Subaru Impreza repair and maintenance. Maintenance Subaru Impreza WRX STi

For some, a car is a piece of iron, but for someone it is a friend, comrade and brother. The last car can not only carry inside itself, but also create a mood for them. By car, you can climb into the mud, pulling it out every meter with a winch and a hi-jack, or you can give heat along the track (this, of course, is very conditional - traffic rules, you know). But not everyone can afford two cars. Racing fans were lucky: the Impreza was built specifically for those who want to “give a corner” on the way to work, and from work home to douse the Audi and Porsche trailing behind with exhaust. It was for this that in 1992 Subaru “shot” a new model called the Impreza.

The release of the Impreza had several goals, one of which we just talked about - a sports car "every day". The second task of the new product is to fill an empty niche between the larger Legacy and the subcompact Justy. In addition, the time has come to change the Subaru Leone, which has been on the assembly line since 1971. And, finally, there was another “hare” that the company wanted to kill with one shot: they needed a car that would not be embarrassing to take part in the WRC World Rally Championship.

And they performed, and how! In 1993 - debut and second place at the 1,000 Lakes stage, in 1994 - victory in three stages of the championship, 1995 - victory in five out of eight stages (champion both in the individual championship and in the Constructors' Championship), 1996 year - victory in three of the nine stages of the championship and the Constructors' Championship (for the second time in a row!), 1997 - first places in the stages in Monte Carlo, Sweden and Safari Rally, Tour de Corsa, New Zealand, San Remo, Australia and RAC rally . The Impreza helped Subaru win the Constructors' Championship in the World Rally Championship three times in a row. Meanwhile, civilian cars from 1993 to 1999 were produced almost unchanged. In 2000, the second generation of the Impreza came out, nicknamed “lupy” for the characteristic shape of the headlights, and in 2007 the third generation appeared. The second and third generations experienced several restylings, but within each the fundamental design remained unchanged.

Our current 1998 car has the WRX index. These three letters mean World Rally eXperimental, which hints at rally roots. In practice, this means the presence of pressurization in the proprietary boxer motor.

There is an even more "evil" version of this car - Subaru Impreza WRX STI (Subaru Tecnica International), which has even more powerful turbo engines and a slightly different suspension. But there are very few such cars, so let's just look enviously after such a car: let amateurs (and professionals) of autoexotics deal with it. The Impreza WRX is quite enough for us - you can ride it, drive it from the heart, and even twist something yourself. Although, of course, much here is expensive, and the design of some nodes breaks the patterns in the head of the average motorist. This is Subaru.

Engine

Before proceeding to the debriefing, let's clarify the situation a little. Impreza is not bought in order to "vomit" in the right row with seedlings in the trunk. Well, more precisely, they almost never buy for this. The editors of the site are aware of the existence of the WRX, which for 10 years has never been in an accident, has not changed its owner and is kept in perfect condition - we even. But this is still a single exception to the rule. At the same time, one should not forget that no matter how wonderful this car is, the resource of its components and assemblies also depends on the operating conditions. A car that they like to cut circles on, by definition, cannot be more profitable to maintain than the Almera Classic or. Therefore, some of the shortcomings we found should not be considered as an attack on the WRX, these are just the consequences of the harsh exploitation familiar to the model.

So, the odometer of our Subaru shows 354 thousand kilometers. But this is the mileage of the body, the engine was changed here not so long ago, and its mileage is 40 thousand. Now here the two-liter EJ205 engine is bespredelnichaet pistons. The same units can be found on the Japanese Forester Cross Sports and Forester STI, as well as on the 2004-2005 SAAB 9-2X AERO. Its nameplate capacity is 218 hp. sec., but by chipping and replacing the outlet (the catalyst was cut out and the diameter of the pipes was increased), it was possible to achieve 240 “horses”. Needless to say, EJ motors have long been a fetish among tuning enthusiasts. We will not delve into this issue, but we note that, depending on the modification and year of manufacture of the motor, the possibilities for altering it vary greatly.

