Yeah, everyone seems happy with it. I was following gtguy's thread on the i-club. If/when I start mods, they'll more than likely be close to Subaru (STi, Prodrive, etc,).
I know I haven't looked into one, but that number sounds pretty high Juice.
Although I think WarpDrive's $700-900 number is Canadian. So that's like what, $5.52 US? I never saw the point in an STi muffler. Get something domestically made, they work fine and are far cheaper. You can get anything from mellow to roaring...
We were doing a ton of WRX stuff for free for these kids with too much money and too little knowledge. Heck 1/2 didn't know what a Turbo even did! So we basically just hold installfests and install stuff on site, and pick up some pocket change for our efforts.
Hey everyone, I'm taking delivery on a slightly used, i.e., 2500 miles WRX in a week, and wanted to try to get a clear understanding on something. Since some of you have obviously had a WRX for some time, can you provide some insight on choices of gas, i.e, the importance/benefit of premium vs lower octanes, brands, etc? Also, maybe a note on experiences with synthetics vs normal oils. Lookin forward to some sweet drivin!!! PHXWRX
Hey guys, I've been motoring around in my '96 OB wagon for a few years now and ever since the WRX Sport Wagon was relesed I've been drooling to get one. The only problem is... I can't drive a stick. From my experience in my Auto-Outback the transmission is super laggy unless I revert to manual shifts (D,3,2,1) etc... Can anyone give me any insight into the performance of the WRX Auto.. and more importantly if there are any plans to put the tiptronic from the GT into the WRX. That would be so sweet.
P.S. I just saw my first Baja at Valley Motors in Hunt Valley MD. Dark Red, it looked really nice.
using less than premium will reduce your engine power which seems to defeat the purpose of getting a car like the WRX! the ECU will adjust engine settings to cater for your thriftiness by robbing you of the engine power you paid to get in the first place!
as for brands if you buy from any nationally known retailer it probably makes no practical difference.just don't buy from no name places.
the main reason for probably getting synthetics in any car is to increase the change interval, though most synthetic manufacturers except amsoil, redline do not actually advocate extended change intervals. I have decided to use Mobil 1 in my WRX mainly due to the turbo engine getting hotter than regular engines. some dino brands have a sufficiently low enough flash point that coking is a real concern in engines which get very hot. but you'd be hard pressed to get truely objective data to show that any car run on synthetics and driven in an unabused way is any better off with synthetics than dino if well maintained. peace of mind if nothing else.
Yeah I've Been trying to teach myself but its' hard when your only car is an Auto. I know the basics but god help me if I have to pull away on a hill. I'd also be a little leary of teaching myself on a shiny new WRX and wearing down my clutch. If I could learn then I'd get the 5MT in a heartbeat but I dunno how feasible that is for me.
The best advice for gas is: buy from a place that has high traffic and replenishes its supply often. Old gas is not good for your car. The differences among the different brands are insignificant. Use 91 octane as least per manual recommendations to get all those 227HP working for you.
Oil. All major brands will do the job. Go to synthetic for extra protection against harsh driving conditions. I use Mobil 1 synthetic 5W30 for everyday driving which is a popular proven choice.
mike: they think BOV (bovine) is the ticker symbol for beef in the business section of the paper! n/m
If you are learning to drive stick, the Forester has the hill holder feature, which would come in handy. A turbo is coming for 2004, if you can wait.
Octane measure gasoline's resistance to pre-ignition. With turbos, timing is already retarded since the compressions ratio is effectively much higher than a N/A engine. Using lower octane gas means knocking will be likely, and the knock sensor will just retard the timing further until it stops, sacrificing power.
You buy a WRX for power, so use the gas that does the job you bought it for, IMO.
I'm one of those few people who got to learn how to drive a MT at the racetrack. OK, it was the parking lot of Santa Anita - a lovely horse racing track! I spent a number of hours in the empty parking lot just starting and stopping. Later when I got into the "real world" I would occasionally use the emergency brake to help on hills, but rarely. All those hours taught me exactly where the clutch engaged. I think it helps to learn as a kid - then spending hours starting and stopping in a parking lot is a great adventure - while to an adult it would be boring...
a. Have a friend teach you. b. Have the dealers teach you.
When I went car shopping, I told the dealer I wanted a MT even though I have driven an AT since I started driving. Dealers are very cooperative, especially if they think they will sell you a car. :-) Bring someone else along to ease the dealer's anxed.
I did have a friend show me how to drive a MT a year before though. That greatly helped me.
My dear old mom back in the UK whips through the gears in her Peugeot 205 like Michael Schumacher (sp?) after his 4th espresso. And she's in her mid-70's. Given that literally millions of folks have managed to master the art of moving their two feet and one hand in unison, I think that a healthy red-blooded young American can take a chance and go manual. Seize the day!
After a couple of months of MT joy, you'll wonder what all the angst was about. I can't wait for my lease on my AT to run out so I can get back into a MT car. F1-style pushbutton shifting doesn't cut it!
Hear that Bernie! Make those wusses reach over and shift for themselves! Throw a clutch back in while you're at it, too. TC
After learning to drive MT, I found that the only reason for an MT is if you street race or real race your car on a daily basis. For normal street driving I found the MT to be more of a PITA that it was worth for normal and even spirited driving.
you're showing your age, my friend. :-) Seriously though, you're right in regards to an automatic being better in heavy traffic. I still prefer a manual tranny overall in a car like a WRX.
I guess I'm really in the minority. I have a manual in one vehicle, and an automatic in another. I actually prefer the manual in stop and go traffic, because it's smoother for me to modulate the gas rather than the constant gas/brake. My calves have been well conditioned, though, since I hit this type of traffic often
Makes it that much more enjoyable to take the backroads to your destination on the weekends though
That I've driven 500K miles of AT and only about 10K of MT, could also be that I live in NYC, although I travel to upstate NY often. Could be my age... I am getting old @ 28
I prefer an auto if I'm driving a route with many stoplights. My commute is almost all highway, and I prefer the MT for the slow-n-go stuff. Just stick it in 1st or 2nd (depends on which vehicle I'm driving), leave room in front of me and coast along without stopping or riding the brakes.
Main reason I like having a MT is that it is better for steep hills at higher speeds, especially with smaller engines. The Nissan I used to have would be constantly hunting between gears on part of my daily commute. I currently drive a 5 speed 4 cyl. and it will go up the grade in 4th at 70 (passing many civics, CRVs, and the occasional RAV4 or Tracker). The V6 Escape I test drove seemed to hunt a bit given similar conditions (but it did shift up and down very smoothly). I'll stick to the MT, if I can.
I've only owned 1 4-banger in my life so I'm also used to gobs or at least adequet torque and a big torque band. Engines I've had:
318 Dodge in '83 Ramcharger 2wd, AT 1.9 I4 in '91 Escort AT 455 in '74 Olds 98 AT 2.7 H6 in '88 XT6 AT 2.7 H6 in '91 XT6 MT 3.2 V6 in '97 Rodeo 4wd 3.5 V6 in '00 Trooper AWD 3.3 H6 in '92 SVX
If I were still a "flatlander" I probably wouldn't care about what type of tranny I had. It is only because of my rather extreme commute that it matters.
First - MT is the more gooder option for the WRX, I don't care where you live. A car like the WRX deserves a MT...period (quickly throwing up fire retardant wall to protect myself from Mike). If for no other reason, a manual forces the driver to be more aware of their driving conditions.
Second - After sitting through my umpteenth partial viewing of "The Fast and the Furious" I wanted to inquire as to Vin Diesel's differentiation between "granny shifting" and "double clutching". Just what the heck is double clutching? I consider myself a very good stick driver - maybe I already do this. Also, is this different from "power" shifting, i.e. no clutch, just slamming from one gear to the next - primarily up, not down. For the record, I've done this sparingly from 4-5 as I'm not sure how detrimental it is to the drivetrain.
I agree the WRX needs the MT, cause the AT has absolutely horrible off the line acceleration! Probably due to the non-existent torque in the lower RPM ranges.
Doubleclutching is only required on downshifts, I believe what happens is that you clutch-put the car in neutral-let the clutch out-gas-push in the clutch, move to the lower gear, let out clutch.
In F&F that was one of the fictional things, doubleclutching on the upshift...
with double clutching, or downshifting, is it bad to blip the throttle while you're still pushed down on the clutch the second time, but moved into the next gear? Why must you blip in neutral, clutch out?
What you're really trying to accomplish with the throttle blip is to get the input shaft of the transmission more near the speed of the output shaft so that they mesh together more smoothly. Less wear, much smoother downshifts.
When the clutch pedal is depressed the input shaft of the transmission has a lot less force on it from the engine. It is still mechanically coupled, but with the clutch diaphragm compressed the clutch disc can move easily independently of the flywheel. This means when you "blip" the throttle with the clutch pedal down, the input shaft speeds up somewhat, but not nearly as quickly or as much as if the pedal is up.
When the clutch pedal is up, the flywheel and clutch are firmly in contact and the layshaft spins at exactly the speed of the engine.
Buy an Alfa Romeo ;-) They have notoriously weak 2nd gear synchros, so if you downshift from 3rd to 2nd without a double clutch and a throttle blip you WILL grind the gears. You can fix this by rebuilding the tranny with lightened gears, but most owners just deal with it. I thought I was a pretty good stick driver after 10 years of driving mostly manuals but learning to shift my Spider smoothly has made a world of difference. It's kinda fun, actually - and it sounds really cool.
