cptcaveman

Hi Guys,

I know this has probably been asked a million times, but I loose hours of my life using the search feature on here, and i've got to get to bed

Had the head gasket replaced by the dealer 5/6 months back on my hawkeye STI. This is my second scoob so i'm used to the outrageous oil usage by now, but since the gasket change it seems to have got worse.

Gave the car an oil change 6 weeks ago, and sin of sins didn't check it for a few weeks (I know, I know, even I hate me). Was breaking hard for a roundabout and to my terror, the oil light briefly flashed up. I drove like I had miss daisy in the back the last few miles to works, and put some oil in before I headed home that night. In 3 and a half weeks and just over 1300 miles the car had used 3.5 litres of oil.
So now i'm checking it every weekend and its using almost litre a week, in which its doing under 400 miles.

Now I freely admit, the only way I can make it through 2 hours in the car each day is to hoon it around. Its all A roads with roundabouts all over the shop and all decent speed limits (no speeding in 30mph zones).

Do you guys think its all just down to me burning it off with my stupid driving? I've had the car up on a ramp and looked all around the engine bay, except for a very fine mist on the bttom of the filter, I can't see anything untoward. The car doesn't smoke on startup, and i've never noticed anything when driving. And the car feels the same when driving (no loss of power).

I know there are going to be folks who drive like saints and say they never top up between services, but I'm really looking for comparison from people who enjoy driving their scoob

Dave

Ohh forgot to mention, its completely unmodded (boring I know, but i'm trying to buy a flat so I don't have to drive 2 hours a day )

chrisdicko

iTrader: (21)

I drive flat out where I can, and don't loose any oil. I check it every few weeks at the same place (outside work), and it never seems to move!!

Running quite a modded blob at 435bhp.

will_wrx

What oil are you using?

cptcaveman

hi guys, thanks for the responses. When I did the oil change i put in millers 10w 40, but i didn't get a chance to order more, so i've been putting shell helix 5w 40 since (I know you shouldn't mix oils but I panic'd.)
I know there is a lot of different opinion on oils, but my dealership have always used 10w40, so i've just stuck with it.

madisonmonkey

iTrader: (4)

None of the four impreza's I've had have used any oil

cptcaveman

doh... I was hoping everyone would say "yeah that's about normal". My last one used to use about a litre a month, but I was doing a lot less miles.

To be honest this cars always felt like a "built on a Friday" car so i've just put up with most of its quirks, but maybe this is something I really ought to get looked at. Looks like i'll be paying for the extended warranty then, that's just come up for renewal.

Thanks for all the responses though guys

D1CCY

Sorry, but thats definitely not right. If its under warranty you should get it back to the dealer. I track my 50K miles 03STi and it doesn't use a drop.

Where is the oil going, does it smoke - I'd expect it to. Get someone to follow you and watch exhaust for clues?

lunar tick

iTrader: (2)

As other posters have said; I'm running a 415bhp Blob on 70,000 miles and it never uses a drop of oil. Deffo get it checked.

chrisdicko

iTrader: (21)

cptcaveman, don't mean to sound like a tit, but do you have a leak?

cptcaveman

Hi Chris,

Its a valid question, I did have it up on a ramp and had a good look around the bottom of the engine, I can't see anything obvious. There was a very light mist on the bottom of the oil filter, but no obvious signs of where 3.5 litres could go. Like I said before I don't see anything from the exhaust, but i've only sat it on the drive and rev'd it a bit. Its always been pretty thirsty, but since the gasket change it seems to be worse.

I just kind of thought these engines drank oil....... Ouch was hoping to let the warranty void and save the money toward a forge build later this year/early next as I can't really afford it at the mo, but it sounds like it may have a problem that needs sorting sooner.

Thanks Guys

JonnyUK1980

iTrader: (1)

Christ it uses more than my old escort turbos lol

I top my standard blob wrx up maybe once every 6 weeks with about 1/4 litre of oil if that!
As d1ccy says, id get that back to the garage to be checked out

coupe_20vt

iTrader: (2)

Bloody Hell Thats drinking more than an RX8 or my old Coupe 20vt and thats saying something

As stated above, if its not soaking underneath, you're either burning it or your head gasket is screwed.

Get a compression test, check your water and get a mate to follow you when you're driving hard.

cptcaveman

Thanks again Guys, I've just booked it back in. My Dealership are always really helpful, and they seemed pretty shocked as well. Its still under warranty, so i'll see how it goes. I was just sitting working it out and i've used about 15 litres in 4 months (ish) and 5k miles.... No wonder my credit cards taking a hit .

