Kevin Groat

Managed to get a 97 manual car in Kent - just arrived back in Aberdeen - 760 miles, effortless and very comfortable. Couple of questions that others might be able to help with.

Front lights - Under the bumper, as well as the front fogs there appears to be some sort of driving lamps but I can't find a switch to activate these.

Rear screen demist - there's a switch on the dash which works and there's a similar one between the front seats - why would there be two? - and no, it doesn't switch on the front spots...

Are the GTB's fitted with hydraulic tappets? - slight tick on startup which goes away when warm (pretty sure it's not piston slap as the cars I've heard with slap are quiet when cold and only knock after it starts to warm up before going away when fully warmed up)
Car was sound (no rust..) but in need of a little TLC - so it was well priced....this is our winter runabout which should be much better in the slippy stuff that our STi3 and GT TDi.

Lastly - service schedules - same as Impreza? I've had my STi3 for the last 5 years but have no idea about the GTB as the handbook is Japanese

Thanks.

ScoobyDoo555

If they're driving lights, they'll come on with high beam.......

Front screen demist?

Can't help with the last bits. Sorry

Any piccies?

Dan

16vmarc

GTB?

ScoobyDoo555

Legacy...

16vmarc

Ah!!!

Gary C

Not a 328GTB then, shame

Kevin Groat

Piccies after it's had a wash...tough 760 miles
I'm sure I checked the lights on main beam and they weren't on - either they're spots or the driving lights don't work

mw2655

i think the front lights come on with the indicators for that side, to help look round the corner.

not sure, but try it

cheers matt

mw2655

the headlamps need to be on though.

this may be rubbish advice by the way.

Tentenths

I'm pretty sure that the service intervals are the same. You might find one of these a worthwhile investment http://www.car-handbooks.com/Legacy.html I got a Forester version for my JDM S/tb and was most impressed.

obi

Matt is correct. With the main lights on these outer bulbs are linked to the indicators. The effect is best seen on unlit roads. If you have quite a thick 'black' strip along the bottom of your windscreen then this area is heated and controlled by the second switch. It unsticks your wipers on frosty days.

Kevin Groat

Cheers Obi - more toys than I know what to do with...

Lum

Which lights are we talking about? On my B4 (which I beleive is just the saloon version of the GTB) the lights that come on with the indicators are in the same bit of housing as the sidelights. Immediately below that is (I think) the main beams, then down at the bottom we have a pair of round foglights.

If there's another set of lights that I've missed, where are they? I like having more toys to play with. I'm bored with the electric folding mirrors now.

Kevin Groat

It's the lights under the bumper - there's two sets of two, the inner two are the foglights - it's the outer two I'm not sure about. I'll do some more investigation and post a piccie.

GTB Limited

Kevin,

Take a look a the front page of my site: UK Twin Turbo Legacy Register

If you have the same front as mine, the lower lights go like this:

Inner round = fog

Outer set (paired), inner round =fog
outer = cornering lamps, activated by indicators, when dip beam is on.

On the rhs of the dash is the fog light switch, to the right of that is the fog select switch, this switches between inner n outer fog lamps.

The switch in the centre consul, is frt wiper de-ice.

Sevicing schedules are as per impreza.
My advice is oil every 3-4k, with fully synth 10/60 and std subaru filter.

Don't forget min 97ron fuel and octane booster (Millers Octane Plus or NF Race).

Welcome to TT ownership

Mark
UK TwinTurbo Legacy Register

Kevin Groat

Cheers Mark, I'll be joining you over there. Maybe we can get Simon to start a Legacy section..
My cars a 97, the last of the older shape. Will have piccies if it ever stops raining long enough to clean it....
Any idea on the tappets - solid or hydraulic?
Fraid it's destined to spend the rest of it's time on 95 NUL. Our local garage did get SUL last year for a trial, but at 99.9p per litre I'm not sure it's worth it. The car is only really a winter hack to get my STi3 off the road to keep it in good nick - that said, we're warming the whole time to the GTB.

Tentenths

Nooooooooo!

As a JDM the GTB is mapped to run on Japanese fuel which is, from memory, 102 RON. You should therefore use SUL 97 (preferably Optimax which is 98) PLUS octane booster.

Using 97 SUL on its own would be bad enough, but 95 UL would almost certainly lead to the engine's premature demise!!

I've got a JDM Forester S/tb. Like you, I thought I'd try and get away with 95 - but it started audibly detting almost immediately. I topped up with Optimax as soon as I could, and no lasting damage was done - I will never repeat the experiment.

GTB engines are notoriously "fragile" - there are a quite a few UK owners who have had to shell out for new engines, usually as a result of incorrect fuelling.

So, please reconsider your decision - the marginal savings on fuel will pale into insignificance when compared to the cost of a new engine!

