Suby Shopping & Maintenance/Warranty Buying a Subaru? Buying, negotiating, financing, insurance, etc. Maintenance/Warranty topics can be discussed here too.

Should engine oil be changed more frequently than 6 months/3500 miles?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 27, 2008 | 04:28 PM
  #1  
wrXtian's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 401
From: four one five
Car Info: 06 wrx
Should engine oil be changed more frequently than 6 months/3500 miles?

ok well i drive my wrx about 3500 miles every 6 months. i don't change the oil until it reaches that marker. i know turbo cars are more sensitive to oil, but just curious if it's bad for me not to be changing the oil every few months opposed to the mileage?
Old Aug 27, 2008 | 09:44 PM
  #2  
meilers's Avatar
VIP Member
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,023
From: Phoenix, AZ
Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
Originally Posted by wrXtian
ok well i drive my wrx about 3500 miles every 6 months. i don't change the oil until it reaches that marker. i know turbo cars are more sensitive to oil, but just curious if it's bad for me not to be changing the oil every few months opposed to the mileage?
You should change it every 3 months, regardless of the mileage. If the car sits that much, you are letting seals dry out and also most likely collecting water in the gasoline and oil. You really need to drive the car more, or at least fire it up 2 to 3 times a week. Letting it sit is deadly to the head and cam gaskets, they need to be wet with oil. Our Legacy wagon sat for 8 months in a garage before we got it, and less than three months later it blew the entire head and cam gasket, giant puddles of coolant and oil on the garage floor. The tech said the gasket was so fragile he could pick it apart with his fingernail.
Old Aug 27, 2008 | 11:55 PM
  #3  
wrXtian's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 401
From: four one five
Car Info: 06 wrx
well it gets started twice a week.. i have to move it for street cleaning.
Old Aug 28, 2008 | 12:15 AM
  #4  
Irish_car_B0mb's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 6,970
From: Upper North Bay
Car Info: '15 LE STI, '06 WRX White Wheeled Wagon, '06 B9
3 months 3750.
Old Aug 28, 2008 | 10:29 AM
  #5  
meilers's Avatar
VIP Member
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,023
From: Phoenix, AZ
Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
Originally Posted by wrXtian
well it gets started twice a week.. i have to move it for street cleaning.
You can't just start it, you need to get it up to oil temp/pressure, at least 3 minutes of driving or more. Until the water temp gauge is at the middle position, the oil is still cold and not up to full pressure.
Old Aug 30, 2008 | 12:18 AM
  #6  
PikkaGTR's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,644
From: SJ
Car Info: 94 Integra beater: one Slow 3 Series RIP EvoX
You can always change it more often then not
It's bad to NOT change the oil often enough, But it's NEVER bad to change your oil TOO often
my STi sees about 7-8k miles a year and the oil is changed ATLEAST 4-5 times
Old Sep 25, 2008 | 09:09 PM
  #7  
WRX409's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,069
From: Allentown,PA
Car Info: 04 WRX
My Subaru doesn't see alot of mileage either probably 5-6K miles
a year.I go by time and not mileage too.
I change my engine oil religiously every three months with
Castrol Syntec Blend motor oil.I still belive though in the three
months or three thousand mile oil changes witch ever one comes
first.
If you care about your Subaru change your engine oil normaly with
a good quality motor oil.
Old Oct 9, 2008 | 11:03 AM
  #8  
wimprezax06's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (17)
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,448
From: Oakland/Alameda
Car Info: WRX --> RX-8--〉E93
change at 3k miles, and 3 months. keep your car happy. and remember you SUPPOSE to do that in order to keep your warranty
Old Oct 9, 2008 | 11:31 AM
  #9  
ipozestu's Avatar
VIP Member
iTrader: (18)
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 7,570
From: Subabrew Crew
Car Info: Broken Subarus
The reason you change the oil every three months is because of the the carbon that gets entrained into the oil. You notice that when you put fresh oil into the car it's clean and virtually transparent. After the oil has been used for a while it turns dark and black. This happens dues to carbon. The carbon eventually will turn the oil acidic because it begins to form carbonic acid. Most oils have an additive package that will neutralize the acid to a harmless salt. Over time the package becomes consumed and can no longer convert this acid. Long interval oils have more capability to neutralize this acid. I'd suggest changing the oil with a 7500mile change oil. Drive your car the normal 3k-3.5K and change every six months and you'll be fine.
Old Oct 9, 2008 | 05:32 PM
  #10  
04caliwrx's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,581
From: on the way to lake tahoe to shread! turbo beast
Car Info: 2016 WRX, 2014 lifter forester XT, 2005 JDM207 WGN
my brother has a stage 2 wrx with 80k on her and he changes his oil every 6 months and 8-10k miles and has never had any problems. He does use some German oil that is like 15 a qt. And all is well with the car. Me and my g/f also have a 135i and it needs a oil change every 15k from BMW, now I think that crazy!
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
whiteknuckles
NorCal Classifieds
9
Jan 18, 2006 02:32 PM
wrxout
Engine/Power - EJ25T (STI and 2006+ WRX)
10
Oct 26, 2005 03:13 PM
my sti 1
NorCal Classifieds
3
Oct 17, 2005 01:58 PM
WorldONE
Vendor Group Buys/Specials
2
Oct 29, 2003 09:54 AM
incubus587
Drivetrain
6
Sep 9, 2003 11:07 PM




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:20 PM.