Alin
Diehard Car Enthusiast!
We don't seem to have a thread for this, so here it is. This is a no brainer for people who are experienced with these cars and sometimes we don't even acknowledge it, but people who are new to these cars don't. There are certain things with these cars that you cannot do because it will damage components, whether that is the engine, the drivetrain, ect.
If you haven't bought your car yet, make sure you read this: http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/6250-Here-s-a-checklist-for-what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-used-WRX-or-STi!
Before we get started, this is a MUST read if this is your first turbo vehicle. Then again, it's always a nice refresher if you already know these things:
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php?4294-Extremely-good-information-for-first-time-turbo-owners
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/4315-STi-Wing-Aftermarket-Wing-or-No-Spoiler
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/7405-Best-quot-bang-for-the-buck-quot-modifications-for-WRX-s-and-STi-s
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/4322-My-car-is-still-pretty-new-what-can-i-do-to-it-without-jeopardizing-the-warranty
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/2137-Terms-and-Acronyms-and-general-info
1) Do NOT launch your vehicle. I would strongly advise against launching because if you do it incorrectly, then you will break some important parts that keep the car rolling along. Even if you do it correctly and with precautions, you are severely shortening your drivetrain's life. (Also associated with 2-step)
2) Do NOT do donuts in your vehicle. Doing donuts causes all of the oil from one side of the engine to rush to the opposite side because of our engine's layout. The result of that is not going to be pretty and will leave a large, unnecessary hole in your wallet.
3) Do NOT Flat Foot Shift (FFS) your vehicle. I don't advise doing this either. Someone else can go in depth, but I don't personally feel it's safe for the car.
4) Do NOT floor your car. (Also known as WOT = Wide Open Throttle) You should not floor your car in general, but to each their own. I mostly want to point out 5th and 6th gears on this. First and foremost, we must begin with knowing when it is correct to go WOT. Ideally, you want to go WOT when you are over 3,250 RPM, closer to 4,000 would be better. Someone with more knowledge and expertise can tell us the reason you don't want to go WOT prior to ~3,250. I just know it has something with the engine trying to compensate for the load it's creating and that load not being met. If you were to do this in 5th or 6th gears, you would over boost and create a stupid high engine load that could ultimately lead to the destruction of your motor. The reason 5th and 6th gears are prohibited is because they are our last two gears and they are also the longest gears. There is no reason to be going WOT in 5th gear unless you're on a track where you exceed 100 MPH. As far as 6th gear goes, I personally don't see ANY reason whatsoever to go WOT in. We don't have an Autobahn or a Nurburgring to go past 130 MPH and shift to 6th.
5) Change your fluids ON TIME! Different people have different opinions on when to change fluids. I personally change my oil every 3,000 miles with Amsoil Dominator. I do my transmission fluid and rear differential fluids once a year or every 25,000 miles. Depending on your driving habits, your vehicle might eat more oil than your friend's. Always check your fluid levels.
6) Be careful with Cobb Accessport Off The Shelf (OTS) maps. they are generic tunes that aren't made specifically for your car. Please be sure to thoroughly read what the modification requirements are for their various "stages" that they provide. Example: Stage 1 can be flashed directly on a bone stock vehicle with the option to have a Cobb intake and/or a catback exhaust.
7) Your car is not invincible in the winter time. Just because you have AWD does not mean that you're godly. Tires are everything when ti comes to GRIP in general. In the dry, you want sticky tires to have ultimate grip and in the winter, you want winter tires that will be the deciding factor if you grip or if you slide. Blizzaks are always the number one tires when the winter tire discussion is brought up.
8) Your vehicle and who does maintenance work on it. Most things for these cars are quite simple to do. However, the correct tools, parts, and time are needed. You can save yourself a lot of money on simple things and there are over a million videos on youtube for Do It Yourself (DIY) work and projects! Certain knowledge is required before attempting to do work yourself.
9) The first thing anyone should ever do when they bring their new car home is read the manual! So many people skip this. That is your number one resource since it's literally in your grasp. If you read it once, read it again!
10) There is so much information on these cars and things pertaining to them that it's unfathomable. One of the best things you can do is start reading up technical information. There is so much to learn throughout your time with your new found WRX or STi. Knowledge is power!
