Subaru Impreza WRX

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Comments

  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    with 235x17x40 Kumos on it! Love the fact they use the WRX as their guinipig!
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    Can anyone recommend a good cat-back exhaust for the wrx. I really only want a more agresive sound, although a few extra hp couldn't hurt. I am looking at the performance muffler offered by liberty subaru for $395. Is this a cat-back system? Any other wrx owners have a moderately priced exhaust to recommend from experience?
  • swinga7swinga7 Member Posts: 45
    you could always change the intake.. it slightly deepens the sound of the exhaust. the Aem cold air intake is $240 ( I think) and it would give you more power than just changing the muffler it would be cheaper too.
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    Here's a decent listing of exhausts.


    http://www.jayelen.com/atf78/exhaust.html

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Aftermarket wheels with the wrong offset can cause stress on the hub/bearing, it wouldn't be fair to even expect the dealer to cover stuff like that.

    -juice
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    FWIW - Sometimes only part of the information related to a claim denial is shared. I'm not saying that this refers to the situation you shared, Dave, but where the "sticky" wheels also on a vehicle that had a lot of evidence of recent racing?

    Yes - some modifications will result in a warranty claim denial. The warranty will not be voided, but each claim issue would be evaluated.

    For the most part, folks do not have a problem. However, the people that do have a problem are a lot more vocal than people that don't. If you plan to modify your vehicle, that's fine. Just be aware that you may be responsible for resulting damage.

    The torn trunk carpet on the vehicle with the modified exhaust - I don't think so. Only if there is evidence that the carpet was damaged by an outside influence and I think that the exhaust would be way outside!! If your friend has an issue with this, please have him/her call us and we can check it out.

    Take care and enjoy your WRX!!

    Patti
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    Loved it, but seemed to abuse it enought that parts were starting wear out after 28K miles. One of the major components that was wearing out was the clutch, 2nd gear was getting tough, and the cable was having problems for the shifter (standard not the short-throw). It also sounds like they abused it and drove it hard as well (struts and brakes will soon need to be replaced, and this is at 28K miles!!!).

    They seemed to get one of the first models that came over here (wrapped up test in early August). I have heard that the initial batch of WRXs had their share of problems that have since been rectified.

    Does this sound normal, or were the earlier models more prone to problems.

    P.S. you have to log in at www.autoweek.com. to see the article.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I just visited Autoweek and logged in but didn't see the 1st year long term test. I only found the 3rd quarter wrap-up. Maybe the online version follows print.

    The one thing I didn't understand was the shifter cable comment -- the WRX doesn't have a cable shifter IIRC.

    Ken
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    kens - you are right about the cable. This was an assumption (and wrong) on my part. Also, Autoweek replaced the tires at 25,000 miles. Sounds like they abused the heck out of this car!


    Here is the quote, and the link, article from August of 2002:


    "But its next owner is going to have to deal with a few potentially costly problems in the near future. The struts were pretty worn as were the brakes, and the clutch was beginning to slip. Second gear had become notchy and the shift linkage was in need of overhaul (a chance to install the short-throw shifter kit). And there were numerous squeaks and rattles throughout the cabin—further evidence of its year of yeomen duty."


    http://www.autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=&cat_code=longtermtests&content_code=01 908222&Search_Type=STD&Search_ID=508040&record=6

    (had to break up link into 2 to post)

  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Thanks for the link.

    28K miles in one year with 12 different drivers is pretty heavy-duty usage! I would imagine the WRX got rental car-like abuse during that time not to mention that they did take it on gravel roads. I have a feeling that their other vehicles probably don't go through quite as much in a year.

    Ken
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    They stated that they used the emergency brake a few times for specific maneuvers when the brakes were feeling too warn (or was it the shocks?)

    They will have to replace at 28K:

    1. Tires (25K miles)
    2. Struts
    3. Brakes
    4. Shifter

    Sounds like excessive abuse to me!! Also, Autoweek was having technical problems with this car right from the get-go. Just read the first quarter report!
  • robmarchrobmarch Member Posts: 482
    Tires and Brakes at 25k is not out of the question. I'm very sure that it's quite possible to get significantly more life out of both, but for an enthusiast driven car, that's not terrible. My RE92's will be lucky to last 100 miles:)

    If their car saw off road or gravel duty, I can understand the struts going also, street driving just doesn't hammer the suspension like that.

    Shifter - This seems to repeat a concern of several people on I-Club who have synchro issues, etc. I am planning to get the short shifter, but I don't expect that to have a positive or negative effect on the shifter's wear.

    I bet it was a fun year :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    25k for a car that is driven all-out hard is actually more than they have the right to expect.

    -juice
  • himilerhimiler Member Posts: 1,209
    They went into the test basically saying they were interested in seeing how the car would hold up to lots of rough treatment.

