Potownrob's 02 Impreza 2.5TS

[potownrob]

does this have the 2.5?

yes, i think all 02-11 non WRX imprezas have the 2.5 litre flat four (aka boxer) engine. the 1st gen imprezas had smaller engines standard (1.8 and 2.2 methinks, and the 2.5 was the big engine), and the new '12 impreza comes with a 2 litre engine that's not as powerful as the 2.5 litre but is said to be more efficient.

Just make sure you use genuine subaru coolant and there is some additive type stop leak that subaru sells that help to prevent the infamous 2.5 liter head gasket problem...I remember I Was looking into an outback and they had that issue.

EDIT:http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/headgasket.html

Wow I just saw 2.5 in the title...my fault man hahaha...looks good none the less, don't have too much fun in the snow with it.

yeah, i know about the whole headgasket issue. mine seem to be fine for now; i will probably do a coolant flush (without the flush chemicals some people use, since it could eat the seals etc.) once it's warmer out. i might also get 16's with summer tires at some point since the 02 TS wagon came with 15" steelies and all season tires (mine are 6 month old michelin harmony tires). i did jack up the air pressure above what subaru recommends (but well under the max indicated on the tires) and it helps a lot with handling and probably mpg too.

[bk7794]

Hmm never thought about inflating it higher. Mine are pretty decent at 32, don't check them that regular though.

Good to hear! Try to use genuine though if you can I guess. Right? Sounds like your going to have some fun.

[potownrob]

Hmm never thought about inflating it higher. Mine are pretty decent at 32, don't check them that regular though.

Good to hear! Try to use genuine though if you can I guess. Right? Sounds like your going to have some fun.

mine are inflated more (but might be a different size - 205/15/60 or something like that), like at 36 in front and 34 in back. I've read to only use Subaru coolant and plan to use that with distilled water.

[Warner]

Apparently the tire pressure Subaru recommends seems low to a lot of people. My STI recommends something like 36f/30r, but I hear that most people run the tires at around 38/36.

[bk7794]

Hmm never thought about inflating it higher. Mine are pretty decent at 32, don't check them that regular though.

Good to hear! Try to use genuine though if you can I guess. Right? Sounds like your going to have some fun.

mine are inflated more (but might be a different size - 205/15/60 or something like that), like at 36 in front and 34 in back. I've read to only use Subaru coolant and plan to use that with distilled water.

That and some type of an additive subaru recommends. I like your car though, it looks good!

[potownrob]

Apparently the tire pressure Subaru recommends seems low to a lot of people. My STI recommends something like 36f/30r, but I hear that most people run the tires at around 38/36.

yeah, it's ridiculously low, especially considering the max pressure marked on the tire is like 44psi and subaru wants you to put 30/32 psi in the tires

[potownrob]

Hmm never thought about inflating it higher. Mine are pretty decent at 32, don't check them that regular though.

Good to hear! Try to use genuine though if you can I guess. Right? Sounds like your going to have some fun.

mine are inflated more (but might be a different size - 205/15/60 or something like that), like at 36 in front and 34 in back. I've read to only use Subaru coolant and plan to use that with distilled water.

That and some type of an additive subaru recommends. I like your car though, it looks good!

Thanks, yeah the subaru stop leak stuff. You have to put it in a certain way or you can have problems with stuff - my 93 accord was out of commission with a clogged heater coil for 3 months from using bar's stop leak to keep the radiator from leaking

[theholycow]

yeah, it's ridiculously low, especially considering the max pressure marked on the tire is like 44psi and subaru wants you to put 30/32 psi in the tires

Max pressure is merely the maximum that the tire is rated for (and that's not necessarily right)...it's not related to the correct pressure for the car. That said, I am a big proponent of experimenting with increased pressure and I usually run at or near the max.

The pressure recommended by the manufacturer tends to be the minimum that will not result in brand new tires blowing up at highway speed with the car at its maximum load. You can look it up in a load-inflation chart. They do that for the sake of test-drives providing even the slightest advantage in smoothness.

Consider the manufacturer's recommended pressure as the minimum, the tire's max as the maximum, and find your favorite pressure somewhere in between.

[watkins]

I run over factory specifications as well. Around 40f/38r. That makes a difference with handling, as does the fact that I dont run factory tires on my car.

[1974Alfa5spd]

30/32 is nothing. The specs inside the fuel door on the Benz say something ludicrously low like 23f/26r. Of course there's also an asterisk in there instructing the driver to add 7lbs for 100mph+ driving. I just pump them up to 40 and I'm delighted with how it drives. When they get low (30-35), the handling feels squishy and weight makes the car sag more. I can't imagine what it must be like to drive with 26PSI in the rears.

[theholycow]

I run over factory specifications as well. Around 40f/38r. That makes a difference with handling, as does the fact that I dont run factory tires on my car.

I forgot to mention - if you don't have exactly the same size as OEM then your minimum pressure is almost certainly different; consult a load-inflation chart or just pump them up as high as you want. Of particular importance for modern styles, going to lower profile will generally require a higher minimum pressure.

[watkins]

I run factory size, I just dont use factory tires. I have BFGoodrich g-force Sports. I think factory is some nonsense tire.

[theholycow]

Ah. Yeah, as long as it's exactly the same size as on the tire pressure recommendation, the recommendation is as valid as it was for the OEM tires. All tire manufacturers selling in the US operate according to standards set by the Tire and Rim Association and Rubber Manufacturers Association. Load-inflation charts are standardized across the industry.

[bk7794]

I would be afraid of driving with over inflated tires because my wheels are quite small...cough 13 inches...and there are some wicked expansion joints. I would be concerned with bending my rim.

[theholycow]

Negative. If you hit the expansion joint hard enough to bend your wheel with extra inflation, then with less inflation you'd destroy your wheel AND your tire.