The water looks ok, and I don't have any problem with overheating, but I guess we'll see.
Thanks for all the comments though, its made me get up off my lazy @rse and actually get it booked in.

Butty

iTrader: (2)

15 litres in 5k miles
I must get through at most 1 litre in between 5k services - on a hawkeye STi that's gone through several modding stages and 36k of motorway miles.

hodgy0_2

i had heavy oil usage on my my00 2000 turbo, i did approx 2k a week and I prob put in a litre a week, but I used to check it every day, and would often put in half a litre if I was going to Exeter and back.

my car didn't smoke (unless I really booted it) or leave any puddles on the ground overnight -- so I was at a bit of a loss as too where it was going

one thing i did notice, is that the dipstick reading was very senstive to road camber etc

and I just wonder whether some of my refils were a bit un-needed as I was checking it on a slight slope, so would overfill slightly, which would then burn off quicker (or blow through the camshaft seals) making me think it was using more than it actually was -- if that make sense -- so I would deffo check on a really level surface

but I sort of lived with it tbh, otherwise the car drove 100% (sold now)

brookerss

The problem your going to have is when subaru tell you its in there guidlines that they can use 1 litre in a 1000 miles,my hawkeye is having oil use problems its doing about 0.5 litre in a 1000 miles and i thought that was bad,but one thing you want to check is reverse the dipstick and you will proberbly find it well over the full mark and it could be burning of the excess because your filling up to the max on one side is right over on the other.
This way has been brought to my attention by prosport and they do know there way around a scooby,my car also shows no sign of leaks and goes like stink but i have noticed it to use more over 6000 revs,it also runs on shell helex which i dont thinks up to much,anyhow keep us informed how you get on.

cptcaveman

Hi guys,

I appreciate the comments, but mine is well past the burning excess stage. If I don't check it for 2 week, there won't be anything on the dipstick and it will take a couple of litres to bring it back to an acceptable level.

Luckily where I park up is pretty flat (well to my eyes anyway) so hopefully that's not the problem.

Extending the Warranty is nearly £700, but I guess its worth it (already had the headgasket and rear shocks done under warranty in the last 12 months).

Dave

brookerss

My warranty is up in 6 months unsure what to do keep it or sell it not had this kind of issue with a car before,and so many conflicting stories has left me dizzy.

Was thinking of having a swap to a 350z till i looked on there forum and there getting exsesive oil use on them,and there getting the same replay from the dealers a litre in a 1000 miles is normal.
dave how long have you had the car and has it always used a lot of oil.

coupe_20vt

iTrader: (2)

Yes you're right about the 350Z, it is thirsty on oil. Mate has one and it gets through at least a litre every 1000k miles.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

I know a man who measures his engine's oil consumption in miles per litre !

Built 2.5, but they all do use a bit. Course my 2.0 doesn't burn any, but I have a wee leak on the cam cover.... turbo side of course, just a little smelly on start-up.

dunx

RonnieB

I have 2.5 STI Hawkeye, Prodrived. Doesn't use a drop.
Owned it for 3 years only ever put oil in when its been serviced.

cptcaveman

wow never expected so many responses, cheers guys.

I've had the car about a year, its always been fairly thirsty, it used to use about a litre and a half a month (I was doing about 1200 miles a month), but that sounds like an acceptable figure to Subaru, but since the Head Gasket change it seems to be getting progressively worse. Obviously I had to run it in for 1k after the change, and I didn't really notice any problems then, but since I've been aloud to use the loud pedal again its got a bit juicy.
I guess the warranty is worth it, my shocks are gone AGAIN!!!, I was thinking of dropping the warranty and getting coilovers, and later modding her some, but that might have to wait.
It does come to something when you have to put a litre of oil in every 2.5 petrol fillups

Still my dealership is pretty cool, so I'll have to see how it gets on.

Dave

brookerss

Dave pm me when you get some answers with your car what's wrong with it, would be really intrested to see the outcome of this and what subaru are going to do about it.thanks chris.

bigarf

iTrader: (67)

thats weird that dunx,cos i know a man who's built 2.5l cdb engine uses ridiculous amounts of oil too.i think he mentioned 1 litre of oil to just over 100 miles.hmmm wonder if its the same bloke.

cptcaveman

will do Chris, my dealership are cool, but it took a month to get the head gasket done (i did drop it into them out of the blue, when they were busy), so it might not be for a while.