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OKay, I'm hosed if I can understand this one Took the back end of te STI apart to get quite a surprise - a) There's a R160 there and it appears to not be a VLSD or open. Very odd. Also got a load of bits from other cars like the 04 RS. I'm not sure wether it's a brilliant way to keep costs down or a cock up by previous owner. b) The SO's WRX was used to compare to work out WTF was going on and.... it's a bog standard 07 WRX with a R180 and STI driveshafts. I thought the WRX only came with a R160....???? The 07 has NOT been driveline modified so it did come from the factory like that. I'd like to understand how an R180 got into the WRX from the showroom
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Jan 1, 2010 07:23
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blaitarch posted:I have a 2007 Legacy GT, and I popped the hood today to put in windshield washer fluid. I checked the coolant tank and it looked like the attached images. You have a warranty (36/3 B2b, 60/5 drivetrain). I suggest you use it. I've never seen anything like that (I think, the picture is unclear) and I've been in -20F weather with my LGT. (And a whole host of various engine problems) Even in the coldest weather, the coolant shouldn't be below the min line. The white spotted hose is normal though. I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at. Is the expansion tank empty except for some gunk at the bottom? How much is there? nm fucked around with this message at 08:32 on Jan 1, 2010 |
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Jan 1, 2010 08:29
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I have a ball joint stuck in my spindle and I cant get it out. Its rusted in there and I've already destroyed the boot with a pickle fork. I've got the joint about a quarter inch out and its not budging. Its soaking in penetrating oil while I figure out what to do. Any ideas?
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Jan 2, 2010 05:31
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Last time I had trouble with a ball joint I removed the entire upr put it in a vice, and used a big hammer.
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Jan 2, 2010 05:49
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Replaced my coolant temperature sensor this morning, very easy and straightforward thanks to the guys at Napa and the Chilton manual I picked up at Amazon earlier in the week. Some of the pictures I saw online led me to believe I'd have to pull the intake manifold off, but in reality all I had to do was pull the alternator and it was right there. I have a question though - is it normal for the car to crank more before starting the first time after you've had the battery disconnected?
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Jan 2, 2010 21:26
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LordOfThePants posted:I have a question though - is it normal for the car to crank more before starting the first time after you've had the battery disconnected?
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Jan 3, 2010 00:03
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You have to pull off the alternator to get to the CTS? Geez, when I had my old Nissan, it was as easy as locating the CTS under the hood and unscrewing it. Are boxers just that much more difficult to work on? Just got a Forester, and I hope not.
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Jan 3, 2010 00:31
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Vladimir Putin posted:Are boxers just that much more difficult to work on? Just got a Forester, and I hope not. Some things are much easier than on other engines, some things more difficult. My experience has been a net positive. Most of the things that'll break are just sitting on top of the engine.
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Jan 3, 2010 00:38
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Fantastipotamus posted:Yep, just happened to me today. I replaced my battery and it cranked for probably 8-10 seconds before firing up. I think this may be related to the ECU not being quite ready -- after I open source flashed, it cranked for a long time before starting. Then I read that you need to turn the ignition to ON for at least a few seconds (or until the gauges sweep back and forth on LGT). The next time I flashed, I did this, and it started up normal.
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Jan 3, 2010 01:54
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Got the ball joint out after hours of torching and hammering. If you own a Subaru in the snow belt just wait until your ball joints are about the fall off. Its not worth it. Nature is a really good welder  I've just finished putting new struts, strut mounts, one new axle, and ball joints on my Impreza. The car had 120k on the original suspension so the difference in handling is amazing. No more fishing boat style lurching on tight turns and my teeth dont fall out on railway crossings. One question. I installed the camber bolts on the struts as close as possible to where they were before but of course these are new struts. I'm going for an alignment but I can't get in for a few days. Will I roast my tires driving around for a few days with potentially wonky camber?
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Jan 3, 2010 17:54
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8ender posted:One question. I installed the camber bolts on the struts as close as possible to where they were before but of course these are new struts. I'm going for an alignment but I can't get in for a few days. Will I roast my tires driving around for a few days with potentially wonky camber? Not unless you drive a billion miles like that. If you marked the position on the camber bolts you're probably close enough that it's not a problem for a couple days.
