Oil Change

[SD_GR]

Yes, but both firms stricly specify a particular oil type. Both of these manufacturer approvals are quite strict (read: very few oils available in the US can meet them), and even given that there have been problems.

The VAG VW 50x spec series and the BMW Longlife series go beyond the best industry-wide rating, ACEA A3, and keep in mind that ACEA A3 makes the typical API SL oil with the ridiculous starburst symbol look quite silly.

Also consider the sump size of the typical motor that'll use BMW Longlife oil -- the larger the sump, the longer the drain interval can be given the same oil (for example, the sump on a big rig truck is a bathtub compared to our 4.8L sump, and I've been asking around for a larger, baffled sump for the Subaru EJ2xx motors for a while now). Another factor is the recommended viscosity; 5W-30 is a bit of a compromise to suite corporate fuel economy standards in the US and may not have less wear in mind. BMW have used a 10W-60 oil, and VAG products typically call for a 5W-40.

That's not to say there haven't been issues; BMW M motors have failed outright and VAG turbo 1.8s have sludged -- some of this might be owner neglect or simply using the wrong oil, but some might be manufacturer error (as in, not spec'ing a good enough oil!).

[photog72]

I usually drive my car less than 10 miles a week. I bought my '04 WRX Wagon on 9/11/03. It currently has 3102 miles on it. The longest drives I have had are a couple from Philly to DC and from Philly to the Pocono mountains. My drive to work is 3/4 of a mile - one way. I usually let the car idle for about 4-5 minutes before I leave the drive way, and when I get to work, I idle it another 1 minute to make sure I try and shut it off when it has hit normal operating temperature.

When the weather warms up, I will walk to work, as it doesn't pay to drive. My first oil change was at the dealer on 12/11/03 at 2131 miles. I plan to do another oil change on 3/11/04 or so. I used to use M1 20W-50 in my '93 RX-7, exclusively. However, that was when I lived in South Florida, and the car had extensive track time (Sebring, Homestead, VIR, Summit Point). This car is a daily, or lack of a daily driver. So, I do have experience with synthetics. Should I continue going by a 3 month interval if I switch to synthetics? Could I go by a 4, 5, or 6 month interval if I switch over? I know if I continue on "dino"saur oil I will definitely stick with 3 month intervals on my oil changes.

[SD_GR]

That's tough.

It's easier on oil to drive the car on the motorway daily for half an hour or more than to drive two blocks to work, especially in an area with humidity, a good dose of cold, and a good dose of heat too. On some days, from what you describe, the oil never gets a chance to warm up enough to burn off any volatiles etc., and I'd be concerned about condensation and so on too.

I have a car I drive two weeks a year, and I've resorted to using BP or Fuchs synthetic in it (no M1 available where I park it) and changing the oil annually regardless of mileage; sometimes, I use two filters in two weeks, one before reviving the car (plus topup oil to supe up what's left in the car) and one after with a fresh oil change right before storage. This is probably overkill with true synthetics and good additive packages, but doing an analysis to figure it out for sure is both impractical and just as costly as changing the oil...

I am only guessing: with a true synth you ought to be able to go 6 months, but it'll depend a lot on your use pattern. In any case for this situation I'd actually play it safe and not exceed the maximum *time* interval stated in the manual under "severe duty" because of all the temp changes and short drives (the worst of the worst for oil; only the same conditions plus dust would be worse still...).

EDIT: Since you *must* follow the manual guidelines to maintain your warranty, just go by that at least until warranty isn't an issue any more. That way you'll be "safe" on paper too.

You could probably drain into a clean container (an old oil jug, for example) and use the oil for lawn mower duty or something if you feel it's a waste (it may or may not be, but I've found myself doing this once or twice).

[ej20fan]

my buddy works for MBZ, I get free Mobil 1 5-30 Synth Oil. Been using it for the past year = 20k. No sweat. If anything, my car runs better with the synth, unless I'm going crazy. It also no longer idles as rough as it did when I was using organic oil. Overall, no change in fuel economy, but then again, driving your scoobie hard, as I do, will lead to some pretty pathetic gas mileage, ~15-19 mpg. Bottom line, if it's good enough for CL600's, S600's and the whole AMG lineup, my $24,499 WRX 'Rally bred' tough as nails motor, should be just fine. BTW, no need to change your synth oil any earlier than 5k, unless you drive less than that in 3 months. Also, if so many of you are worried about how to prolong the life of your motors, try not abusing it, AKA beating on it without mercy at the track/street. Otherwise, know that the car will not last an infinity. In the end, unless your negligent with Oil changes, your driving habits will have more of an impact than what weight/type of oil you use. Lastly, the most traumatic moments of your cars/motors life are at startup, and stop, while still hot. So take it easy the first and last 10min or so that your driving your Subie.

[SD_GR]

Originally posted by ej20fan
my buddy works for MBZ, I get free Mobil 1 5-30 Synth Oil. ... Bottom line, if it's good enough for CL600's, S600's and the whole AMG lineup, my $24,499 WRX 'Rally bred' tough as nails motor, should be just fine.

