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Seat Safety Switch
May 27, 2008

MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.

Pillbug
I'll take some measurements later this week if not tonight.

The early (01-02) WRX seats are better than most in terms of bolstering. I'd suggest looking into those if you have a TR with bad base seats. For GC/GM/GF the 2.5RS coupe seats are good for skinny dudes (I bought a pair for my OBS that are awaiting upholstery work to fix a torn bolster seam).

Evo X Recaros also seem to be popular (if pricey) items for GDs. You will of course lose the in seat airbags.

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I HATE PINK BIKES
Feb 15, 2012

Seat Safety Switch posted:

The early (01-02) WRX seats are better than most in terms of bolstering.

Agreed. They are – really surprisingly – some of the most comfortable and properly bolstered seats I have sat in.

BoyBlunder
Sep 17, 2008
So I'm thinking that I want to do the oil changes on my '13 WRX, mainly because the service prices are a bit ridiculous at my local dealership ($200+ for 7500mi service, and it just goes up from there for 15k, 30k, etc).

Would it be feasible for me to take it in for service for EVERYTHING else (rotation, checks, additives, etc) besides the oil change, or is that generally frowned upon by dealerships?

edit: please note, I've never done an oil change before, but after reading some guides, it doesn't seem as difficult as I thought it was

THE BLACK NINJA
Mar 9, 2010
Theorst part of those service prices are the "service" activities themselves. "inspect brakes lines". "Verify function of brakes" "perform a check of the coolant level" . "inspect brake pad thickness". And don't forget the mysterious "lube chassis"

poo poo is retarded for 200 or more dollars. You can definitely change your own oil. And who cares if the dealer "frowns on it"? They just want more of your money. That is all. If you can be successfully guilted into paying your money to a car dealership then God help ya buddy.

VelociBacon
Dec 8, 2009

BoyBlunder posted:

So I'm thinking that I want to do the oil changes on my '13 WRX, mainly because the service prices are a bit ridiculous at my local dealership ($200+ for 7500mi service, and it just goes up from there for 15k, 30k, etc).

Would it be feasible for me to take it in for service for EVERYTHING else (rotation, checks, additives, etc) besides the oil change, or is that generally frowned upon by dealerships?

edit: please note, I've never done an oil change before, but after reading some guides, it doesn't seem as difficult as I thought it was

Super easy on our motors. Only thing people sometimes miss when doing it the first time is to make sure you wet the sealing ring of the new oil filter with some clean (new) oil before screwing it on.

BoyBlunder
Sep 17, 2008
Thanks for the reassurance gents.

Should I just use OEM Subaru filters/crush washers? Or get them from somewhere else?

tangy yet delightful
Sep 13, 2005



When I called my local dealer about inspecting the brakes after telling them I had changed the oil and had the tires rotated I was told the brake inspection was visual only and there was no need to bring it in.

You can get crush washers by the handful at the dealer for free to cheap depending on your suave. I think most use the OEM filter.

Amandyke
Nov 27, 2004

A wha?
I use purolator one filters but there is certainly nothing wrong with the OEM filters. A crush washer is a crush washer is a crush washer though. Just a simple thin copper disk. If you really want to make your oil changes stupid simple, get a fumoto valve. http://www.qwikvalve.com/

BoyBlunder
Sep 17, 2008
Awesome!

Now to just buy some ramps and I'll be able to do this myself. Looks like the biggest pain in the rear end will be getting that pesky skid plate off. gently caress those clips. There were a pain in the rear end when I was installing my mudflaps.

edit: I have a question about this kick rear end Fumoto valve - do I ever need to replace the washer on it, or is it more of a install it and forget it type thing?

BoyBlunder fucked around with this message at 18:59 on May 21, 2013

dyne
May 9, 2003
[blank]

BoyBlunder posted:

Awesome!

edit: I have a question about this kick rear end Fumoto valve - do I ever need to replace the washer on it, or is it more of a install it and forget it type thing?

Install and forget it. I don't know about newer WRXs, but with my 2.5rs I had to file a couple grooves into the threads of the valve, as the threaded section was too long and prevented complete drainage of the oil.

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."
Make sure you keep proper records of the change. I recommend using the receipt that shows the proper oil being purchased with the mileage written on it.

Seat Safety Switch
May 27, 2008

MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.