    All things considered, the car did pretty well, despite the fact it was being treated like a race car and never got race car-quality maintenance! For all their concern over the second-gear trouble, I'm willing to bet they never swapped the tranny fluid.
  • celica115celica115 Member Posts: 169
    Car and Driver tested 4 different brake kits on 02 WRX. To disable the ABS, we can just remove the fuse. Is that simple? Did anyone try to install a switch button to turn on and off the ABS? Is that safe? Will the ABS light on?
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    There seemed to be many great upgrades, but C&D made a comment that the factory breaks on the WRX were very good.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yes, the fuse by itself can disable the ABS, I've heard.

    The factory brakes with the Hawk (was that the name?) pads did quite well, very close to some of the brake kits.

    -juice
  • celica115celica115 Member Posts: 169
    In Sport Compact Car, they used different way to turn off the ABS system. They interrupted any of wires going to any of the wheel-speed sensors. Did anyone try that before? This way seems to have more work than C&D's.
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    It did do quite well, but tended to fade after 4 rounds (same as the OEM brakes), where the other brake kits did not.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I also was impressed to see that the stock brakes did well for everything but the 90-0mph stops.

    Ken
  • robmarchrobmarch Member Posts: 482
    I think the biggest difference was fade resistance, which is very important if you're tracking your car or doing _very_ aggressive driving in the twisties. If you're mainly concerned about 1 time panic stop numbers, the stock system performed very well.

    The upgraded brakes are for you if you're noticing fade, but don't seem to be a whole lot better on that first stop, from what I've seen of that test.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Generally will be resistant to fade like robmarch said. You need to increase the pad area IIRC to make em reduce the stopping distance.

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Here are some more comments on the article, including posts by StopTech and some others.

    http://forums.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=226013&referrerid=767


    -Dennis

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    So Kevin, for street use, the Hawk pads ought to be perfect. You never need more than 4 hard stops in a row, and if you do try not following so close! LOL

    -juice
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    And stop scaring the person in front of me!! ;-)
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    The article specifically points out that the purpose of the tests were to check fade resistance, not stopping distance even though they do post some data.

    So, what options are out there if one wanted to increase the swept area on the WRX brakes? What about the STi 4-pots?

    Ken
  • sensei1sensei1 Member Posts: 196
    Bummer, looks like I'm joining the CEL club I've been reading here. Mine just went on @ 4152mi idling in my driveway this AM getting ready to go to work.

    I know they've been posted before but the search engine doesn't seem to be working either. Any comments, tips on the CEL?

    Nothing out of the ordinary has taken place to cause this. The gas I'm on is 125mi old and drove it to work anyway (26mi approx) w/ the tunes off and didn't notice anything either.

    The dealer can't look at it till Monday.
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    Is the CEL flashing? If not you can drive it w/o any detriment to your vehicle. You probably have the #0303 which is misfire cylinder #3. This is a common CEL on the WRX. Apparently the #3 cylinder runs hotter than the others. I got this before any engine mods at about 13k on the odometer. I also got #01420 but I forget now what it stands for. I have the entire CEL code/explanation sheet printed out from the WRX shop manual. I also have a Pocketlogger (about $175 cost) that I hook up to the ECU connection under the steering wheel and run through my Palm Pilot M100. This tells me what the codes are and I can reset them. It saves time and money instead of taking it to the dealer. Just a something you may want to consider in the future. :-)

    Stephen
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    the CEL may reset (go off) itself before your visit - if the condition doesn't exist anymore. but, it may be retained in the ECU still. is that correct steven?

    -Brian
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    I know this has caused the CEL to go on in many occasions when the gas cap was not properly tightened. I even have this warning on the door to my gas tank.
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    According to the service guide, the spark plugs should be replaced every 30K miles. Are there spark plugs you can buy that will not deter performance, but will last longer than 30K miles?

    Does anyone know how much this usually costs to have done by a mechanic or dealer?

    Thanks.
    Kevin
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Kevin,

    Platinum tipped spark plugs can be used for 60K miles without any trade off in performance compared to a regular plug.

    Ken
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,753
    I'm intrigued by this "pocketlogger". Can you elaborate? Maybe a link to a website or something? Thanks.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • sensei1sensei1 Member Posts: 196
    and no the CEl is not blinking. I'll double check the gas cap again later and see what happens then.

    So Stephen, how do you reset the CEL? Do you communicate with it through your PDA?

    THanks again...
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    It is a special tool (or in Stephen's case a Palm Pilot) that can do it.
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    sensei: Yes, you reset it through your PDA. You can also run diagnostic graphs and such.

    Brian: Yes, you're correct. The CEL history is retained in the ECU even after the light has gone out. I believe it stays there until the ECU is reset.

