Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon

andmoon

Hi, It looks like you are going thru the same path I did w/ my 03 wagon.

Tires...better tires in the same size...you can do this when the originals wear out. If you want to upgrade to a bigger tire, some folks are putting 225/50's on the stock wheel. I went to a 215/45/17 but found the sacrifice in comfort/noise was a little more than I wanted. I am now at 225/50/16's on 16x7 rims (16x7.5 is ideal). Actually rides better than stock.
Rear swaybar to a 20mm and/or a more aggressive alignment (keep toe at zero and no wear issues) will make the wagon turn in sharper but watch trail oversteer. Some have backed off their adjustable rear swaybar after this alignment. You'll need to buy camber bolts ~$25.
I added a rear strut bar as well but I really can't feel a change and although I have a quick release setup, it still eats into cargo space.
Steering rack bushings sharpen the feel in steering. I did mine to cure a crooked to last sharp turn direction steering wheel alignment problem.
Low end...Cobb accessport (~$600, supposed problems w/ 04 compatability but no problems w/ 03s) is easiest. At stage 1 you'll see a bit more low end but most of the benefit is in the mid to upper end. Deleting the cat in the UP will give you another 200~300 rpms. Silicone intercooler hoses another 50 rpms or so in placebo effect. Stage 2 (can be programmed and switched back and forth along w/ many other maps via accessport) needs a dp. Catless leads to most gains but comes w/ noise and smell. Helix catted dp's can be bought for around $400 shipped and hooked up to the stock midpipe back will give you a true 750~1000 rpm earlier power than stock. Side benefit is LOTS more on the up end (claimed 280 hp w/ noise or 260 or so w/out noise). There is no measureable change in gas mileage (stage 1 actually did better than stock by 1~2 mpg) IF you aren't stepping on it all the time. If you want more, I don't think it can be had w/out noise.

Good luck and enjoy. there are many sites dedicated to Subies. You may have to filter thru a bit and IMHO the members are a bit 'younger' with a bit more testosterone and bs but loaded w/ info. Don't forget to weed out the info from the bs.

More than this will start costing $ and involves turbo changes and custom tunes.

Don

jutjut

Hey Don,

Thanks so much for the advice, that's awesome. I had a few more questions and affirmations. I am a little confused about the sway bar... do you suggest I get a 20mm sway bar, or is that an adjustment? What should I take care of there as far as suspension goes? As far as the engine goes. I think I'm leaning toward getting a helix up and dp, and then getting a bosal cat back exhaust. What accesport, or other upgrade is the best bang for buck for low end power...Cobb Stage 1, Stage 2? Am I on the right path there?

Thanks so much,
Justin

andmoon

20mm rear bars came on sedans...I think late 03's on were switched to smaller bars for the sedans also. If subaru still sells the rear bar you can get it for around $100 or try to find a used one...half that I think. There are many aftermarket companies that sell rear bars that are adjustable...they adjust by attaching the bar into different holes in the bar...the thickness of the bar doesn't change but the effect of the bar does. Best bang for buck is to change tires/wheels, rear sway bar and performance alignment.

UP/DP will run w/ stock EM but a retune of the EM will give you best results. If you don't retune, you will need to do a CELL delete also w/ up/dp. Cobbs accesport comes w/ both stage 1 and 2 maps (and many others as well as many free downloadable maps), it is the off the shelf maps set up for either stock mechanical (stage1), stage 2 requires a minimum of a dp but works best w/ up and a free flowing exhaust, stage 2.5 is for the same as stage 2 plus upgraded turbo (I forget which but I think it's VF30 and 34 turbos). You need to decide if you are going to get the catless or catted dp. w/out cat you are going to be making some noise w/ that setup (even w/ but not as much).

Your set up w/ cobbs ap set at stage 2 will give you a claimed 285hp or ~220 at the wheels w/ similar torque numbers. stock is 160~170 whp. go to cobbs wbsite and see the dyno graph comparison of stock vs stage 1 and 2 and you'll see the power start much earlier.

