2016 SUBARU WRX oil change

Engine oil CAUTION. If the level gauge is not pulled out
easily, twist the level gauge right
and left, then pull it out. Other-
wise, you may be injured acci-
dentally straining yourself.
. Use only engine oil with the
recommended grade and vis-
cosity.
. Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
engine oil gets on the exhaust
pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
& Engine oil consumption Some engine oil will be consumed while
driving. Under the following conditions, oil
consumption can be increased and thus
require refilling between maintenance
intervals:
. When the engine is new and within the
break-in period
. When the engine oil is of lower quality
. When the incorrect oil viscosity is used . When engine braking is employed
. When the engine is operated at high
engine speeds
. When the engine is operated under
heavy loads
. When the engine idles for long periods
of time
. When the vehicle is operated in stop
and go and/or heavy traffic situations
. When the vehicle is used under severe
thermal conditions
. When the vehicle accelerates and
decelerates frequently
Under these or similar conditions, you
should check your oil at least every 2nd
fuel fill-up and change your engine oil
more frequently. If your oil consumption
rate is greater than 1 quart every 1,200
miles or 1 liter every 2,000 kilometers,
contact your SUBARU dealer who may
perform a test under controlled conditions.
& Checking the oil level 1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine. If you check the oil level
just after stopping the engine, wait a few
minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil
pan before checking the level. STI
1) Oil level gauge
2) Oil filler capMaintenance and service/Engine oil
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CAUTION. For models except STI, be careful
not to touch the engine oil filter
when removing the oil filler cap.
Doing so may result in a burn, a
pinched finger, or may cause
some other injury.
. Use only engine oil with the
recommended grade and vis-
cosity.
. Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
engine oil gets on the exhaust
pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
To add engine oil, remove the engine oil
filler cap and slowly pour engine oil
through the filler neck. After pouring oil
into the engine, you must use the level
gauge to confirm that the oil level is
correct.
For models STI, just after driving or while
the engine is warm, the engine oil level
reading may be in a range between the
upper level and the notch mark. This is
caused by thermal expansion of the
engine oil. NOTE To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do
not add any additional oil above the
upper level when the engine is cold.
& Changing the oil and oil filter Change the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule in the “ War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ” .
NOTE . Changing the engine oil and oil filter
should be performed by a well-trained
expert. Contact your SUBARU dealer
for changing the engine oil and oil filter.
Fully trained mechanics are on standby
at a SUBARU dealer to utilize the
special tools, spare parts and recom-
mended oil for this work, and also,
used oils are properly disposed of.
. If performing oil replacement your-
self, observe the local regulations and
dispose of waste oil properly.
The engine oil and oil filter must be
changed more frequently than listed in
the maintenance schedule when driving
on dusty roads, when short trips are
frequently made, or when driving in
extremely cold weather. ! Changing the oil filter
It may be difficult to change the oil filter.
Have the oil filter changed by your
SUBARU dealer if necessary.
! Changing the oil
1. Warm up the engine by letting the
engine idle for approximately 10 minutes
to ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
STIMaintenance and service/Engine oil
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used if synthetic oil is unavailable.
Cooling system WARNING. Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap until the engine has
been shut off and has cooled
down completely. Since the cool-
ant is under pressure, you may
suffer serious burns from a spray
of boiling hot coolant when the
cap is removed.
. Be careful of the rotating cooling
fan when the engine hood is
open. When the engine tempera-
ture is high, the cooling fan in the
engine compartment may oper-
ate when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ ON ” position, even
if the engine is stopped. Touch-
ing the cooling fan while it is
rotating may result in injury.
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
shortened to that of the mixing
coolant.
. Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface.
& Cooling fan, hose and con-
nections Your vehicle employs an electric cooling
fan which is thermostatically controlled to
operate when the engine coolant reaches
a specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operate
even when the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge exceeds the normal operating
range, the cooling fan circuit may be
defective. Refer to “ Temperature gauge ”
F 3-11. Maintenance and service/Cooling system
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Maintenance and service/Aluminum wheels
Aluminum wheels Aluminum wheels can be scratched and
damaged easily. Handle them carefully to
maintain their appearance, performance,
and safety.
