Eek! $70 oil & filter change

That oil filter location looks like a walk in the park.

 

Better than a lot of Toyota models.

The 3rd gen 4runner location was particularly maddening as it was at a 45 degree angle pointed upwards and access through the drivers wheel well.

But it ran like a champ for 263 k miles so no complaints there and no oil consumption issues .

 

Whoever first put the oil filter on top deserves the engineering equivalent of the Nobel That's where my Chevies' cartridge filters were at, and it was what I was expecting when I heard the Camry had a cartridge. The drainage plug seems like a great idea, but it popped off three times yesterday, getting oil every where.

Ford's 45 degree filters might be easier to get to, but have the exhaust right under it.

 

Yeah they made it really easy on the FB25 engine. The previous EJ wasn't awful, though in some variants there was an exhaust header wrapped around the filter about 270°, easy to get burned without building in cool-down time.

 

Isnt it usually so that when filter is on top, then suction change thru dipstick tube is valid way(or even required like in mercedes). Then filter on bottom means oil change old fashion way from under.

Btw, i made extra change to 1.8l gen3 thru dipstick and was able to get little under 4 litres oil. Service document says that without oil filter change its 3.9 litres. Seems that you can do suction change also. Every second change is then at the dealer where they do it from bottom.
If oil change is always done thru dipstick tube on gen3, maybe some extra sludge can remain on oil pan?

 

That's because it is. Our OutBack is easily the easiest oil change I've ever done on a car/truck. With nearly 9 inches of ground clearance, I don't need ramps and the bolt is near the center of the engine bay so I don't have to crawl to reach it.

Now changing the sparkplugs.......

 

I'd think the oil pan layout and dip tube location has more to do with whether vacuuming out the oil is viable than where the filter is. Even when an option, it will leave a little more old oil in than draining through the plug.

The drain plug was within reach for me on the Sonic and HHR, so it was the same. The difficult part was removing the Sonic's belly pan.

 

That's true from a technical standpoint, but from a practical standpoint the placement of the filter on top means that using a vac-extractor turns the entire DIY oilchange into a standing-up, no bending, no crawling experience. This opens it to more people overall. With the Forester selling so well to less-flexible retirees, the feature has gained significance.

Also consider that Subaru dealers have had a rough time adding enough service bays to keep up with the surge in sales over the past 10 years. In some cities it's a real struggle to get an appointment. I doubt they planned this feature for that reason, but I'm sure it's helping.

 

A quick search for oil extractor shows that a quality hand pump one can be had for under $90.

 

I haven't done my first oil change yet on my Subie. It only has 2500 miles and I am going to wait until I hit the factory recommended miles (is it 5K -- I need to double-check). I have also read the horror stories on the Subaru forums about getting the drain bolt out for the first time. I have a crowfoot wrench and I am sure I can do it. May not enjoy it much though.

I am also going with the advice on the Subaru forums and putting in a Fumoto F108N drain valve. Not sure if I will leave a length of tubing connected to it or not. I have used the Fumotos for a number of years and love how easy they make oil changes.

Anyway, I think you will have no issue with the next change.

With being retired, most days I am mostly lying in my hammock, reading, and having "trouble" hearing my wife.

 

I have several friends with Subarus. I believe their recommended interval is 6,000 miles (probably 10,000 Km in other countries). I wonder why their interval is so much sooner than Toyota's when they both use synthetic these days.

 

don't feel bad, i pay $90.

 

Their dealers wanted more work?

 

Oh yes another reason the OB is so easy. No pan to remove as they wisely left a large enough hole to reach the plug and drain it. My C-Max is a real pain as it's a very large, one piece design and has about 10-15 mounting points. I forget exactly because the OCI is only every 2 years so that's good at least.

Our Gen 5 2015 OutBack schedule is 10,000 miles.

 

My Corvette's oil and filter change at a dealer would be double the cost of yours.

 

2018 Mazda CX-5 (our son's) has interval 6 months or 8K kms (5000 miles).

My 2 cents: oil, and oil filters, doesn't suddenly "go off" after being fine and stable. It's a gradual, continuous process. And the various manufacturers are balancing various factors. Obvious you don't need an insanely short interval, but shorter is better.

 

To be clear here is the 2019 Outback schedule:

 

The Subaru oil changes are a piece of cake. On our 2010 Outback, the first oil change the drain plug came right off with no problems.

On the current model, with a top-mounted oil filter, many shops don't remove the oil through the drain plug. They put a vacuum tube down the dipstick tube and suck the old oil out. Piece of cake.

I can change the oil on our 2010 with a pair of roll-on ramps in 20 minutes, and that is with a bottom mounted oil filter. It's about the easiest oil change you will ever do.

 

Oil doesn't stop lubricating. The primary reason to change it is because consumable additives get used up. They are anti-seize molecules for protection on start up, and acid neutralizers. Car manufacturers base their oil change interval on the minimum amount of those additives called for by the oil specification they use. In other words, the cheapest oil available, with some worse assumptions about operating conditions.

Sulfur content of fuel is a source for acids in the oil. Now that the US gasoline has the same sulfur content as petrol in Europe, we should be using the intervals for oil over there.

Canada's regulations on sulfur content are basically the same as the US's, so the difference in maintenance schedule is a puzzle.

Since the engines didn't change between the generations, and we now have ultra low sulfur fuel, I think my guess of dealer greed is the correct one.