You will have warranty issues also.

have fun. Don

corrie

As far as handling goes, I highly recommend FRONT and rear swaybars. For most cars, just getting the rear swaybar is the best way to go, but the Subarus are unique. To get the best handling you need a front bar too. Adding the front sway bar to my setup made a huge difference in handling.

Also make sure you get good tires. They are what give you all your traction, so it doesn't matter what suspension or how much power you have if your tires suck. Spend the time to research tires to find good ones, this isn't the area where you want to be cheap.

jutjut

I have got a set of Kumho Ecsta ASX tires size 225/50 16. They seem to handle every bit of power I have right now quite well. I'm going to see if I can't find a 20mm rear sway bar for around 100...does anyone know where to find those? Also, what is a recommneded front sway bar?

As far as the access port goes, does that take care of the oxygen sensor issues, etc? Is Cobb the best way for retuning the EM? So to program the accessport for stage 2 I have to install a dp (up probably too), but I don't have to purchase the cobb turboback exhaust set and uppipe correct?

How difficult are these things to install on my own?

Thanks so much everyone you guys are awesome,
JT

andmoon

The reason for the rear swaybar change is to get the car to steer more neutral...less understeer (keeping the car flat is secondary although they are all related). You can achieve the same theoretically by reducing the front swaybar size. Keep in mind that stiffer and stiffer swaybars bring the car closer and closer to the suspension not being 'independent'..real stiff swaybars will keep the car flat but will also give you head sway when only one side of the car goes over a bump. Our cars push (understeer) under power and oversteer under decel. It is you who picks the point where you feel comfy w/ the under/over trade off. You can get our cars to oversteer under power but you have to break traction to do so. Just upgrading the front or rears is not the way to go...you need to find the balance point you are happy with. You can also fine tune with tire presures. Find a nice safe place when it is raining, go around in a circle around 35 to 40 mph where you are near the limit of traction, hold speed steady, accel. and pull your foot off the gas...make sure you are willing to live with the trail oversteer. Coming off a nice offramp, if you are near the limits of traction and you find you have to stop...your tail will come around and you do need a little room towards the outside of the turn to catch the tail.
If I were to do it all from the start, I would get my alignment set to -1.5 to -2.0 camber front, -1.5 rear, zero toe all around and then see what the car feels like.

If you have the 225's on the stock rims, then under lateral Gs, the tires deform to a point where the tread surface in contact w/ the ground isn't flat...less traction.

Cobb's accessport is not the best reflash, it is the easiest. It is pretty darn good so many go w/ it but it is a general map made to cover a wide range of conditions.

the DP is not too hard to do. The UP will take you some time. If you don't have any broken bolts, and this is your 1st one, put aside around 8 to 12 hours to do both up to dp.

The fun is in the anticipation.

jutjut

Wow, so you are saying I should just play with the camber before I even purchase front/rear sway bars correct? Will a performance alignment be able to adjust the camber that much from a stock set up? Or do I need to buy something for that adjustment?

As far as tires go, i do have the 225/50 on the stock wheels, is that a catastrophe...do I need to put some money in a set ofwheels...should I go 16 inch or 17 inch? I don't care so much about looks, just performance...I would kind of like to have a 16 inch wheel to put these tires I just bought on though.

What are some other options for a reflash? What do you all recommend?

Thanks for all the info. It is much much appreciated, you all are great,
Justin

andmoon

A lot of folks go for the most neg camber they can get in front w/ the stock camberbolts (remember to tell the tech to loosen both bolts)...keeping both sides the same. You need to get camber bolts for the rear...make sure they ar not the pin type ~$25 or so. I'd keep the rears the same or .5 degress less neg than the fronts....it's just my taste...I am sure the autocross boys will give you best high G numbers.

I said try the alignment first as some have backed off their adjustable swaybars after the alignment.

225/50's on 6.5 inch rims is not catastophic at all. I think 6.5 inches is the narrow end of the acceptable spectrum but if you want the best out of those tires you want a 7.5 inch rim. There are nice rs 16x7 rims but they are not any cheaper than low end aftermarket.

ecutech, utech and derivatives of those are common ecu programing options but they taylor more to those who want to dyno tune. Cobb is the cheapest and posible only setup that you can use without having to retune w/ each new mod.