It is *not* good enough for CL600s, S600s, or the whole AMG lineup!

The M1 5w-30 doesn't meet the MB229.5 spec. 0W-40 does...

[ej20fan]

i stand corrected!! I origninally had 5-30, before switching to M1 Syn, the current weight is 0-40. I'm impressed.

[SD_GR]

I think the reasoning behind the MB 229.x specs sets a ground level ACEA A3 rating (or perhaps equivalent), and I know M1 xW-30 are A5 oils - that's what I think is happening anyway.

There are some other M1 grades that also meet the spec, though they are not factory fill on AMGs. Examples: M1 5W-50 as seen in the SLR/McLaren and their turbo-diesel 0W-40.

Other choices happy AMG owners might look at (if they do their own oil changes) include Motul 8100 0W-40 or 5W-40, Shell Helix Plus S 5W-40, Esso Ultron 5W-40, Aral synth. 0W- or 5W-40, and the synth. Silkolene Fuchs xW-40 or even 10W-50.

I'd bet anything any of this stuff would work great in our Subaru turbo motors as well, but it's just not worth the hassle of finding the stuff for me.

Now that M1 comes in the "truck/SUV" yellow-cap 5W-40 formula, I'm on to that. It've widely available, economical, and good quality IMO.

OT: I feel really silly recycling my used M1 (of any weight) with 5000 miles on it. I sometimes use it in my lawnmower and it helps me out a bit psychologically!...

[WRXGO]

I have been using M1 5-30w since 1500-mile for my WRX03. Now I have 16k-mile on my car, 4/5 of that is on highway. I drive a lot from Seattle to Whistler, Canada. Anyway, It runs great! Also, I change my oil on every 3k-mile interval. I know it is quite unnecessary but I just rather love giving my car fresh syth oil And I bet my WRX03 loves it

[photog72]

You are really throwing money away by doing oil changes every 3K miles with your driving habits and type of oil. Even the scheduled maintainence on a WRX doesn't require oil changes that often on dino oil. Highway miles are the least damaging to an engine. If it were me, I would consider every 3750 miles to change my oil (with synthetic oil and according to Subaru's schedule - I want to have a valid warranty). I will be switching to synthetic oil soon, and will conduct my oil changes this way. However, I drive very little compared to you. My commutes are less than 2 miles per day, with lots of warm up time. I change my oil by the calendar, not mileage.

OT: I will switch my transmission oil to synthetic soon (Redline MT-90), as it does improve shifting!

[chris bunch]

I put my old M1 5w-30 from my rex right into my old chevy truck, seems to like it just fine.

But double check the redline MT-90 for a wrx MT, i think it's GL-4 rated, and the rec is for gl-5. Redline makes stuff in that grade, I use neo RHD which is GL2-6, seems to work fine. I've got 11000 on my '04 and the tranny is slowly loosening up which is nice, the engine has always been fine with the M1.

[photog72]

I will double check the requirements for the WRX. I used the MT-90 in my '93 RX-7 TT, so I know the MT-90 works great. Thanks for the info.

Updated: I checked out Cobb Tuning and found that they recommend the Redline 75W90 NS. I guess that is what I will be going with then!

[WTypeRogerX]

Originally posted by photog72
You are really throwing money away by doing oil changes every 3K miles with your driving habits and type of oil. Even the scheduled maintainence on a WRX doesn't require oil changes that often on dino oil. Highway miles are the least damaging to an engine. If it were me, I would consider every 3750 miles to change my oil (with synthetic oil and according to Subaru's schedule - I want to have a valid warranty). I will be switching to synthetic oil soon, and will conduct my oil changes this way. However, I drive very little compared to you. My commutes are less than 2 miles per day, with lots of warm up time. I change my oil by the calendar, not mileage.

I also change oil by 3 3/4 months (well round up to around 4 months) as the manual recommends for extreme conditions since I usually don't drive 3,750 miles in that time. I was talking with a coworker about how synthetic is supposed to last a year or so, but regular filters are still only good for about 3 months. He suggested changing the filters every 3-4 months and refilling the oil in the filter, but leaving the rest of the oil in and only changing that once a year. Is this a good or bad idea? Or would it be better to save money by changing with dyno oil every 3-4 months instead? Up 'til the last change, I've been throwing away (possibly still good) expensive synthetic oil every 4 months.

[RobK]

I see Mobil 1 now comes as a 5W30.

[photog72]

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't waste my money on synthetic oil for your driving conditions. I am going to continue to use dino oil for the foreseeable future. If I start using my car for longer commutes, and I have to change oil by miles, not by months, then I'd switch over to synthetic. By the way, as of today I have only 4491 miles. I bought the car on September 11. I'll be lucky to hit 5000 miles on its one year anniversary w/ me.

[WRXMIL]

Does anyone know if I should change my oil from Mobile1 5W-30 to something heavier? I ask because I live in Germany and drive the autobahn daily to get to work; often cruising at 100mph plus and I see my oil temps get up to 215-200 degrees F. Any help would be great. I've seen some Mobile1 European vehicle oil which IIRC is 5W-40 or 10W-40.