Need to change the oil on my Subaru Forester, but want to know the right type and the best way to go about it

A Subaru Forester engine oil change is a great way to start to learn about DIY maintenance and save yourself some money by performing an oil change service at home. Precisely how to change oil on a Subaru Forester is far from a trade secret and essentially involves removing the old oil, fitting a replacement oil filter of the right type and size and then replenishing the engine oil. Okay, it’s not quite that simple, and you need to take into account disposing of the old oil as well as learning the correct tightening specifications for the sump plug and filter. But this is a job that the typical mechanic at a service centre would tackle every day and earn their bread and butter income from. And that’s money you can save at home. Bear in mind, though, that this is not the only maintenance job a Forester requires, but it’s the most common one.

The other issue is knowing when to tackle your Subaru Forester oil change as well as how often to change oil as time and kilometres go by. Waiting for the maintenance light to appear on the dashboard can leave things too long, and you’re much better off learning the correct service interval. This information will be listed in the owner’s manual.

The best Subaru Forester oil type is the one recommended by the manufacturer, and in that case, the petrol and diesel versions of the Forester need a 5W40 and a diesel-specific 5W30 respectively. That applies for cars made from 2008 to 2012 and includes the new 2.5-litre petrol engine introduced with a facelift in very late 2010. The same grade of oil is also specified for the engines fitted to 2013 and 2014 models, while a 5W30 is also the correct oil for the revised diesel engine introduced in 2015 which continued through 2016 and beyond to the end of that model in 2018. Foresters with petrol engines have a 4.8 litre oil capacity, while the diesel engines require almost six litres of oil, so make sure you buy enough as well as a little for top ups in the future.

You should also fit the correct Subaru oil filter when ever you change the engine oil and, for the majority of petrol engined Foresters from this era, the proper filter is a Ryco (or equivalent) Z436, while the turbo-diesel engine requires a Ryco Z148A. Any spare parts store should be able to provide these filters and confirm the correct fitment.