No really guys. I know where the dipstick is and how to use it, but everytime I dip and check, there is never any oil on the stick.

 

You try warming the car up first? If there's no oil on the stick, thats probably not a good sign...

 

Do you change your own engine oil? Does it show up after a fresh oil change?

You should be parked on level ground for a good reading, but something should still register even if you're parked on a grade.

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0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

It should be checked in the morning before starting the car, on level ground. Pull the stick out, wipe it off completely, then all the way back in and out again. The level should be between the two notches, L and F. The hole above the F indicates the proper level when the oil is checked on a hot engine but checking when cold is most accurate.

 

Your manual tells you exactly how to check and read your dipstick. You're probably low on oil.

 

Should you see a solid line of oil on the stick or should it only be on the outter edges of the dip stick?

When I check mine I only see oil on the outter edge of the stick and the center of it has no oil on it. But the oil on the outter edge does go to the notches.

 

You should definitely see a solid line of oil across the stick, if it is just on the edges it could be just splash on the inside of the tube.

This should be an overly simple subject but I wouldn't mind hearing some people weigh in on this. The manual actually says to check a few minutes after running the engine. I find that if I check my oil after the car has been sitting at least overnight, the oil level is considerably higher than if I check it after it has been running recently. I usually check mine warm, at the gas station when the car has been shut off for a minute or two and keep it near full therefore if I check my oil in the morning before starting it is above the full mark. It is strange, my Toyota truck is always at exactly the same spot no matter when I check it.

 

Thanks....turns out I was way low. Going to have to watch the level more closely from now on.
How much oil do these cars generally burn off in between oil changes (3500-4000 mile intervals at the most)?

Not used to the subtle differences between the SR20DET and RB20DET's I had in Japan and the EJ20T here. My Nissan's never went through oil.

Thanks.

 

your subie shouldn't be going through oil so fast either. You notice any giant oil stains under your car? if your coolant is low, then that could explain why your oil is burning up so fast. If your oils is gone again in the near future, get that thing checked out man before it's too late!

 

Oil consumption will vary considerably between cars of the same make/model depending on a number of things, including how it was broken in, what type of oil you use, how the car is driven and used, length of trips, ambient temperatures and so on.
Subaru (and most other mfrs) considers up to 1 quart per 1000 miles to be within spec, some cars will use more than this and some less. If you look around the boards (here, NASIOC and elsewhere) you'll find plenty of posts with varying reports from people of their experiences with this.
As an example, the prevailing opinion on Mobil 1 5W30 in Subarus, particularly WRXs, is that it tends to burn off more rapidly than other brands/viscosities. However I've been using it in my 02 WRX since 3500 miles with 5K changes, now at close to 80K and no oil use.