And don’t even think of selling it ! OK, hands up, it’s my car that has gone bang. Actually Jonathan it hasn’t gone BANG at all – more of a knock knock ! The reason I haven’t posted earlier is that I wanted to get a handle on the whole situation and the prospects for the future. Here are the facts as I understand them and the thoughts/conclusions of both myself and David Power who was kind and interested enough to drive 160 miles to see my engine for himself :

Facts

- The car’s an STi Version 5, 4dr
- 6,900 miles from new in Feb
- Run exclusively since day one on SUL, mostly Esso
- No mods apart from Ramair filter and SS backbox
- Very carefully run in engine, used no oil, always warmed up properly, always left to idle afterwards
- Ran like a dream at Wroughton Gp B Car Club trackday two weeks ago until after fourth session
- I redlined it a few times, but did not hit the limiter, the circuit had some big straights, followed by tight, nadgery bits, followed by big straights…..you get the picture
- Engine started knocking on slowing down lap, left to idle for ten minutes
- On being stripped down, the piston had shown clear and distinct signs of ignition detonation, allowing it to knock in the cylinder, but there is no cylinder damage
- The warranty company has agreed to pay for all the repairs except a new timing belt and oil-pump, which DH Cars are insisting on fitting, siting “good engineering practise”, fair enough
- The replacement piston is winging its way from Japan, and I can’t wait to get the beast back !

Thoughts/Conclusions

- The ECU for the Phase 2 engine is designed for the use of 100 octane fuel, but tuners in Japan are aware of cars even there which have had similar problems
- Under extreme conditions, ie hot engine being used at high revs (lots of boost) over quite a long period in warm conditions, the ECU is unable to retard the timing sufficiently to prevent pinking/pinging/detonation which, once occurring, causes more heat leading to……..you know the rest !
- We didn’t hear this pinking inside the car because we had lids on, and the car was being used for what it is intended
- So, as far as I’m concerned the ECU is incorrectly mapped for the purposes of this engine, and a modified one is needed, with which I hope PE will soon be able to oblige, and I’ll be first in the queue !
- BUT, I am not for selling the car, it is fantastic ! I owned a UK car for three years and this thing knocks it into cocked hat, being, in my opinion, 25% better in every respect.
- OK, so I don’t normally tune cars, I’ve never been interested in changing what the factory believes safe – but in this case, well, of course I don’t want it to happen again. In the case of the STi, I do not yearn for more power as I can honestly say that the Wroughton day was the first occasion when I could use it to anything like its full potential, but it’s my every day transport and must above all, be reliable
- Water injection kits (such as Aquamist), use of octane booster or higher octane fuel, modified fuel lines etc will all help the overall heat situation, but not really get to the root of the problem, which I think is an ignition problem

I’m sorry to have droned on, but I feel these things needed to be said. I am certain that this problem would not have occurred under normal road use, however extreme, since the car always has such vast performance in reserve. And I am convinced that a modified ECU will sort it out once and for all. Please feel free to mail me direct on any of this. Believe you me, if the car wasn’t SO brilliant it would be down the road – it is definitely worth persevering with !

Rupert Upton

 

My appologies for using the word bang. Not being an mechanical engineer it was the best term I could use.

From what youve said however:

Dont use high revs too much. Especially when its warm i.e No track days in the summer. Change by 6000 rpm just in case !!.

The remap will not let you go hell for leather and if anything happens again there will be No Warranty.

To me who needs a car all the time, its called Peace of Mind. If my Version V had done the same as yours there would of been no loan car etc. A bill to pay and no car. You might of but I didnt buy my car from Hendry's.

Your STI might have been 25% better than your 96/97MY, but a 99MY Prodrive is not that far apart (power, handling etc). Especially if you need to keep the revs down as its a hot day. Maybe the Type R will be better because of the Waterspray.

Hope you get the car back soon.

Jonathan

 

Trust me, I am 100% confident that this 300-ish bhp car can run under any extremes of conditions (bad English?), EVEN ON 95 OCTANE fuel, with the correct ignition mapping. There are no doubts in my mind whatsoever as to the strength and durability of the Phase 2 engine once this ECU modification has taken place. (I should work for Subaru Technica International dontcha think ?) I haven't spent the last fortnight researching this for nothing !

 

Rupert,

Glad to hear you'll be back on the road soon. A couple of q's which hopefully you can give us all some insight on.

How will your warranty company view the mods to the ecu - will it invalidate the engine warranty?

Also what about your insurance company - will they see it as a performance boost and hike the premium?

If this is a known problem in Japan wouldn't Subaru have modified the ecu?

I'm having some serious doubts about getting one now.

Ricky T.

 

I wasn't planning on making a big song and dance about the modified ECU to the warranty company - they didn't send anyone to look at the engine, although they have got some very switched technical gurus in-house, operating by telephone. Only if they suspect foul-play would they send someone out in my opinion. Anyway, who's to say I shall need to trouble them again, I don't think so.

No, my insurance company will be informed of the modification, and I shant be looking for more power as it's got quite sufficient thank-you, but they will be supplied with data to prove that it has not been "chipped-up"

Subaru in Japan may well have already done something about the problem, but they are not exactly communicative about it. So far they have ignored my emails - watch this space !

I'd still buy the Version 5 again today Ricky T

 

Rupert

Would you agree that the problems you have experienced were only possible because you were using the car on the track, derestricted. The standard car is limited to 180kmh and therefore cannot be worked so hard. With the speed limiter removed, or more accuratately converted to 180mph, the car can be held on full load much longer. This is when the damage takes place.

Hope your back on the road soon.

Regards

Alan

 

Alan, I would agree that track-use brought to light my car's problem - I think you could drive the car on the road all its working life without having such a problem. However, retaining the speed limiter is not really the answer - if you ever drove the car in Europe, it would be highly frustrating, considering it can reach that speed in about 17 seconds ! The conditions that gave rise to my piston picking-up were brought about not by high speed, but by prolonged use of high boost and high revs in warm conditions on 98 octane fuel, limiting the outright speed would not have prevented this - indeed you might feel a bit of a prat, powering away from the twisties leaving UK cars eating your dust, only to have the same cars swanning past you on a decent 130 mph straight ! (on the track I hasten to add yer honour!)

[This message has been edited by rupertu (edited 22-06-99).]

 

I hope that this problem can be fixed as it is the only real obstacle left for me choosing an STi over a UK spec. With all the reliability Impreza's are known to have, it was the only really serious, and reproducable one I have heard of. If this can be put to rest...

David, I know it's only preliminary, but at this point, do you think that the mapping is the only issue, or are you suspicious of anything else contributing to these problems?

Ross.

 

That's reassuring to hear. I'll patiently await news of the progress on remapping, as-and-when.

Cheers, Ross.