getting the itch for a turbo automatic

[ivonr]

thanks all for the useful advice. the WRX is def a no-go given your responses. i think the best decision is to go for the silver lgt (if all checks out mechanically)and offer them a fair price that is closer to reality.

 

if we cant come to an agreement i will simply keep looking. lucky for me Colorado is Subaru-land

 

to follow-up;

 

1. can anyone recommend a forum for everything about "entry-level" mods on an 06 lgt? i am referring to slightly lowering ride height, upgrading to bigger wheels, exhaust, intake, b.o.v, etcetera. something with cost estimates including labor

 

2. can anyone foresee any complications with me swapping my sound system (just a box w/ amp and 2 subs, i believe all stock stuff was left on the car too) and snow tires w/wheels from my 08 2.5i to a 2006 lgt?

[MrTris]

Search.

[Mike07LGT]

umm, yes...

 

please explain why... Ive read here on the forums that warming the car up isnt necessary, but checking and keeping the oil at the correct level seems to be just alittle bit more important in longetivity of the engine

[Merc6]

i've had four turbo subarus, driven them all over 150k and never had a single turbo problem. warm your cars up guys

 

Any of those 4 Subarus a 2005-2006 LGT? I remote started my car year round and that didn't help much.

[stanjk3]

 

2. can anyone foresee any complications with me swapping my sound system (just a box w/ amp and 2 subs, i believe all stock stuff was left on the car too) and snow tires w/wheels from my 08 2.5i to a 2006 lgt?

 

As long as the wheels are at least 17", they should fit.

Not sure about the stereo. If the 06 LGT has ACC (Auto Climate Control) a stereo upgrade is more difficult and expensive due to the stereo and HVAC controls being integrated into 1 unit.

[Stewy612]

please explain why... Ive read here on the forums that warming the car up isnt necessary, but checking and keeping the oil at the correct level seems to be just alittle bit more important in longetivity of the engine

 

I work as a corporate pilot and one of the things we do in the small single, and multi engine piston airplanes, is to be very diligent about how rich or lean we are running the engines to try and keep a constant temperature in the cylinders regardless of whether we are climbing into colder air or descending down into warmer air. Its all "thermal expansion". Feel free to disregard my advice, but there's a reason why when you get an engine overhauled they rehone the deck, bore out the cylinders (because over time they become oval shaped) and check all the valve sleeves. A turbo charged car is the same as an NA car, and then some, because the turbo will heat up separate from the cylinders and is another metal pump with tight clearances that should be warmed up diligently. (In case anyone is curious the majority of modern piston airplanes use horizontally opposed engines)

 

Look all im saying is stay out of the boost till she's warm and I promise 99% of you will have longer life on almost all your engine components. Remember, nobody gets on the internet to complain about their car running well, you only hear from the people who drive 'em like hell and then the one unlucky guy.

 

Any of those 4 Subarus a 2005-2006 LGT? I remote started my car year round and that didn't help much.

 

yes, 2005 LGT stage 3, 2007 Spec B.

[Mike07LGT]

I work as a corporate pilot and one of the things we do in the small single, and multi engine piston airplanes, is to be very diligent about how rich or lean we are running the engines to try and keep a constant temperature in the cylinders regardless of whether we are climbing into colder air or descending down into warmer air. Its all "thermal expansion". Feel free to disregard my advice, but there's a reason why when you get an engine overhauled they rehone the deck, bore out the cylinders (because over time they become oval shaped) and check all the valve sleeves. A turbo charged car is the same as an NA car, and then some, because the turbo will heat up separate from the cylinders and is another metal pump with tight clearances that should be warmed up diligently. (In case anyone is curious the majority of modern piston airplanes use horizontally opposed engines)

 

Look all im saying is stay out of the boost till she's warm and I promise 99% of you will have longer life on almost all your engine components. Remember, nobody gets on the internet to complain about their car running well, you only hear from the people who drive 'em like hell and then the one unlucky guy.

 

 

 

yes, 2005 LGT stage 3, 2007 Spec B.

 

stay out of boost until the car is warm, YES that is solid advice that can help your car last longer. But letting the car idle until it is warmed up, and then driving it is a waste of time and gas in my opinion. Ive read multiple times from Max Capacity and others on here that driving the car before it is completely warm is perfectly fine, as long as you stay out of boost. It sounded to me like you were saying it has to be warmed up before it can be driven. Maybe thats the case with airplanes, but not the case with subarus.