If you look at those who did more than this they have run into tranny upgrades and many say they would have just gone straight to a JDM swap or an sti.

Go over to nabisco and do some filtering....hours and hours of fun and bs.

sammyd

Somewhat of a late post, but I'm new to this forum and googled for wrx wagon sway bars. Needless to say, it brought me here.

Terry, I've been looking for rear AND front sway bars for my 05 wrx wagon and have found nothing. Where on earth did you find the front sway bars for your wagon???!! I've been searching for months!

Thanks,
-sam

andmoon

nabisco vendor forums. look up cobb also

jutjut

Hey everyone,

You all have been so helpful and I'm so excited about the mods I'm getting going. But I just found out they started On Board Diagnostic testing on vehicles in my county. It involves two simple steps according to the website:
1. With the key on and engine off, the MIL light is checked to verify that it works
2. A scan tool is connected to the vehicles on-board computer system which checks the systems status.
However, they also inspect catalytic converters and do a fuel cap test.
They also say this, "Monitors not set to "ready" can prevent you from completing an emissions test."
The good part is that there is no 'sniff' testing.

What mods can I do? Will an ECU tell them that the everything is ok, will it say system not ready, will it send an error message? Can I put a catted downpipe in there still, or will they demand factor cats? I think I should leave the stock muffler in so i can be in 'sleeper' mode, but I'd like to change out the other cats if possible. If anyone has any help, it's greatly appreciated. I live in Hamilton County (TN).

Thanks so much everyone,
Justin

nixomose

For years I've been complaining about the ABS on my wrx. It always seemed too I dunno, aggressive? Braking lightly over the smallest bump caused the abs to kick in and it always worried me that it wouldn't do very well if I actually needed it.

About a month ago, the abs light went on, on the dash, and I tested it and sure enough the ABS doesnt' work any more. I was kinda happy about that because I didn't really like the way the abs worked. Not too happy that my WRX is falling apart but at least the brakes don't annoy me anymore.

Well, today I check my mail and there's a letter from subaru saying that apparently lots of people have had the same complaint I do and while it's not a safety concern, so there's no recall, they have a new ECU for the ABS that they'll install for free if you want it because so many people complain about this.

I'm going to have it done, but of course then, I probably have to pay a lot to get the ABS fixed in the first place.

Maybe the ECU is busted or maybe a sensor wire fell off....
Anybody know of easy things I can check to see why the ABS might not be working?

But in any case, I feel vindicated, it's not just me, lots of people think the ABS is messed up on the WRX, enough so that subaru is supplying a free fix.

ateixeira

We observed some complaints here as well, so you were not alone. Hutch reported the problem.

-juice

lilbluewgn02

I had 1 occurence of ABS Failure(?) and filed a report, but for some reason, it seems only 5MT vehicles are eligible...what's the deal with that (asked Seinfeld)?

andmoon

I had a couple scares when I had stock rolling stock but have not experienced anything bad in the dry since. BE AWARE IN SNOW ....sometimes the abs triggers and won't stop pulsing until waaay too late. Even if you don't think your car has a problem, check it out in snow before final judgement.

Last winter I was following a truck, we were doing 20mph on snow, I had about 15 carlengths between us. Truck signaled left turn, I applied brakes softly, triggered abs, no biggie, release pedal and apply again...same thing, repeat 3rd time....truck now 5 carlengths ahead and stopped waiting for opposing traffic to clear.... I just grabed e brake and spun the car purposely to get it stopped.

ateixeira

Different AWD system. I think the way the ABS was tuned it would cause binding with the viscous coupling on the M/T models only.

-juice

merrycynic

Saw a picture of an '06 wagon in a magazine today. It appeared to have a sunroof. Good news for for those of us that bring along the dog sometimes. Hot air rises.

merrycynic

Subaru just posted the info on the '06 WRX's. Damn, the only way to get all the goodies is to strap them onto an automatic transmission! What the....!?!#%& Leather is only available in beige and black. I would have loved a grey option. New colors have eliminated the old silver I liked so much. Subaru you came oh so close, but, ultimately missed. I sure hope the new 230 hp 2.5 litre motor helps with the turbo lag. Still waiting for an STi wagon. Sigh.

rsholland

I think the site is wrong.

