DeweyAXD

Hey guys.

So my 2006 2.5 Sti Spec-D has, for reasons i won't bore you with, sadly been off the road and unstarted for about 1.5 years. No faults on the car caused this. Was just a time in life i couldn't use it (and should really have sold it). Its time to get her back to life so i can enjoy her again for a little bit before mostly likely parting company.

Would love to do it all myself but time, space and equipment prevent anything more than the basics. I therefore see two options here:

1) I pay a specialist to collect the car 'as is' and trailer it away for work to be done (if one exists that will do that).
2) I get the car to a driveable state and then book it in for an MOT, full major service etc at a specialist local to me and drive it there under the 'booked for MOT rules' making sure of course the car is safe first! No reason it shouldn't be especially if i replace the brakes first which i can do.

Option 1 i have not looked into yet. All the work on the car has been done by API in the past but they are by no means local to me and a lot of things have changed in their world since when they worked on it last. Living in Oxfordshire my most local that i know of is Subaru4u in Newbury (a 35 min drive).
Option 2 my thinking would be:

• New batt (already have one ready)
• New fuel (car was very low already so a canister of fresh V-Max)
• Check belts condition (cam belt was 1 year old at time of last drive, timing belt the same so should be fine)
• Remove crank sensor and turn over to get oil flow/pressure up
• Start the car and hope nothing goes pop

Reason i am posting is to get views on if option 2 and my method is at all wise... are there more steps to try/consider (that are doable on a drive way). Should i turn the engine manually (hand crank via socket), should i renew the oil first (it was about 2months old oil in the sump). Given i had it overhauled, forged pistons etc within the last 10k i know its value so of course want to play things as safe as possible.

So yes any help/advice greatly appreciated.

BrownPantsRacing

iTrader: (6)

Before you start it, you might as well change the head gaskets and pistons!

Honestly though, oil and fluid change, fuel drain, change and fuel filter change. Turn the engine over by hand a few times if possible. Crank with fuel relay removed so it doesn't start and allowed to build oil pressure. Once you've got oil pressure then start it.

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

To be honest i would just do the latter part. Crank with fuel relay removed so it doesn't start and allowed to build oil pressure. Once you've got oil pressure then start it.

If your driving it local can't see the big fuss its only 1.5 years not 5 or 10. I've not used mine in 12 months, just checked all fluids and turn over a few times before starting.

Sure others will through in there thoughts if they think i'm wrong.

DeweyAXD

Hey don't tempt me

Seriously though thanks for the suggestions. I mean ultimately the oil being pretty fresh should be pretty fine for a local trip. Its the metal on metal risk i clearly want to avoid so the hand crank/fuel relay sounds like a good plan. Is that safer than the crank sensor then? Assume probably yes because while it will be sparking it shouldn't have any fuel to fire?

Did you have any issues with gearbox, diffs, clutch or flywheel sticking? Assume I should just consider the brakes not even worth considering saving with a skim.

wrx2005

its scabbynet,so whatever you do it will be wrong.

Gambit

iTrader: (6)

cursory fluid check then just put the accelerator pedal flat to the floor and turn it over. it wont start as the ECU cuts the fuel so you can just prime it on the starter for about 20-30secs to get oil up round the engine.

you dont need to do any of that hand crank/pull the fuel relay stuff on DBW cars

then start as normal. cant see it being to big an issue - its been sat for a 1.5yrs not 1.5 millenia

BrownPantsRacing

iTrader: (6)

haha. You're right. I still forget you can do this on newer cars!

DeweyAXD

See this is why i knew it was worth dusting off my old account on here! Something horribly scarey about flooring it on a car sat that long especially with a kitchen window in the firing line if the internals decide to give out

Hmmm just thinking though I have an ECUTek Bob Rawle map... doesn't flooring it do something to the map?

Gambit

iTrader: (6)

nope wont make any difference

DeweyAXD

Yeah suddenly came to me... foot hard down THEN press rear Windscreen heater switch to change maps.... cool

Thanks for the advice guys. Might just give it a go this weekend then.

Biggest worry now is if she actually fires up with no problems. My shiny MK3 Octavia VRS Tdi is a lovely car but it just isn't a Scoob and i just know one drive will give me the bug again!

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

this may or may not work, depending on year/spec the car wont even crank over when removing this fuse as i had the same issue (kev @ the clinic informed me about it)

BrownPantsRacing

iTrader: (6)

Ah fair enough. I would have removed the relay rather than the fuse, but there may well be some feedback to the ECU that could stop it cranking.

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

sorry i mis-read your post i thought you said fuse. where is the fuel relay?

Hawkeye D

I'd say get it started however advised best, check all levels etc.
Depending on the surface it was parked on, hopefully your tyres won't have flat spots etc, although I'm not sure how often this happens on cars that have been sat a while to be honest.

Len at Subaru 4 You will sort anything out, he usually books 2 weeks in advance I find these days, I'm sure if you called him he'd offer good advice ref your questions, he's so helpful.

If you do decide to sell....be sure to "Know what you've got" I'm sure you do already, but I suspect a rare Spec D which is forged and mapped is rather desirable to some (not the masses perhaps) but you should command a decent price.

A mere 138 taxed and on the road....and that was up until the end of September (Q3) 2018, so 50 quid says there's less now. And only 52 which are SORN'd. I keep looking for this site to update to 2019 figures.

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicl...wrx_sti-spec_d

DeweyAXD

Thanks buddy. Glad you are keeping an eye on this. I'll have to get back on the Spec-D thread (https://www.scoobynet.com/members-ga...i-spec-ds.html) and see who's still got one!

Yeah I'm expecting a reasonable outlay to get it sale ready. Likely new brakes all round, new tyres, major service inc cambelt. Major bits should be solid though.

Unlikely i'll get the money i put in back to it but apart from the API engine work and the Bob Rawle (pretty sensible) map its stock stock stock and only on 60k. Been amazed how strong prices are out there still but like you say its only people that know these cars that know the values. Had a few traders notice it on the drive assuming its just a nice tidy WRX wanting to turn a quick buck but when i tell them the details they lose interest cause they know its a specialist car and that I know its value.

I am in a place in my life where i could probably run it as a fun thing on the side for a bit but having fun on the roads these days is kinda hard.

Thanks also for the tip on Len. Given their location and the good things i've heard it makes perfect sense to throw some work their way. Helped a lot on both sides that there will be no urgency. Rather do it right than rush it.

DeweyAXD

Thought i'd just pop back onto this to say thanks for the advice guys. She lives again! Turns out it was 2.5 years since i last fired it up too!!
Checked the levels and they hadn't budged at all. As suspected the oil was very clean having only had it changed a month before SORN. Even all tyres had 25+ psi still in.
Got some new V-Max poured in, put the new battery in, planted the foot to the floor and turned her over. About 15 seconds turning and the oil pressure light went out. Fired first time without noise, squeek, rattle or stutter and no smoke at all. Gearbox, clutch, diff all moved with ease and didn't even have bound on brakes! Rolled of the drive and got a bit of the rust off. Good to get her serviced/mot'd and back on the road!
Such a weight of the mind just to know the old girl is still in good health!