My take is that either the oil change was not done properly, such as not putting enough oil in or leaving something loose that ended up leaking. Or maybe you just have an oil burner. It happens. I would bring it up to your dealer regardless. I would also keep an eye on the oil level and I personally check for leaks and look at the oil level before I leave after a service.

 

I checked for leaks in the usual places.... heads, main seal around the oil pan and drain plug. nothing. Maybe it is just a oil burner which is frustrating because its brand new compared to my 06 Fozzy XT which has no leaks and a turbo which are known to burn oil just for fun. This is my 5th Subie. so like I said this is a bummer to get a dud after so many good ones if this is the case.

 

Take it immediately to your dealer!
You're under Warranty
There's something seriously wrong if you're down a quarter in a 24
*Unless the oil change techs " underfilled " it the first time.

 

I agree, take it back to the place that did the oil change.

 

Probably underfilled at the oil change place. If you don't see any obvious leaks or oil spots on the garage floor, I wouldn't worry about it and simply check the oil again after 200 miles.

 

Check your bill for the oil change. It usually lists the amount of oil put in. If no amount was listed, monitor oil level in the next few weeks and periodically look at exhaust for blue smoke, especially at startups. Excess oil consumed in the combustion chambers exits as blue smoke. Hopefully this was a one time oil change where someone forgot to fill with the proper amount and didn't check before returning your vehicle to you.

 

IMO, technician most likely just filled the oil cold, and did not re-check after the oil/engine obtained operating temp? This probably then shorted you the quart of oil.

 

Don't know what engine the OP has but my 2.5L Boxer engine does not consume any oil. You need to find a better oil change place. Any time you have work done to your vehicle visually check that everything was done correctly to the best or your ability. Checking engine oil level after the shop changes it is easy. Usually their favorite 'trick' is to not tighten the engine oil drain plug. Since the drain plug has a crush washer it is best to use a torque wrench. Twist the oil filter with your hands, if it moves it was loose. Usually they put the filter on so tight you can't get it off.

 

I totally agree but this is a new car that has only seen the inside of Subaru dealership. They have only done me wrong one other time when they put synthetic in my 06 Forester XT. I was so pissed cause it was 110.00 USD and my changes are usually 67.00 USD. I asked them why and they said it was 100 percent synthetic and I was like no where in the records for my car should that be written so they had to eat the cost of that change and I got the right oil next time it was changed. so, I do have a history. So if they did screw up my car on this one then there will be some issues.

 

I'm not even using their "free oil changes" . It’s either too much oil or not enough, the oil filter isn’t tight or a real pain to remove later, oil plug is either torqued to 300 ft/lb or just hand-tight.
If everything is torqued to the book, there’s still a puddle of oil left in the engine bay.
And it's not specific to the country or car brand, oil changes are done by novice mechanics racing against the clock. No surprise they mess things up.
Checking everything afterward or fixing the issues takes significantly more time than just doing it yourself.

 

I did use the first free oil change and I checked everything afterward. It was OK. But they did try to tell me I needed a new cabin air filter after only 6 months with the car. I told them no. I will change that next time myself along with the rest of the maintenance.

 

Not unheard of for Subarus to have high oil consumption. You really need to stay on top of this and monitor if it’s using oil. It’s under warranty and the dealer needs to know if it’s using oil when it shouldn’t. My ‘11 Forester had the new FB25 for that vehicle, Subaru lost a lawsuit over these engines, mine would drop a quart every 1500 miles or so, really annoying, but it was only that model year and the first model year the OB used it, then they figured out the issue and problem went away. Still happens in some vehicles though.

 

Question is?
Was the oil change performed at the dealership or at " joe- bobs jiffy lube?

 

Post # 12

 

@Kaikohe in such a short distance, if it an oil burner, you'll see it if there is oily residues in the exhaust. Stick you index in the back of your beauty

just a tip, if you can't recognize if oil or water (condensation) into the exhaust, test it with a paper towel. if the paper absorbs the liquid rapidly, it's water.

In any way I think it's just wrong filled level. 🤞

 

Not all Subaru's that use excessive oil have it in the exhaust. They just burn up the oil, past the piston rings as I recall. My '11 Forester never had oil residue or blue smoke, you only knew you had an issue when you were a quart low after 1500-2000 miles.

 

Yep, the cats are acting as a filter in this case, and there’s no visible blue smoke for a while. A brand new BMW can use 2-3 quarts of oil during a 6-7K mile OCI, and still, there’s no visible smoke issue.
However, under acceleration, the smoke is briefly visible.

 

Could check the PCV, if it is clogged there will be higher crankcase pressure and force the oil to leak.

 

I have an 18crosstrek Limited and when it was under warranty and slightly over its warranty period, the dealer (selling dealer) would always overfill the oil. They do this to hide excess oil usage

 

Excessive oil useage on the FB25 engines, which is the last engine I’m aware of that had this problem, was always something like 1-2 qts low in 1500-2000 miles. Not seeing how a dealer could add that much extra to overcome that kind of problem. Thats a lot of overfilling.