    Rob: Here's the link: www.pocketlogger.com

    Stephen
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    when I inadvertently misspelled your name back in #6628.

    My dw is beginning to want a Palm Pilot. I could see a use for it - for me at least - with the pocketlogger on both of our vehicles. Hmmmmm.....

    -Brian
  • zip4zatzip4zat Member Posts: 3
    I will soon be a proud owner, but has anyone done a head to head of a sedan vs wagon? other than on paper... wagon has a narrower track and smaller rear sway bar (correct?) and less rigid body. How much performance are we talking about compromising for the added space? (all else being equal) What else is different aside from the body? How well does the sedan take a roof rack (Thule/Yakima)? Does it affect the window seals at all?
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    Because of the wider track and bigger rear sway bar. The Wagon has slightly better weight distribution though.

    If you want a wagon, get the wagon. If you want the sedan, get the sedan. Have test driven both?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    No one ever said it wasn't as rigid.

    The sway bar is easily remedied.

    As for the track, it might hurt you by 10mm as to what size tires you can put on, but other than that, unless your name is Richard or Tommie, then you aren't gonna notice the difference in track width.

    -mike
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    I have heard that a good cold-air intake is a relativley inexpensive way to give the wrx about 10-12 honest hp and is easy to install. have any of you gone this route? I was originally going to get a cat-back exhaust, but this seems to be a better idea. However, I am a little worried because the cold-air intake involves an engine mod, albeit a small one. The AEM intake has a good reputation. Any help would be great.
  • edge01edge01 Member Posts: 28
    I have a Yakima rack on my sedan.. No problems with fit/finish at all other than the local dealer in Steamboat Springs telling me that Yakima didn't have a fit (December) for it and I'd be voiding my warranty. (Yakima did and does have a fit specific for the wrx). No problems with seals/etc. Just be aware of the soft paint finish on the black wrx's and that it will mar your paint job the moment it is on as it did on mine
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    For the $500 you save, you could easily get a sway bar thicker than the sedan's, plus a rear strut tower brace to make it roughly equal in rigidity.

    So the only trade off would be the 80 extra pounds, but you'd still have $300 towards mods.

    -juice
  • prayerforprayerfor Member Posts: 161
    There's a lot of debate on the i-club forums regarding the effectiveness of cold air intakes. Many folks think they add nothing in performance, and may even be slightly less effective than either the stock setup or a so-called "short-ram" setup (which is essentially a cone filter in the engine bay). Most if not all CAIs use long lengths of metal tubing to get the cold air from the fenderwell to the intercooler, and this metal gets very hot and thus heats the air passing through it, negating the effects of bringing in the cool air from the fender in the first place. There's also increased risk of sucking in water with the filter in the fender.

    Another fairly persuasive (IMHO) argument against CAIs is that in a turbocharged car like the WRX, cooling the intake charge is the job of the intercooler, and slight variances in charge temperature going into the intercooler have a pretty much negligible effect on the temps coming out the other side. Hence upgrading your intercooler would have much more of a performance effect than a CAI.

    If you do some snooping around i-club, you should find discussions of WRXs making upwards of 350HP, and very few (if any) of these use CAI setups. That says a lot to me.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The fender well is pretty well sealed, so I don't see how water would get there any easier than it would at the stock grille entry point.

    Believe me, I've crossed water with a big splash. The area around the stock intake got wet. That's where one of the horns goes, behind the passenger side head light.

    I did get some sand/dust on my air filter, but I was following someone the entire time, and they were kicking up dust because of the drought.

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    No problem. I've been called things that don't resemble my name at all...if you know what I mean, LOL! Anyhow, I got the base Palm Pilot model M100 for a X-mas present. I retails for about $99. I use it the address book and notes feature a lot. I also played games on it to wile away the time between lay-overs at the airport when I visited my sister this summer.

    Stephen
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Regardless, I'll probably get her one (probably an m100 or similar) before the end of the year. Not sure if I could justify to her the cost of the datalogger software since we could only currently use it on my Outback (her Mazda MPV isn't compatible from what I read on the datalogger site).

    Oh, and there's that moral dilemma of me buying HER the m100 for MY us. LOL!

    -Brian
  • celica115celica115 Member Posts: 169
    How may subie owners will join the party in Giants Stadium on this Sunday?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If it were closer, I'd show up as the Official Subaru Crew Support Vehicle, with ramps, jack, tools, etc. Maybe even snacks and sodas.

    Any events a little closer to DC?

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Also, remember to take any performance claims for a CAI with a grain of salt. A 10-12 HP claim is often not for the entire powerband. In fact, it might just be a trade off of low-end power for some high end gains.

    Ken
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