Service by years or mileage, which takes precedence?
Asked by Guru5YTQ9 Dec 29, 2017 at 01:51 PM about the 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5i AWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
We have 7yr old legacy w/30k miles!!
Dealer says old fluids thicken and we
should have the 6yr/60k service?
Which includes differentials,trany,
brake, + plugs. Twice as much +$.
Does service go by years or mileage?
3 Answers
It is a good idea to go ahead and change all the fluids.
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 6 years ago
I'd ignore the diff and brake fluids (unless the brake fluid reservoir cap was left off). But DO drain and refill the ATF (3.5 qts). The plugs may be still ok, but these OE NGK platinums tend to blow off their fragile anodes, so I'd replace with any modern iridium equivalent just to be sure. Thereafter change the ATF biannually, check the t-belt for cracks and air filter annually. Leave the diff alone forever. In general, cold starts and age kills these chariots...NOT mileage. Only lifespans of tires...and possibly Subie wheel bearings...are correlated with distance traveled. Potholes eat bushings and links, so judge independently too.
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 6 years ago
Re the dealer's comment: only highly volatile fluids will thicken with age. That means gasoline, not lubricating oils.