theblackanpink

Hello,


i have had cars before but never an import or subaru for that matter so help is appreciated as im learning.

I purchased a "1996 wrx sti prodrive around 5 years ago, it had some problems due to mods etc and it needing a map. so in my infinite wisdom i decided to get an alcatek ECU anti-lag and launch control with + map. i was 21 or 22 at the time so jumped straight into this. it was fine no problems at all. was running 330bhp.


the first problem occurred a couple weeks later, i had a leak of coolant and it dripping on to my turbo i believe if i remember correctly, so i had a subaru guy look at it (specialist) and it turned out to be coming from a little L shaped hose. so fine had that replaced then no problems for a couple of months.


i then had a overheating problem i saw the temp go up and steam coming from the hood, i pull over i check it header looked fine but the overflow cap had popped open and the coolant " which i might add looked a little clear and less pink then initially putting it in. it was bubbling well not bubbling so to speak it was boiling and kind of overflowing. i thought okay its kind of lost a lot of coolant so i refilled it and it was fine while i nursed it home.


had someone look at it and they told me thermostat was sticking so i had that replaced. okay we are fine again i took it out went on holiday (few hours away) all fine while away was driving lovely sounded lovely i was loving it.


until it happened again same exact problem, subaru guy comes has a look tests it has a look and tells me the radiator getting hot and the fan is not kicking in.

this time i was like okay i will leave it for a bit and get it sorted.


had bit of a crisis lost my job lost my flat, moved in with my bird and got another job but had to get a new car for her because her clutch went and the car was worth nothing so yeah that happened and now i have payed the new car off and i am in more of a stable position now im 27 i want to get my subaru sorted and back on the road. (sorn and put in storage in mid 2017)


i so i have got the old girl back out on my drive charged the battery turned over first time just to give it a little run in and warm up then turned it off.

now i am slightly more intelligent and less of a jump in guy i want to take my time and get this done right so i have come here for help i have basic knowledge of cars probably less with subaru's its my first turbo.


so i have gone through all the history its had alot of maintenance etc. its also had 2 gear boxes in the past. it has been running with 10w60 oil for a long time, i have a feeling this is too thick?


so my list of steps kind of looks like this


oil change with millers 10w40

gear box oil

flush the old coolant through and refill

kind of a maintenance thing i feel these should be changed straight away after sitting for such a long period.

then i can run it in and see whats happening, surprisingly from the first run in i gave it when i took it back out of storage i had no issues at all which i feel is weird.


oh and just to add i have now noticed that the header tank is the wrong on for my tank and is sort of hanging on a bolt which i think is an issue lol.

,

so if anyone can help me through this i will be forever grateful, am i heading in the right direction with my first steps, i have been researching for weeks about this.

my main headache i think will be is the following which i could use some advise on as i just do not know and you guys on here seem really Subaru life and intelligent with these cars.


problems:

idle rev bouncing ( i was told the map put on with the ecu had a MAF delete, but the MAF is still on im thinking maybe this is the issue?

the coolant problem with the rad and fan is scaring me a little because of water boiling. (but hasnt done it again yet)

arches are rusty and a bit crumbly only on one rear side though.

gear stick i think has a spring missing or something because its floppy.

the fuel gauge displays wrong amount (a full tank is actually 2/3 on the dial.)


these i think are my main problems. also just to add on these im not sure if its a problem or just the car but the steering wheel has like an extra turn to full lock unlike any other car i have owned. likes a slower steering turn to wheel ratio. hard to explain but it seems fine.


any help with these issues is a great help, i know the story is long but i wanted some understanding on the problems before i just announced them.


I Love this car and want to get it back to its former glory.


Thank you!

nicam49

Hi, Well, before spending a single penny on it (no, that's not a euphemism) I'd investigate the rear wheel arches for corrosion and see just how bad it is. you see, there's an achilles heel on Scoobs, and that is right at the very top of the rear wheel arches, towards the interior there's a double skin. And that can/does corrode so much and so stealthily that by the time it's noticed, the cars a scrapper. So if you can, take both back wheels off and put your phone on camera, voice operated if poss, or put it on movie mode, hold it up inside the wheel arch at arms length and pointed towards the inside of the car, and take some pics. Then see what state its in. Unfortunately there are no wheel arch liners on the rears, and that's the problem.

theblackanpink

Ahh really? okay i will investigate this and check them i did not realise this can be so fatal. i will report my findings probably this weekend as it will be the only time i can do it this week.

Thank you for the advise though!

MrRtm

Idle issue could be your iacv sticking, pull it off (it's on top of the intake manifold just in front of the throttle body) and clean it thoroughly, reset ecu (just leave battery off for a bit) and see how it goes.

Coolant issue could be a blown cap or more likely an airlock, have to drain the coolant with heaters on, refill (from the turbo header tank pipe), run with heaters on until the fans kick in then top up as necessary

Fuel level issue I'm sure you can just fill it then move the needle to the full mark, would obviously need to remove the plastic cover. (someone correct me if I'm wrong, sure I read this somewhere in here).

If your in any way mechanically competent removing the iacv and clocks is pretty easy to figure out
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