Bugeye WRX boost characteristics
 

Hi all,

Picked my new 02 WRX up from a member on here on Saturday and have been getting used to the car over the last few days.

The car has an up-pipe replacement, cat-removal and backbox and as far as I'm aware, is unmapped.

I've just moved from a modified Rover 420 Turbo (T28 turbo, turbo back exhaust, FMIC, Apexi AVCR) and am just trying to get a feel for how the Impreza delivers boost. When standard, the Rover would hit 6psi by ~2100rpm and peak at 11.5psi by 4000rpm, gradually increasing across the rev range. With the Apexi and the bigger turbo, it'd see 12psi by 3100rpm where it'd hold to the redline.

The Impreza seems to deliver about 7psi by 2500rpm, increasing to 13psi at 4000rpm onwards. Is this normal behaviour? It does feel good as the boost climbs but seems to take a while before it starts to pull hard, especially in the higher gears. Am I expecting too much coming from a 250bhp FWD car which delivered peak torque much sooner?

There has also been the odd occasion where the boost doesn't seem to increase over 7psi, no matter how high the revs. Is the boost solenoid controlled by the ECU?

Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly impressed by the car and was expecting it to be considerably slower than the Rover (which tbf, it's not too bad!), I just feel that the car is lacking in midrange.

Thanks.

It won't be 250 unmapped...get it mapped.

I wasn't saying it was 250bhp, I said that I'm coming from a 250bhp turbocharged FWD car and feel that the Impreza is lacking in midrange (and that occasionally, the boost doesn't increase more than 0.5 bar)

My question (it's in there somewhere :lol1:) was more around the boost levels in the Impreza and how much boost should be being generated at different revs.

Apologies, misunderstood. Still though, get it mapped!!
To me (coming from a Leon Cupra mapped to 215-220 ish and a company 170bhp VRS occy) the wrx was deader than dead, I was truly underwhelmed by it.
I started learning how to map it myself and the results after my first proper effort made such a difference that I would recommend anyone who was buying one, not drive it until its been mapped.
With it mapped (uppipe cat was still in place at the time) I was getting 7psi at 2440 rpm and by 3krpm I had 16psi through until after 5k and tapered it off with a little more timing instead. Totally different motor I have to say.
I have since gone bigger turbo and miss the earlier spool but its worth it :D