Let's get down to standard maintenance operations and, of course, slightly wash the bones of this unit. The engine oil change interval is five thousand kilometers. The choice of oil, of course, is a subjective matter, but it’s better to buy a five-liter canister right away: 3.9 liters will be needed for replacement, and a liter with a tail for topping up. You will have to add oil in any case - if the engine is “turned”, it will consume oil quite noticeably even in good condition. But here you need to pay attention to two things: firstly, it is better to keep the level at the top mark, oil starvation should not be allowed categorically, and secondly, the turbine should not “eat” oil. If there is a suspicion that oil is flying into the turbine, it is better to remove the intercooler (unscrew two bolts on the right and left) and check for traces of oil. If it is, then the turbine will soon come to an end. If you pay due attention to the motor and observe simple ones, then the turbine serves without problems up to one hundred thousand kilometers. Replace motor oil you can do it yourself, and this is the little that can really be done with your own hands. The filter can only be reached from below, for this it will be necessary to remove the crankcase protection, so it will be very inconvenient to work without a pit, a lift or a good rolling jack. The service will charge 500-700 rubles for an oil change, the cost of the filter is 300 rubles.

To replace the air filter, you will have to not only remove the housing cover (this is easy to do, it is latched), but also snap off the cooling system tubes fixed on it. In principle, it is also easy. The service will ask for about 200 rubles for this, but there is nothing to break (except for latches), so you can do it yourself, raising your self-esteem at the same time. The cost of a good air filter starts from 500 rubles.

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Oddly enough, but almost anyone can replace the drive belts. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that in addition to the usual generator, the belt drive also has a starter. The cost of each belt does not exceed a thousand rubles, approximately the same amount will cost to replace both belts at a service station. However, the belts have a fairly logical and understandable tension adjustment system, so you can do this work yourself.

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By the way, a few words about spare parts and consumables. There are some problems with them: not everything can be found in stores, and very few can be found for normal money. And if you can buy the main consumables for maintenance (at least filters or belts), then to search for more serious “iron” (and even “rubber”) it is better to register on specialized forums and climb the branches dedicated to details. Saving money and time can be significant, and sometimes you can’t do without it at all. Well, let's look at replacing the bulbs in the headlights. In our case, the light is non-standard, but on a stock car, replacing the lamps will be a simple operation: access is free, there is a lot of space.

Now about the sad. Replacing spark plugs, which is relatively easy and quick (sometimes even elementary) almost everywhere, looks like a hellish operation on the Impreza's boxer engine. The spark plugs can only be replaced by hanging the engine. Of course, not everyone dares to do such a job, and the service asks five thousand for it. Of course, I really don't want to pay that kind of money for this work. We conclude: the replacement of candles must be combined with another operation and at the same time not save on candles in order to change them as little as possible! Good candles will last at least one hundred thousand kilometers, and this is more than the life of the belt (and sometimes the entire engine, which was in the hands of a bad tuning lover). By the way, for replacing the belt you will have to pay at least nine thousand rubles just for work. I will not voice the cost of a belt with rollers: it depends on where you can find this stuff. As, however, any ICE oil seal - all this is from the category of rather exotic spare parts, here you should turn to lovers of "hedgehogs" (EJ motors) from your region. The owner of the car named the following amounts: the belt (the whole set) is about 9,000 rubles, but work in a specialized service can be much cheaper, about 6,000 rubles. So, seek and you shall find. The belt needs to be changed every 50 thousand km. Another feature of some engines of the EJ series is the tendency to oil starvation of the fourth cylinder. Over time, knocks may appear in it, but, oddly enough, there are those who say that this is nonsense, you can ride. Let's leave it up to them. Well, if the internal combustion engine requires serious repairs, then many prefer to buy. Sometimes you get lucky, and then you can ride further. And if you're unlucky, try your luck again.

Transmission and running gear

The WRX transmission is also an original thing. Its main advantage is complete symmetry, which has a positive effect on handling. However, one cannot speak of it as something outstanding in terms of reliability. If you ride carefully, then everything looks quite safe. But if you cut circles on dry asphalt, then both the box and the gearboxes can “grunt” quickly enough. And again: as in the engine, you will have to regularly monitor the oil level in the box (in our case, this is a mechanical five-speed TY75). You also need to change the oil a little more often than we would like: every 20 thousand kilometers. The price of a decent oil will be 3,500 rubles for four liters of irrigation, the cost of replacement can vary significantly, but on average it will be 600-700 rubles.