11) There are certain mods for our cars that people tend to do first. However, they don't realize that they will be harming the car by adding these items to their vehicles. The top two items consist of an Air Intake, whether that is a Short Ram Intake or a Cold Air Intake, and the second item is a Blow Off Valve (BOV). Our cars are not meant to run on a BOV, so by doing so, you are going to cause problems. These cars are very picky when it comes to mods, so if you throw on an intake WITHOUT a tune, the car is going to run terribly because it's map is based off of the stock intake.
12) Don't let anyone drive your car unless they have cash in hand in the event they break/crash your vehicle or is someone you trust dearly.
13) The most important thing when it comes to your STi and it's health: a harmonic ECU tune. This is the most detrimental thing you can do to your car to ensure reliability, safety, and longevity! Please do your research on who to choose as your tuner if you are going to have your car tuned on a dyno. I, alongside many others, prefer a street tune that meets the expectations of the environment that you live in. Since there are countless variables that alter to your car's needs as far as a tune is concerned, a street tune in the specific environment you're located in is a far greater preferred option for your car's health. Tuning for SAFETY is key as opposed to tuning for power. We have a PHENOMENAL tuner ( @HolyCrapItsFast ) here on IGOTASTI that knows these motors and ecu inside out. We offer an e-tuning service that I have personally taken advantage of and I can promise you that it is an EXCEPTIONALLY WELL decision on your part if you want a safe, reliable, healthy, long lasting engine. Check this thread for more information: http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/3830-E-Tuning-Service-for-Paying-Members
14) If you do not know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle, I STRONGLY recommend you learn on one of your friends' beaters so you don't ruin your transmission on your newly owned WRX or STi. If you're coming from a FWD or RWD vehicle, these transmissions can be tricky to get the hang of at first. It's a general consensus how to drive manual, but sometimes things are slightly different. Practice is key as it is with everything else in life. There are two very important things to know about the STi 6 speed transmission. First, you ONLY put it in reverse when you are stationary or you will grind your gear. Second, you ONLY go into first gear when starting off from a standstill or are going 5 miles per hour or less.
15) The ONLY fuel you should ever put in your vehicle is 93 premium grade octane. If you live somewhere where 93 is NOT offered, make sure you get an optimized tune for 91 as these cars come tuned for 93 from factory. Anything else beyond 93 (ie: E85 and race gas) requires a tune.
16) Please allow your car to warm up and idle for at LEAST a minute from a cold start in weather above 50 degrees. For weather under 50 degrees, allow at LEAST 5-10 minutes. It is detrimental that you allow proper warm up for longevity. I always let mine warm up for 5-10 minutes on warmer days and on days where the temperature is under 50, I allow 15-20 minutes. I might be more anal than you, but this is what I have done since I have owned my car and needless to say, my car is healthy as can be. Remember, if it takes 20 minutes for your car to warm up, that means the coolant has warmed up to operating temperature. The oil takes TWICE as the coolant to come up to temperature where it is going to do its optimal job. Please drive as you normally would until your oil is up to temperature before you go flooring your car.
17) For adequate cooldown of the vehicle, as long as you haven't gotten in higher boost, you should allow 5 minutes of normal driving to properly come down to operating temperature. If you have gotten into higher boost and your car is way hotter than operating, allow a 10 minute normal drive to properly come down to operating temperature. Once your car is back to operating temperature, you do NOT need to wait for the turbo to cool down. Our cars have a super efficient way of cooling down after a drive. "It is not necessary to perform a “cool down/idling” procedure on Subaru WRX/STi/LGT turbo models, as was recommended with past turbo models. The current 2.0/2.5 liter turbo engine has a far greater cooling capacity and, coupled with technology advances, makes this practice no longer necessary. This explains why information about a cool down is not included in the Owner’s Manuals. The heat contained in the turbocharger begins to vaporize the coolant at the turbocharger after the engine is stopped. This hot vapor then enters the coolant reservoir tank, which is the highest point of the coolant system. At the same time the vapor exits the turbocharger, coolant supplied from the right bank cylinder head flows into the turbo. This action reduces the turbocharger temperature. This process will continue until the vaporizing action in the turbocharger has stopped or cooled down."
