New Member - first problem?
 

Hello Everyone - New member alert


Just bought my first ever Subaru last month so why not buy the best one right ?:lol1:

2003 JDM Subaru WRX STI around 79k miles on the clock

for the past couple of years I have been driving a Renault Clio 197 f1, what a great car that is agile, nimble and such a good ride.......However...

I then jumped in the Subaru....WHAT A CAR.

such a raw rough animal of car that hates it when you drive slow haha like its telling me 'put ya foot down pal come on'

like with any car its not perfect and I knew it had some issues when I bought it although I'm only just starting to get to grips with the car and how the car works and the ins and outs of the engine bay and I may have bigger issues than I thought .

The car is pretty much standard except for a full JDM titanium trust exhaust, new downpipe, spec c oil cooler , performance air filter and a few other bits mostly underneath the car.

To cut a long story short ... its smoking on start up quite a bit , once warmed up after a 2 min drive it stops completely.

is this a blue smoke white smoke argument or just the burning of condensation with the pipe?.


Once she's had a full clean ill get some pictures up , if anyone has also owned this car previous give us a message

Thanks again Sam

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...a6d1b348a9.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...b17312a44e.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...e682ede77.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...510670f83b.jpg

PCV valve. Get it replaced before it does any damage.

Welcome and they look wicked. Mate had a 197 too. Nice cars.

Top man, thanks mate.

hopefully that will resolve my issue - anyone got one for sale ?

depends on the 'smoke'..........they are notorious for condensation particularly at this time of year...

Was it cold outside cause it looks very like condensation to me.

Welcome! I bet you really noticed the difference jumping out of the clio into this! I found the 197 really flat to drive in the lower rev range and lacked the punch of the 172/182, you really have to wring its neck to have any fun. That said, they're great little cars and very capable on track.
Back to the question. Every scooby I've owned have always spat out plenty of condensation and looks just like that.

Cold, and the garage its in is sometimes arguably colder .

there's no oil leaks anywhere that I can see on the car or where it is overnight . shining a torch down the exhaust highlights loads of water droplets from condensation, I just cant see how that much smoke comes from vapour?

another questions- 4 weeks of ownership , taken out about 6 times for a period of roughly 3 hours total, how much coolant should I have lost as my header tank is now just over half full?

Under 5000rpm its sluggish but after that going around the corners best thing I've driven. having the f1 model with the stiffer chassis and upgraded brake seats etc makes a massive difference :thumb:

Depends what you mean by Header Tank

Header/Filler tank - should be full all the time.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...f83ffbd96f.png

Expansion/Overflow/Reservoir Tank - level will rise/fall depending upon temperature of coolant and engine

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...182bbe19c7.png

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...4194104f3c.png

Like others have said condensation but after my engine went bye bye I always throw out PCV valve lol when people ask about smoke. You can get them from ICP (Import Car Parts) brand new and should be under £10. Worth changing for piece of mind.

Hi Sam, would be interesting to get more feedback from you on comparing the two cars, youre right scoobs dont like slow under any circumstances ;)

no worries mate,

The clio especially being the f1 model gives you so much confidence going into corners it’s quite unbelievable, the wheel and turning are really responsive the recaros keep you wedged in position really well.it’s pretty slow to get going but after 5krpm it puts the power down very well for a naturally aspirated engine 2l engine. For the price I paid for it 5 years ago it’s hands down the funnest car I’ve driven. A Sunday morning Suns out let go to wales and nail it kind of car , I am selling mine soon … if I can part with it .

the Subaru … we’ll I’ve only driven it a handful of times so far so can only go off that, first impressions when I picked it up - wow the steering is heavy , exhaust is silly loud being cat less and titanium, ride is hard, clutch is heavy. It felt like a really old car haha witch it is . Then after a few drives I got to know the car a little . Steering clutch , gear ratios.
I can honestly say that all them things I thought I didn’t like . I do . The mechanical feel, the harsh ride, the loudness I love it all . The winding up of the turbo. It’s such an event to drive. Can’t wait to take it over some back roads in the summer.
plus as a petrol head I’d say there’s quite a level of respect for the car. It’s not a drug dealer asbo car anymore. It’s a future classic.

Clio feels more nimble in the corners being the F1 edition stiffer chassis upgraded brakes , recaros. takes a bit to get going but on a twisty road above 5krpm its a pretty amazing car, gives you so much confidence. honestly a great little car.

Subaru first impressions that I wasn't sure on heavy clutch, heavy steering, extremely loud , really stiff ride..... but after driving it a few times all those things I thought I hated, I actually love. being the jdm version the best word for the car is RAW. as a package .. heavy clutch, loud, heavy steering , the build up and noise and feel when it comes on boost. its an event to drive. smile on my face every time.

gone are the days of it being a hobish drug dealer car, in fact the car gets quite a lot of admiration and respect.:thumb: