hi everyone i have recently purchased my first scooby and want to look after it as best possibale i have a 2004 wrx pretty standard engine just a dump valve was just after any hints or tips on things i should be doing and things u shouldnt in way of genral upkeep and maintainance and running ie:
how long should u leave the car to cool after a drive before you turn it off?
oil additaves worth while or not? or just good quality oil to start with?
and just anything it would be good for a new owner to be aware off.
thanks all
steve

 

Just always makes its warmed up before thrashing it, could be worth getting a oil temp gauge. I was shocked how long it took my oil to get up to temp when i fitted it. Always let it tick over for a couple of minutea if driving it hard but if you been behaving you can turn them right off will be fine!

As for oil you can use any good make of 15w-50w, think alot of guys use milners?

Apart from that just keep it regularley serviced and welcome to the club mate

 

don't let the burberry cap boys goad you into a race to prove how fast your car is. saxo, corsa, golf gt tdi owners have this sense of inadequacy and need to prove themselves on a daily basis.

proper service schedule and find yourself a subaru master technician you can trust not to stroke you when you decide to modify your car. any fool can bolt bits onto a car but it takes a lot of experience to get it to all work together properly.

oh and dont gurn about the running costs. they aint cheap to run or service. you bought the car with your eyes open, live with costs.

 

I'll second the oil temperature thing. As an example, I went to Leeds on Monday, water temperature on both clocks and Defi was up to 82 degrees after about two miles, the oil temperature didn't hit normal, (90 degrees) for a further 5-6 miles.

Use decent oil from the get go.
Use decent FUEL or fuel + octane booster.
Find out if there are ANY mods, and what they are, even an aftermarket dumpvalve can cause problems.
If you haven't got service history, think about getting coolant and brake fluid changed. And check gearbox and rear diff oil levels.
Finally, have a 4-wheel laser alignment done by a Scoob specialist, makes a difference, and stops the car from eating tyres.

 

Thanks for the tips been doing most of whats said allready but nice to have it confirmed im doing the right things thanks everone

 

Surprised no ones mentioned a remap!

 

change your oil some people say 6000 miles, i change mine every 3000-4000 depneding on the color of it always check your oil and water levels at least once a week
as if this is not done and your wate level is low then you could be in for a nice head gasket repair not cheap, and if you oil is low then it could do your big ends, these are the two main fears that subaru driver live with or at least i do even thou my engine is forged
check your gear box oil if it low or looks dirty change it as well aprt from that any other wierd issue you might get dont ignore them get it seen to by a trusted subaru chap

 

where are you based steve?

you might benefit from attending a few scooby meets, they usually happen monthly all over the country and you get to chat to other scooby owners and can see what they've done to their cars, likewise what problems they might have had and how they solved them.

network

 

Do service it on time
Do use the best quality consumables (petrol and oil etc)
Do treat it with mechanical sympathy - if you drive it like you hate it, it will break
Do not modify it until you've had the car for a while and can make an informed opinion about what YOU personally want to achieve. Easy to spend money doing what others have done/would do themselves otherwise - this may or may not correspond with what you want!
Seek the input of others on here, but remember: all opinions are not equal. ALWAYS speak to an expert on the cars before you commit to ANYTHING!
Do enjoy the car, but don't drive like a prat -it's a quick car, you don't need to prove it at every opportunity and AWD cannot defy the laws of physics; it just means you're going faster when they bite!
Do not think that maintaining/modifying these cars is cheap: number one rule of Subaru ownership: you play, you pay!

Have fun,

Ns04

 

some more good advice thanks all, just about to do my weekly checks in a min :-) didnt get any service history with the car so not realy given it too much stick yet intend to do full service at end of the month all fluids filters and belts so least i can then start propour service intervals. not worked out how to quote people on here but what new scooby 04 put about dont drive it like a prat i find it turns enough heads just cruising. Also in reply to alex i am based near peterbouough so any info on local meets would be appreciated
many thanks
steve

 

There is an east anglia section on the forum worth looking on there.

 

hi you're near me, i'm new to scoobies too!! been quite helpful reading all this as im frightened to death of melting a piston after all my mates teasing me about chocolate pistons lol

 

what cars do your mate drive oh and what is yours a wrx or a sti

 

well there's a variety lol some of them drive vw's and swear by them, one of them loves fiats (i know lol) and the rest are vauxhall lol

mines a v6 sti engine in a classic 2000 shell