ok i switched over to mobil 1 at 9k and now im at 12k miles...wondering if i should change oil and filter or just filter or wait ??

I've heard every 3k is overkill specially for synthetic...but others say change just the filter every 3k and both at 6 k...

i just bought a new purolator filter and am dying to change it

 

I change every 3k with Mobil 1, so do a lot of other people. I'm curious though...how would you change the filter and not the oil? The way the filter is mounted on WRXs I'm pretty sure that's impossible.

 

someone told me when u change the filter some oil will leak out but not all of it...to replace the oil that leaked out...top it off ..

i bought the 5 gallon jug at wal mart for 20 bux =D so i got some to top it off

 

Synthetic is great for friction issues, but that doesn't negate the need to change the oil frequently. Particles smaller then what the oil filter can retain still circulates - and that's what needs to be removed. These little pieces are like sand paper on the metal surfaces. Next time you change your oil, put the old oil in a clear waste container and put a magnet underneith. You'll see a fine layer of metal that the filter can't remove. In fact, some car manufacturers actually put small magnets in their oil pans for that reason. My oil drain container has a very fine grey bottom to it - just normal wear and tear stuff but certainly an eye opener for me to do frequent changes.

Take a look at https://www.expeditionexchange.com/filtermag/ There is some information about tiny metal fragments passing through filters and how they deal with it. This may be overkill but you can see what circulates.

In short, change the oil and change the filter. Do it every 3-5k. There is another post where I argued the benifits of synthetic, but I have to say - going with synthetic oil and then being lazy/skipping scheduled changes is doing yourself a disservice.