Pillbug
I took some measurements of my '04 STI seats.

Widest part of the lower part of the seat (where the legs come out): 13.5 inches
Narrowest part of the lower part of the seat (hinge side, including hip bolsters): 11.5 inches
Lower part of the seat bolsters: 16.5 inches tip to tip
Upper part of the seat bolsters: 16 inches tip to tip
Shoulder bolsters: 19 inches wide in total (widest part of the seat).

Each bolster juts out less than an inch from the seat surface in total. They're quite non-aggressive bolsters. The shoulder bolsters don't really jut out at all.

Seat Safety Switch fucked around with this message at 06:01 on May 22, 2013

jamal
Apr 15, 2003

I'll set the building on fire
I think the best thing to do is to try sitting in some seats. Maybe a dealer or car lot has an 04-07 Impreza you can sit in (think the seat shape is the same between the WRX and STI those years, not sure on the RS). I actually like the 02-03 seats a little better because they are slightly lower and have better side bolstering. And then the GC impreza (especially the jdm wrx/sti) seats are awesome, but narrower and meant to have the driver on the other side.

BoyBlunder
Sep 17, 2008
So I know that Rotella T6 is the go-to oil for our engines, and while I do plan on running it (after 60K mi), I'd like to run some 5W-30 oil while I'm still under warranty.

What's the recommended 5W-30 oil? I've read that I should stay away from Mobile 1, but should I pick up genuine Subaru synthetic, or go with something like Castrol?

Car is a '13 WRX, recommended oil changes every 7.5k, will do them every 5k.

Wrar
Sep 9, 2002


Soiled Meat
Mobil 1 is fine. Check your oil every other fill-up, some of our motors like to chew a quart now and then.

Neptr
Mar 1, 2011

BoyBlunder posted:

So I know that Rotella T6 is the go-to oil for our engines, and while I do plan on running it (after 60K mi), I'd like to run some 5W-30 oil while I'm still under warranty.

What's the recommended 5W-30 oil? I've read that I should stay away from Mobile 1, but should I pick up genuine Subaru synthetic, or go with something like Castrol?

Car is a '13 WRX, recommended oil changes every 7.5k, will do them every 5k.


Here's a quote from a guy on NASIOC who seems to know more than most people on NASIOC:

quote:

If you lie awake at night paranoid about a denied warranty claim use:
- Amsoil XL 5w30 if you're doing the full 7,500 mi recommend drain interval.
- Amsoil OE 5w30 if you're going to do drain intervals of 5,000 mi or less any way.
- Pennzoil Ultra if you don't have a local Amsoil dealer and don't want to mail-order.

Do NOT use Amsoil Signature Series, it is not API/ILSAC certified, and therefore doesn't meet all the warranty requirements.

If you're just mildly paranoid about warranty, use:
- Valvoline Maxlife Full Synthetic 5w30 or
- Castrol Edge Professional OE 5w30

Aflicted
Jun 9, 2007
Yesterday I went put my deposit down on a 2013 WRX hatch in satin white pearl. I was so close to getting WR Blue and then having seen the sedan in SWP on the lot, it was an easy call. Now starts the two week wait for the car to get here. It was one that was in transit to another dealer and is being redirected to me. Having skimmed through the megathread for weeks in anticipation to being ready to pick up the car, I have really just one question at the moment. The dealer is giving 2yrs/24k miles in free maintenance as an incentive. The book says 7500k per oil change, but I read in most places to not let it go that far? I also am already planning on changing the oil myself after ~500 miles as part of the break in. Is this a good mileage to change out or would you let it run longer? The thread talked about break in quite some time ago, but conversation was more revolving around how to treat the motor while driving.

edit: clarity

Aflicted fucked around with this message at 16:41 on May 22, 2013

THE BLACK NINJA
Mar 9, 2010
I think that nasioc quote is old. I picked Amsoil SSO 5w30 for warranty reasons and paid attention to their ratings. This link is from my iPhone so it may not work for people on real computers, but it lists applicable standards and includes the API and ILSAC stuff.

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/motor-oil/gasoline/sae-5w-30-signature-series-100-percent-synthetic-motor-oil/

I don't burn it and would recommend it.

