First oil change for Subaru 2.5i: mileage, type?

[baj]

I have a 2006 Subaru with a 2.5i 4-cylinder normally aspirated engine. It has 2,000 miles on it.

The maintenance schedule says the first oil change isn't due until 7,500 miles. The specified break-in period is 1,000 miles.

My plans:

1. Change oil every 7,500 miles using synthetic oil, starting at 7,500 miles.

2. Change oil once and only once before 7,500 miles.

My question to you oil gurus: at what mileage should I do the first change, and should it be synthetic or mineral?

One other question: The car was built in late 2005, but only had 28 miles on it when I bought it 3 weeks ago. Since it was hardly driven until recently I have thought of the oil in it as essentially new (i.e. not subject to my usual rule of an oil change every 6 months regardless of mileage, since the engine was not run enough to put much water into the oil). Any problems with this logic?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[SubLGT]

Change oil now, with non-synthetic. The rest of your plan sounds great.

 

[gtx510]

I would have changed the oil twice by now. Once when you bought it, and again at 1-1.5k.
cheapo dino oil for the next 2-3k?
TropArtic, Exxon, Supertech, etc.
Then start using synthetic.
Find or do a UOA before running synthetic oil for 7.5k?

 

[m2200b]

I don't agree with your view that oil sitting in the car since dec 2005 is the same as being in the oil bottle. They ran that car enough to add fuel and it wintered long enough for condensation in the oil.

Yours is more like a car someone doesn't drive in the winter.

 

[Eddie]

My owners manual Forester 2000 recomended first oil change at 3,000 miles and NOT before 1,000. I changed at 2,200 to Mobil 1 5w30 and never a problem. Now at 111,000 miles and runs as new without any problems or consumption issues. Are you sure your manual says first change at 7500?

 

[baj]

First, thanks everybody for the replies.

quote:

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Originally posted by SubLGT:
Change oil now, with non-synthetic. The rest of your plan sounds great.

---

When is it ok to switch to synthetic, in your view? The only reason I don't want to do what you suggest is that would mean putting 5,500 miles on dino oil, which makes me a little nervous.

 

[baj]

quote:

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Originally posted by Eddie:
Are you sure your manual says first change at 7500?

---

Yes. It says 3000 miles for the 6 cylinder, but 7500 miles for the 4 cylinder in my car.

 

[AndyH]

I dumped my factory-fill oil on my 2005 Impreza WRX STi at approx. 2,500 miles. Then proceeded to change the oil with conventional oil and semi-synthetic oil every 2,500 miles until I hit the 10,000 mile mark. I then made the switch over to running synthetic oil on a 5,000 interval. My $0.02

 

[Eddie]

Acording to Subaru , you can change over to synthetic oil at the first oil change. The oil must meet the requirments for type & viscosity. This from the Subaru technical department.

 

[oilyriser]

Does it really say 7500 miles regardless of time? My mom's subaru is showing signs of sludge in the oil fitler mounting area after two intervals of 4000 miles, over one year. I'm switching to 3x per year after seeing that. This is with lots of short trips, and winter cold, though.

 

[TooSlick]

I just got an '06 Outback a few months ago...

Manual says 3.75k for severe service and 7.5k/7.5 months for normal service. The early 3k change is only for the 3.0L, V-6.

I'd run the factory fill until 3k-4k miles, then drain the second batch of cheap dino @ 7.5k and go to the synlube after that. Probably what I'll end up doing.

TS

 

[gtx510]

Sube makes a V6? Will wonders never cease?
flat-6, boxer engine...

 

[baj]

I don't think Subaru makes a V6, it's an H-6. It's hard to unlearn the habit of putting a V in front of numbers larger than 5 (I know there are inline 6's, but those are more exception than rule).

 

[michaelc80]

I did my first oil change in my 05 Subaru with the 2.5 in it at ~1500 miles. I changed to Amsoil 5W30 at that time. The last UOA looked excellent.

With Amsoil in the engine and differential, and Redline in the manual transmission I frequently average 35MPG on the highway (at 60MPH).

 

[dkcase]

quote:

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Originally posted by baj:
(I know there are inline 6's, but those are more exception than rule).

---

As an Old-Timer (relatively) I say, "It HAS come to that, hasn't it ? " tsk tsk

 

[Thatwouldbegreat]

I switched both of our '05 Outbacks at 3K and went to synthetic [GC 0W-30] at 7K OCI's.

I doubt it would have hurt to run dino for another 3K interval...but I wanted to get GC in there.

 

[nj300se]

+1 what Eddie posted.

I ran the original oil in my '04 2.5L to 3,500 miles and then switched to M1 5-30. Pretty good UOA on that. Running the 0-30 Syntec in it now.

 

[mintong]

I changed to Syn M1 5W30 at 700 miles. It's been on a diet of M1 5w30 every 7500 miles ever since. Engine on my 99 Subie has 105000 on it now.

 

[Norm Olt]

Change oil & filter at 3K or so with dino, then at 7.5K (that was your parameter) with whatever synthetic you choose. Amsoil's top 5W-30 is pretty $pendy but should last for at least twice the OCI you are suggesting, no sweat. Probably 3 times.

Personally (and I do have some little Subaru experience of 13+ years) I would go with a semi-synthetic 5W-30 or even 10W-30 semi-synthetic (such as any of the CoNoCo family) if I could get it at around a $ per quart, changing oil every 3.75K and just change the oil filter every 7.5K.

Your filter can certainly take the factory recommended interval, and 12 (2 X 6 ?)quarts of $ or so oil every 7.5K is a lot le$$ expen$ive than 6 quarts of almost any 100% synthetic out there.

You certainly won't wear out semi-synthetic oil in < or = 4K miles. Oil probably won't even look dirty.

Cheers!

 

[Titan]

I change only the filter at about 100-200 miles, with a fine-filtering unit such as PureOne. Then at about 2000 miles, I change to a synthetic, like Pennzoil Platinum 5-30. I have two Subaru's now, my 3rd and 4th of the 2.5 normally aspirated variety. They've all been 100% reliable, very good engines.