New (Used) WRX Owner....

[wrtaylo]

Howdy,
First post...sorry for questions already

Just traded in my truck on a used 2004 WRX sedan. I test drove several 08 WRXs, but found a good deal on the 04, so here I am. It is bone stock (or so the Subaru dealer kept telling me) with approaching 60K miles. I am not sure if this is the right forum, but I have a couple of questions that hopefully some experienced owners can help out with.

First one (the biggie)
The car does not pull well. By that, I mean it feels a bit sluggish, even above the 3000 rpm range. No where near what the 08 felt like. The turbo gauge (not even sure how to read the thing, range is -.1 to +.1) teeters in the -0.05 to -.1 range when driving without hard acceleration. Max it will reach is a +0.05. Does this indicate a problem with the turbo? Can not really feel it kick in, especially in the lower gears.

Second
With the car approaching 60K, I am planning on getting the scheduled maintenance. New plugs, fuel filter, etc. Should I have the turbo checked for vacuum leaks (see # 1). Any other recommendations that might help cure # 1. Is the Subaru dealerships generally competent in diagnosing advanced problems?

Thanks so much for any help. If this is in the wrong forum, let me know and I will move it.

RT

[ElBartoRex]

First one (the biggie)
The car does not pull well. By that, I mean it feels a bit sluggish, even above the 3000 rpm range. The turbo gauge (not even sure how to read the thing, range is -.1 to +.1) teeters in the -0.05 to -.1 range when driving without hard acceleration. Max it will reach is a +0.05.

welcome! that boost gauge on there is a mechanical gauge that reads in 'bar' the metric equivalent of PSI. When its - the car is in vacuum (off boost) when its + you are on boost. If the highest it gets is +.5 somethings up because that is only about 7psi. The car should be hitting around 13psi at full boost or .9 bar. Have someone drive with you to get a good look at it while on WOT. The stock boost gauge is not the most accurate or easy to read, so you might be ok.

One of the most telltale signs that the car has been modded is check the turbo heatshield. If its cut or is missing completely, the car was most likely not kept stock.

I would take the car to a tuning shop that is versed w/ Subarus and get them to check the car out. Many dealers don't know crap about modifications or what is or is not stock. Many times they misdiagnose mods as COSTLY engine problems when sometimes they are as minor as a loose vacuum hose. I have had car dealers try and tell me that the boost gauge was a clock...

The 04 stock wrx will not be as quick as the 2.5 liter versions. Plus if your 04 is truly stock then there is significant lag due to the catted up/pipe. Plus it sounds like you might have a boost leak.

[wrtaylo]

Hey,

Thanks for the info. I am going to do some calling around tomorrow and see if I can locate a good import tuner/mechanic. Nothing showed up on a quick Google search.. I will go ahead and call the dealer, see what kind of response i get from them. I need to get the basic 60K service anyway. How hard is it to diagnose / fix a boost leak?

I did buy an extended warranty up to 100K, hopefully that will help if there is anything grossly wrong.

Thanks again for all of the help. Feels weird being a total newb at something.

RT

[TheJ]

Welcome to the club!

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