Captain McAllister
May 24, 2001


Quick question:


I've decided I'm tired of having the goofy, low-weight bearing factory roof rack on my car. Problem is, while it is factory, I'm not sure it's the right model for the year:



Most 02s have a bigger rail that clips into the black strip moulding a few inches in from the top of the doors (not really visible in this pic). My rack has holes that go through the roof. I don't mind having the track pieces left behind on the roof, but I'd like the crossbars and mounts off. Should the crossbars and 'towers' just slide forward out of the rails? Or do I have to do minor disassembly?

Thanks!

SpellEdge
Sep 14, 2007
Atk:13 Add: Don't Act

So after chatting about seats I checked craigslist and there's a dude parting out two 02 wrxs. I emailed him about the seats. These would be a direct bolt in to an 07 tr right? I'll lose the seat airbags though which will make the airbag light come on I'm assuming. Any way to fix that?

zeldadude
Nov 24, 2004

OH SNAP!
So this is what my rear wheel well looks like, I shouldn't have let it get this bad but no use crying about that now. How bad on a scale of 1-10?

From what I've googled it looks like my struts/shocks have fallen somehow? I'm not sure, not really a car guy, if anyone wants to correct me feel free. Whatever it is is rubbing against my tire and making a super irritating and scary whirring noise.



Wasn't sure if this was the right thread to post this in so if it isn't sorry, but I would appreciate any help!

Oh and also I drive a '97 Impreza.

Suburban Dad
Jan 10, 2007


Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself




SpellEdge posted:

So after chatting about seats I checked craigslist and there's a dude parting out two 02 wrxs. I emailed him about the seats. These would be a direct bolt in to an 07 tr right? I'll lose the seat airbags though which will make the airbag light come on I'm assuming. Any way to fix that?

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235384

kastein
Aug 31, 2011

Moderator at http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/and soon to be mod of AI. MAKE AI GREAT AGAIN. Motronic for VP.

zeldadude posted:

So this is what my rear wheel well looks like, I shouldn't have let it get this bad but no use crying about that now. How bad on a scale of 1-10?

From what I've googled it looks like my struts/shocks have fallen somehow? I'm not sure, not really a car guy, if anyone wants to correct me feel free. Whatever it is is rubbing against my tire and making a super irritating and scary whirring noise.



Wasn't sure if this was the right thread to post this in so if it isn't sorry, but I would appreciate any help!

Oh and also I drive a '97 Impreza.

Ummm, that's right about at an 11.

Seriously, that should not be driven for any reason.

e: it needs a new strut, possibly other parts, and if you continue to drive on it (it may need it already) a new tire and/or rim, depending on where the broken strut is contacting the wheel/tire. Out of morbid curiosity, how long/far have you been driving it like that?

jamal
Apr 15, 2003

I'll set the building on fire
It looks like the strut is broken. That's bad. stop driving. Your suspension now has no control over which direction the wheel and tire are pointing.

A new set of KYBs is like $300.
Part numbers are
334109
334110 (this one is the rear left)
334111
334112

I'd offer to sell you a set but they are cheaper on amazon.

jamal fucked around with this message at 22:46 on May 22, 2013

zeldadude
Nov 24, 2004

OH SNAP!

kastein posted:

Ummm, that's right about at an 11.

Seriously, that should not be driven for any reason.

e: it needs a new strut, possibly other parts, and if you continue to drive on it (it may need it already) a new tire and/or rim, depending on where the broken strut is contacting the wheel/tire. Out of morbid curiosity, how long/far have you been driving it like that?

Welp. I got it to the shop so we'll see what needs fixing, but I guess it sounds like I should be happy to be alive!

The whirring noise only started a week ago, and I haven't been driving much so I guess it could be worse..
I also had the struts replaced ~6 months ago, so either my old mechanic has been loving me hard or my car is literally cursed. Had to have my catalytic converter replaced twice so far which is suspect to begin with, had to replace the entire exhaust.. it goes on and on.

Queen_Combat
Jan 15, 2011
Kill your old mechanic, then sue the body for loving you over if he just replaced those six months ago.

kastein
Aug 31, 2011

Moderator at http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/and soon to be mod of AI. MAKE AI GREAT AGAIN. Motronic for VP.
:wtf:

If he replaced the FRONT struts, sure, ok.

