WRX tune-up question

Plugs at 30K? I'm guessing the fuel filter, or fuel injection service..

David Edgley wrote:

Yeah. At that price, they better last the rated 60K miles. I doubt a fuel filter needs to be changed that soon.

An air filter is so easy to change yourself and so cheap that changing it every 15K miles might be a good idea. I bought a bunch of OEM air filters mail-order for $10 each.

Yes, I realize that the service interval on the plugs is 60k miles. I reasoned (perhaps in error) that if they needed to be changed at 60k, I would rather not be driving on plugs that need to be changed. So I asked that they be changed early. On the subject of the injector flush - I complained and they took it off my bill. When the service consultant was going over the items in the 30k service, he neglected to mention the flush. When I picked up the car and saw that extra $120 charge, I complained. The service manager showed my my signature authorizing the work but refunded it without arguing. I guess they want me to come back. Concerning the gas, I almost always buy Chevron and ALWAYS buy premium.

Anyway, I was (and still am) curious about what might have made the car run so much better but from the responses so far, the suspects seem to be the air and fuel filters.

Thanks for the help - this is a great newsgroup!

David

Brand name is no guarantee that the tanks don't contain crud. Also - an excellent plug such as NGK platinums should easily do 60K miles. 60K is probably slightly conservative. I recall pulling some original Denso platinums at 70K miles, and they were perfectly gapped with no electrode erosion.

Air filter is cheap and easy to do yourself. NGK platinum plugs are about $12-15 each and a pain when it comes to installation.

It's a good thing you don't have a 2005 WRX that "needed" a fuel filter. They are part of the fuel pump and much harder ($$$) to get at. No easy underhood replacement.

DG '05 WRX Sedan, premium edition, WRB (of course)

I have 97 Legacy 2.2 with 100K Mi. When the NGKs Copper start to round the electrode at 30 K Mi it hesistates and has no pickup. Last time it was new plugs and wires and it ran better, but now it vibrates at idle while stopped with the AT in drive. Idles at 600 RPM sometimes hits

1000 RPM. Something else is wrong. Also i have the psiton slap or what ever Subaru blames it on. my last Subaru. the car is not too bad, but the importer stinks

Perhaps the marginally sized filter, Turbo cars suck a lot of air thru the filter. Next time it seems sluggish take a short spin without the filter and see how it feels...in a clean environment of course. TG

any chance they revised your engine software??

any chance it is a combination of everything, including re-set your tire pressures (which can also help)???

jellymax

(don't fry any wooden fish)

I got corrected on this once, and never forgot. "Copper plug" is a misnomer. A standard plug's electrodes are made of some sort of nickel alloy. It's the core between the connector and center electrode that's made of copper. I'm pretty sure that most platinum and iridium plugs use copper cores too.

...or destroy your turbo in an eyeblink.