MorayMackenzie

UK cars have longer gearing... so maybe this is normal. Has the car been serviced recently? Are you sure it is a problem, did the car go better in the same situation before? Any missfires? Could be bad load of fuel, clogged air-filter...etc...

Moray

Sith

Hello,

Took the Scoob for a quick blat over the weekend and was rather dissapointed with its performance in forth. At 90 to 100 changed from 5th to 4th and it didn't accelerate as quickly as expected. In third the rev counter swings round, in 4th it didn't - am I doing something wrong or am I just over expectant. The car is a MY96 UK. Please put me out of my misery.

Cheers,

P.

Sith

Hi,

I have looked in to what Moray advised. The car was serviced before I picked it up (it's a recent purchase) and it appears to have a Ram Air panel filter in the air box.
I have run some more tests, it's like the car is not boosting in 4th. 1st,2nd and 3rd appear ok but change from 3rd into 4th and it struggles to go from 3000 to 4000 rpm, my dad's Cav V6 would beat it and my old Cav GSI would keep up with it in 4th. This is surely not right.
Please help me, as I have suffered depression over this problem

Thanks for any more advise,

P

PS. I run Esso Super.

subverbal

I haven't noticed this kind of problem on my 96MY. Obviously if you've just come from a normally aspirated car it sometimes feels a bit sluggish lower down in the rev range.

I upgraded my old Astra GTE16v to the scoob which gave me problems in pulling away onto islands etc. The GTE had to have low revs initially or you just sat there spinning, the scoob needs a lot more right foot so you have to be ready on the throttle for a quick getaway. Mind you, get it right and the scoob blitzes the GTE !! Not bad considering I used to have immense fun upstaging VR6 golfs and RS turbos !

I'll check mine out from 3000rpm in 4th just to see - although I've just found out that I may have the 97MY spec engine (after checking the engine no. in preparation for a Link ECU upgrade!).

Neil.

Sith

It will be interesting to see what you find, on a full blooded charge throught the gears it flies uptill 90-100, as you change into 4th then it's like it can't be bothered continuing the charge. Which is annoying as I would like to do some track days in it.
And I know what you mean with the GTE, I had the 157bhp Cav, supprised alot of people. The scoob is just so much faster though.

P.

subverbal

Hi,
Tried mine today from 3000rpm in 4th. Not a great deal happens until 3500rpm and then it picks up nicely.
Pushing hard thru the gears though is a different story. Pulls very strongly past 100mph in 4th. Even from 80mph onwards in 5th it pulls just fine (thanx to an XK8 on the M6 for that one!)
When I first got my scooby (2 months ago) I did full up with Super Unleaded and reset the ECU, ie. disconnected the battery for an hour. May be worth a try if the previous owner of your scoob ran it on normal unleaded....

Like me you'll be used to instant throttle response from the trusty Vauxhall 2.0l 16v engine (proper version!!). The scoob takes a bit of getting used to, I've pulled out of a junction in 2nd many a time wondering if maybe I was in 4th !

Like I said, an ECU reset may help - but it's strange that your car pulls fine in 3rd and not 4th.... How many miles has it got on it ?? Mine has 31k.

Neil.

Sith

Hi,

I think I will have to try the trusty ECU reset. I have a dealer who seems to be wrather hot on setting these up and they do it as a matter of course, so I will probably let them do it. (Bought mine from a different one.) I have only had the car a couple of weeks so am a little afraid of messing it up
The motor has just under 60k on the clock.

Thanks for the help and advise.

P.

Q

I took a MY98 for a test drive before buying my MY99 last year. I found the same 1st,2nd and 3rd were great and 4th and 5th were pretty crappy at pulling. The MY99 engine is supposedly different and is noticably quicker and more flexible through the gears than the phase I engine. Having said that there are alot of satisfied members with phase I engines and so I suppose if you don't know what you are missing then that's OK!

Paul Wilson

May be worth getting a boost guage, so that you can see whats happening to boost levels.

Sith

Cheers peeps,

It's interesting a MY98 was the same and I am also looking to get a boost gauge and probably an Oil temp gauge as well so I know when it's safe to nail it (currently going by engine temp and waiting 5 mins - is this sufficient?)
Would a knackered Cat cause these probs? how long do they last? May seem daft the next one, but how do I tell when it is failing?

Cheers,

P.

PS. For got to add that I will be trying some Shell Super this week end to see if that helps.



[This message has been edited by Sith (edited 23-06-2000).]

pnebbs

Are you sure this is a problem?

The Impreza is not the most aerodynamic of cars, and there will be a lot of drag at 90+, the gearing is fairly high on a UK Turbo and if you have just changed down then you will have to wait for the turbo to spool up.

The combination of drag and the higher gearing are always going to make it feel slow at these speeds

Paul