If he replaced the rears... or all four... I agree with geirskogul. He's loving you, because that strut sure as hell doesn't look new to me and even if it was, he clearly screwed up installing it at the very least.

c355n4
Jan 3, 2007

You should probably think about new tires too. They're getting there.

il serpente cosmico
May 15, 2003

Best five bucks I've ever spend.

Aflicted posted:

Yesterday I went put my deposit down on a 2013 WRX hatch in satin white pearl. I was so close to getting WR Blue and then having seen the sedan in SWP on the lot, it was an easy call. Now starts the two week wait for the car to get here. It was one that was in transit to another dealer and is being redirected to me. Having skimmed through the megathread for weeks in anticipation to being ready to pick up the car, I have really just one question at the moment. The dealer is giving 2yrs/24k miles in free maintenance as an incentive. The book says 7500k per oil change, but I read in most places to not let it go that far? I also am already planning on changing the oil myself after ~500 miles as part of the break in. Is this a good mileage to change out or would you let it run longer? The thread talked about break in quite some time ago, but conversation was more revolving around how to treat the motor while driving.

edit: clarity

No need to do it at 500 miles. Go ahead and do it at 1000 miles if you lie awake at night thinking about it, otherwise you are fine to do it at 3K.* It isn't a bad idea to do your oil in general every 3750 miles, which is what the manual recommends for severe use, which if you read the definition is pretty much everyone. Plus, turbo engines beat up oil pretty fast.

*I did mine at 1K, but the more I read about it, I kinda wish I would have just waited until 3K or so just to save the money.

Here's an NASIOC oil FAQ: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=499177

Some relevant parts:

quote:

Should I do my first oil change early on my brand new car?

Not recommended and not needed. Many users will "violate" their oil change schedule by doing their first change early. The theory is to remove any break in contaminates during the first few hundred or up to 1000 miles. In practice though, contaminates are collected in the oil filter. While not necessary, this is one oil change that many feel much better about doing than not.

il serpente cosmico fucked around with this message at 01:42 on May 23, 2013

SpellEdge
Sep 14, 2007
Atk:13 Add: Don't Act


Thank you sir.

slothrop
Dec 7, 2006

Santa Alpha, Fox One... Gifts Incoming ~~~>===|>

Soiled Meat
So some loving dunce has smashed into the back of our 1984 Subaru while it was parked and written it off. God Bless you Ruby you were the best friend a boy could have, and only just getting broken in at 350000kms. Ruby was like a member of our family, now we have to say goodbye and replace her!

I'm looking at an Outback as a replacement, what's available in our area (NSW, Australia) for our budget are '99 or '00 models with pretty high km's (200k+). Any advice as to what I should be looking out for - what's been done maintenance wise and any real 'danger gtfo now' things? We are only looking at manual, 2.5l Outbacks at this stage - would probably get a Liberty(Legacy) or a Forester if a good one came up.

Finally, if anyone wants '84 Subaru station wagon parts, I've got an almost perfectly good one apart from a couple of bent chassis rails in the Blue Mountains. Apologies for any bad spellings, I'm writing this on my phone while I wait for the loving train and its loving freezing!

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."

slothrop posted:

So some loving dunce has smashed into the back of our 1984 Subaru while it was parked and written it off. God Bless you Ruby you were the best friend a boy could have, and only just getting broken in at 350000kms. Ruby was like a member of our family, now we have to say goodbye and replace her!

I'm looking at an Outback as a replacement, what's available in our area (NSW, Australia) for our budget are '99 or '00 models with pretty high km's (200k+). Any advice as to what I should be looking out for - what's been done maintenance wise and any real 'danger gtfo now' things? We are only looking at manual, 2.5l Outbacks at this stage - would probably get a Liberty(Legacy) or a Forester if a good one came up.

Finally, if anyone wants '84 Subaru station wagon parts, I've got an almost perfectly good one apart from a couple of bent chassis rails in the Blue Mountains. Apologies for any bad spellings, I'm writing this on my phone while I wait for the loving train and its loving freezing!
If your engine choices are the same as in the US, that era Outback is headgasket failure central. Make sure the HGs have been replaced.

Queen_Combat
Jan 15, 2011
Or budget in another <appropriate dollar amount here> for an upgraded bonded HG replacement.

kaws!
May 25, 2008

nm posted:

If your engine choices are the same as in the US, that era Outback is headgasket failure central. Make sure the HGs have been replaced.

