First off I'm a newbie so of you use short terms please put in brackets what it means.

This is my first Subaru and first turbo car. 06 WRX just bought 3-4 months ago. This is a daily driver but when I try to punch it, the car reacts like it's redlining in ALL gears at 4000-4500 rpm I use 91 octane but recently changed to 93 to see if it made a difference. It's got a Cobb stage 3 tune on it. If I could get some advise that would be great thanks.

List of mods:
2006 wrx
Engine Management:
STi VF-39 Turbo
STi TMIC
HKS Catted Downpipe
HKS HI-Power Catback
Catless Uppipe
Cobb SF Intake
Cobb Accessport V2
Grimspeed AOS
Stainless Steel Clutch Line
Optima Red Top Battery
Gates Racing Alternator & AC Belts

Suspension:
HSD Adjustable Coilovers (Brand New)
Camber Kit
GT Spec Strut Bars

Brakes:
Stoptech Rotors All Around
StoptechPads All Around
Subaru 4/2 Pot Calipers

Exterior:
STi Fog Covers
STi Wing
STi JDM Emblem
Hella-Horns
Baked Headlights (Orange Reflectors Removed and Bezel Painted Black)
6000k HID’s

Interior:
ATi Clock Gauge Pod
STRI Gauges in PSI (Boost, Voltage, Oil Pressure)
STi Shifter Trim
Weather Tech Floor Mats
Aluminum Shift ****
Pioneer Touch Screen Deck
JL Component Speakers
JL Amp
10” Subwoofer
Sound Capacitor

Rims & Tires:
VOLK TE37 18x10” +30 w/ 225/40/R18 GT Radial’s

 

Any chance your fuelling isn't correct for the cobb stage 3

Have you asked the previous owner if there was one what octane he ran?

Steve

 

He was running 91 which iv been running this whole time I just changed it last week.

It also says which fuel to be running on in the accessport and that's what iv done but it reacts the same. I even remapped it back to an original tune and it acted the same

 

It does sound like an overboost fuel cut, have you checked the small vacuum hoses?

 

No I have not. What should I be looking for and which hoses are you speaking of? This is my first turbo car not to familiar with the turbo set up.

 

There's a few small vacuum hoses that go between the turbo, inlet manifold, some solenoids and so on that you should check for damage, splits, cracks or that they are still all attached to where they're supposed to be. Heat and age can make them go hard and split.

 

 

The thin hoses that are arrowed. This won't be identical to yours but should give you an idea of what to look for.

 

I'll check those hoses thnks for your help and for the diagram.

 

I think I found the problem. But not 100%. Where the intake connects to the turbo the rubber is ripped on one side but it looks like there's a leak from a crack in the rubber . How do I add a pic from my iphone? I have one but don't know how to add it.

 

Would This be the problem?

 

If that's cracked and blowing through then yes that will be a problem. See if you can get someone to take a close look at it.

 

Its bit hard to tell exactly where/what angle thats taken from but I'm fairly sure that's the inlet to the turbo? That will be sucking in a lot of un-metered air! You'll need a whole new plastic inlet pipe that goes under the inlet manifold. I've never changed one but I hear its not a quick job as the manifold needs to come off. Someone will be along to correct me...

 

Your exactly right that's the turbo inlet and I need to change that piece it looks like it is ripped. It won't be to difficult but it will be some dismantling
Thanks for all of your help!

 

I changed the turbo inlet today man was that a job and a half. But it still didn't resolve my problem. I checked all the hoses and lines as I diamantled and put back together. There where no rips cracks tears or anything I could see. Can it be with the tune? Maybe boost is set to high? Looks like it's sitting at 23-25lbs

 

I doubt anyone would set the boost to that level. Your boost solenoid may be stuck open or maybe your MAP sensor is not working properly if you're 100% certain that all the vacuum lines are in good condition. You'd really need the car plugged in to see what the MAP sensor is reading and compare it to your boost gauge.

 

Ok I'll get it checked out thanks again for the input. But what should the boost be set at? My gauge says 23-25. that looked pretty high to me but wasn't sure the car runs fine until I push it. But I don't push it really since I saw it does that. It does that when I detune it also back to stock.

 

Does it only go to 4000-4500rpm then won't go past it,the fuel cuts etc? Does it only do this when you boot it and will it go past these revs if you accelerate slowly?

 

sounds like the wastegate actuator isn't working right. Could be split diaphram, stuck closed or more likely a leak in the small pipes. Double check the pipes from the turbo outlet nipple to the solenoid and to the actuator. Preferably pressure test the pipe work and the actuator too to make sure its all good.

 

If I punch it. It redlines at 4500. If I go slow and bring the speed up it does the same thing. Just acts like 4500 is redline.

 

Where is the solonoid? I just changed the inlet pipe and checked all the pipes and hoses. Only the inlet was ripped.

 

It should be on the strut tower on the left of the engine if you're standing looking in to the engine bay from the front of the car.

 

If you accelerate slowly then boost won't rise enough to over boost and the ecu won't fuel cut,so i doubt your problem is over boosting. A standard wrx won't fuel cut untill it hits about 1.2bar/16psi but yours isn't standard so i don't know what your boost is set at and mapped too. My 320bhp blobeye is only mapped at 1.2bar but It will shoot past that temporarily to around 1.5bar then settle and hold 1.2bar.
You sure you haven't skipped a tooth on the timing?

 

The boost lbs is to high it sits at 23-25lbs

 

Sounds like your actuator preload is too tight as well, you get boost spike briefly but if yours is mapped to 1.2 it shouldnt spike to 1.5

Im experiencing the same at the moment after adjusting actuator preload and need to slacken off 1/2 turn

 

I don't know how you get that much boost at that amount of revs,especially if you don't accelerate hard!?
If you get on the motorway or a similar road and build your speed up gradually without creating boost,so squeezing the accelerator and watching the boost gauge so it stays below 1bar/14psi and it will probably help to stay in a lower gear so engine is under less load and try and get the revs past 4500rpm without hitting boost. If it still cuts out or redlines like you say and the boost is below 1bar and your revs are above 4500rpm then its not over boosting.
Another thing you could try is get to 4000-4500rpm in say 4th gear,then drop down a gear which will make the the revs be higher and because you'll be off the accelerator when changing down gear,so won't be on boost. If engine still cuts/redlines then its not boost problem either.

 

No mine doesn't spike,she runs sweet! My blitz boost gauge only goes to 1.5bar and the needle hits just short of going off the gauge when i boot it,only for a split second,then settles.
I don't think my actuator is adjustable,maybe I'll look sometime,but like i say it's not a problem for me i don't think. Out of curiosity If its not adjustable and preload like you say is wrong,does that mean new actuator or spring is required?
But to be honest the 4 imprezas I've owned have all slightly risen above set boost for a second before settling. I have always used the same boost gauge in all of them.