Where to find good Subaru tech info: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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June 22, 2008 12:13 p.m. Tyler H Dork
Just bought an '04 WRX. It's your fault GRM. That article on budget alternatives to new cars was all the justification I needed.

Now here's the problem. NASIOC sucks. The background noise there is unbelievable..1.5M posts, and an hour of searching and I couldn't find the answer to two straightforward questions (just for instance:)
1. The stock boost gauge reads in mPa. What mPa is the car supposed to boost to in stock form?
2. What kind of oil does it take? (I didn't get a manual, but I ordered one on ebay already.)
3. Where is the best place to order factory parts?
Where on the web can I get technical and reference info on this car without all of the chum that's floating around NASIOC?

I knew this was going to be a problem before I bought the car...just trying to find a stock 04-05 WRX was hard enough...or impossible actually. The closest I got was a car that had a strut tower brace, shift knob and no badges on trunk.
June 22, 2008 12:23 p.m. integraguy New Reader

I don't know where you live/how big of a city or town you live in, but there is a pretty good mag called....I think it's called SUBIESPORTS. Obviously, it's dedicated completely to Subarus. It's available on the kind of newstand that carries GRM (in other words, you won't find this at your local Kroger supermarket). Try finding the on-line version.

BTW, I apologize in advance if I don't have the name right.
June 22, 2008 1:26 p.m. Hocrest New Reader

"SubieSport" is the mag, a friend of mine currently has some back issues for sale on Ebay
June 22, 2008 2:11 p.m. ddavidv SuperDork

Stop making it so hard. Google, my friend.

mPa, etc

Oil is such a personal choice. Did it come with a factory owner's manual? Oil, etc

Subiesport magazine
June 22, 2008 8:53 p.m. Woodyhfd HalfDork

Tyler,

I sent you a PM. I think you'll want to check it out.

Also, try http://www.wrxfanatics.com/ as an alternative to NASIOC.
June 24, 2008 3:00 p.m. Aspen None

Boost is 14.5 psi, 1 bar or whatever that is in mPa

Oil is a big discussion. I wouldn't use Mobil 1 5w30 because it seems to thin out early and may cause bearing failure in the WRX. I use Q 10w40. You should use something thicker if doing track events.

There are lots of part places, it depends on where you live and what you are looking for. Subaruparts.com is usually competitive.
June 24, 2008 4:37 p.m. Nashco Dork

Lack of good information on nasioc.com isn't the problem here, you're just thinking waaaaay too hard. Perhaps you should narrow your search down to specific forums and use more/better keywords. Not finding something about a Subie on nasioc.com is pretty hard to do if you are looking properly, but as mentioned when nasioc.com fails Google is sure to find you an answer, there's rarely "uncharted territory" when it comes to Subies. Factory oil? Get it from the dealership, recommended viscosity is usually displayed in the engine (oil cap, emissions sticker, etc.) and if you look in your owners manual it will say what the recommended weight is if you're running in extreme temps. Stock boost pressure is easy, reference stock boost in psi (which you can find in seconds) and convert to whatever you want at onlineconversion.com. The best place to order factory parts? Um...depends on what you want. Typically, the dealership, but if you want the exact same part for cheaper you can order from a ton of online parts houses...typically, the cheaper it is the crummier the service is, pick your expectations and work from there.

You ought to get an owner's manual, it's pretty handy to have for any vehicle. The Subaru one (for our Saabaru) is very informative, it has all sorts of neat tricks in it that I probably wouldn't have figured out on my own for a while (or never, in some cases). If you're handy you can get one online, I know the Saab ones are available for free on the Saab website, never looked for a Subie one.

Bryce
June 26, 2008 5:59 a.m. Jack SuperDork

As of a few years ago, for $25, you can download all the subie manuals you can in 24 hours. See the subaru factory website for details.

Jack
June 26, 2008 7:03 a.m. ProDarwin Dork

Nasioc is absolutely full of information. Make sure you read all the FAQs

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252607

Maintenance FAQ http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=995498

Oil FAQ http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=499177

Factory parts can come from numerous places. Subaruparts.com is a good one. I suggest getting a Subaru Master Card (Chase). It gives you rebates in "Subaru bucks" that you can spend at the dealer. And dealer's usually carry mods also A friend of mine got one as his credit card when he bought his '02. He hasn't payed for any maintenance on it yet

Also make sure you sign up for your local chapter. I hang out in the local forum mostly. You get to meet face to face with a lot of people... you can tell if they know what they are talking about, and you get to see a lot of mods firsthand.