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?

[QUOTE=wrXtian;2304996]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?[/QUOTE]

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.

well it gets started twice a week.. i have to move it for street cleaning.

3 months 3750.

[QUOTE=wrXtian;2305456]well it gets started twice a week.. i have to move it for street cleaning.[/QUOTE]

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.

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

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.

change at 3k miles, and 3 months. keep your car happy. and remember you SUPPOSE to do that in order to keep your warranty

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.

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!