Bob

merrycynic

Hallelujah! Bob was right. The site seems to have been corrected. The goodies are available with the manual transmission.

ateixeira

That was a quick fix.

-juice

monkey6

just got my '06 wagonn about 3 weeks ago and all i have to say is "my god, thank you!!"...i haven't really opened it up yet, but i should be over the first 1Kmiles tomorrow...could i get some advice from the faithful on mods...at first, the kind that won't void anything....i am assuming downpipe, remove the air silencer (if it has one) and free up the intake, and some exhauast....

jtname

look at the A3 and see a better car but on paper the WRX has more horse power, all wheel drive, and more interior space for less money. Has anyone really compared the two or does anyone know of a website that has?

Thanks for your time, Justin

ateixeira

A3 is a fancy Golf. They don't have the quattro version here yet, but the DSG is a trick trans for sure.

I'd take the 2.5T for performance, the 2.0FSI for fuel efficiency. Depends on what you want.

I really like the A3, but IMO it's what the Golf should be, and at Golf prices. An A3 with DSG and Quattro would break $30 grand, but it should be a lot less.

-juice

andmoon

On 2.0 motors, playing w/ the intake only increases noise. Swapping dp will have warrant issues.

cptplt

so has anyone got the new ABS ECU yet?? just wondering if it fixed the problem, not that I have had it for over a year since IDOT fixed the roads around here! But I''ll never say no to something free!!

njswamplands

i am sorry, you title has exceeded the maximum number of TLAs allowed.

cptplt

whats a TLA???

locke2c

three letter acronym, haha.

that is an awful lot, plus you got in the four letter bonus one too!
~Colin

cinosweive

I hate to say it, but it looks like once again they stepped backward on the seats. In addition to eliminating the nice high bolsters from the early years, the headrests now look like they force your head into a forward tilt. Very bad for your neck. I don't see much in the way of lumbar support either. Once again fashion overrides function. I'm keeping my 2002.

nixomose

My abs broke a while ago, and since I found out about the new ecu, I decided to have it fixed. I have an appt for 2 days from now, so assuming they can fix whatever's wrong with the abs (if it's not tooo expensive) and replace the ecu in one day, I'll let you know friday or next week.

yaho83

Hi ya'll
I'm thinking of getting rid of my 04 accord v6(AT,quite smooth and roommy but boring) and get a WRX.
but i don't know it's a good idea to get an used WRX. (cuz u don't know how the previous owner treated the car...since it's kinda sport car)
and i also found out that used wrx has high price. not whole lot cheaper than brand new one.
which year wrx(wagon) do you think is the best one so far?
would you prefer an older model or the brand-new 06? Let me know!, thanks.

ateixeira

You will find strong opinions about which model years look best, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so let's set that aside for a minute.

The only year I think I'd avoid is a 2002, because it lacked the force-limiting valve on the clutch. So those *might* have been abused. 03 and later made it much harder to do so.

So I'd go according to your budget, get the best 03 or later you can afford.

-juice

cptplt

juice, can you "upgrade" an 02 with the new clutch?? is it just a small part to swap out or the whole clutch???

andmoon

Many have had their clutches replaced under warranty for 'judder' and w/ it came the valve. I don't know if that is part of the 36K or 60K warranty.

My 03 wagon is for sale. :-)

PF_Flyer

It's chat night!!!

PF Flyer
Host
News & Views, Wagons, & Hybrid Vehicles

The weekly Subaru Crew Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule

bluesubie

The '02/03's came with the best seats, IMO. The '06 comes with the best engine, the 2.5.

-Dennis
former WRX wagon owner, now Forester XT owner.

hypov

Headrest.
Got to drive the '05 RS wagon [uncle's] 80+ miles today.
I do not like the headrest. I had to raise the headrest up high and tuck myself lower to get at least a wee comfortable.

They should take a page or two from "Humanscale" on how headrest should be contoured.
Craddle the neck, then the head.

-Dave

trevian2

Use your best judgement on the used WRX. Some signs of a well treated car might be a complete maintenance record as well as the degree of modifications to the car. If a previous owner didn't modify a car because he / she was concerned with voiding the warranty, that person probably didn't abuse the car too badly as well.