Tentenths

PS The alternative is to get it remapped for UK fuel.

dave t

JDM???? japanese something.....advise please

I have a 98 GTB and run only on optimax as advised by previous owner. Octane booster would be a pain in the neck, can I get away with 98 ron??

Also who can I get to service my car reliably. Any recommendations would be obliged I live in WGC in hertfordshire and I understand subaru dealers won't touch it as it's a jap import.
cheers
Dave T

GTB Limited

JDM = Japanese Domestic Market

You can't re-map the BG series ECU.

97ron + O/B is a must, they run like dogs on 95.

The engines are no more fragile than the Impreza, bad modding/care = dead engines.
99K on mine.

You can get 10 bottles of millers for about £30.

Sevicing can be done by any good scoob specialist.

HTH

Mark

Scratch

iTrader: (1)

Was thinking about going the GTB route now that the second sprog is on it's way. Can the GTB remapped (eg ECUTEK) to run on 97/98 RON without booster etc ?

Kevin Groat

Chaps, I've run my STi3 on NUL without octane booster for the last 40k miles since I bought it 5 years ago - hasn't missed a beat, runs full decat and K&N and I've always maintained it myself. My big problem is that until July this year the nearest SUL was a 14 hour ferry journey away - there's a local garage brought SUL as a trial but I'd expect that to disappear as Esso are stopping supplying fuel to our area. The only sensible decision in this case would be for me not to buy Jap imports - but being sensible isn't me
The STi isn't treated with kid gloves and is no stranger to the 7,500 redline and 5,000 rpm standing starts (track day). The GTB has done 92k miles and was very reasonably priced I know it should be run on SUL but I'll try it on NUL and if it throws in it's hand, well I've been looking for an excuse to rebuild a scoob engine - bear in mind this is a 3rd car intended as a winter runabout.

Tentenths

I'm pretty sure you can, but only for '99* MY onwards. Just spotted that Kevin's is '97 so probably not an option for him.


* Later correction - it is actually 2001 MY onwards (apologies for any confusion)

Lum

How is the performance after remapping it to 97? Does it need to run at lower boost or anything?

Tentenths

I'm no expert, but I think that's pretty much up to you i.e. certain aspects of the new map can be varied according to the particular owner's requirements. In virtually all cases I've heard about the performance will be at least as good, if not considerably better than it was originally.

Try reading through some of the many Ecutek threads on here and/or look at their website www.ecutek.co.uk

Lum

I've been through the Ecutek site and through here, information on the Twin Turbo* Legacys is somewhat thin on the ground.'

I hear that the turbos are fairly weak and cant be tuned as much as, say, the STI or WRX turbos and this extra power doesn't come from nowhere so what would I be sacraficing? longeivity?

*I refuse to call them TT's as I used to have a certain Audi coupe as a company car and it was sh|t

Tentenths

Don't think you'll find much Legacy specific Ecutek info on here or anywhere else, but it'll be much the same as the WRX/Sti anyway (engines are virtually identical). Also you might want to contact one of the more experienced Ecutek mapping outfits e.g. BR Developments, Xtremescoobies, TSL etc etc.

Lum

I'd most likely go to G-Force Motorsports in Aylesbury, since they're about 5 minutes from my GFs house.

Has anyone had any experience with them?

I think the mappings will need to be somewhat different for the twin turbo design. I'd really like the second turbo to kick in a bit sooner, perhaps at 4K RPM rather than 5K like it does now, and maybe move the valley of death such that it sits at motorway cruising speed to save me money. Is this kind of thing even possible with a remap?

GTB Limited

2001> B4's can be ECUtek'd

Other than that, it's piggyback or complete ECU change

The best you'll get is about 350, depending which model you've got.

Lum, if you're cruising at a constant speed you'll be 'off boost' (unless up hill)

Kevin, tappets are not hydraulic IIRC.

Mark
UK Twin Turbo Legacy Register

Lum

So as mine's a 99 Auto and Kevin's is a 97 Manual we'd both need new ECUs? Can you use the ECU from an Impreza?

Personally I'm more interested in low and mid range torgue than high end power as well as saving money on the motorway cruises to keep my boss happy thus ensuring a continued supply of free BP Ultimate.

GTB Limited

Impreza ECU's will not work.
Yes I'm afraid it's piggy back or ecu change (motec etc), cha ching

Though improvements can be made by air filter, zorst and recirc dump valve.
Don't de-cat, unless you have a way of monitoring/contolling the boost very quickly and accuratetly.

And never de-cat the primary!

Get a boost gauge, it's a good way to find economy, drive it without the needle going plus (boost) just not as much fun though.
Or just tread gently on the loud pedal.

I've had 30mpg when cruising.

HTH

Mark