[Stewy612]

stay out of boost until the car is warm, YES that is solid advice that can help your car last longer. But letting the car idle until it is warmed up, and then driving it is a waste of time and gas in my opinion. Ive read multiple times from Max Capacity and others on here that driving the car before it is completely warm is perfectly fine, as long as you stay out of boost. It sounded to me like you were saying it has to be warmed up before it can be driven. Maybe thats the case with airplanes, but not the case with subarus.

 

You're right mike, I regret even bringing it up

[sunny5280]

stay out of boost until the car is warm, YES that is solid advice that can help your car last longer. But letting the car idle until it is warmed up, and then driving it is a waste of time and gas in my opinion. Ive read multiple times from Max Capacity and others on here that driving the car before it is completely warm is perfectly fine, as long as you stay out of boost. It sounded to me like you were saying it has to be warmed up before it can be driven. Maybe thats the case with airplanes, but not the case with subarus.

Small price to pay IMO. Not saying it has to reach full operating temperature but letting it warm up for a few minutes can't hurt things. If the downside is a little extra gas and time consumed I'm fine with that tradeoff.

[Mike07LGT]

You're right mike, I regret even bringing it up

 

No worries buddy, wasn't trying to start an argument or anything, just wanted to clear things up. We all want advice as to how we can make our engines last longer before we have to spend a shit ton of money and time replacing them, so any and all advice given is welcome! Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving bro!

[Dispatch20]

Small price to pay IMO. Not saying it has to reach full operating temperature but letting it warm up for a few minutes can't hurt things. If the downside is a little extra gas and time consumed I'm fine with that tradeoff.

 

I realize that a BMW isn't a Subaru, but my BMW owners manual explicitly says that it is better to NOT to let the car idle to warm up. They say that starting the car and immediately driving it is the better approach because the car reaches operating temperature much faster that way and reduces the total time spent at cold. Of course, BMW says to keep it under 3k RPM and half throttle prior to being warmed up, which is pretty sensible.

[discojon]

OP, you still looking for a turbo 5EAT? I'd consider selling mine. I have an old build thread around here somewhere. It's done right.

[sunny5280]

I realize that a BMW isn't a Subaru, but my BMW owners manual explicitly says that it is better to NOT to let the car idle to warm up. They say that starting the car and immediately driving it is the better approach because the car reaches operating temperature much faster that way and reduces the total time spent at cold. Of course, BMW says to keep it under 3k RPM and half throttle prior to being warmed up, which is pretty sensible.

As a BMW owner myself I'm familiar with their cold weather operating recommendations. In fact I used to own a 2001 X5 4.4i which sat outside in the same place as my current 2005 Outback XT. It was warmed up in the exact same way as my Outback. I am not aware of any harm by allowing the engine to warm up prior to operation. I assume the recommendation is related to emissions / fuel economy and not reliability.

[Stewy612]

I realize that a BMW isn't a Subaru, but my BMW owners manual explicitly says that it is better to NOT to let the car idle to warm up. They say that starting the car and immediately driving it is the better approach because the car reaches operating temperature much faster that way and reduces the total time spent at cold. Of course, BMW says to keep it under 3k RPM and half throttle prior to being warmed up, which is pretty sensible.

 

As a BMW owner myself I'm familiar with their cold weather operating recommendations. In fact I used to own a 2001 X5 4.4i which sat outside in the same place as my current 2005 Outback XT. It was warmed up in the exact same way as my Outback. I am not aware of any harm by allowing the engine to warm up prior to operation. I assume the recommendation is related to emissions / fuel economy and not reliability.

 

i think whats most important on a cold start is how quickly the oil comes up to temp and making sure its nice and viscous.

 

-Brett

[MrTris]

i think whats most important on a cold start is how quickly the oil comes up to temp and making sure its nice and viscous.

 

-Brett

 

I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

vis·cous

ˈviskəs/Submit

adjective

having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity.

 

So, do you mean to say that oil becomes more "viscous" when it's at-temp and moving than when it's just sitting in the pan?

[Stewy612]

I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

 

 

vis·cous

 

ˈviskəs/Submit

 

adjective

 

having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity.