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Jan 3, 2010 18:16
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I'm installing a boost gauge in my 2009 STi and cannot for the life of me find reliable info about wiring. It's a mechanical boost gauge with different daytime and nighttime lighting configurations, so I need power (always on) and power when just the headlights are on. Does anyone know a good resource for wiring diagrams? The closest I found is a Picasa web album from a 2008 STi, but the fuse boxes are amazingly different between 2008 and 2009 STIs. Link to the 08 info: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/rgv250/GaugeInstall2008WRXSTI I'd love to be pointed in the right direction. Thanks Edit: I figured it out. I used some of the info from the 2008 link above and some guessing and it worked out. The directions posted on scoobymods.com were absolutely worthless and very misleading, so I took pictures of the whole process which I'm putting into a vFAQ type walkthrough. Hopefully other people will get some use out of it. BoostCreep fucked around with this message at 03:37 on Jan 4, 2010 |
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Jan 3, 2010 23:33
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I generally just take the column plastic off and dig around with a continuity tester to find what I'm looking for.
jamal fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Jan 4, 2010 |
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Jan 4, 2010 01:00
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My mom has a Forester (01 I believe), that has a bit of an oil leak. I had limited time when I was up there for a visit today, so I didn't want to really get my hands dirty by removing the undertray. From my quick glance it looks like the oil is leaking more from the front of the engine, as it is dripping down the plastic undertray starting at the front edge. Is the front main seal a common failure item on these, or is it more likely to be the oil pan gasket? I reached down on either side of the engine with a clean paper towel, and it doesn't look like the valve cover gaskets are leaking.
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Jan 4, 2010 01:17
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ab0z posted:My mom has a Forester (01 I believe), that has a bit of an oil leak. I had limited time when I was up there for a visit today, so I didn't want to really get my hands dirty by removing the undertray. From my quick glance it looks like the oil is leaking more from the front of the engine, as it is dripping down the plastic undertray starting at the front edge. Is the front main seal a common failure item on these, or is it more likely to be the oil pan gasket? I reached down on either side of the engine with a clean paper towel, and it doesn't look like the valve cover gaskets are leaking. Theres lots of things under the timing cover that like to leak when the seals get worn. Cam seals, oil pump seal, crank seal. Take a look at this thread, theres some pictures in there: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9542
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Jan 4, 2010 03:28
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Question regarding the new STi's - is it a known problem for them to fry coil packs? I had one go bad about a month ago, and replaced it with an old '04 STi coil pack. We diagnosed the problem (8 at night 300 miles from home ) by swapping the pack from cylinder 3 to cylinder 1 - misfires followed the coilpack. The other weird thing is that the problem seemed to be heat related: if I was just driving around town there were no problems to speak of, but once I got on the freeway for a while (10+ minutes), going WOT at 2500-4000 rpm in 4th-6th gear gave the same problem once more (AFR's are on target, but the engine stutters, boost is high - 21+ psi when target is 19.5 - and the computer pulls timing, seeming to indicate misfire or incomplete combustion for some other reason). 1st-3rd don't seem to have this problem that I've been able to see/log. It all seems to point to yet another coilpack failure, which doesn't make much sense - the techs at the shop it was at spotted nothing, and I can't see anything wrong with the wiring (no loose harnesses, no melting/frayed insulation, etc.). To make matters weirder, the problem seems to disappear above 4000 rpm. Everything else runs fine - the car is making very decent power for what has been done to it, though gas mileage has been terrible lately. Any suggestions on where I should look next?
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Jan 4, 2010 03:39
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8ender posted:Theres lots of things under the timing cover that like to leak when the seals get worn. Cam seals, oil pump seal, crank seal. Take a look at this thread, theres some pictures in there: Thanks, next time I'm up there I'll pull the undertray off, and if it looks like I need to, the front timing cover. BobTheFerret posted:Question regarding the new STi's - is it a known problem for them to fry coil packs? I've seen them go bad on an 04 legacy GT and several times on an 02 WRX. I'm not sure on the STi, but it seems like in general they can be a problem.
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Jan 4, 2010 04:50
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BobTheFerret posted:Question regarding the new STi's - is it a known problem for them to fry coil packs? I had one go bad about a month ago, and replaced it with an old '04 STi coil pack. We diagnosed the problem (8 at night 300 miles from home what are you plug gaps and have you done a compression check? I haven't seen all that many coilpacks go bad.
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Jan 4, 2010 05:06
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jamal posted:what are you plug gaps and have you done a compression check? Ahh, should have mentioned a few things that were done. This problem was occurring prior to a swap of both the old injectors and plugs. I can ask about the plug gaps - P&L in Chicago offered to install them free when I bought them (the common NGK "1 step colder" plugs) while they were doing some other install work, so I'm not sure myself. According to the shop, the compression and leakdown came back with a clean bill of health. The problem also disappeared after the coil pack swap long enough to do a complete tune. Could this be a symptom of a blown ringland?
