2012 SUBARU FORESTER oil viscosity

8-8Driving tips
.Frequent driving of an AWD model
under hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the “Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Winter driving
&
Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as a window scraper, a bag of sand,
flares, a small shovel and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winterstarts.
It normally takes longer to start the engine
in very cold weather conditions. Use an
engine oil of a suitable grade and viscosity
for cold weather. Heavy summer oil will
cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage
or separate the rubber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen,
use hot water to melt the ice, and after-
wards thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes
because they may damage the paint of
the vehicle.
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid con-
tains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%
surfactant, by volume. Its freezing tem-
perature varies according to how much it
is diluted, as indicated in the followingtable.
Washer Fluid Con- centration Freezing Temperature
30% 10.4 8F( 12 8C)
50% 48F( 20 8C)
100%
49 8F( 45 8C)
In order to prevent freezing of washer
fluid, check the freezing temperatures in
the table above when adjusting the fluid
concentration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the washer tank with a fluid with a
different concentration from the one used

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment (non-turbo models) ...................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-5
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-5
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-7
Non-turbo models .............................................. 11-7
Turbo models ..................................................... 11-8
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-9
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-9
Changing the oil and oil filter ............................ 11-11
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-13
Synthetic oil ..................................................... 11-13
Cooling system ................................................ 11-13
Cooling fan, hose and connections ................... 11-14
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-14
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-15
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-15
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-17
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-18
Turbo models ................................................... 11-18
Non-turbo models ............................................ 11-18
Manual transmission oil .................................. 11-19
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-19
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-19Automatic transmission fluid
.......................... 11-20
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-20
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-21
Front differential gear oil (AT models) ........... 11-21
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-21
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-22
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-22
Power steering fluid ........................................ 11-22
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-22
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-23
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-23
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-23
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-24
Clutch fluid (MT models) ................................. 11-24
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-24
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-25
Brake booster .................................................. 11-25
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-26
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-26
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-26
Clutch pedal (MT models) ............................... 11-27
Checking the clutch function ............................ 11-27
Checking the clutch pedal free play .................. 11-27
Hill start assist system (MT models) .............. 11-27
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-28
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-28
Parking brake stroke ....................................... 11-29
Maintenance and service
11

&Recommended grade and viscosity
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recom-
mended grade and viscosity.
Refer to “Engine oil ”F 12-5.
NOTE
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects
fuel economy. Oils of lower viscosity
provide better fuel economy. However,
in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is
required to properly lubricate the en-gine. & Synthetic oil
You should use synthetic engine oil that
meets the same requirements given for
conventional engine oil. When using
synthetic oil, you must use oil of the same
classification, viscosity and grade shown
in this Owner ’s Manual. Refer to “Engine
oil ”F 12-5. Also, you must follow the oil
and filter changing intervals shown in the
Warranty and Maintenance booklet. NOTE
Synthetic oil of the grade and viscosity
noted in chapter 12 is the recom- mended engine oil for optimum engine
performance. Conventional oil may be
used if synthetic oil is unavailable.
Cooling systemWARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has cooled down
completely. Since the coolant is
under pressure, you may suffer
serious burns from a spray of boil-
ing hot coolant when the cap isremoved.
CAUTION
. Vehicles are filled at the factory
with SUBARU Super Coolant that
does not require the first change
for 11 years/137,500 miles (11
years/220,000 km). This coolant
should not be mixed with any
other brand or type of coolant
during this period. Mixing with a
different coolant will reduce the
life of the coolant. Should it be
necessary to top up the coolant
for any reason, use only
SUBARU Super Coolant.
If the SUBARU Super Coolant is
diluted with another brand or
type, the maintenance interval is Maintenance and service
11-13
– CONTINUED –

Manual transmission oil &Checking the oil level
1) Yellow handle
Check the oil level monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the level gauge, wipe it clean,
and insert it again.
1) Full level
2) Low level
3. Pull out the level gauge again and
check the oil level on it. If it is below the
low level, add oil through the level gauge
hole to bring the level up to the full level.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill manual trans-
mission oil when adding it. If oil
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a
fire. If oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off. &
Recommended grade and viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to“ Manual transmission, front differential
and rear differential gear oil ”F 12-8.
Maintenance and service
11-19

11-22Maintenance and service
&Recommended grade and viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to“ Manual transmission, front differential
and rear differential gear oil ”F 12-8. Rear differential gear oil
There is no rear differential gear oil level
gauge. To check the rear differential gear
oil level, consult your SUBARU dealer forinspection. &
Recommended grade and viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to“ Manual transmission, front differential
and rear differential gear oil ”F 12-8. Power steering fluid &
Checking the fluid level
The power steering fluid expands greatly
as its temperature rises; the fluid level
differs according to fluid temperature.
Therefore, the reservoir has two different
checking ranges for hot and cold fluids.
Check the power steering fluid level
monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,
and stop the engine.

12-6Specifications
!Alternative engine oil
If the SUBARU approved oil is unavailable, the following alternative oil can be used. NOTE
Each quantity indicated here is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on the
temperature and other factors. ! Non-turbo models
Oil grade SAE viscosity No. and
applicable temperature Oil capacity
API classification SM or SN with
the words “
ENERGY CONSERVING ”or
“ RESOURCE CONSERVING ”orILSAC GF-4 or GF-5, which can
be identified with the ILSAC
certification mark (Starburst mark) 0W-20 synthetic
oil is the required oil
for optimum engine performance and
protection. Conventional oil may be
used if synthetic oil is unavailable.
*: If 0W-20 synthetic oil is not available,
5W-30 or 5W-40 conventional oil may
be used if replenishment is needed but
should be changed to 0W-20 synthetic
oil at the next oil change.
– Adding the oil from L to F level:
1.1 US qt (1.0 liter, 0.9 Imp qt)
– Changing the oil and oil filter:
5.5 US qt (5.2 liters, 4.6 Imp qt)

!Turbo models
Oil grade SAE viscosity No. and
applicable temperature Oil capacity
API classification SM or SN with
the words “
ENERGY CONSERVING ”or
“ RESOURCE CONSERVING ”orILSAC GF-4 or GF-5, which can
be identified with the ILSAC
certification mark (Starburst mark) 5W-30 synthetic
oil is required for
optimum engine performance and pro-
tection. Conventional oil may be used if
synthetic oil is unavailable.
*: If 5W-30 synthetic oil is not available,
5W-30 or 5W-40 conventional oil may
be used if replenishment is needed but
should be changed to 5W-30 synthetic
oil at the next oil change.
– Adding the oil from L to F level:
1.1 US qt (1.0 liter, 0.9 Imp qt)
– Changing the oil and oil filter:
4.4 US qt (4.2 liters, 3.7 Imp qt) Specifications
12-7
– CONTINUED –

12-8Specifications
&Manual transmission, front differential and rear differential gear oil
Oil grade SAE viscosity No. and applicable temperature Oil capacity
Manual transmission
API classification GL-5
3.7 US qt (3.5 liters, 3.1 Imp qt)
Front differential (AT models) 1.3 US qt (1.2 liters, 1.1 Imp qt)
Rear differential 0.8 US qt (0.8 liter, 0.7 Imp qt)
For the checking procedure, or other details, refer to “Manual transmission oil ”F 11-19, “Front differential gear oil (AT models) ”F 11-21, “Rear differential
gear oil ”F 11-22.