 

 

 

So, do you mean to say that oil becomes more "viscous" when it's at-temp and moving than when it's just sitting in the pan?

 

 

Yeah I mean oil responds to temperature the way most liquids do; it's more dense when it's cold than when it's warm. When you start your engine cold, the cylinders and pistons aren't perfectly round and true. So if you cold started your car and then IMMEDIATELY started driving it hard, not only would the whole engine not be warm and the turbo properly lubricated, you would also be at risk of blow by and other problems until all of the metal heats up and expands to its normal operating dimensions. Everything I'm saying here is nominal. But in my mind, it adds up over the life of a car.

 

Metals all heat up at different a rates and speeds. I feel most comfortable when I know that everything is at the temp it was designed to be at.

 

I don't wait until my car is warm before I pull it out of the driveway. But I generally always let it sit for a few minutes while I plug in my phone and get the radio going before I pull out and I don't go anywhere near the boost until it's warm and feels right.

 

-Brett

[ivonr]

test driving the 06 LGT w/ 36k miles on it today! wish me luck, i will look over it VERY carefully

[ivonr]

everything looked great, only qualms are the power steering felt a bit stiff and the brakes were a bit squishy. scheduling mechanic for inspection sometime soon, best choice i have for now is about $100 for a Subaru dealer to do it.

 

any recommendations for a tech in the Denver/Fort Collins area?

[sunny5280]

everything looked great, only qualms are the power steering felt a bit stiff and the brakes were a bit squishy. scheduling mechanic for inspection sometime soon, best choice i have for now is about $100 for a Subaru dealer to do it.

 

any recommendations for a tech in the Denver/Fort Collins area?

 

SilverStar Automotive at Parker and Quincy. Have had them work on my 2005 Outback XT. Very pleased with their service and pricing.

[AF_3C2]

Brakes are normally a little squishy on these cars- try a single pump and feel them out again- makes my brakes bite much stronger.

 

Ever come down to the Springs?

[apexi]

Maybe it's just the lighting, but the pictures of that 2006 LGT with low miles look weird, specifically the one from the front/driver side. Did it look like the hood or other parts had been painted?

[ivonr]

I noticed that, it's just the lighting. In real life the paint is great. Here is the major stuff the dealer found :

 

Needs the following

30k service

1 hub and bearing replacement (which really means two)

Trans/brake/coolant flush

Timing belt advised

 

Along with all the other small stuff, it totals about $3k worth of work @ the dealer (which I have to use b/c they would give me a loaner car)

 

What do you guys think? I offered $14,500 and the seller simply rejected the offer. Trying to get a counter offer now. Mind you this is a 1 owner, 36k mile 2006 LGT and it had a minor crash once

[AF_3C2]

Only 30k?

 

Why was it parked so much?

 

And with that little mileage, why does the dealer want to do the T-belt- age?

 

The fluid changes you could probably do on your own- not sure on the hub/bearing. What is his asking price and is it close to blue book? Don't forget Subies tend to have premium pricing here in CO.....

[ivonr]

it was parked because the owner lives out of state and that is why they are trying to sell the car.

 

yes the t belt is only due to age. it is a wise recommendation

 

the asking price is close to blue book for a "fair" rated car which is what this is. owner seems firm so far

 

today i went to look at a 2008 GT Ltd automatic at the dealership. 2 owner, no crashes, 50k miles, automatic 5 speed. i much prefer the telescoping steering wheel on this one, missing from the '06 (i am 6ft 6in tall, it helps). also it seems like much less of a hassle to trade in my 2.5i rather than sell it privately. asking $19,500 which is also fair kbb price based on "good" condition. thoughts on the 2008 vs the 2006 in my situation?

[AF_3C2]

2008 would have less headaches in regards to:

 

- No cat in the up pipe

- No banjo bolt filter feeding the turbo

- VF-46 turbo > VF-40 found in 05-06 (doesn't appear to fail as often)

 

$19.5 still seems a bit high for a now 7 year old car, but I suppose the low miles account for that. That is also approaching WRX/STI price levels....but I understand you want an automatic. If you didn't want to deal with turbo headaches, there were a few 3.6R sedans down here at Heuberger around that price range- they are all automatics and have similar power levels to the turbo without the need for 91 octane.