During the inspection of the car on the lift, no one was surprised by smudges of oil from the rear gearbox. As the master said, the absence of traces of oil would have alerted more: if it flows, then it is there. The frequency of oil change in gearboxes is the same as in the checkpoint - 20 thousand kilometers. The cost of the work will depend on whether the oil seals will have to be replaced again, therefore, in best case you can count on 500 rubles, at worst - it all depends on the condition of the gearboxes.

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In subsequent generations of the Impreza, the driver has the ability to change the distribution of torque along the axes, but here we do not have such an opportunity. On our WRX, the moment is distributed with a slight advantage in favor of the rear axle. Thanks to this, the car has a sporty character, but the transmission is still simpler than in newer generations. If you don't kill her too hard, then she shouldn't ruin her. However, in a multi-brand service, where we inspected the car, they advised changing the clutch, the cardan support bearing, repairing the gearboxes at a specialized service station: the rolled joints of the cardan crosses did not cause delight among the craftsmen. Without certain skills and a special tool, they advised not to climb here.

But the undercarriage of serious concerns did not cause. The independent multi-link suspension is quite maintainable, no difficulties or reasons for overestimating the price of the work of the master were found. Of course, there are fears that not all connections will be able to unwind during the replacement of the necessary parts, but specialists experience exactly the same feelings when they see most other new cars, even ordinary Zhiguli, so such unrest cannot be considered a feature when repairing the Impreza chassis.

The brakes deserve a separate discussion. WRX stock brake pads and discs are clearly too weak for this car. And it's not even that the pads have to be changed every 10-15 thousand, it's worse that the brakes often overheat and "float". Especially in the heat. There is, of course, a way out. And it's called Brembo Gold. A "used" kit can be found "only" for 50 thousand. Expensive? Then we go like this. Fortunately, you can change the pads yourself, but the brakes are all. In the service, replacing the pads will cost three to four thousand along with the pads.

Body and interior

Finding a first generation Subaru Impreza WRX in good condition is not an easy task. The matter is greatly complicated by the not very young age of these cars (they are already twenty years old on average) and the indefatigable desire to “collectively farm” some of their owners. Not everyone understands that any tuning is a consistent thing, and if you change one thing, then you need to change something else. And this applies to two-liter engines in the first place: due to the thicker cylinder walls (compared to 2.5-liter engines), they have good potential. It's a sin not to open up such a thing. Due to these circumstances, finding a good WRX is quite difficult.

When service is needed, we are always happy to help. Timely maintenance of the Subaru Impreza WRX STi in our car service is a guarantee of serviceability and proper performance. Full-time qualified specialists have extensive professional experience. They will carry out all types of maintenance work with a high degree of responsibility.
We use special tools and certified equipment that allows us to obtain reliable data on the operation of systems. All maintenance work is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Each type of maintenance is carried out at cost-effective prices.

Subaru Impreza VRX STI Maintenance Prices

Service:	Price:
Subaru Impreza WRX STi engine oil change	from 500 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi fuel filter replacement	from 600 rub*
Replacing the Subaru Impreza WRX STi Submersible Fuel Filter	from 1.600 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi engine air filter replacement	from 500 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Brake Fluid Replacement	from 1.400 rub*
Oil change in automatic transmission Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 2.100 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi manual transmission oil change	from 900 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Brake Fluid Replacement	from 1.700 rub*
Changing the oil in the transfer case Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 1.100 rub*
Changing the oil in the rear axle gearbox Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 1.200 rub*
Cleaning the radiators of the cooling system and air conditioning Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 1.400 rub*
	from 1.200 rub*
Replacement pads Subaru Impreza WRX STi (front and rear brake pads)	from 600 rub*
Power steering fluid change Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 1.400 rub*
Replacing spark plugs Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 1.000 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi alternator belt replacement	from 1.000 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi timing belt replacement	from 3.500 rub*
Replacement drive belt Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 1.400 rub*
Replacement drive belt rollers Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 700 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Injector Cleaning	from 1.100 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi throttle body cleaning	from 1.100 rub*
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Battery Replacement	from 600 rub*
Replacing the brake fluid with pumping the brake system	from 1.100 rub*
Replacing the coolant (antifreeze) Subaru Impreza WRX STi	from 1.100 rub*