What oil should I use in a 1997 Subaru WRX engine?

Question

I have a 1997 Subaru WRX, not sure if it is a STi, and don't know what oil to use! I don't mind on what brand it is, just want to know what grade is best!

It has a ZeroSport computer from Japan in it, and runs 18 pound boost. Does that make any difference?

Answer 1

Mobil 1 is the best! It is expensive but well worth it. You get better gas mileage and more performance out of your car. A win win is what I say.

use man. req. like 5/20 or 5w/30 they sell for all makes

Answer 2

You should care very much what brand it is!!!! 90% of all oils on the market are unfit to use in lawn mowers! A lot of trusty "brand name" oils aren't even worth buying. Modern oils are refined in different ways. The cheaper the refining, the cheaper the oil, the more sludge and varnish and deposits it makes. The truth is that even oils in the parts store with high service ratings, for the most part, are junky. Mobil has a fantastic 0W-40 oil that satisfies nearly all car manufacturers warranty requirements and will, for the most part, protect the future of your car's engine best. There are other oils (pentosin,alf) that may be better than this, but Mobil still gives the best value for the price. If you've ever seen a turbo charger that was destroyed by inferior lubrication, you would be very concerned about the way different oil companies manufacture their products. I wish I could name the oils that I would never use in this message and why. But I would probably get sued. Take off your oil filler cap and look at the back of it. Whatever you see on the back of your cap is the way the inside of your entire engine, including your turbo bearings, will look like. Is it crusty-looking?? If you scrape it with your finger nail, is it powdery???A refined engine like you have there needs maximum protection in high heat (hot turbo charger) Only about 5% of oils on the market are genuinely good enough to use in any engine. Consider using an oil flushing chemical (butyl cellosolve only) to remove all traces of old sludge and varnish, and use Mobil One. Believe me, there is barely anything better, I've tested nearly all of them.

Answer 3

i would not use Mobil 1 5w30 or 10w30 in that WRX. it shears down to a 20 weight oil too easily.

I have personally had good luck with Shell Rotella T 15w40 oil. the oil stays in great, and protects the engine well even under race track conditions. I had a used oil analysis performed to verify the level of engine protection and oil viscosity.

Shell Rotella T 5w40 and Mobil 1 Delvac 5w40 are good oils to use as well

EDIT: i don't think many of the people post on this thread even own a WRX. mobil 1 5w30 shears down and is too thin for a WRX motor. go to www.nasioc.com and read about it. or look on www.bobistheoilguy.com and look at used oil analysis reports

Answer 4

5w30 is the recommended oil, 10w30 will work if you have it. I use valvoline max life, but if you do a lot of hard driving you may want to switch to synthetic. STi recommends mobil 1. You can get 10,000 miles out of the oil but you'll still want to change the filter regularly.

Answer 5

I would run a synthetic. Mobil isn't necessarily the best. The best thing to do is pick a brand and stick with it. Also I would not use a Fram filter. Stick to those couple things and you'll be all set.

Answer 6

EJ18,20, or 22t probably the one you want and can get cheap (enough). Don't go JDM unless it's a US supplier and they inspect what they're getting. Really hard to have accurate miles in a JDM engine.

Answer 7

JDM= 5W30
any brand. Fully syn

Answer 8

use any oil that is cheap