Intro
Hey, I just got my first Subaru about a week ago and it's got some issues. It's a 2011 WRX, I bought it from a ford dealership, and it's not stock. Whoever had it last had subs (they left the wiring in the car), gave it an aftermarket exhaust, an aftermarket BOV, and left me with the COBB access port. I've done a fair bit of research, but am far from knowing the car as well as I'd like.
Modifications
Like I said in the intro, the car isn't stock.
The speaker wires are still in the car but aren't hooked up to anything.
The exhaust is from PERRIN.
I can't see any marking from the outside, but the BOV kind of looks like it's from AVO.
It also came with a COBB access port (which I can't make a whole lot of use out of because I'm still a noob).
I know for a fact that it's on it's factory tune right now.
Check Engine Light
It will (very rarely) give me a cylinder 1 and cylinder 2 misfire as well as a low catalyst system efficiency code (I haven't made a note of what code it is exactly)
It will throw also throw a CEL on cold start sometimes, it's the P2441 code (Secondary Air Injection Switching Valve Stuck Closed (Bank 1))
I hear a lot of people just get rid of that system entirely as it's only used to pass emissions, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to mention it anyway.
Drive-ability
The CEL doesn't seem too serious, but the car still has problems on the road.
In 5th gear, 4th gear, and 3rd gear, from 3.5k rpm and up, it purges boost and pulls timing.
It will also do that in 2nd gear from around 4.5k rpm.
I have not noticed it in 1st, but I also haven't taken it above 5k rpms since I've had it.
It will also randomly drop a couple hundred rpms at idle for a split second.
When it purges the boost and pulls timing, it will only accelerate if I let off the gas and drive it in a way where it doesn't build boost.
I've also noticed that the fine knock learn stays at 0 until it starts purging and pulling, then it instantly goes to -1.41.
My Thoughts
The inconsistent idle, the purging of boost, and a hissing noise points me in the direction of a vacuum leak. But I wouldn't think that a vacuum leak would have that big of an effect on the car's drive-ability unless it was a huge vacuum leak. I also can't tell if the hissing noise is just the turbo spooling up or not. (I can't hear it until I'm under load but it's blocked out by the sound of the exhaust). I've also never had an engine code suggesting that I'm running lean, and the car has never stalled when coming to a stop or idling.
I know that this is a MAF based car and that from the factory it uses a bypass valve, so it's not going to like a BOV, but I'm not sure if just having a BOV would have this big of an effect on the drive-ability of the car.
Whatever's wrong with the car isn't catastrophic, I drove it for 8 hours straight through both highways and curvy roads with no problems, I'm just tired of having a 3k rpm redline.
My Options (according to my research and phone calls)
1) I can get the car tuned for the BOV. It would need a speed density tune and might not perform to the same standard as the stock bypass valve, but it should be a quick process and I wouldn't have to replace anything on the car.
2) I can get the BOV replaced with the stock bypass valve. I shouldn't have to tune the car afterwards, but I would still have to pay a shop to work on it since I'm on a tight schedule and am not comfortable working on the car yet (mainly because it's also my daily and I don't want to break stuff trying to learn yet)
Why I'm Here
Before I go with either option, I wanted to consult a forum to get other peoples opinions.
Later tonight I might tighten the BOV to see if that helps (I never make it above 11PSI before it starts purging)
I'm also going to have it smoke tested before I get any work done on it to make sure that it 100% isn't a vacuum leak.
Any help / advice is greatly appreciated. If I could avoid taking it to a shop without doing any major work to the car, that would be great. I'm sorry if anything in this post sounded stupid, I'm still new. Thanks!
Hey, I just got my first Subaru about a week ago and it's got some issues. It's a 2011 WRX, I bought it from a ford dealership, and it's not stock. Whoever had it last had subs (they left the wiring in the car), gave it an aftermarket exhaust, an aftermarket BOV, and left me with the COBB access port. I've done a fair bit of research, but am far from knowing the car as well as I'd like.
Modifications
Like I said in the intro, the car isn't stock.
The speaker wires are still in the car but aren't hooked up to anything.
The exhaust is from PERRIN.
I can't see any marking from the outside, but the BOV kind of looks like it's from AVO.
It also came with a COBB access port (which I can't make a whole lot of use out of because I'm still a noob).
I know for a fact that it's on it's factory tune right now.
Check Engine Light
It will (very rarely) give me a cylinder 1 and cylinder 2 misfire as well as a low catalyst system efficiency code (I haven't made a note of what code it is exactly)
It will throw also throw a CEL on cold start sometimes, it's the P2441 code (Secondary Air Injection Switching Valve Stuck Closed (Bank 1))
I hear a lot of people just get rid of that system entirely as it's only used to pass emissions, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to mention it anyway.
Drive-ability
The CEL doesn't seem too serious, but the car still has problems on the road.
In 5th gear, 4th gear, and 3rd gear, from 3.5k rpm and up, it purges boost and pulls timing.
It will also do that in 2nd gear from around 4.5k rpm.
I have not noticed it in 1st, but I also haven't taken it above 5k rpms since I've had it.
It will also randomly drop a couple hundred rpms at idle for a split second.
When it purges the boost and pulls timing, it will only accelerate if I let off the gas and drive it in a way where it doesn't build boost.
I've also noticed that the fine knock learn stays at 0 until it starts purging and pulling, then it instantly goes to -1.41.
My Thoughts
The inconsistent idle, the purging of boost, and a hissing noise points me in the direction of a vacuum leak. But I wouldn't think that a vacuum leak would have that big of an effect on the car's drive-ability unless it was a huge vacuum leak. I also can't tell if the hissing noise is just the turbo spooling up or not. (I can't hear it until I'm under load but it's blocked out by the sound of the exhaust). I've also never had an engine code suggesting that I'm running lean, and the car has never stalled when coming to a stop or idling.
I know that this is a MAF based car and that from the factory it uses a bypass valve, so it's not going to like a BOV, but I'm not sure if just having a BOV would have this big of an effect on the drive-ability of the car.
Whatever's wrong with the car isn't catastrophic, I drove it for 8 hours straight through both highways and curvy roads with no problems, I'm just tired of having a 3k rpm redline.
My Options (according to my research and phone calls)
1) I can get the car tuned for the BOV. It would need a speed density tune and might not perform to the same standard as the stock bypass valve, but it should be a quick process and I wouldn't have to replace anything on the car.
2) I can get the BOV replaced with the stock bypass valve. I shouldn't have to tune the car afterwards, but I would still have to pay a shop to work on it since I'm on a tight schedule and am not comfortable working on the car yet (mainly because it's also my daily and I don't want to break stuff trying to learn yet)
Why I'm Here
Before I go with either option, I wanted to consult a forum to get other peoples opinions.
Later tonight I might tighten the BOV to see if that helps (I never make it above 11PSI before it starts purging)
I'm also going to have it smoke tested before I get any work done on it to make sure that it 100% isn't a vacuum leak.
Any help / advice is greatly appreciated. If I could avoid taking it to a shop without doing any major work to the car, that would be great. I'm sorry if anything in this post sounded stupid, I'm still new. Thanks!