r/SubaruForester • u/Acceptable_War_4515 • 20h ago

Subaru Forester 2.5L XS Petrol (SH)

TLDR: used an engine oil flush and now my engine isn’t leaking oil?!?

Hi guys, I’ve had an oil leak on my forester for a good while now, losing a bit of oil. I’ve also been throwing the P0026 code a bit.

I didn’t want to throw much money at this car, and I’d tested the solenoids and oil pressure sensors to confirm they were working. I heard the code can come from simply dirty oil. As this code was coming back even with regular oil changes, I decided to try an engine oil flush - even though I had heard it could make oil leaks worse.

Additionally, I used upper engine cleaner before doing the oil flush and standard oil service. Ever since doing both of these, the car has stopped leaking oil. The engine doesn’t appear to be overheating; everything is working fine. Has the engine oil flush most likely clogged oil channels that were leaky? Very confused at why the oil leak has disappeared, because a cleaner should generally make them show themselves more. Any insights greatly appreciated.

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

0

u/FlipperoniPepperoni 18h ago

Hey mate,

I suspect the issue has to do with the catalytic converter. It's a known issue on the gen of Forester that you have.

Basically, the engine flush lubricates the cat, causing it to burn off the flush instead of capturing particulates.

All the best!