The 1998 model year brought about the release of an all-new crossover SUV, the Forester. The Forester combined the utility of an SUV with the maneuverability of a small station wagon. In 2006, Subaru slightly redesigned the Forester, modifying its exterior trim, but retaining its overall design. The 2007 Forester had two 2.5-liter, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engines: a 173-horsepower, naturally aspirated version and a 224-horsepower turbocharged version. Subaru recommended changing the oil and filter in the Forester's 2.5-liter engine every 7,500 miles
Park the Forester on a flat surface and allow it to idle for about 10 minutes. This warms up the oil, allowing it to drain faster. Open the hood, loosen the oil filler cap -- on the front, driver's side of the engine -- and remove the cap from the engine.
Raise the front of the Subaru, using a floor jack, and slide jack stands under the vehicle's subframe. Crawl beneath the front of the vehicle, and locate the oil filter and drain plug access panel near the front of the under-car splashguard.
Pry the center of each access panel-retaining clip outward with a flat-head screwdriver, and pry all eight clips from the access panel. Rotate the access panel counterclockwise, exposing the oil filter and drain plug.
Loosen the engine oil drain plug, using a ratchet and six-point socket. Wrap your hand in a lint-free cloth to protect it from heat, and continue loosening the drain plug by hand. Quickly pull the drain plug from the oil pan once it is completely loose. Allow the oil to drain from the pan.
Remove the sealing washer from the drain plug, and wipe it off with a clean, lint-free cloth. Install a new sealing washer onto the drain plug, and hand-thread the plug into the pan. Tighten the oil drain plug to 33 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and six-point socket.
Slide the drain pan under the oil filter, and loosen the filter with an oil filter wrench. Allow all of the oil to drain from the oil filter, and remove the filter from the oil filter-mounting surface by hand.
Wipe the oil filter-mating surface off with a clean, lint-free cloth. Coat the O-ring on a new oil filter with new oil, using your fingers. Tighten the new oil filter onto the oil filter-mounting stud until the O-ring contacts the mounting surface. Tighten the oil filter an additional 3/4 to 1 turn after it contacts the mounting surface.
Rotate the oil filter and drain plug access cover clockwise until it is in place. Insert each of the eight clips through the holes in the access cover, and press the center of each clip inward to lock it in place.
Raise the Forester off the jack stands, using a floor jack, and remove the jack stands. Lower the Forester to the ground.
Insert a funnel into the oil filler tube and pour 4.2 qts. of API-certified, energy conserving 5W-30 engine oil into the filler hole.
Allow the oil to settle for about 2 minutes, and pull the dipstick from the engine. Wipe the oil off the dipstick, and reinsert the dipstick into the dipstick tube. Pull the dipstick out, and verify that the oil level is near, or slightly above, the upper line on the oil dipstick. Tighten the oil filler cap.
Start the Forester's engine and allow it to run for about 2 minutes -- check for leaks as it idles -- and shut the engine down. Allow the oil to settle for about 2 minutes and remove the dipstick from the engine, Verify that the oil level is within the upper and lower lines on the dipstick. Add more engine oil as needed.
Insert a funnel into an empty oil bottle, and fill the empty bottle with old engine oil from the drain pan. Once full, remove the funnel and tighten the cap onto the bottle. Repeat this step until you transfer all of the old oil into the empty bottles.
Take the bottles of old oil and the old oil filter to a used automotive oil-recycling center. Some auto parts stores take old oil and filters free of charge.
