to be loosing a quart or quart and a half between oil
change. On long highway trips I smell burning oil. I've heard this is a common
issue with this year and model. One suggestion was to use a heavier weight oil
like 10W in place of the 0W20. Is this a good idea? What specific oil would
you suggest?
4 Answers
How many miles between oil changes? I would not use 10W oil but 5W20 would work just fine.
The smell of burning oil during long trips more indicates seepage rather than consumption. So I'd check under the motor, the valve covers, as well the front (now metal) timing chain cover for seepage. If it's all dry then I'd go the international spec 5w30 synth to reduce internal consumption at all temperatures. F_O_R, I don't like 20w for high temp protection...just too little viscosity. 10w is a little thick for cold starts, resulting in timing chain rattle, so 5w30 strikes a great balance.
I went to 5W20 from the zero spec oil and it works for me in my Forester. 5W30 seemed to increase oil consumption. I have used 5W20 in my F150 with 213,000 hard miles with excellent results out here in Hot Kalifornia.
Guru9HVC8M answered 3 years ago
What’s up with Subaru manufacturers… it’s an on going problem, do it better ; fix the problem
