Hello, neighbor! I’m glad you’ve decided to change the engine oil in your Subaru Outback on your own. Now, I’ll tell you what tools you need to have, which oil to buy, and provide detailed instructions on how to perform the replacement.
To change the engine oil in a Subaru Outback, you’ll need to drain the old oil through the drain plug, remove the old oil filter, install a new filter, and then tighten the drain plug. Finally, you’ll need to refill the engine with fresh oil to the proper level.
Contents
Required Tools
Remember neighbor that before changing the oil you should already have everything you need in stock:
- New oil in the required quantity
- Oil filter
- You may need an oil filter puller
- Drain pan for old oil, watering can or funnel
- Wrench for unscrewing the drain plug
Also, having a lot of clean rags on hand is always good. You can quickly wipe the oil drip from the asphalt.
How to Choose the Right Engine Oil
Today the market is full of different brands of motor oils, there are a large number of them. Let me tell you what engine oil to fill in your brand new Subaru Outback.
Look at the table, you see the year of manufacture of your Subaru, then you can see what viscosity of oil you can buy.
| Generation (Year) | Engine | Suitable Oil Viscosity | Popular American Brands | Required Amount of Oil |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (1995-1999) | 2.5L H4 | 5W-30 | Castrol ($29/5 quarts) Valvoline ($29/5 quarts) Mobil 1 ($27/5 qarts) | 4.4 Quarts |
| 2nd (2000-2004) | 2.5L H4 | 5W-30 | Castrol ($29/5 quarts) Valvoline ($29/5 quarts) Mobil 1 ($27/5 qarts) | 4.4 Quarts |
| 3rd (2005-2009) | 2.5L H4 | 5W-30 | Castrol ($29/5 quarts) Valvoline ($29/5 quarts) Mobil 1 ($27/5 qarts) | 4.4 Quarts |
| 4th (2010-2014) | 2.5L H4 | 0W-20 | Mobil 1 ($29/5 quart) Royal Purple ($38/5 quart) | 5.1 Quarts |
| 5th (2015-2019) | 2.5L H4 | 5W-30, 0W-20 | Mobil 1 ($29/5 quart) Royal Purple ($38/5 quart) | 5.1 Quarts |
Picking the Best Oil Filter
Now let’s see the best oil filter. Look at the table, I indicated there which filter, in my opinion, is better to install your Outback.
| Generation (Year) | Engine | Popular American Brands | Article Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (1995-1999) | 2.5L H4 | Fram, Bosch, Wix | XYZ789 |
| 2nd (2000-2004) | 2.5L H4 | Fram, Bosch, Wix | LMN456 |
| 3rd (2005-2009) | 2.5L H4 | Fram, Purolator, Wix | XG7317, PL14615 |
| 4th (2010-2014) | 2.5L H4 | Fram, Purolator, Wix | XG7317, PL14615 |
| 5th (2015-2019) | 2.5L H4 | Fram, Bosch, Mobil 1 | M1-108A, XG7317 |
Great neighbor! You have everything you need to work, good job. Now let’s warm up the engine for five minutes, let it run. Did you just come from the store? Great, that’s fine, you can get to work.
Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Motor Oil in Subaru Outback: A Detailed Breakdown
Especially for you, I quickly wrote instruction, I write in detail step by step what is going on, read it carefully.
- Park the car on a level surface to ensure that the engine oil level is even and drains evenly.
- Warm up the engine for a couple of minutes.
- Place an oil collection container underneath and carefully loosen the drain plug. Be cautious as the oil may be hot.
- Once the oil starts flowing into the container, pull out the dipstick. This helps the oil drain faster.
- Now, you can remove the oil filter and replace it with a new one. Don’t forget to lubricate the rubber gasket with oil and pour a little oil inside the filter before installation.
- Tighten the drain plug.
- Pour in the new oil through the oil filler neck and check the level using the dipstick.
As you can see, neighbor, the process of changing the motor oil on your Subaru Outback is not difficult. You can handle it yourself in about 30 minutes with a coffee break.