@IGOTASTi.COM @HolyCrapItsFast @Grinder34 @Batmobile_Engage @Spamby @Robert Viehweger @WRB_STi @black bandit @35r
Please read and correct anything that you see isn't right. There has to be more that we can add, but this is all that I was able to think of at the moment. :tup:
If you haven't bought your car yet, make sure you read this: http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/6250-Here-s-a-checklist-for-what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-used-WRX-or-STi!
Before we get started, this is a MUST read if this is your first turbo vehicle. Then again, it's always a nice refresher if you already know these things:
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php?4294-Extremely-good-information-for-first-time-turbo-owners
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/4315-STi-Wing-Aftermarket-Wing-or-No-Spoiler
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/7405-Best-quot-bang-for-the-buck-quot-modifications-for-WRX-s-and-STi-s
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/4322-My-car-is-still-pretty-new-what-can-i-do-to-it-without-jeopardizing-the-warranty
http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/2137-Terms-and-Acronyms-and-general-info
1) Do NOT launch your vehicle. I would strongly advise against launching because if you do it incorrectly, then you will break some important parts that keep the car rolling along. Even if you do it correctly and with precautions, you are severely shortening your drivetrain's life. (Also associated with 2-step)
2) Do NOT do donuts in your vehicle. Doing donuts causes all of the oil from one side of the engine to rush to the opposite side because of our engine's layout. The result of that is not going to be pretty and will leave a large, unnecessary hole in your wallet.
3) Do NOT Flat Foot Shift (FFS) your vehicle. I don't advise doing this either. Someone else can go in depth, but I don't personally feel it's safe for the car.
4) Do NOT floor your car. (Also known as WOT = Wide Open Throttle) You should not floor your car in general, but to each their own. I mostly want to point out 5th and 6th gears on this. First and foremost, we must begin with knowing when it is correct to go WOT. Ideally, you want to go WOT when you are over 3,250 RPM, closer to 4,000 would be better. Someone with more knowledge and expertise can tell us the reason you don't want to go WOT prior to ~3,250. I just know it has something with the engine trying to compensate for the load it's creating and that load not being met. If you were to do this in 5th or 6th gears, you would over boost and create a stupid high engine load that could ultimately lead to the destruction of your motor. The reason 5th and 6th gears are prohibited is because they are our last two gears and they are also the longest gears. There is no reason to be going WOT in 5th gear unless you're on a track where you exceed 100 MPH. As far as 6th gear goes, I personally don't see ANY reason whatsoever to go WOT in. We don't have an Autobahn or a Nurburgring to go past 130 MPH and shift to 6th.
5) Change your fluids ON TIME! Different people have different opinions on when to change fluids. I personally change my oil every 3,000 miles with Amsoil Dominator. I do my transmission fluid and rear differential fluids once a year or every 25,000 miles. Depending on your driving habits, your vehicle might eat more oil than your friend's. Always check your fluid levels.
6) Be careful with Cobb Accessport Off The Shelf (OTS) maps. they are generic tunes that aren't made specifically for your car. Please be sure to thoroughly read what the modification requirements are for their various "stages" that they provide. Example: Stage 1 can be flashed directly on a bone stock vehicle with the option to have a Cobb intake and/or a catback exhaust.
7) Your car is not invincible in the winter time. Just because you have AWD does not mean that you're godly. Tires are everything when ti comes to GRIP in general. In the dry, you want sticky tires to have ultimate grip and in the winter, you want winter tires that will be the deciding factor if you grip or if you slide. Blizzaks are always the number one tires when the winter tire discussion is brought up.
8) Your vehicle and who does maintenance work on it. Most things for these cars are quite simple to do. However, the correct tools, parts, and time are needed. You can save yourself a lot of money on simple things and there are over a million videos on youtube for Do It Yourself (DIY) work and projects! Certain knowledge is required before attempting to do work yourself.
9) The first thing anyone should ever do when they bring their new car home is read the manual! So many people skip this. That is your number one resource since it's literally in your grasp. If you read it once, read it again!
10) There is so much information on these cars and things pertaining to them that it's unfathomable. One of the best things you can do is start reading up technical information. There is so much to learn throughout your time with your new found WRX or STi. Knowledge is power!
11) There are certain mods for our cars that people tend to do first. However, they don't realize that they will be harming the car by adding these items to their vehicles. The top two items consist of an Air Intake, whether that is a Short Ram Intake or a Cold Air Intake, and the second item is a Blow Off Valve (BOV). Our cars are not meant to run on a BOV, so by doing so, you are going to cause problems. These cars are very picky when it comes to mods, so if you throw on an intake WITHOUT a tune, the car is going to run terribly because it's map is based off of the stock intake.
