2007 Subaru Outback Owner's Manual - Page 346

11-10 Maintenance and service . Be careful not to spill engine oil when adding it. If oil touches the exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If engine 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 drain back into the oil pan before checking the level. To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not add any additional oil above the upper level when the engine is cold. In 2.5-liter-engine models, the dipstick has a notch above the upper level. Just after driving or while the engine is 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. extremely cold weather. 1. Warm up the engine by letting the engine idle for approximately 10 minutes to ease draining the engine oil. 2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the engine. 3. Remove the oil filler cap. 3.0-liter models 4. Drain out the engine oil by removing the drain plug while the engine is still warm. The used oil should be drained into an appropriate container and disposed of properly. 2.5-liter models WARNING Be careful not to burn yourself with hot engine oil. 5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain plug with a clean cloth and tighten it securely with a new sealing washer after the oil has completely drained out. & Changing the oil and oil filter Change the oil and oil filter according to the maintenance schedule in the "Warranty and Maintenance Booklet". 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 frequently made, or when driving in