Engine Oil; Checking The Oil Level; Changing The Oil And Oil Filter - Subaru Legacy Outback 2006 Owner's Manual

11-18
Maintenance and service

Engine oil

Checking the oil level

Check the engine oil level at each fuel
stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly insert-
ed until it stops with the graphic symbol
" " on its top appearing as shown in
the illustration.
Except 3.0-liter models
1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
4. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
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level, add oil to bring the level up to the up-
per level.
Use only engine oil with the rec-
ommended grade and viscosity.
Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
1
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If en-
2
gine oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
If you check the oil level just after stopping
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to
3
drain back into the oil pan before checking
the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is
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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.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not
add any additional oil above the upper lev-
el when the engine is cold.

Changing the oil and oil filter

Change the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule.
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 frequent-
ly made, when towing a trailer, or when
driving in extremely cold whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the en-
gine idle for approximately 10 minutes to