Category Archives: WRX

How to Avoid Blown Ringlands in your Subaru WRX or STI – Viking Speed Shop

This is a good read, and I’ve elaborated on some of the article’s listed items in the past (here, here, and here), but I’m not a mechanic nor do I claim to fully understand a combustion engine’s inner workings.  This article comes directly from Viking Speed Shop.

An excerpt:

While largely limited to the late model WRX and STI with the EJ255 and EJ257 motors, there’s been some concern raised about the sheer numbers of ringland failures being reported on the forums. Our goal with this article is to address why this is likely occurring and how you can guard yourself from it happening to your Subaru. Some of these may seem like common sense to most, but for many younger or first time turbo car owners it may be new.

Read more @ http://www.vikingspeedshop.com/how-to-avoid-blown-ringlands-in-your-subaru-wrx-or-sti/

2015 Subaru WRX Premium – Is the STI the Better Rex? – Automobile Magazine

2015-subaru-wrx-premium

“Should I have splurged on an STI?” It’s a question all Subaru WRX owners ask themselves at some point. We’re no exception. We’ve enjoyed our Four Seasons 2015 Subaru WRX Premium, but from the very beginning have wondered whether we should have sought those three extra letters. It came to a head when a 2016 Subaru WRX STI arrived at our office for two weeks, wearing the same shade of blue pearl paint as our car.”

Read more @ http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1506-2015-subaru-wrx-premium-june-update/

Notes –

Many people insist that the current (2015-2016) WRX is equal or even better than the current STI.  This is mainly due to the ultra-tunability of the WRX’s FA20DIT engine, the fact that it has a broader spread of torque through it’s rev range than an STI, and the fact that it’s cheaper.

I’ve been instisting that the STI is the better car because it’s more track-tuned.  No, not everyone is interested in track driving, but we’re talking about cars with rally heritage here (both the WRX and the STI shares that heritage).  It’s funny that the WRX supporters appear to conveniently forget this to support their argument but it is almost always   mentioned when someone compares the WRX to a FWD or RWD car.

What I love about this article is that they highlight the WRX’s street strengths (it’s torque availability across the rev range) while also showing that the STI is the better car when it comes to spirited driving (it’s edgier and those edges become a negative aspect in daily driving, but become positive once the pace increases).

On the track, that immediacy gives the STI a clear advantage. More aggressive torque vectoring helps it claw through corners more quickly, and more communicative steering lets you approach the limits of adhesion with greater confidence. “It’s a WRX with all the slop and bushings and hesitation removed,” says Holmes. Even here, however, we’re talking about the difference between good and great. We’ve taken our Four Seasons WRX to the track; it’s no slouch.

I’ve said the following many times, too:

Making a decision between them boils down to how you’ll be using your Subaru. If you plan to spend lots of time at the racetrack, figure out how to scratch together the extra $8,100 for an STI. Its superior suspension and sensitive controls simply make it a more rewarding car to drive at ten-tenths.

Both cars are great.  One is less focused but great for the street, while one is track-focused and great for the track.  Run either one out of their element and their weaknesses will show.

I usually frown upon articles that compare the two cars.  They’re not made to compete against each other.  Back in the day when there was the Ford Mustang LX 5.0 and the Ford Mustang GT, you rarely saw articles comparing the two.  You didn’t see comparisons of Suzuki’s B-King and their Hayabusa, either.  You don’t normally see comparisons of Dodge’s Hemi-powered Charger SRT and their non-SRT Charger.  You typically don’t see the Porsche Cayman base model compared to the Cayman GTS, yet so many people get wrapped around the axle in trying to compare the STI and WRX.  I don’t really get it.  They’re two different cars that focus on two different markets.  Buy what you want and be happy about it (without trying to justify which is better because of your subjective view).

Lastly, no, you can’t buy a WRX and tack on the parts that it lacks ($8000+) to make it equal an STI.  You’ll run out of that extra $8000 in savings well before you end up with an STI equivalent…and you’ll still just have an WRX.  The STI’s 6-speed alone justifies it’s higher price, but the STI is the sum of it’s parts…they’re all tuned to make the STI what it is.  I DO NOT hate the WRX, but it is the base product of the product line.

UPDATE:

Here’s a video I just found that has an opinion (I don’t really agree with ALL of it but it does mention some things I didn’t comment on) —

2015 WRX on the Dyno

We rarely see 2015 WRXs on the dyno, but here it is. I wish they’d provided the baseline HP at the wheels first, but I believe they make 240ish to the wheels stock. I’ve no idea what mods this one may have.

Esnel’s 2015 Subaru WRX – 301whp/325lbtqEsnel brought in his 2015 Subaru WRX to get a COBB Tuning ProTune by Vlad! Vlad got the WRX all dialed in at 300.66whp and 324.84lbtq!

Posted by National Speed on Saturday, July 25, 2015

UPDATE — the mod list is: Tb exhaust , intake , tgv delete

FA20DIT vs. EJ257

UPDATE:  Someone responded negatively to this post, saying it was biased and that I didn’t supply hard data.  I did not approve it since it read like a 10-year-old wrote it.  About the data: there are many places on the internet where you can get hard data.  In fact, there are several magazine articles that I reference on this blog that have data.  The thing about data is that it can be read in many ways when using it as support media.  You can also make pretty accurate assumptions from the gaps within the details.  And about the bias, I’ve yet to read an article that has 100% unbiased opinions on the subject.  I’m all for constructive criticism, but if you’re going to bring it, at least show me how you’d have done it better (provide the facts that I’m missing and show me an unbiased report).  Of course I’ve bias…I’m the owner of an EJ-powered car and this is my corner of the internet.  There’s nothing to stop me from being biased on my own blog.  🙂  Even if I owned or have extensive experience with an FA20DIT, I’d still favor the EJ.  It’s more proven…that comes with years of use.  We know what will fail.  With the FA20DIT, we don’t.  Just because we know a part will fail doesn’t mean that the component is shit.  It just means that we know where the issue will occur and will know how to deal with it when it appears.  You can’t say the same of the FA20DIT at this point in time.  Maybe 10 years from now, though.  As for which is better from a performance standpoint, the EJ has FAR more aftermarket support.  So, DIT makes it easier for the FA20DIT to generate power…no one is refuting that, just as no one is refuting the fact that the FA20DIT is an adequate replacement for the outgoing EJ255 that resided in the 2011-2014 WRXs (we’re NOT talking about the EJ257 that resides in the existing STI, as well as prior versions of the STI, though), but we’ll answer with a question:  why hasn’t Subaru put the FA20DIT into an STI yet?  It probably has to do with the fact that the FA20DIT isn’t a revver and tends to run out of steam rather early.  It’s a good engine for the street because it offers it’s power earlier than the EJ, with less lag, but that’s only because of the twin scroll setup (the turbocharger setup is different between the two).  As well, I’ve yet to see any article that shows that the stock WRX is desirable in a track environment (circuit, not drag strip).  I’ve never seen a track driver say, “I think I like the WRX better.”  When anyone can provide what I’ve asked or what I’ve pointed out as lacking, maybe I’ll change my stance.

I also think that pricing comparisons nullify any performance arguments – if you have to mention Car X is better because it costs less when comparing performance between the two cars, that is a hint that Car X probably isn’t a good car to compare to Car B.  That is the reason why I do not compare by price in this article. I wanted this to be a comparison based solely on performance.  When I bought my STI, I was looking at WRXs as well, but I was never looking with the  “I want a car that’s as good as an STI but cheaper” mentality, because that’s compromising.

UPDATE 2:  Someone attempted to post the following (I even didn’t entertain approving the post):  “Sti 6 speed and axles with an fa20dit beats all”.  My response is, we’re talking stock for stock.  I’m not going to get into some hybrid build between STI and WRX.  We’re totally talking OEM here.  What you do in your own garage is your business.  If we talk of builds in such a fashion, we may as well accept LS1-engined WRXs into the discussion.  That’s a bit stupid, IMO.

I occasionally see someone saying that the FA20DIT is a better engine than the EJ257. I agree when looking at the stats of these two engines, but real-world, I don’t think so.

The reasons are:

The EJ257 has been used going on 15 years, with wide aftermarket support. The FA20DIT’s aftermarket support is growing, yes, but it will take time to determine the FA’s weakness as it relates to longevity and aftermarket support. I believe Subaru thinks the same thing, otherwise they’d have no problem putting the FA20DIT into the next STI. As it stands now, two model-years have gone by without putting the FA into the STI. As well, they aren’t using the FA20DIT in their rally or Nurburgring cars (the Nurburgring car uses the EJ207, but it’s still not using the FA20DIT).  I’ve also heard that the direct injection causes mad carbon build-up (many people were expecting that).

As well, you’ve tons of people stating that the WRX itself is a superior car to the STI, which is a bit dumb. First of all, that’s like comparing an Camaro SS to a Camaro SS with the 1LE package. They’re basically the same car but one is a base car while the other is tuned. When comparing performance aspects, one should not also compare the financial savings between the WRX and STI, as that does NOT relate to performance.

If you’re looking for a nice car, a WRX is a good choice, but if you plan to track that vehicle and be competitive, you’ve two choices…get the STI and have a near-race-ready car (and remember, you can still own an STI and have no inclination to track it), or get the WRX and end up spending much more than the difference in price between the two cars. Many people say, “well, I can tune the suspension and up the power for less than $10K.” While that may be true, you still won’t have a car that will equal the STI. You might be able to run a quicker quarter-mile time, but you still won’t have an STI.  In either case, you might end up with one aspect of the WRX being better than the STI…the STI will be better at the other comparable aspects.  For the money, the STI is just flat-out better at most things the WRX does as it relates to performance…because it’s tuned for the track.  The WRX will be better as it relates to street focus and everyday driving (it has more torque down low and will require less shifting, especially with it having a twin-scroll turbocharger).  The trade-off is that it’ll quickly run out of steam when going all-out (ie, in circuit racing).  But also, it’s more than just adding parts to a WRX…who tunes the suspension? Who tunes the engine after adding the power-adders that will make the engine just as powerful as the EJ variant that resides in the STI? Either the owner or a tuning specialist.  Both of those aspects will cost money, by the way, even if the owner ends up tuning his/her own car, because the owner still has to buy and install the parts and there’s a cost (maybe not monetary, but there’s still a cost) to ensuring the job is done correctly.  As well, even if tuned, a WRX will still lack a robust 6-speed transmission.  The new transmission in the VA-chassis is the same as what was in the GR/GV chassis WRXs.  It is a Legacy throwback with an extra gear.  The new 6-speed in the WRX is still glassy…up the power and risk your transmission.  It is also still cable actuated.  It is no match for the STI’s 6-speed transmission.  Additionally, it was mentioned that a WRX will stop shorter than an STI with Brembos…that may be true but it’ll happen only once, as a WRX’s brakes will fade drastically after the first braking test run, and if you’re on a track you’ll get maybe one lap (depending on the track) before the brakes pads become unreliable. STIs will also eventually cook their brakes (again, it depends on the track) but not as drastically as the WRX. I believe it’s more than just changing pads, too. The STI has bigger brakes and the pads are more aggressive…they’re just going to work better than WRX braking equipment.

Admittedly, an STI will beat you up when it comes to ride quality and when being compared to a WRX.  It’s ride is stiffer.  That’s the nature of the beast. If you don’t like such things, don’t get the car, but it is what it is. The STI is less of a compromise when you’re driving spiritedly.

There is also a common misconception that the EJ is less reliable than the FA20DIT. The first thing that comes to mind is the ringland issue that EJs tend to have. My car has close to 30K miles and hasn’t yet had an issue with ringlands breaking. I believe it’s a matter of not beating on the engine. What do I mean by this? I mean, don’t rev and race off to work without giving the chance for the engine to warm and circulate it’s fluids. Don’t lug the engine in a higher gear than necessary (ie, doing 30mph in 5th or 6th gear, going full-throttle in 6th while at 50mph on an incline). Don’t bang off the rev limiter. Change your oil as recommended in the manual. Check the oil religiously and ensure the oil is at a satisfactory level. Running a tune? Perform datalogging at regular intervals, just to ensure the logs aren’t showing bad signs. Many forums complain that the EJ257 is troublesome, but maybe it’s because people are tinkering too much with parts and tunes. Some guys report that they’re on their 3rd and 4th engines…WTF?  They’re not doing something right or they’re mettling in things they don’t understand (and blaming it on Subaru when they break things).  Yes, some stock engines have ringland or bearing issues…if it were as bad a problem as people mention in the forums, Subaru would’ve got in front of the issue a long time ago (or been forced to by the government).

That’s just my spin on things, though. YMMV.

New Winter Tires

I ordered Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32s last month, but it took me 3 weeks to get my OEM wheels to the shop to have the tires mounted on them.

They look good, too!  I can’t wait for the first snow (or hint of real cold weather).

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32s in 235-40R-18 size

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32s in 235-40R-18 size

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32s in 235-40R-18 size mounted on OEM STI wheels

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32s in 235-40R-18 size mounted on OEM STI wheels

I’ve retired my ASA JH3 wheels (with mounted Michelin Alpin PA2s).  I wanted to go 18″ for my winter tires (so that I could use my OEM wheels).

The ASAs are now for sale…whoever buys them will have to get new tires, as the Alpins are dry-rotting.  No, the ASAs are not pretty, but I never bought them for that.  I bought them because they were cheap (they were 2nd-hand) and I’m not about to buy Volks as winter wheels (why would I do that?).  The ASAs served their purpose.  I’m sure they’ll look attractive enough for someone that’s new to Subarus (like I was).

2015 Subaru WRX Long Term Review Update – Car & Driver

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-subaru-wrx-long-term-test-intro-review

Car & Driver has blasted through 40K miles of review testing of the 2015 Subaru WRX.  I’ve yet to read the review (I just woke up but will be reading through the review today while waking up to coffee).  I’ll update the post with my thoughts afterward.

After-reading-the-article-notes:

This review just might help me better decide my next car purchase, as I’ve considered whether the 2015-2016 WRX would be a good choice of upgrade for me (considering that I’m coming from a 2011 STI sedan).

I want to highlight some of the article’s comments (the ones that jumped out at me).  I’ll add my thoughts on some of them, but some of the comments might not need any comments from me —

…the WRX offers lively steering, confident grip, and a flat ride that rounds off the jolt on sharp impacts just so.

This is great, as most people think that the WRX’s handling would be watered-down compared to the STI.  Remember, I’m comparing this car to my current ride.

By passing on the Limited trim, we missed out on a power driver’s seat, leather-trimmed upholstery, LED headlights, proximity entry, and push-button ignition.

This is interesting.  I hadn’t thought on which trim level I might desire.  My current car is a base model but offers enough options in base trim to make me happy.  I might desire the LED headlights, proximity entry, and push-button ignition, though.

PRICE AS TESTED: $31,290 (base price: $29,290)

That’s a pretty hefty price for a WRX.  I paid $34K for my STI and I can get a base 2015 STI for around the same price as I purchased mine.  The question is, is a 2015 WRX actually worth $29K?  Do WRXs have the same value retainment as STIs?

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

This is good.  I also wanted to highlight that because Subaru also offers a CVT option for WRXs (not that I care for it…I just wanted to note that that’s not the version of transmission I care for).

PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 5.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 13.4 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 26.5 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 6.4 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 11.1 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 7.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.7 sec @ 101 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 144 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 157 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.91g

That’s strong performance and is very close to pre-2015 STI stats.  That’s not saying that 2015 WRXs will offer the same track experience or road feel as pre-2015 STIs, though.

With the 1000-mile break-in cleared, we spun the engine to the 6700-rpm redline and dropped the left pedal with only a whisper of clutch slip. Then we did it a dozen more times looking for the quickest acceleration time.  We used this technique—combined with short-shifting into second gear at 5300 rpm—to great effect during an earlier WRX road test, recording a 4.8-second zero-to-60 time. Yet in more than a dozen attempts, our long-termer couldn’t quite match that feat. Instead it peaked at 5.0 seconds in the run to 60 mph and 13.7 seconds through the quarter mile with a trap speed of 101 mph. Not too shabby for a $30,000 four-door, eh? The chassis numbers were equally impressive with our WRX stopping from 70 mph in 157 feet and rounding the skidpad at 0.91 g.

The above is interesting.  I remember the ruckus that C&D generated in their testing procedures.  Not everyone is going to be willing to flog their car off the line at redline.  Mags don’t own the cars they test…they return them after testing.  And if an owner takes their car in for an issue and it is found that the cause of the issue was due to them launching the car in such a manner, the warranty claim will be denied due to abusive driving.  Another interesting tidbit:  the long termer couldn’t match the 4.8-sec 0-60 time…that’s certainly understandable, though, since atmospheric and road conditions may have been different (along with a different driver).

Drivers have called out the excellent electric power steering (which was first perfected on the BRZ) and a more polished cockpit. You won’t mistake the interior for a Volkswagen’s, but our staff has noticed better fits, improved finishes, and a quieter ride than in previous WRXs.

I wish everyone would be as generous in making such comments.  Most people expect every GTI competitor to have a similar interior as the GTI.  That’s not going to happen.  Besides, it is better to compare the new WRX to the old to highlight changes in the model-year…that’s the best way to measure progress, IMO.  VW’s interior is the exception, not the norm, obviously.

While the output of the turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four—268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque—is nothing to scoff at, power delivery is lumpy and peaky. We shift early in first gear for our testing because the power falls off above 5300 rpm. Lower in the rev range there’s a sudden surge of boost indicative of turbo lag. In an age when turbocharged engines are practically mainstream and their power curves have been smoothed out, this Subaru flat-four still drives like an R&D experiment from the early 1990s.

Hrmmm…that’s not a particularly good note.  I wonder if Cobb has smoothed this out (the lag and lumpiness that C&D claims is prevalent).  I’m not sure how this car can produce turbo lag, with it’s lag-lessening equipment such as the twin scroll turbocharger, which ensures the turbocharger begins to work low in the rev range (the car produces 258 lb-ft of torque at 2000 RPM).  But every WRX enthusiast knows that this particular engine is not a revver, which is why Subaru nuts usually shift earlier than 6K RPM.  USDM boxer engines are not particularly rev-happy.  The article only mentions the 1st-2nd gear shift, though…which makes me wonder if the ECU is limiting power in 1st gear (either on it’s own or due to purposeful mapping).  In fact, I think that the map might well be the cause, as someone else in the article’s comments mentioned “boost threshold”.  That’s not the first time I’ve heard someone mention that Subaru purposely limits the WRX so that it won’t overshadow it’s halo car, the STI.  So that lumpiness and lag are more than likely purposely implemented.  That still doesn’t explain the mention of the 1st gear limitation…is it just first gear, or is it gear-agnostic?

Color-changing LED Turn Signal Bulbs for 2008-2014 WRXs & STIs

These LEDs are pretty cool. It solves the issue of wanting white LED turn signal bulbs but also wanting to stay legal (not having orange turn signals is illegal in many (if not all) states).

The link to order these bulbs is here.

They are normally $59.99 a pair, though. Note that they’re currently marked down to $49.99 for the normal set and $79.99 for the mega-bright set(as of 9/4/2014).

UPDATE:  Note that if you use these LEDs, you’re going to need an LED-capable blinker relay…that’s the case with any upgrade to LEDs.  It can be found here (same site).  The price is $19.99, as of 10/7/2014.

It might be time to update the wish list!

Upcoming STI Hatch?

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/09/subaru-wrx-hatchback-spied-testing.html

001-subaru-wrx-hatch-mule628opt

There’s a bit of an uproar today.  Why?  A mule of what’s apparently a VA-series STI hatch has been spotted.  What’s the uproar about?  Well, it’s two-fold.

  1. A hatch version was speculation.  The current WRX and STI line-up consists only of sedan models.
  2. “WTF?!  It’s ugly!”…people don’t understand that mules rarely look like the production models.  The same exact thing happened with the sedan’s mule spotting (WTF?! It’s ugly!).  They also saw the WRX concept and did the exact same thing:  they let their emotions and the pre-production viewings get the better of them…their expectations ran amuck.

I’m not a hatch guy, so I’m fine with the current sedan model, but I’ll wait until a production photo is released for the hatch before I judge it.

Additional links:

Automobile Magazine – WRX/STI Hatch Spied (added 9/2/2014 @ 6:14PM EST)

Motor Trend – Subaru WRX/STI Hatch (added 9/2/2014 @ 7:14PM EST)

You can read more comments of the mule below and at the above URL’s comment section.  Also, here’s a few comments on the IWSTI forums.

 

Please Don’t Defraud Subaru of America!

Read the following thread today:

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/gr-general/272848-13-sti-cyl-4-missfire-other-problems-need-help.html

Read it and see why I have a problem with it.

Basically, the OP stated that he’s at stage 2+, has 20K miles on the car and the car is exhibiting symptoms of cracked ringlands.  Some responders tell him how to check for further symptoms (smoke coming from oil cap opening).  Smoke was exiting the opening.  In the next post, the guy states that he has his car on a flatbed and it’s on the way to the dealer.  He states he’s reverted back to the stock tune (and that the dealer also stated he should do this).

Wow.  I see these at least once a week on the forums.  Some guys end up pannicking when they realize that Subaru of America (SoA) sometimes correlates such posts to real-life people and deny the claims.

IMO, issues such as these constitutes fraud.  I’m a firm believer in “pay to play”.  People who can’t afford to fix their car because they took it beyond the limits of Subaru’s design should not modify their cars.  Shit like this is what makes it difficult for the guys with real/legit repair issues to get them fixed.  Also, someone has to pay for the fraudulent claim (and it’s usually not the dealer nor SoA)…it’s usually other Subaru owners (the dealer spreads the cost to all Subaru owners by raising costs of other services).

I hate crap like this!

EDIT:  here’s one from last week (pay attention to post 6)

Firmware updates for ALL Subaru Accessports!

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/cobb-accesstuner/271467-firmware-updates-all-subaru-accessports.html

I like leveraging IWSTI forum posts (because I spend a good bit of time reading and posting there).

Cobb has updated the firmware for all Subaru APs.  The notes are below:

Fast Logging for ALL Subaru Accessports!!

We’ve improved datalogging rates for all Subaru Accessports. This includes V2, V2b, and V3 units and all Subaru Accessport part numbers.

V2 and V2b units will now see improvements in excess of 300% over previous datalogging rates. V3 Accessports will see nearly 250% higher resolution.


OTS Map Updates!!

2008-2014 STI v334 Map Updates

  • Revised Engine Load Compensation tables to address potentially high absolute values in the A/F Learning “C” range.
  • Activated new toggle to induce Per-Gear Timing Compensations for 6th gear.
  • Eliminated factory “Fuel Enrichment Ramping” behavior that caused temporarily lean conditions following shifts while driving aggressively.


2002-2007 WRX v310 Map Updates

  • Massive update for Stage1 and Stage2 mapping. Includes refinements to boost control and overall ignition timing strategy.
  • Added Stage1 and Stage2 support for COBB Electronic Boost Control Solenoid (EBCS).


2009-2014 WRX v331 Map Updates

  • Synchronized mapping across all model years.
  • Implemented Per-Gear Timing compensations.
  • Reshaped Boost Targets table for better control at higher RPM which reduces need for Severe Low Wastegate (SLWG mapping).
  • Removed SLWG maps from map offering
  • Revised odd factory Per-Cylinder Injector Pulsewidth tables
  • Updated Primary OL Fuel tables.
  • Revised ignition timing tables based on power and detonation concerns.
  • Many minor adjustments (changed per-cylinder timing compensations slightly, disabled trims based on rear O2 sensor, revised closed loop fuel target at idle, etc.).


For access to updated features, simply connect your Accessport to Accessport Manager and perform a firmware update!

For any other questions, feel free to email support@cobbtuning.com or submit a support ticket at cobbtuning.com/support

The coolest part?  The increase in datalogging rates — 300% for pre-v3 APs and 250% for v3s!!  What does that mean?  Better (quicker) logging!  That means better quality datalogs!