 

Not to defend them, but dealers often overfill during oil changes. They simply don’t have enough time to properly adjust the oil level.

 

IMO, they're being sloppy because I thought those to bulk dispensers were precisely calibrated for the correct amount of oil

 

Yep, they can adjust the quantity on the dispenser, but the used oil won’t drain 100%. If they add the exact amount specified in the manual, the engine will be overfilled by about 0.3 quarts.
They also have to estimate how much oil the filter will take. On top of that, they’re typically doing a complimentary tire rotation, tire patching, car wash, and a basic inspection. The dealership isn’t going to pay them for an extra hour to complete all of this, so it’s mostly a race against time.

 

According to the Owner's Manual page 507, the engine oil capacity of the 2.5L engine when also changing the filter is 4.7 US qt. I use quart bottles of engine oil. If I used 5 quarts the engine oil would be over full. I just use 4.5 quarts and save the other 0.5 quart for the next time I change oil. The oil level ends up not being to the full mark by only 0.2 quarts. That is ok, the oil level just needs to be between the full and add marks someplace. My Amsoil bottles have markings so you can see how much oil is in the bottle.

 

Most likely discussed elsewhere, but since its related...those that do your own oil changes or check the level of oil on the dipstick...Do you check the oil with the engine cold (ie. sat at least few hours)? Or do you check it after the engine warms up? Do you keep the oil level at the "min" level, "max' level, or in between? What is SOP for your dealership? What does SOA state in the service manual? What does SOA state in the owner's manual?

Warning!! You are going to get mixed results from others here.



I personally, regardless of what SOA or anyone else states fill/check my oil by:

1) Using the the dipstick to gauge the oil level. Don't care how many quarts, ounces, milliliters, whatever is stated in the manual or bottles of oil. I go by the dipstick for the final reading.

2) Any oil level adjustments (usually adding) is done with the engine warmed up, but off. Oil now has been moved/funneled into all the recesses and cavities in the engine.

3) I fill to in between the the MIN and MAX marks on the dipstick (maybe a bit closer to MAX (3/4), but not up to the MAX. This gives room for when oil cools and settles.


You "preferably" want to check the oil level warm, as this way oil has now reached all areas needed and is at optimal temperature. This is the level the oil will remain during normal vehicle operation. Once the engine stops and the engine oil cools, it will drop/drain in to the lower pan, and slightly increase in level on the dipstick. This is why I go in between the marks.

If one was to fill to MAX on a warm engine, you would (in theory) still be ok as most manufacturers usually have a buffer to prevent oil pressure build up for those that 'overfill', including service techs. But there is no set standard across every engine. You can always check the oil level cold afterwards to verify by how much more the oil level rises on the dipstick to make your adjustments to your comfort level. This finds you the 'difference' in the oil level from a hot engine to a cold one. Again, this is the way I was instructed to do my oil level checks by my mentor, and I have NEVER had any issues. But you do you.

 

I check in the morning when cold and read by the lowest side of the dipstick.

 

When I change oil, I rarely fill it more than halfway between dipstick marks. I check often, when cold, to verify it's above the low mark. My older cars will consume about a half quart between changes, so I let it get down nearly to the low mark, but never below. I seldom need to add oil between oil changes. I follow the recommended interval and viscosity.

 

Three Subaru, several Asian cars and several Asian motorcycles/scooters, not one ever leaked or burned oil.

The stick enters the oil sump at an angle so small pitch up or nose down can show large on the stick. I suspect the dealer new guy just failed to properly top the oil or rushed to get the job done.

Check often before driving CONSISTENTLY and I will bet it won't change between oil intervals.

The dealer is going to use the most junior tech to do changes and PDI. That is why their service plan is BS.

 

This logic, while some may disagree with, is the reason our family walked away from the big three here in the U.S..

Gas and oil were the only two things one had to worry about with most JDM and it got you easily to 100k or more without hesitation. Seems to still hold true today.

Not trying to start a debate, just the reasoning WE decided to move away from domestic vehicles. YMMV ✌

 

High oil consumption was not common, but also not unheard of. The first year of the FB25 engine in the 2011 Forester had issues. Subaru lost a lawsuit in NJ and had to offer extended warranties as well as replace with short blocks in some cases. My ‘11 was such a car, but rather than deal with it, I just traded it back for an OB. I had 2 Subies, an ‘01 Forester and an ‘03 OB that had blown gaskets, that engine series were notorious for that, When I learned about the FB25 issues, I cut my losses rather than deal with engine issues.

 

I remember back in 2006 when I got my Forester, everyone was advising me to get the 2.0 instead of the 2.5 because of the head gasket issues.
I never had any engine issues with the EJ 20, though.
However, it's not unheard of for earlier FB20 engines to burn oil. Like any other manufacturer, Subaru faces some hiccups when launching new technology. Personally, I’d recommend staying away from new engines and transmissions during the first couple of production years, regardless of the manufacturer.