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Jan 4, 2010 09:48
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no probably not. since it's only happening at high load and low rpm you could be getting a bit of knock, or you could just need to gap the plugs down a bit. 0.025 should work fine.
jamal fucked around with this message at 09:58 on Jan 4, 2010 |
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Jan 4, 2010 09:56
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jamal posted:no probably not. since it's only happening at high load and low rpm you could be getting a bit of knock, or you could just need to gap the plugs down a bit. 0.025 should work fine. Thanks for your help! I'll give it a try this week and see if lowering the gap helps. There is knock, I think (at least knock correction according to the AP - about -2.5 to -3.5 degrees), but hopefully that's just because of hot-spots from the misfire due to the plug gap.
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Jan 4, 2010 14:42
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This 2006 WRX was posted on the local Subaru forum, and I'm thinking of making an offer on it. The seller posted this picture of his engine bay: Click here for the full 1600x1200 image. I'm not super familiar with the EJ25 but I am curious about that black thing on the firewall next to the intercooler. It looks like it has power and vacuum - is it something as innocent as a boost gauge or is it something like a ridiculously oversized boost controller related to the "Airboy Stage 1" tune mentioned in the ad? (also that is one teeny intercooler) e: Much obliged! v Seat Safety Switch fucked around with this message at 18:09 on Jan 5, 2010 |
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Jan 5, 2010 18:03
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siren for an alarm. stage one is a reflash with everything stock.
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Jan 5, 2010 18:07
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I've been on-and-off searching for a decent turboback for my 09 WRX and think I found a deal. However, I came across another forum's suggestion to just rely on local muffler shop to create a custom exhaust job. Since I know rear end-all about cars (still learning), I'm tempted to go with something I know (the name-brand turbobacks), but is the idea of using a local muffler shop (don't know any currently) worth anything? Thanks.
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Jan 6, 2010 09:52
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OK Subaru guys. I need an opinion. I am currently in a '01 Mazda Miata. Here in the next couple of months I plan on ,ahem, upgrading a touch to a 2010 Subaru. Here's my problem. I know I want the 5 door (wagons rule!) in either WRX or 2.5 GT Impreza form. I have test driven both and I like both cars in different ways. Any of you lot own the turbo charged automatic transmission Impreza? I think I really like that transmission (even though in a NA engine it fell out of the power between ever gear after 2nd) and with the turbo charged motor it seems like a pretty sweet deal. Impreza. I like the WRX more, cause, frankly I'm a sucker for a sports machine. My problem with it is though, the 5 speed in it seems awful clunky. I've checked consumer reports and aside from the whole "fairly sad mileage for as small of an engine as they have", CR says both cars are pretty rock solid. My brother once had a '95 Mustang Cobra, it's gearbox was half terrible as well, but the Steeda short-throw kit fixed it right up. Is there a comparable solution in the Subaru's case? Also, if you own either one, are there any surprises I should know about? Awful seats for a 5 hour drive, propensity to break any specific part on the car, they don't like to start when it's cold out- anything like that? Basically I will probably get the WRX since it is slightly cheaper and I am fairly certain I can get that gearbox straightened out. But is the automatic Impreza a better car in any substantial way? Any information you guys could give me would be great. Thanks. EDIT: Clarifying the evidently ambiguous Subaru naming convention. PadreScout fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Jan 6, 2010 |
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Jan 6, 2010 10:25
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PadreScout posted:Basically I will probably get the WRX since it is slightly cheaper and I am fairly certain I can get that gearbox straightened out. But is the automatic a better car in any substantial way? Any information you guys could give me would be great. Thanks. Don't buy an automatic 2.5 turbo. They just dont match. There's a reason subaru has detuned the 2.5 GT and discontinued the automatic legacy GT (and that thing is a boat). Yes, teh 5-speed feels like crap. There are a number of aftermarket options from short shifters, to bushings to new fluids to make that transmission feel suck less. But be rest assured. It will still suck. That said, it still sucks less than having a 4-speed automatic "WRX" 2.5 GT. Subaru has been having minor issues with 2.5 turbos failing. This isn't so much of an issue if you: Don't track it Don't get a crap tune on it (However a failed piston ring isn't total disaster. I'm likely 20k+ mi on a failed ringland including track days. My oil bills are hilarious though. I still love my car because I'm insane.) Keep up on maintenance, don't mod too much, and get a leak-down and compression test as the end of the warranty nears and you'll be fine though.
