how many miles before first oil change

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by sierra

Regardless of what you say there is no way I would continue to use engine oil that was black.
It's contaminated and getting replaced.

Wrong. Waste of money.

[sierra]

You can keep repeating your mantra but carbon in engine oil is abrasive and increases the viscosity. Carbon makes it black.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by sierra

You can keep repeating your mantra but carbon in engine oil is abrasive and increases the viscosity. Carbon makes it black.

Incorrect. Any carbon particles larger enough to cause any wear are taken out by the oil filter. You do realize that ALL the oil going through your engine gies through the filter first.

How abrasive do you think carbon is?

The oil turns dark because of heat cycling. All engine oil darkens very shortly after the oil change.

I've driven turbo engines for 30 years, don't lecture me about carbon contamination. In turbo engines the carbon comes from heat in the turbine bearing which does bit to through the filter before damaging that bearing. Then you need to know how to treat the engine. Changing the oil on a turbo does not protect against carbon damage to turbine bearings and neither does the oil filter.

[Gary in NJ]

Originally Posted by ndsleep612

So if you track your car roughly once a month and your mileage is below 7500, don't tell me that you won't change your motor oil just because the service manual said so.

If the oil is black and contaminated, therefore it is "dirty".

There is a service interval in the manual for heavy service. Racing is obviously an extreme service. I think changing fluids after each race weekend is prudent. A driver that tracks a car and doesn't know proper track prep better have a very large bank account.

[sierra]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Incorrect. All engine oil darkens very shortly after the oil change.

Incorrect. Mine is still clear after 2,000km and the previous oil was still transparent after 6,000km when it got changed.

[ZionsWrath]

I did first change at 2000 mile at dealer since I was getting limited wing installed. Subsequent at 6-7k interval. No problems and my oil does come out black ^_^ Using eneos sustina

[jermyzy]

Question, I work very close to my home, so I've owned by BRZ for 10 months now and only accumulated 6000km (~4000miles). Can I wait til 1 year to do my first service, or should I do it now?

[Fuzz]

the UOA below proves that the factory fill holds extremely well for the 7500mile OCI.

No need to change it imo. the wear numbers for the following changes look fantastic too.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13286

BTW, the colour of the oil has no bearing on its condition.

[Mikem53]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Incorrect. Any carbon particles larger enough to cause any wear are taken out by the oil filter. You do realize that ALL the oil going through your engine gies through the filter first.

How abrasive do you think carbon is?

The oil turns dark because of heat cycling. All engine oil darkens very shortly after the oil change.

I've driven turbo engines for 30 years, don't lecture me about carbon contamination. In turbo engines the carbon comes from heat in the turbine bearing which does bit to through the filter before damaging that bearing. Then you need to know how to treat the engine. Changing the oil on a turbo does not protect against carbon damage to turbine bearings and neither does the oil filter.

Engine oil turns dark because of the particles held in suspension, not because of heat cycles. This is how detergents in the oil keep your engine clean..
Non detergent oils would stay clearer but the particles would be deposited in the engine and not held in suspension..

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Mikem53

Engine oil turns dark because of the particles held in suspension, not because of heat cycles. This is how detergents in the oil keep your engine clean..
Non detergent oils would stay clearer but the particles would be deposited in the engine and not held in suspension..

I was trying to keep it simple. The oil filter takes out all particles that could be an issue.

I think if you test oil immediately downstream of the filter you'll find very, very little particulates and they will all be very very small.

It is as well to remember that the oil in the sump hasn't gone through the filter since it cleaned the engine. That oil doesn't go through your engine until it has been filtered again.

The oil on your cams would be a better gauge of visually detectable condition (still irrelevant) but Subaru makes this very tricky to see.

[sierra]

Originally Posted by Suberman

I was trying to keep it simple.

No, you were wrong.

[bluesubie]

5 Engine Oil Myths

4. When engine oil turns dark, it's dirty and should be changed

If you're conscientious about keeping your car in good running order, you probably worry from time to time that your oil has gotten dirty and is causing sludge to build up in your engine. So you pull the dipstick out and check the color of the oil at the tip. Chances are, it's starting to turn dark, no longer the light amber color that you saw on the stick when your oil was fresh. So now it's too dirty to use, right? It's depositing sludge in your engine and needs to be changed.

Wrong. In fact, just the opposite is true. If you're using a detergent engine oil (and most modern engine oils have detergent additives), the oil is working just the way it's supposed to, dispersing the tiny particles that can result in engine sludge and holding them in suspension in the oil itself so that they can't build up. That's why the oil appears darker, but this in no way impedes the oil from performing its normal functions of lubricating and protecting the metal surfaces inside the engine. Of course, the oil is limited in how many of these suspended particles it can contain and will eventually need to be changed when it becomes saturated, but use the oil change interval recommended by your car's manufacturer to decide when to change the oil, not the color of the oil on the stick.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/5-engin...ths.htm#page=2


MYTH: OIL COLOR
You can tell the condition of oil by the look, smell or color of it. And if it turns dark or black quickly, it’s no good.

FACT:
Nothing could be further from the truth. If the oil is doing its job of cleaning the engine, then it should be dirty when it is drained. Quaker State® motor oil will start looking dirty a short time after it is put to use. In the case of diesel engines, the oil may look dirty within a few hours of operation. These are signs that the motor oil is doing its job of keeping soot, dirt and other combustion contaminants in suspension to be carried to the filter or removed from the crankcase when the oil is changed. Quaker State motor oils have been formulated to hold these contaminants in suspension until they can be removed with an oil and filter change.

http://www.quakerstate.com/#/car-care/myth-vs-fact

-Dennis

[N1rve]

^

True. You cannot judge oil by its color. Black motor oil does not necessarily mean it's time to change.

[sierra]

So it's bad news when your engine oil stays clean after several thousand kms but when it turns black after a few days you can be assured that all is well.