newbiefreddy

I saw an advert the other day for an STI which stated "warmed up and cooled down for 15 min each and never thrashed".

What is clased as thrashed????

Mines just been ran in and is now at 1.4k for the first 1k i didn't exceed 4k revs I've since accelarated hard down up to 5.5 k on several occations. The taco reads red at 6.5k, so my thinking is that this is fine and what it is designed and made for.

If not then whats it all about? Should we all be wearing flat caps and gloves?

Is "not thrashed" a stupied quote? my thinking is that if your not going to drive it occationally then you buy an RX. You surely don't buy an sti?

whats are people expectations of use?

Designed as a fun car (wagon / practical car " fridge in the back"" ) to be hard driven and driven to its limits (below the red) of corse in a safe place and with in law

funkyspider

Id count thrashed as driven hard from cold and always driven like that, ie red lined from traffic lights in town, esp out of junctions etc. Just generally driven like you see the boy racer corsa's being bounced off the rev limiter around town.

pslewis

Thrashed is what those under 30 years old do to their vehicles - sad, but oh so true! ........

Then, usually at 30+, they start to drive properly

Jam Performance

iTrader: (3)

hard 5k rpm launches, and redlining it in every gear, double clutching, i doubt u can get a better definition than that, lol

Luke-Avfc

You've started him off now . .

Mikkel

Let's face it, we aren't rover drivers so performance driving is as standard... not looking after your motor, redlining when cold, not cooling the engine down after hard driving is what I would say is thrashing a scooby.

They are designed to be driven hard under the right circumstances and when well maintained.

Pete

So what do i do PS I`M 41??

daddyscoob

as with most modern cars they have revlimiters so can't be over revved. Revving high from cold mmmm ok can be bad.

dan83590

Thashed is THRASHED, Killed, mamed, done in, fooked. etc etc

a_fisher

Fortunately not entirely true... unfortunately the majority spoil it for the rest of us, hence the reason for people to stereotype.

The MAJORITY of younger drivers are irresponsible - sad, but oh so true!

As for thrashed, constantly revved high (esp when cold), constant engine breaking, launched regularly, etc, etc. Combine this with neglect and not regular service and you have one very sad car

Shark Man

Those three quote always make me grin: Especially "warmed up" and cooled down"...as if its some excuse to allow the car to be thrashed once its warm thinking it won't ever wear out.

Truth being it wouldn't really matter if it was warmed up or cooled down, if it was thrashed it would be knackered sooner anyway, just some owners get some sense of security from doing it. Mechanical sympathy applies at any engine temperature.

Running sustained high engine speeds at high load and high boost always reduces the engine's lifespan...simple fact, the more load placed on the drivetrain, the sooner it wears out. That to me is thrashing.

On a similar note, I also really laugh at people who feel the need to let the turbo "cool down" after tottering about all day. What a waste of petrol.

Still, if that makes them happy.....

Mikkel

The point being that most Impreza owners don't buy their cars to totter around in. Ok, we don't have to welly them all the time but when you do it is better to do it when the engine is going to handle it best and when you finish playing with your toy you must put it away properly.

But I hear you, a car that's not driven will last longer than a one that is. Why bother buying a performance car though?

evil.soup

iTrader: (1)

I totter around in mine more than i gun it it has to be said. Allthough on the occassions i do push it, its usually at organised runs or meets. I wouldnt count this as thrashing the car, as some have said, its pushing the car to the limit at every opportunity.
Truth is i couldnt afford to do it!

AudiLover

this is the sort of stuff that makes me laugh with impreza drivers.

example:

"My impreza blew up whilst I was doing a VMAX run for 2 mins"

Followed by loads of replies telling the guy hes an idiot for doing the cars topspeed. I mean what kind of joke is that the car is capable of doing 140+ but you should never do it as there is a good chance the engine will blow

evil.soup

iTrader: (1)

Impreza drivers

You should know better than that, you spend enough time on owners clubs forums to know that these threads appear on all forums, including Audi ones

Truth is, there is a million reasons an engine could blow and they sometimes do when under stress, simple as that.

VTR Bondy

Whats with having a go at young drivers???? Speak for your self fellas but im 24 and have finally after much waitin bought my "dream car" and im ****ed if im destroying it my ragging the **** off it.

pslewis

With all due respect, you cannot drive properly yet at 24 Statistics prove it, sorry ............ buy a moped

dpb

says the man who wouldnt dream of taking the old girl over 4000 rpm

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Thrashing, in my view, basically means driving the car without any mechanical sympathy, e.g. bouncing the car off the rev limiter, dumping the clutch, stamping on the brakes, crunched gear changes etc...

Not warming the car up and cooling in down etc is just abuse/ignorance.

You expect a performance car to have been enjoyed i.e. to be familar with the higher reaches of the rev range and that is nothing to be concerned about.

A previous owner who has 'driven the car like he stole it' is to be avoided though!!!

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

The redline is the cars performance limit although max power usually occurs somewhere under that limit. It is however the manufacturers accepted limit for the car.

It isn't a limit to be driven at for long periods though, subaru wouldn't have budgeted for someone driving everywhere at max revs in first gear, something is going to give.

Revving the car up though and using the performance is entirely different and in lots of cars actually does them good. the first zetec units from Ford stopped working because grannies never revved them and opened the valves properly so they just gummed up.

Used not abused is how i'd describe my cars.

5t.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Indeed! It says do not drive for extended periods at the red line in the car's manual.

If you drive a car at critical engine speed (as I think they refer to it) everywhere, and don't expect something to give, you're being a plonker!

Shark Man

Subaru, like any manufacturer through testing establish their service intevals and oil requirments based on what they would consider normal usage.

The definition of normal usage would fall into a car that is mainly driven within the legal speed limits of the country of origin, and teh average type of driving the car is likely to see (start stop city driving/long high speed motorway). From a balance of average conditions the car will be subjected to they can establish when it is needed to service the car.

In the case of a old UK Classic Turbo, that was defined as 6months 7.5K miles for interim oil changes when using a semi sythetic oil, and 12month 15k between services. That is based on normal driving condition. Which one can assume as being driven in a moderate climate (5degrees to 20degrees), below 80mph and above 20mph, with average vehicle operating time being in excess of of 30mins to 2hours, twice a day 6 times a week, on tarmac roads.

Now, if anyone ever bothered to read the small print in any service book for any car, it will state something along the lines of "If the car is used in extreme conditions, more regular services are required"

Extreme being: Sustained high engine speeds, or circumstances when the engine is under heavy load or sustained periods with wide open throttle, i.e track days, lunatic drivers and towing. Unmade raods, dusty conditions, also extreme ambient temperatures and when the car is used for short jorneys. All of which would require more frequent service intevals, and possibly the use of different oil grades for those operating circumstances.

Now, one could say that doing anything under the extreme heading as mechanically unsympathetic, which in turn could be construed as thrashing; Especially if the mainataince of the vehicle hasn't been changed to help compensate for the abnormal operating circumstances. Note that I use the word "help" and not prevent, as ineveitably the drivetrain will always wear out sooner on a car used in extreme conditions, but one can help it last a tad longer.