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Jan 6, 2010 10:57
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PadreScout posted:I like the WRX more, cause, frankly I'm a sucker for a sports machine. My problem with it is though, the 5 speed in it seems awful clunky. A friend of mine complained non stop about how his Subaru shifted like a tractor when got it but I think it was just a matter of getting used to it because he doesn't complain anymore and I don't notice it at all driving with him now. That said if you're going to get into a Subaru there are a few things like this to get used to: First the engines make strange, sometimes wonderful, and sometimes horrible noises that are all apparently normal, the gearbox is like a mexican bus, and everything is somewhere different than you'd expect it to be in the engine bay. One thing that has stayed consistent over the years is that the automatic WRX is complete balls and not worth it at all. If you're going for an automatic you might as well just get the NA engine and save some money. It'll never spool that turbo properly and the five speed 5EAT is apparently much weaker than the old 4 speed 4EAT. Its a shame because one of the only redeeming qualities of the 4EAT was that it was tough as nails. 8ender fucked around with this message at 13:10 on Jan 6, 2010 |
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Jan 6, 2010 13:06
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8ender posted:A friend of mine complained non stop about how his Subaru shifted like a tractor when got it but I think it was just a matter of getting used to it because he doesn't complain anymore and I don't notice it at all driving with him now. 8ender posted:
The first automatic I test drove was the 4 speed with the naturally aspirated engine. I'm sad to hear they're not so great with the turbo charged engine because in general it was a quick shifting, decent little automatic. I even liked the responsiveness of that goofy automatic/manual thing it does where you can pull the level to shift up or down. Subaru's implementation of that is WAY better than Mazda's (only other automatic I've driven lately- in a little Mazda 3 while me car was getting it's 60K service) Now to complain about the automatic, aside from being in general pleasing, holy poo poo it sucked, once you hit 3rd gear it dropped out of the power, which was around 50-55 MPH, which is right where I want to be on top of my power, it did it again from 3rd to 4th, dropped right out of the power around 70. So I though, man with a turbo charged engine this would be alright and the test drive of that 2.5GT Impreza I took seemed alright, but frankly I'll take you guys word on it because a 10 minute test drive does not give a good characterization of driving the thing daily for 10 years. If the engine/tranny combination is poo poo, then I'm staying the hell away from it. So it looks like it's time to start searching out a nice 5 door WRX. I'll learn to live with the gearbox. I figure: slightly larger car, WAY more power, all-wheel drive, comfortable and not terrible fuel mileage, I'll learn to live with the gear box. Thank for the advice, guys. EDIT: for more better english PadreScout fucked around with this message at 14:29 on Jan 6, 2010 |
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Jan 6, 2010 14:21
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PadreScout posted:It is good to know though that the gearbox is widely regarded as rubbish, though. I drove a Dodge with the 6 speed manual for a while and I can say the Subaru's is better than that, so I'll live. I wouldn't call the gearbox rubbish, just harsh. I think its because it has to deal with delivering power to a much more complex AWD drivetrain rather than just two wheels but I might be talking out of my rear end here. The 4EAT is a good automatic but it just isn't setup to run a turbo properly. I own a NA 2.5 with the 4EAT and its a great automatic. Nice crisp shifts and reasonably good performance. My only real complaint with it is that sometimes it likes to sit in a higher gear than what I need. My TCU also has a software bug that causes it freak out when I spin the rear tires a lot and shift harshly into a 50/50 F/R power distribution resulting in a big thump and my car taking off like its on fire but I think thats kind of fun feature.
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Jan 6, 2010 14:47
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8ender posted:I own a NA 2.5 with the 4EAT and its a great automatic. Do you experience the same problem with it trying to shift at 50ish and 70ish, or can you learn that out of the transmission? My basic impression was- shifts good, shifts quick, generally nice package- but paired with that NA engine, it would get me killed. Can you kind of train it up where itll stay in a gear longer so you don't get the abrupt drop to 2 grand on shifts?
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Jan 6, 2010 14:53
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PadreScout posted:Do you experience the same problem with it trying to shift at 50ish and 70ish, or can you learn that out of the transmission? I don't have any problems around those speeds so I assume you can. The only performance problem I have is that if I slowly roll up to a corner and then hit the gas it'll sometimes be in too high of a gear and the car will fall flat on its face. The solution for this problem is to mash the throttle so it kicks down quickly. Bear in mind that the 4EAT and 5EAT are a different animal entirely. I found the 5EAT to be too quick to dump you into fifth gear, probably for the sake of fuel economy. When you suddenly need power it never seemed to be able to make up its mind on how to best deliver it. The one I drove would stick you with 4th, then change its mind and give you 3rd or 2nd when it realized you actually wanted to MOVE RIGHT NOW.