-Jason (who blew his WRX wagon down payment on a sexy little Italian temptress)
colin's got it nailed with rev-matching and double clutching. Even without blipping the throttle in between your release clutch and engage clutch, double clutching can really take stress off of your synchros. Or if you happen to drive a car without synchros
"Power shifting" is not shifting without using the clutch pedal. It's actually performing lightning-fast up-shifts at full throttle without releasing the gas pedal.
Aside from raising major hell with your synchros, it's also a great way to over-rev your engine and float a valve or two.
While it is possible (and not really difficult) to a higher gear without using the clutch, the engine revs must be very low, and the shift action must be slow and deliberate.
The technique that you describe of jamming the gearshift lever into the next higher gear without using the clutch is a sure-fire method to get to know your mechanic really well.
To be clear, I've done the 4-5 shift, sans clutch and at low revs exactly three times. Inquiring minds think of strange things to do. I mispoke on the "ramming" action, more of a smooth, deliberate effort. I do not recommend doing it, and it is of no value performance-wise that I can think of.
As explained (well) by the folks above, I've both double clutched and power shifted (some gas, but certainly not full throttle) depending on how "aggro" a mood I'm in. Thankfully, it's not all that often so my Rex drivetain is spared undue wear and tear.
I have had the unfortunate missed 1-2 shift though that causes my revs to sky rocket when expecting to engage 2nd gear - 'twas a notchy sum-gum at first. Freaked me out and scared the crap out of nearby cars and pedestrians. Thankfully, it stayed out of the red and my short throw is breaking (broken?) in so it's no longer an issue.
Double clutching is a good technique to know if you're going to have a huge difference in RPMS (ie. 5->2 shifts). Couple that with heel-toeing and you have a powerful combination for hitting those 90-degree turns. :-)
For day-to-day driving double clutching isn't a must -- that's what you have synchros for.
I was just trying to rev match while I was downshifting, but if I blip in neutral my revs are already down by the time I shift into the next gear...but according to Colin, I don't think I'm doing any harm by blipping in gear with clutch down, just not as effective.
Caroline, you are definitely doing the right thing. You just have to stab the throttle a bit more to get the necessary speed if you do it with the clutch down.
Comments
-Dennis
-juice
Although I think WarpDrive's $700-900 number is Canadian. So that's like what, $5.52 US?
-Colin
It *is* a nice sounding muffler IMO but the price!!!
I guess it matches up nicely to the $3000 BBS 17" wheel option.
I tried the BMW site under accessories, but no exhausts. An alloy rim is $366 - each.
Try e-mailing parts@libertysubaru.com, their prices are slightly lower than that site's.
-juice
-mike
-mike
http://www.iace.com/azp
-mike
It makes wooshing noises... ;-)
-Colin
They think the BOV is the turbo.
-mike
P.S. I just saw my first Baja at Valley Motors in Hunt Valley MD. Dark Red, it looked really nice.
-Colin
as for brands if you buy from any nationally known retailer it probably makes no practical difference.just don't buy from no name places.
the main reason for probably getting synthetics in any car is to increase the change interval, though most synthetic manufacturers except amsoil, redline do not actually advocate extended change intervals.
I have decided to use Mobil 1 in my WRX mainly due to the turbo engine getting hotter than regular engines. some dino brands have a sufficiently low enough flash point that coking is a real concern in engines which get very hot.
but you'd be hard pressed to get truely objective data to show that any car run on synthetics and driven in an unabused way is any better off with synthetics than dino if well maintained. peace of mind if nothing else.
buy from a place that has high traffic and replenishes its supply often. Old gas is not good for your car. The differences among the different brands are insignificant. Use 91 octane as least per manual recommendations to get all those 227HP working for you.
Oil. All major brands will do the job. Go to synthetic for extra protection against harsh driving conditions. I use Mobil 1 synthetic 5W30 for everyday driving which is a popular proven choice.
If you are learning to drive stick, the Forester has the hill holder feature, which would come in handy. A turbo is coming for 2004, if you can wait.
Octane measure gasoline's resistance to pre-ignition. With turbos, timing is already retarded since the compressions ratio is effectively much higher than a N/A engine. Using lower octane gas means knocking will be likely, and the knock sensor will just retard the timing further until it stops, sacrificing power.
You buy a WRX for power, so use the gas that does the job you bought it for, IMO.
Otherwise just buy an RS and save your cash.
-juice
-Dennis
a. Have a friend teach you.
b. Have the dealers teach you.
When I went car shopping, I told the dealer I wanted a MT even though I have driven an AT since I started driving. Dealers are very cooperative, especially if they think they will sell you a car. :-) Bring someone else along to ease the dealer's anxed.
