buddy

Hi all,
I know this is a bit of a bland topic but when a service is due on any car it always says on the service book for instance with imprezas every 7500 miles or 6 months whichever is the sooner.Dont call me sad but what if your car is only 18 months old and only done 5500 miles, should it wait for the 7500 mile service or should it have had 3 services already, including the 1000 mile one obviously.
Regards,
Buddy

Ian Cook

If its 18months old it should have had 4 services, 3 7500 mile/6 month ones and the 1000 miler !

[This message has been edited by Ian Cook (edited 04 January 2001).]

Dave T-S

buddy
If it's in warranty, and a UK car, go by what it says in the service book - otherwise, IM will probably walk away from the warranty, if there are any issues, so fast their legs are a blur.....

buddy

Dave,
No its an sti 5 with warranty expired (3 months).Just cant see the point of having to change the oil and filter 3 times opposed to once, does the oil start to break down after 6 months or something.
Regards,
Buddy

CLS

Before I decided to import a turbo I looked at loads and loads of impreza turbos. I looked at one which was described as MY98 full subaru service history from a very popular 'import dealer' in the north west.
Despite the fact that it was an MY97 when I examined the service book I also happened to notice that it had missed about 5 services. The dealer argued that it was miles not time that mattered.
Would you have bought that car? I didnt.
Price at trade in? 'no service history mate .. well dodgy'
MY00 DBM import from Holland full Subaru U.K servicing

waynelivesey

Iam a gas service engineer and as you are all aware your appliances `should be checked at least once a year by a CORGI ENGINEER`.
In real terms on modern room sealed appliances this is totally unnessasary as CO escape is immpossible unless tampered with.
Open flued or `most gas fires` should be checked annually.
Dont let my customers see this!,but i need to make my living like the rest of us.
I totally agree that oil etc should be changed every 6 months because of the acid build up within the oil caused by short journeys,but why should fuel filters and plugs be changed if its only a `sunday car`.
The only reason i can see is to keep up the resale value,but being the owner of a 5 year old WRX (which subaru uk wont touch anyway)
I dont think it will make any difference.
IE. 3 years ownership with about £2500 spent on servicing would probably be more cash spent than what i would loose selling the car without the history!
Anyway,you can tell if its enthusiast owned,as i would`nt spend three grand on brakes,wheels,full de-cat etc etc and not change the oil and cambelt!!!!

jwhitton

My MY00 Dutch import turbo model shows:

Subaru Owner Manual in English:
Section 10-3
Engine oil - change every 12500 km
(7500 miles) or 12 months whichever occurs first.

Back of manual:
Issued: March 2000 A
Printed in Japan H-5.5
A1810GE

So what is it with 6 months no where in the manual does it say this for my car except under severe driving conditions.

jon

jwhitton

Addition:

The car is a full spec UK model just purchased in Holland.
All docs are in English except the service book the dealer stamps.

jon

Mr.Cookie

Jap import but mine gets serviced every 4000 miles which is roughly every 2 and a half months.

Si

PeteT

jon,
I noticed this with my Dutch import as well and queried it with my dealer. He said it was every six months.
What happens with items like the cam belt, is that mileage or time related?

Another-Hoodlum

IMHO

Servicing is not just about getting the oil and filter changed. There are many other aspects and *degradables* on the car that require checking periodicaly whether the car has moved or not.

Synthetic oil is less prone to breaking down or damage when used in engines; the older mineral stuff needed changing frequently.

Me dad, (bless 'im) a Mechanical Engineer for all his life swears that oil and filter should be changed every 3000 miles. Synthetics however probably don't - 7500 miles is a reasonable time (IMO).

The *company* I work for services it's vehicles every six months or on mileage whichever comes first. HGV vehicles are also inspected every three for safety reasons.

Service the car by the book..... i't ain't just oils; it's suspension geometry, rubber bushes and other bits n bobs that will need changing/checking. Mind you, oil and filter is probably the most expensive element of the service. Now there's a cynical thought!!

Hope this helps!!

Mark

[This message has been edited by Another-Hoodlum (edited 07 January 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Another-Hoodlum (edited 07 January 2001).]

brickboy

Seems like the real issue is when to change fluids rather than other items like plugs etc. As its out of warranty then I'd change the oil every year if you're doing less than 7K per year.

Synthetics are great, very stable, and also oils get far less acids and contamination now that cars use unleaded fuel. This further extends their life, but once a year is about right IMO

jwhitton

I think you have missed the point.

What is the service interval for a MY00 Subaru Impreza Turbo?

We all agree it is every 7500 miles but what about the time interval?

Is it 12 or 6 months?

My English Subaru MY00 manual says 12 months.
What do others say?

jon

BarryK

Perhaps it's a translation thing?

The sticker on the door of my MY00 advises me about "heavy highway driving" (d'oh) and also tells me to change the oil at 7500 miles or six months whichever comes first.

So I let my car idle for 1 minute after "heavy highway driving" and I intend to do as the sticker tells me about oil too.

Oh, and I never spit on buses.

Airmiles

I had exactly the same query, as I live in London, but only use my car at weekends.

Consensus was, that you DO need to adhere to the "whichever comes first" principle; a low mileage of city driving knackers oil, air filters, etc MORE than a high mileage on motorways.

There's also the impact of time, and moisture on things - e.g. brake fluid is hygroscopic and needs changing every 2 years even if you do zero miles.
(Incidentally spark plugs seem to suffer badly on cars used infrequently - don't know why)

In my own case it's a bit "bite the bullet" as I only use the car OUTSIDE London, so don't fall into the "frequent short trips" category - but is the next purchaser going to know/believe that? No. So I'll keep the FSH up.

If you've an import or outside warranty then you should use your judgement depending on style/frequency of driving etc. - the whole point of rules is to ensure fair/sensible play by those who have no judgement (or, worse, THINK they have judgement but don't have the knowledge/wisdom to back it up) - but that's a whole different topic.