. When any of the wheels are removed
and replaced for tire rotation or to change
a flat tire, always check the tightness of
the wheel nuts after driving approximately
600 miles (1,000 km). If any nut is loose,
tighten it to the specified torque.
. Never apply oil to the threaded parts,
wheel nuts, or tapered surface of the
wheel.
. Never let the wheel rub against sharp
protrusions or curbs.
. When wheel nuts, balance weights, or
the center cap is replaced, be sure to
replace them with genuine SUBARU parts
designed for aluminum wheels. Windshield washer fluid CAUTIONNever use engine coolant as washer
fluid because it could cause paint
damage.
When there is only a small amount of
washer fluid remaining, the windshield
washer fluid warning indicator will illumi-
nate. When this occurs, refill the washer
fluid as follows. Remove the washer tank filler cap, then
add windshield washer fluid until it
reaches the “ FULL ” mark on the tank. If
windshield washer fluid is unavailable use
clean water.
In areas where water freezes in winter,
use an anti-freeze type windshield washer
fluid. SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid
contains 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 following
table.11-38

! 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.
. In choosing an oil, you want the proper quality and viscosity, as well as one that will enhance fuel economy. Oils of lower
viscosity provide better fuel economy. However, in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is required to properly lubricate the
engine. The following table lists the recommended viscosities and applicable temperatures.
. When adding oil, different brands may be used together as long as they are the same API classification and SAE viscosity
as those recommended by SUBARU.
Oil grade SAE viscosity No. and
applicable temperature Engine oil capacity
API (American Petroleum Insti-
tute) classification SN with the
words “ RESOURCE CONSER-
VING ” or
ILSAC (International Lubricant
Specification Advisory Commit-
tee) GF-5 , which can be identi-
fied with the ILSAC certification
mark (Starburst mark) 5W-30 synthetic oil is the required oil
for optimum engine performance and
protection. Conventional oil may be
used if synthetic oil is unavailable.
*: If 5W-30 synthetic oil is not available,
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. STI:
· 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:
4.5 US qt (4.3 liters, 3.8 Imp qt)
· Changing the oil:
4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
Except STI:
· 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:
5.4 US qt (5.1 liters, 4.5 Imp qt)
· Changing the oil:
5.2 US qt (4.9 liters, 4.3 Imp qt)Specifications/Specifications
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GAS STATION REFERENCE
& Fuel:! STI
The engine is designed to operate at maximum performance
using unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI (98
RON) or higher . If 93 AKI (98 RON) fuel is not readily available
in your area, unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 AKI
(95 RON) may be used with no detriment to engine durability or
driveability. However, you may notice a slight decrease in
maximum engine performance while using 91 AKI (95 RON)
fuel. Use of 91 AKI (95 RON) fuel will not affect your warranty
coverage.
! Except STI
Use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 AKI (95
RON) or higher . If 91 AKI (95 RON) fuel is not readily available,
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 AKI (90 RON)
may be used.
& Fuel octane rating:This octane rating is the average of the Research Octane and
Motor Octane numbers and is commonly referred to as the Anti
Knock Index (AKI). Refer to “ Fuel octane rating ” F 7-3.& Fuel capacity: 15.9 US gal (60 liters, 13.2 Imp gal)
& Engine oil: Use only the following oils.
. ILSAC GF-5, which can be identified with the ILSAC
certification mark (Starburst mark)
. or API classification SN with the words “ ENERGY CON-
SERVING ” or “ RESOURCE CONSERVING ”
For the complete viscosity requirements, refer to “ Engine oil ”
F 12-4.
& Engine oil capacity: ! STI
4.5 US qt (4.3 liters, 3.8 Imp qt)
! Except STI
5.4 US qt (5.1 liters, 4.5 Imp qt)
The indicated oil quantity is only a guideline and is estimated
based on a case when the engine oil is changed with an oil
filter. After refilling the engine with oil, the oil level should be
checked using an oil level gauge. For more details about
maintenance and service, refer to “ Engine oil ” F 11-13.
& Cold tire pressure: Refer to “ Tires ” F 12-8.