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by Justin Stobb

Whenever I see something that I can point out to try and prevent a major repair, I will try and provide that information to my local customers and my readers where ever you are.

We have been replacing Turbo’s pretty frequently lately, and for a while I had thought it was just isolated to the 2005 models, well that no longer seems to be the case.  Below are just a couple of items that can help prolong the life of both your Turbo and your Subaru engine engine.

How to make your Subaru Turbo last and avoid costly engine repairs.

The below pertains to the 2005 and newer Subaru Legacy GT, Outback and Forester XT, while other models have some issues of their own, and some of the basics such as changing the oil still apply, the content of this article really pertains to the models listed above.

If you own a 2005 and newer Subaru with a Turbo there is a chance that you may be aware of some problems associated with the turbo becoming starved for oil and eventually failing.  In the most extreme cases taking the entire engine with it.

Pictured below is the current oil filter being used by Subaru, I’d like to point out just how small it is, regardless of the any conceptions about extending the oil change interval because you use synthetic, you must understand on this model Subaru Engine, no matter what kind of oil you use the filter itself can only filter so much before it will become restricted with matter, and go into bypass mode.

For reference I put the filter we use on all pre 2006 Subaru Non Turbo Engines next to the filter offered by Subaru to point out the size.

As the oil filter becomes restricted and goes into bypass as discussed above, there is a good chance that the filter in the bolt will become restricted.

This is a picture of what Subaru calls a union screw, but basically it is a filter installed in the oil supply line to the turbo, and if this filter is restricted there will be an oil delivery issue to the turbo, causing it to become starved for oil and overheat.

We suggest checking and if needed, replacing the oil supply bolts every 60,000 miles or so, depending on how the vehicle is being used and at the time of writing this article the list price on the bolts was $15.40, plus labor to install.  This is compared to a turbocharger replacement at $1600.00 to $1700.00, plus the possibility of engine damage occurring.

Subaru changed their policy on all Turbo models to state the oil needs to be changed every 3,750 miles, I still say if you want your engine to last, you need to maintain the vehicle based on how you use it, to get the most value out of it.  If over 5 years you save a couple hundred in maintenance dollars only to do thousands in repairs, really what did you save?

So if you are lucky enough to own a Subaru with a Turbo, make sure you take care of it.

Thanks for reading

Justin

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7 Responses to “How To Make Your Subaru Turbo Last”

1. George Fernald Says:
   March 25th, 2010 at 12:36 pm

   Thanks for the informative and succinct articles.

   What oil filter do you advise using? Brand and part #?

   Thanks…

2. Bob Kratchet Says:
   May 6th, 2010 at 4:52 pm

   Why not just completely remove the screen in the union screw? Many turbo cars operate with no filter in the union screw and their turbos last a long time.

3. Thomas Parrish Says:
   June 8th, 2010 at 4:36 pm

   Where is the union screw usually located. I have an O5 Baja and would like to see if mine needs to be changed

4. Justin Stobb Says:
   June 8th, 2010 at 6:46 pm

   Hello Bob,

   I cant really speak to the other cars other than to say the oil filter is tiny little on a Subaru as compared to a Volvo or Audi.

   The idea is to protect the turbo if debris gets past the filter I think without the screen there woud be more issues. Less with clogging and oil starvation but more with debris entering the turbo oil inlet.

   Audi turbos have a pretty high failure rate , I dont know if they have a screen in the oil feed line or not.

   The problem is solely lack of maintenance , if you fool yourself into believing you dont have to change the oil lots and often, you will buy a Turbo and maybe an engine.

   Take a newer Z car, most owners of these vehicles pamper their cars with frequent synthetic oil changes as do the owners of the STI, its the Outback XT, Forester XT, Legacy Gt where the car was bought by the “commuter customer” and tries to treat it like a non Turbo car and the results are expensive.

   If Toyota or Honda came out with a Modern Turbo Version of the Camry and Accord we would have similar issues as the average driver doesn’t understand the difference and the average car maker doesn’t want to loose sales by being transparent.

   Justin

5. Justin Stobb Says:
   June 8th, 2010 at 6:49 pm

   Hello Thomas,

   You have 2 one in the oil feed line going from the cylinder head to the Turbo and the second is located in the front of the drivers side cylinder head behind the timing components, you do have to remove the timing covers to remove the union screw on the drivers side. Its the one at the turbo that is the most concern, there are a few things you will have to remove to gain acces to the oil line at the turbo.

   Justin

6. Calvin Chai Says:
   June 11th, 2010 at 3:14 am

   Hey Justin, I had a question in regards to my 2004 WRX. I know that the new Subaru Oil Filters are now being supplied by Honeywell and the design of them are terrible compared to the older “Black” version made by Tokyo Roki. Is there a special recommendation to accommodate the smaller and unreliable oil filter from Subaru? Also, I heard that the PCV valve in my WRX is non-serviceable? Is this true?

   Thanks,
   Calvin

7. Justin Stobb Says:
   June 11th, 2010 at 11:11 pm

   Hi Calvin,

   The Pcv comes with a few other parts attached so yes the valve itself is not serviceable. And is not easy to access, it is in fact replaceable but it is also a major job to do so.

   We offer a Filter that is similar to the Tokyo Roki Filter. Larger filter area that is reinforced and has the correct spring and bypass.

   Hope that helps

   Justin

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