My first Impreza, but I'm concerned about a few things. I'm not sure if these are normal, I've never owned a turbo petrol nevermind an Impreza, but I hope to find some answers here

1. Whilst changing gear the revs jump up maybe a few 100 rpm before dropping, asif I've left my foot on the accelerator (which I haven't).
2. When in gear and taking my foot off the accelerator after heavy load OR whilst changing gear under heavy load, there is a sort of obvious hesitation, so much that the car kind of jumps backwards. It has a dumpvalve (which has a new spring in it, could be too stiff of a spring?) but I also think it may need a new MAF sensor as there is a few hesitations whilst accelerating through the rev gauge.
3. The central locking doesn't work from the fob - the previous owner said that the circuitboard in the receiver unit/main control box thingy was burnt out so he just disconnected it - where is located? And are direct replacements available? I just don't want anyone to see me having to lock the car with the key, locking/unlocking the drivers door doesn't even lock/unlock the other 3 doors

Also, one more minor niggle - is the aerial powered, ie should it raise when I turn the stereo on? It is an aftermarket unit. Also, it looks like the aerial has been moved from the drivers pillar to the rear-left quarter (the car is meant to be a STi replica)

Alot of questions I know, and probably more to come, but any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Hi mate, for questions 1 & 2 id check your ecu for error codes

Here's how you can check...

http://www.jollygreenmonster.com/help.htm

 

Cheers bud

Also, the car has a big cone filter & lots of turbo chatter (which I don't want to lose), but would I be best off changing it for something else? Like I said I don't want to lose the chatter. Reading about the forum just now and it sounds like it could be killing the MAF

 

Re. the aerial, being where it is it's possibly an aftermarket electric one.
The problem with these is that lack of use causes one of the sections to bind to another.

WD40 to start with. Leave a little while and then if no joy try to pull the 'bonded' sections apart using mole grips.

There's also the possibility that the motor's naffed, and the 'plastic stiffener' that erects the aerial (no jokes please) doesn't travel the whole distance to fully extend it.

 

I have a v5 buddy my maff went on idle would hunt up and down but would drive ok..

try cleaning the boost solenoid ,check all pipes the small air line ones get hot and go brittle and snap like plastic ..

the dump valve spring might be too strong as if the dumpvalve worked you would not get the chatter as well though the air filter either 1 or the other not both..

is the car mapped ????

these car`s don,t like changes like running dumpvalve less unless its been remapped .

I changed the airfilter for a panel one,bigger intercooler and dumpvalve and changed all my boost pipes for silicone ones and the car started to holdback had it remapped and all was sorted ,but by then I stuck on a bigger turbo as the remaps on v5s are 550 quid from anyone ..

 

The error Code it came up with was 12: Starter Switch. It does take 2-3 seconds to fire up. Does this mean starter motor or the ignition barrell or what?

I've just reset the ECU there and it drives much better now. Seems the hesitation is only there now if i accelerate then take my foot off the accelerater (and not change gear)..? Could this be due to lift or a loose engine mount?

I'm still going to clean the boost solenoid and put a new MAF sensor on though, just to be sure.
What does the boost solenoid look like? I've located the T-piece pipes and the little filter bit halfway along one of the pipes, does this go to the boost solenoid? Do I just take the pipes off and spray brake cleaner into where the pipes connect to or what?

 

The hesitation could it not be down to the dump valve making it have a stalling effect as it's letting all the pressure out of the car and it has to work harder to spool up again??
Has it been mapped to run a dump valve?

 

It hasn't been remapped no, although I am intending on doing this asap once I am happy with the cars overall health and got a few mods (decat centre + sport cat downpipe + green cotton filter).

I do have the original recirc vavle for it though, so I will swap it back at the weekend and see if it performs differently.


Forgot to add; after I reset the ECU, no fault codes came up. The spark plugs were changed last month for NGK type, if that could be connected to the fault code it showed?

 

http://www.importcarparts.co.uk/part...&searchKey=MAF

Is this the correct MAF for my car?

 

Alarm for sale here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMP...item258367f55d
Neil

 

You sir, are a lifesaver! I hadn't even got round to looking for parts, still trying to get my head around what I needed or may need. Thanks again!

 

Been to work in it today and it's still hesitating, on boost but also rocking while cruising at 30mph. The turbo is canny loud as well which makes me think split pipe but they all seem firm and in good condition as far as I can see, but it could also be because of the huge cone filter

I'm already going to change the MAF, clean the boost solenoid, and put the original standard recirc valve on; should I also put a standard airbox/filter on as well? Is this panel filter type?

 

I would put it as close to standard as possible untill you have all of your mods in boxes ready to go and the £££ for the remap.

 

I have a 1999 uk 2000 and mine did the same as yours. In the last week I have changed the back box to a Prodrive one (can here my self think know), changed one of my HT leads as one had a split in the red rubber, Changed my intercooler Y pipe to a silicone one and cleaned MAF by squirting carb cleaner on it (did not touch the element bit). Know I must say after driving it for 2 days I have not noticed the rocking or hesitation any more, problem is not sure which one sorted it lol. I was going to get another Maf but will save the money in case it starts again.

I would def get a standard air filter box and panel filter and the original dump valve
Neil

 

My original plan was to be a car as standard as possible so I could collect parts ready for a remap, but this one is in good nick (minus these problems).

 

If the cone is anything else other than k&n then i would remove that before anything assuming it's a V5 you have?

 

It's an X reg (2000) UK Turbo 2000.

So far I've cleaned the boost solenoid with brake cleaner which has made the hesitation disapear as far as I can tell. Is it these pipes which are meant to have a restrictor pill inside, because I didn't notice one and I can't feel one in the pipes..?

I've also changed the MAF for a new one, but I haven't been out in it since doing that.

However. This morning I found out that the cone filter isn't so much 'attached' (ie, securely) to the intake, I think 'balanced and gaffa taped' is a more appropriate description
I found out because I filled it up with 97ron on Thursday and last night read that I should of done a ecu reset after doing so, as the previous owner always ran it on 95ron. So I did. Then took it out for a spin, and after a mile or so it went into limp mode and started doing the EXACT same hesitation as when I first got it, so I'm assuming that was due to the cone filter being **** and not in place.
I'm in talks with someone on here about an original panel filter and airbox so that should be sorted by the end of the week.

Just concerned about that restricter pill now, and still can't find where my new alarm control box is meant to go

 

You don't need an ecu reset when swapping fuel.
X reg = chocolate maf!!! As I said earlier, if you are unsure of the make of cone filter then lose it.
In the most extreme case:
Crap filter = broken maf = running lean = lunched engine!