You are correct, that era EJ25 will spit out head gaskets. You can tell by getting underneath it and having a look where the heads meet the block. If there is evidence of water or oil leaks around that area, it needs new head gaskets. I just checked out an 00 with 220 thou on the clock a few days ago that was ready to blow in Canberra.

Kia Soul Enthusias
May 9, 2004

zoom-zoom
Toilet Rascal

Captain McAllister posted:

Quick question:


I've decided I'm tired of having the goofy, low-weight bearing factory roof rack on my car. Problem is, while it is factory, I'm not sure it's the right model for the year:



Most 02s have a bigger rail that clips into the black strip moulding a few inches in from the top of the doors (not really visible in this pic). My rack has holes that go through the roof. I don't mind having the track pieces left behind on the roof, but I'd like the crossbars and mounts off. Should the crossbars and 'towers' just slide forward out of the rails? Or do I have to do minor disassembly?

Thanks!

That's OEM?

Yakattak
Dec 17, 2009

I am Grumpypuss
>:3

Captain McAllister posted:

Quick question:


I've decided I'm tired of having the goofy, low-weight bearing factory roof rack on my car. Problem is, while it is factory, I'm not sure it's the right model for the year:



Most 02s have a bigger rail that clips into the black strip moulding a few inches in from the top of the doors (not really visible in this pic). My rack has holes that go through the roof. I don't mind having the track pieces left behind on the roof, but I'd like the crossbars and mounts off. Should the crossbars and 'towers' just slide forward out of the rails? Or do I have to do minor disassembly?

Thanks!

I don't own a wagon but I thought the rack went right over those two black pieces on each side of the roof.

I HATE PINK BIKES
Feb 15, 2012

CharlesM posted:

That's OEM?

Yakattak posted:

I don't own a wagon but I thought the rack went right over those two black pieces on each side of the roof.

Yeah, that is 100% not a standard bugeye roof rack or at the very least not mounted how it should be. See this image found from GIS for how it should be mounted:

Captain McAllister
May 24, 2001


CharlesM posted:

That's OEM?

Yeah, I'll upload another pic later that shows the logos and everything (as well as a close-up of the mounts). It's for an older model Legacy, I think. The car originally came from a dealer, so I wouldn't be surprised if they just put on whatever rack they had at the time. Although, I have seen quite a few others running around town with the same setup.

Yakattak posted:

I don't own a wagon but I thought the rack went right over those two black pieces on each side of the roof.

That's what I'm getting at, yeah, see the pic posted below VVV for how it's supposed to look/where it's supposed to go.


I HATE PINK BIKES posted:

Yeah, that is 100% not a standard bugeye roof rack or at the very least not mounted how it should be. See this image found from GIS for how it should be mounted:



Exactly - like I say, I think it goes on a Legacy, but great and mighty google has been fruitless. Any time I search, I get references to the type of rack you posted that pic of. I know that the one on my car mounts through the roof, and to completely remove it I'd have to take the headliner out, have the holes welded, etc. I'm happy if I can just figure out how to get the crossbars and pillars off. I tried just sliding them out of the tracks yesterday, but they got to a certain point and just...stopped.

VelociBacon
Dec 8, 2009

Been reading a lot about cold-start piston slap being 'normal' on our H4 motors. Is this really the case? How come this is considered normal on an opposing cylinder motor but not an inline or V-configuration?

I've got a light tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk sound from 1500-3k on light acceleration only when the engine is cold (I let it warm up before driving). It's completely absent once the motor is at normal operating temperature and is very difficult to hear at all, especially from outside the passenger compartment. It's an EJ20K, 80,xxx KM, and otherwise runs great. Please convince me this isn't rod knock! I haven't had the chance to listen to it with a mechanic stethoscope because ironically I've been at work using my real one.

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Seat Safety Switch
May 27, 2008

MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.

Pillbug
I can't answer your first question except to point out that our cars sound like tractors from the factory.

The second one is probably injector noise; they're super loud injectors and especially on something like a JDM STI will be pretty aggressive.

Rod knock is a "feel it in your gut" obviously bad sound, I'm pretty sure you could rod knock an EJ25 next to a Victorian time traveller and she would instantly know that it is the sound of a dying beast.

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