I did have a friend show me how to drive a MT a year before though. That greatly helped me.
Hear that Bernie! Make those wusses reach over and shift for themselves! Throw a clutch back in while you're at it, too. TC
After learning to drive MT, I found that the only reason for an MT is if you street race or real race your car on a daily basis. For normal street driving I found the MT to be more of a PITA that it was worth for normal and even spirited driving.
-mike
Seriously though, you're right in regards to an automatic being better in heavy traffic. I still prefer a manual tranny overall in a car like a WRX.
Stephen
Makes it that much more enjoyable to take the backroads to your destination on the weekends though
-mike
Main reason I like having a MT is that it is better for steep hills at higher speeds, especially with smaller engines. The Nissan I used to have would be constantly hunting between gears on part of my daily commute. I currently drive a 5 speed 4 cyl. and it will go up the grade in 4th at 70 (passing many civics, CRVs, and the occasional RAV4 or Tracker). The V6 Escape I test drove seemed to hunt a bit given similar conditions (but it did shift up and down very smoothly). I'll stick to the MT, if I can.
318 Dodge in '83 Ramcharger 2wd, AT
1.9 I4 in '91 Escort AT
455 in '74 Olds 98 AT
2.7 H6 in '88 XT6 AT
2.7 H6 in '91 XT6 MT
3.2 V6 in '97 Rodeo 4wd
3.5 V6 in '00 Trooper AWD
3.3 H6 in '92 SVX
-mike
Second - After sitting through my umpteenth partial viewing of "The Fast and the Furious" I wanted to inquire as to Vin Diesel's differentiation between "granny shifting" and "double clutching". Just what the heck is double clutching? I consider myself a very good stick driver - maybe I already do this. Also, is this different from "power" shifting, i.e. no clutch, just slamming from one gear to the next - primarily up, not down. For the record, I've done this sparingly from 4-5 as I'm not sure how detrimental it is to the drivetrain.
--Sean
Doubleclutching is only required on downshifts, I believe what happens is that you clutch-put the car in neutral-let the clutch out-gas-push in the clutch, move to the lower gear, let out clutch.
In F&F that was one of the fictional things, doubleclutching on the upshift...
-mike
Staring at my driver's license & feelin' old in Seattle,
Stephen
What you're really trying to accomplish with the throttle blip is to get the input shaft of the transmission more near the speed of the output shaft so that they mesh together more smoothly. Less wear, much smoother downshifts.
When the clutch pedal is depressed the input shaft of the transmission has a lot less force on it from the engine. It is still mechanically coupled, but with the clutch diaphragm compressed the clutch disc can move easily independently of the flywheel. This means when you "blip" the throttle with the clutch pedal down, the input shaft speeds up somewhat, but not nearly as quickly or as much as if the pedal is up.
When the clutch pedal is up, the flywheel and clutch are firmly in contact and the layshaft spins at exactly the speed of the engine.
Did that help? I can provide even more detail...
-Colin
-mike
They have notoriously weak 2nd gear synchros, so if you downshift from 3rd to 2nd without a double clutch and a throttle blip you WILL grind the gears. You can fix this by rebuilding the tranny with lightened gears, but most owners just deal with it. I thought I was a pretty good stick driver after 10 years of driving mostly manuals but learning to shift my Spider smoothly has made a world of difference. It's kinda fun, actually - and it sounds really cool.
-Jason (who blew his WRX wagon down payment on a sexy little Italian temptress)
colin's got it nailed with rev-matching and double clutching. Even without blipping the throttle in between your release clutch and engage clutch, double clutching can really take stress off of your synchros. Or if you happen to drive a car without synchros
Later...AH
Aside from raising major hell with your synchros, it's also a great way to over-rev your engine and float a valve or two.
While it is possible (and not really difficult) to a higher gear without using the clutch, the engine revs must be very low, and the shift action must be slow and deliberate.
The technique that you describe of jamming the gearshift lever into the next higher gear without using the clutch is a sure-fire method to get to know your mechanic really well.
-juice
Stephen
As explained (well) by the folks above, I've both double clutched and power shifted (some gas, but certainly not full throttle) depending on how "aggro" a mood I'm in. Thankfully, it's not all that often so my Rex drivetain is spared undue wear and tear.
I have had the unfortunate missed 1-2 shift though that causes my revs to sky rocket when expecting to engage 2nd gear - 'twas a notchy sum-gum at first. Freaked me out and scared the crap out of nearby cars and pedestrians. Thankfully, it stayed out of the red and my short throw is breaking (broken?) in so it's no longer an issue.
Thanks for the quality posts,
Sean
For day-to-day driving double clutching isn't a must -- that's what you have synchros for.
Ken
Heel-toe is beyond my abilities!
-Colin