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Jan 6, 2010 15:05
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Some people have done some crazy things with the 4EAT.quote:Phase 1 - Install a switch that allows the user to bypass the 4-speed Automatic Transmission's (4EAT) AWD torque transfer logic in order to "lock" the system into a 50/50 torque split. I've got a 5 speed, so I don't really know much about the 4EAT except what I've stumbled across accidentally.
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Jan 6, 2010 18:20
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Slow is Fast posted:Some people have done some crazy things with the 4EAT. drat that looks fantastic. I really want to try that. If I do I'll post pics. Strange though, he mentions that the 02+ 4EATs have VTD but I'm pretty sure my 4EAT does not and neither did the 03s.
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Jan 6, 2010 18:33
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I have the STI/SPT short shift kit in my 07 WRX along with the Momo shift knob and like it a lot. The shifter in my old 2000 Outback was garbage, but this is nice and short and only a little notchy.
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Jan 6, 2010 18:50
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I googled 'VTD Subaru' because frankly I drive a RWD car and the only 4 wheel drive vehicles I've ever driven were a '72 FJ-40 and a '70 IH Scout (800B!) - I find all this talk of different types of allwheel drive systems foreign and confusing. Anyhoo, according to this: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48112 The WRX will have a continuous AWD system with a limited slip rear end, I assume this is pretty good as far as things go. So... yay? I tell you what, there is a lot of terminology to come up to speed on for these cars. At this point though, I'm thinking that the 4 speed auto is probably not for me, if for nothing else because apparently it uses some squirrely AWD system that isn't the more or less 50/50 split I was expecting. PadreScout fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Jan 6, 2010 |
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Jan 6, 2010 18:50
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I'm fairly certain that the 08+ WRX doesn't have a rear limited slip, just electronic doodads.
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Jan 6, 2010 19:00
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8ender posted:drat that looks fantastic. I really want to try that. If I do I'll post pics. Strange though, he mentions that the 02+ 4EATs have VTD but I'm pretty sure my 4EAT does not and neither did the 03s. If you try it, definitely post. The 4EAT I know very little about and would like to see someone else gently caress with one more. PadreScout posted:I googled 'VTD Subaru' because frankly I drive a RWD car and the only 4 wheel drive vehicles I've ever driven were a '72 FJ-40 and a '70 IH Scout (800B!) - I find all this talk of different types of allwheel drive systems foreign and confusing. That article on legacygt.com sums it up quite well. I understand all the Subaru AWD setups, but I do not know what most other manufacturers use for awd systems, something else I need to read about. I know my RS is continuous, which I love. My folks Grand Cherokee has the Dodge slip and grip awd system, where once the back loses grip, the fronts turn on, it's a whole different type of driving yet they're both labeled as "AWD". To supplement your reading, here's a youtube video comparing Subaru AWD to its competitors.
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Jan 6, 2010 19:10
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warwick5s posted:I'm fairly certain that the 08+ WRX doesn't have a rear limited slip, just electronic doodads. Hmmm, you could be right. Motortrend says the STI has both front and rear LSD, but doesn't say squat about rear LSD on the WRX. Well, gee wiz.
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Jan 6, 2010 19:10
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Slow is Fast posted:If you try it, definitely post. The 4EAT I know very little about and would like to see someone else gently caress with one more. I've read through the entire thread and I think I'm going to take a shot at it once I can get some parts together. The most interesting thing about that thread is that the creator of the lock switch also tested the solenoid voltage to see what the torque split was during normal driving and it sits around 60-40 during dry pavement cruising, which is different than most documentation I've found online which states 90-10 F/R. He found that it only went 90/10 while stopped or parked. He also found that the TCU is quite slow to move the power to the front on braking. It can take up to 1.5 seconds to transition. All other times during driving the power was moving back and forth constantly depending on his driving. Too bad he lost his job and had to stop work. He was working on a gauge to show the current torque split and a variable control that would let you adjust the torque split with a knob.
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Jan 6, 2010 19:27
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AWD setup on Subaru depends on model year, transmission, and trim level. The easiest rule of thumb is if it's a manual and not an STI, the center diff is a viscous coupling and purely mechanical. If it's a manual and has any sort of electronic stability control and is not an STI, it has an open rear diff. Beyond that it becomes VERY dependent on the model year, transmission, and trim and can't be summed up easily. For example, the manual RS started without a rear LSD, then they got one, then it lost it again when the buyeyes model came out.
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Jan 6, 2010 19:34
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