12) Don't let anyone drive your car unless they have cash in hand in the event they break/crash your vehicle or is someone you trust dearly.
13) The most important thing when it comes to your STi and it's health: a harmonic ECU tune. This is the most detrimental thing you can do to your car to ensure reliability, safety, and longevity! Please do your research on who to choose as your tuner if you are going to have your car tuned on a dyno. I, alongside many others, prefer a street tune that meets the expectations of the environment that you live in. Since there are countless variables that alter to your car's needs as far as a tune is concerned, a street tune in the specific environment you're located in is a far greater preferred option for your car's health. Tuning for SAFETY is key as opposed to tuning for power. We have a PHENOMENAL tuner ( @HolyCrapItsFast ) here on IGOTASTI that knows these motors and ecu inside out. We offer an e-tuning service that I have personally taken advantage of and I can promise you that it is an EXCEPTIONALLY WELL decision on your part if you want a safe, reliable, healthy, long lasting engine. Check this thread for more information: http://igotasti.com/vBforum/showthread.php/3830-E-Tuning-Service-for-Paying-Members
14) If you do not know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle, I STRONGLY recommend you learn on one of your friends' beaters so you don't ruin your transmission on your newly owned WRX or STi. If you're coming from a FWD or RWD vehicle, these transmissions can be tricky to get the hang of at first. It's a general consensus how to drive manual, but sometimes things are slightly different. Practice is key as it is with everything else in life. There are two very important things to know about the STi 6 speed transmission. First, you ONLY put it in reverse when you are stationary or you will grind your gear. Second, you ONLY go into first gear when starting off from a standstill or are going 5 miles per hour or less.
15) The ONLY fuel you should ever put in your vehicle is 93 premium grade octane. If you live somewhere where 93 is NOT offered, make sure you get an optimized tune for 91 as these cars come tuned for 93 from factory. Anything else beyond 93 (ie: E85 and race gas) requires a tune.
16) Please allow your car to warm up and idle for at LEAST a minute from a cold start in weather above 50 degrees. For weather under 50 degrees, allow at LEAST 5-10 minutes. It is detrimental that you allow proper warm up for longevity. I always let mine warm up for 5-10 minutes on warmer days and on days where the temperature is under 50, I allow 15-20 minutes. I might be more anal than you, but this is what I have done since I have owned my car and needless to say, my car is healthy as can be. Remember, if it takes 20 minutes for your car to warm up, that means the coolant has warmed up to operating temperature. The oil takes TWICE as the coolant to come up to temperature where it is going to do its optimal job. Please drive as you normally would until your oil is up to temperature before you go flooring your car.
17) For adequate cooldown of the vehicle, as long as you haven't gotten in higher boost, you should allow 5 minutes of normal driving to properly come down to operating temperature. If you have gotten into higher boost and your car is way hotter than operating, allow a 10 minute normal drive to properly come down to operating temperature. Once your car is back to operating temperature, you do NOT need to wait for the turbo to cool down. Our cars have a super efficient way of cooling down after a drive. "It is not necessary to perform a “cool down/idling” procedure on Subaru WRX/STi/LGT turbo models, as was recommended with past turbo models. The current 2.0/2.5 liter turbo engine has a far greater cooling capacity and, coupled with technology advances, makes this practice no longer necessary. This explains why information about a cool down is not included in the Owner’s Manuals. The heat contained in the turbocharger begins to vaporize the coolant at the turbocharger after the engine is stopped. This hot vapor then enters the coolant reservoir tank, which is the highest point of the coolant system. At the same time the vapor exits the turbocharger, coolant supplied from the right bank cylinder head flows into the turbo. This action reduces the turbocharger temperature. This process will continue until the vaporizing action in the turbocharger has stopped or cooled down."
@IGOTASTi.COM @HolyCrapItsFast @Grinder34 @Batmobile_Engage @Spamby @Robert Viehweger @WRB_STi @black bandit @35r
Please read and correct anything that you see isn't right. There has to be more that we can add, but this is all that I was able to think of at the moment. :tup:
Last edited:
