2016 WRX Running Rich

[Scooby]

Just picked up a 2016 WRX with under 30k miles. Car looks to have been babied and left bone stock.

I noticed the exhaust seems to be black. Is this normal for a stock WRX?

 

[Batmobile_Engage]

Do you have a Cobb Accessport or other means of reading and flashing tunes? I ask because I would first check to see what tune is on the ECU. Many off the shelf tunes such as the ones Cobb offers are designed with an added measure of safety in place, in the form of a richer than necessary AFR.

I don't know if that is still an issue, but back in the day if I saw a stock, turbo Subaru with a sooty exhaust tip, I assumed they were running an OTS tune and/or a VTA blow off valve (which is also a no-no).

 

[Scooby]

I do not have access to any diagnostics equipment. My car is still under warranty. I guess my best bet would be to take it back to
Subaru and have them take a look at it.

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

Subaru's just seems to be over rich in general, mostly when there is heavy load... I guess they are tired of people complaining about blowing their engines. There are some lean spots in the tune but one could only guess at why that is. Timing is to high during WOT which could explain the excess fuel they throw at it but to much timing is what kills engines more.

Stupid and negligent strategy.

If they are worried about EGT's it is just not an issue for properly tuned street driven STi's unless you are horribly lean and above 7000 rpm.