The used prices indicate the strong resale value of the Subaru brand and the popularity of the different body styles.

I'm personally a fan of the "bug eyes" and the 02/03 seats. I personally think the comfort of the seats is the biggest factor since it will either drive you crazy or make driving a very comfortable experience.

Good luck

ateixeira

I liked the 02/03 seats as well, but they are a bit narrow. I think I might actually "fit" better in the later ones. So try them out. Burly guys may prefer the 04+ wide body seats.

-juice

nixomose

Question for ya.
I brought the wrx in to have the abs looked at, and they said the computer said there was nothing wrong.
Well, I'm pretty sure the abs light was on, and I'm pretty sure I can lock up the wheels when it's like that.
Anybody know if the ABS is suppose dto be telling the computer something is wrong?
So they ordered the new ecu, I guess they didn't have one thinking it wasn't a recall who would get it, so I await a phone call from them. But I was somewhat mistaken. When the ABS light is off, the ABS does work, at least some of the time...

cptplt

an ABS light should result in a code in the computer.
The "recall" has nothing to do with ABS lights going on (or off). The ECU swap is only for 02-3 manual WRXs of certain VINs.
I just got the ABS ECU swap and I have tried to replicate the previous braking problem but since Illinois must have come into some cash in the last year or two and fixed all the roads and railway tracks where I used to be able to consistently get it to "not work", I haven't been able to replicate the problem again. Will be putting on the snows in a few weeks, may try it then as they used to be more of a problem than with the summer tires.

searcherboy

Curious to know if any WRX owners - or drivers of other 2.5T-equipped Subes - are using regular gasoline instead of premium. All of the material I have seen relating to the WRX and other models using the 2.5T engine say premium is "recommended", not "required". I take this to mean regular gas can be used, though the engine will develop somewhat less power.

Any commentary will be much appreciated.

merrycynic

I really don't like the Subaru wiper blades. Any after market suggestions on winter blades for my '02 WRX Sportwagon?

bluesubie

I'm happy with Bosch. I've been using them for about four years now on different Subes.

-Dennis

andmoon

I try to get silicone blades as it has the rain x effect and reduces glare and distortion. I find they don't wipe as cleanly but overall visibility is better. Ice also doesn't stick to them as much as rubber ones.
Don

nschulman3

I would suggest either the Valero blades or the Rain-X blades. I have the Valeros on my Legacy GT wagon and had them on my STI. My wife has the Rain-X silicone blades on her G35. The Valeros work a bit better, but they are very expensive. Of course, spending $39 every two years instead of about $27 really isn't a big expense. One note, though, it the Valero blades seem a bit noisier. I purchased both from Tire Rack.

merrycynic

How are the Valeros nosier? Do they drag? I change my blades every 6 months. The Subaru blades are no bargains either. The Subaru blades sometimes seem to slide out of their place. Every so often they start to drag and skip. Getting the dealer to put the right sizes on is always a challenge. I think road grime from the NJ Turnpike makes them drag and that's a real drag for me. Very annoying. I tried Subaru's winter blades last year. While they are really ugly they seemed to help. Funny the fronts were a different color than the rear. I guess the booty prevents the gaps from freezing stiff and not contouring to the wind shield. Thanks to all that replied.

cptplt

The Subaru blades look exactly the same as Bosch blades, or am I smoking too much stuff again???

beanboy

Did you post this somewhere else already? Subaru documentation states that 91 is REQUIRED for turbo Subarus, and 91 is RECOMMENDED for H6 Subarus.

From the I perspective (as in my opinion only), that means with anything less than 91, a turbo Subaru will obviously be way down on power, and pinging WILL (severity depending on conditions) occur with long-term damage probably if you keep at it, especially if driven aggressively in heat/high load. Doesn't mean your engine will blow up if you go easy and use 89 to get you home... Just that if you continue to use under 91 under all conditions, there's a good chance you will run into engine problems down the road.

Now for the H6, you can use whatever octane you want. Long-term use of octane less than 91 won't harm the engine at all, just reduced power.

-B