Steve Prockter

Does anybody experience loss of power mid range while in second gear. Usually happens when holding in second gear at 3,000/4,000 RPM waiting to accelerate (overtake etc), and then as you floor it the engine feels flat until 5,500+ is reached. This was a occasional fault on my last 98 impreza turbo and the dealer was unable to resolve the problem usually because he could never experience it on a test drive. Because it happened so rarely (say 1 in 50 times) it didn't bother me took much. However, in June this year I took delivery of a new 99 impreza, and to my surprise exactly the same thing happens. Surely this can not be coincidence, and I don't particularly want to take it to the dealer for him to thrash the car around for miles again, and still not to locate the problem.

Lee

Yes basically.

Pete Croney did say that the ECU causes this..it spots you're holding reasonably high rpm and cuts back a bit. Pete's explanation..well you wouldn't want to dump 200ish lb/ft of torque through the transmission. Well the ECU doesnt want to, I would love to !

Fix..blip the throttle.

2nd fix..use 3rd ! at those rpm 2nd gear will last for 2 millisecs

Steve Prockter

Thanks for your reply.

Whilst this intermittent power loss on my standard 98 impreza (scooby back box and ram) was acceptable to a degree, my 99 impreza has the prodrive performance pack with notably more torque at 3,000/4,000 rpm and consequently the relative loss in power makes the car feel like about as powerful as three wheeler with an couple of pregnant elephants in the back. The car seems to know when I'm just about to try and burn something off where power difference is marginal, and opts to shut down a couple of cylinders (as it feels like) just to annoy and embarrass me. I have tried blipping the throttle, and lifting off sharply and reapplying the power (as you suggest) which worked with some success on my 98 impreza but regrettably does not seem to make any difference on the 99. Starting the manoeuvre in third gear is an option I suppose, but not a natural instinct when Mr 3 series is prancing in the shadows of my rear spoiler. I would like to investigate whether there might be a solution, or do you think I am just wasting my time?

Lee

Just out of interest..if you leave it in 2nd and its flat, does it pick up at about 5000rpm for the last bit ? Mine does.

I still argue that 2nd gear is too short myself, especially with the PP

Steve Prockter

Yes at 5500/6000 rpm as though full power had been restored, to the extent the best thing to do is to keep you foot flat down rather than lift off change up or anything to maintain the best momentum.

So far as second gear is concerned I like to see not less than a hairs breadth between the rev counter needle and the 7,000 rpm strawberry patch before bolting the quick shift into third. Not only that but it does behave like this on roundabouts and on track days for example when coasting mid corner power feathered. Its just disappointing.

I would be interested to know whether it is all cars or just some, or maybe its just that people don't notice. I can certainly feel the power difference when a passenger is on board, but not a full tank of petrol strangely. Maybe that says something for the size of my passengers.

Cheers

Lee

So we're agreed then..the MY99 has this "problem".

It most affects me when coming round a roundabout in 2nd then putting the boot in at the exit. Probably just as well otherwise I'd be in for serious sideways action !

I don't really care cos when flogging it properly (i.e. through gears) it doesnt happen.