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Time to read 14 min
Extreme passion, enthusiasm, and obsessive interest has the potential to lead a human being on very interesting, and somewhat frustrating journeys, especially if they overlook important details, instructions, or make impulsive choices along the way. Sometimes the excitement can breed impatience and cultivate a desire to cut corners or take easier routes to reach the goal they dreamt to achieve, often resulting in disappointment or a sense of discouragement. More often than not, inexperienced car enthusiasts can easily fall into this category since, due to their infancy, can make choices based on their heart, the excitement of bringing their dreams to reality, and the overarching anticipation that makes them overlook what is truly important. Truly, no one goes into a project or makes an investment regarding something that they care about so deeply with hopes that it will ultimately fail. We know that all their intentions are good since being a car enthusiast, especially in the Subaru world, is what life is all about. If you are reading this article while at the beginning of modification journey and have no clue what could possibly cause frustration, discouragement, or possible failure when intentions are all good and enthusiasm is high, it's important to note the old 12th Century proverb that states, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". Simply, it doesn't matter how much we want something, how destined we feel, how positive and enthusiastic we are about reaching our goals, or (this is a big one) how much we think we know, we must realize first that nothing great comes easy or without some work. Any experienced enthusiast will tell you that true success comes through failure, and/or everyone has gotten lost on a trip when they misread the directions. Anyone with this experience will confirm that asking for help, support, and learning about their missteps got them back on the correct path. So, we have to conclude, only an insane person would throw away a map intentionally before walking into the wilderness, but unfortunately in the world of automotive modification this scenario plays out every day - sometimes at a high price. When an experienced explorer or adventurer decides to embark on a journey into the unknown they take a number of steps to ensure their trip is as safe and successful as possible. They gather all the maps they can find, research the landscape, anticipate possible obstacles that may delay or halt their progress, and most often, employ some experienced guides who are native to the region and more familiar with the environment and the possible dangers within its parameters.
Why would we think that taking a symbolic journey into something as difficult and also physically, emotionally, and financially demanding as a major vehicle modification project would be any different that trotting deep into the forest or exploring a new frontier? Keeping the dramatics to a minimum, it might be a good idea to begin a project of this magnitude at the same intellectual level. Whether we are an experienced enthusiast or a novice, isn't it always best to prepare, do the research, ask for help, and check all the boxes before taking the wrong path? Still, even though this all makes perfect sense to those of us who have been burned due to our newbie ignorance, there is a line of New Subaru Owners stretched around the block who will fall into the same holes because they prefer to look up instead of looking down. With that being said, it is the most basic logic that should warn those inexperienced enthusiasts to first establish a purpose and a goal for the future of the vehicle before moving forward into the dark forest that exists in front of any modification. Read the sign that says, "Walking forward without proper considerations, preparation, and knowledge can be costly and disappointing." There are many factors and steps to consider when taking this journey, but there are just a few that could seriously derail your dreams if not examined carefully, taken seriously, and implemented appropriately with skill and understanding. The enthusiast should first ask themselves what the performance expectations are for their Subaru and seriously research the pros and cons of this prospect. Will they be taking part in an occasional Subie event, a weekend track day, an Autocross, or something more demanding? Without processing honest answers to these questions, a new Subaru owner can overlook some critical considerations and make poor choices right from the beginning - from choosing the wrong Subaru platform, investing hundreds or thousands in inappropriate parts, or consulting with the inexperienced who know little or nothing about the Subaru platform you are attempting to modify correctly. It is impossible to outline or predict every single misstep or oversight New Subaru Owners may take or encounter at the beginning of their journey, but focusing on some of the most common could prove to be helpful in guiding the inexperienced to a less damaging direction. Here are five common missteps new Subaru owners take when venturing into a major modification on their Subaru.
As we have mentioned at the beginning of this article, the most common trap a new enthusiast can set for themselves is lack of research. Some individuals actually move forward too quickly, step over the safety barriers, and cut the line because they simply get excited about their car, its potential, and what fantasies they see themselves fulfill without truly taking serious count of what needs to be done first. They'll often just start buying components and parts with no rhyme or reason and begin a course of action that can follow two routes. The first is the easiest one where the enthusiast starts modifying their car but does not take the time to plan for the future or where they want to go with the car. One common scenario involves the upgrade of the fuel pump. An enthusiast will invest in a high performance fuel pump that is rated appropriately for the amount of power that the driver wants, but will not be the appropriate rating when other upgrades are performed in the near future. Waste of an investment, time, and energy. Also, new enthusiasts will purchase parts that affect the vehicle's power output and engineering specifics without grasping that the vehicle will require accurate fitment, specific compatibility, appropriate adjustment, or critical attention to engine tuning before operating the vehicle. There are cases when new enthusiasts do not do the appropriate research to understand what aftermarket components require tuning. They avoid learning about how installing improper, inappropriate parts, even though marketed smartly, could make their engine fail or completely destroy their car without a proper tuning. They avoid educating themselves about what parts require specific modifications to operate the vehicle safely and correctly. Many of these enthusiasts who take the easy route are most likely to proclaim that it is easy to make power on a Subaru. Truly, that is correct, but only if the enthusiast has the skills and knowledge to make it happen. Some experienced enthusiasts will confirm that it is also easy to spend thousands on replacing the engine, but either way both routes require the new enthusiasts to focus on their modification from a research perspective before walking into the creation of a bomb. The simplest rule to follow at the beginning of a modification with emphasis on power and engine output: If you don't know anything about tuning, don't want to take the time to become an expert, or learn why this would affect your modification journey, you need to step back, stop your process, and ask for experienced help. Taking the time to fully understand how and why you are modifying your car is very important. Driving a tuned car requires the driver to self diagnose the access port and its values, so this is a critical part of modifying not to overlook.
Quite often, a new, but uninformed Subaru enthusiast will buy their chosen platform with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Subaru does not offer their vehicles with a standard automatic transmission, but now configure models with the CVT which is a much different design with limited capabilities. Auto engineers designed the CVT to be a more fuel efficient solution to the standard automatic transmission which explains why they have become a more logical choice for many auto manufacturers, including Subaru, to be an offered option in their newer vehicles including the WRX , BRZ , Outback , Forester, and others. The standard automatic transmission is designed with a set number of gears and uses a hydraulic system which is activated without any input from the driver. The system only depends on pressure created by conditions that determine which gear is needed for a specific level of engagement. The CVT also does not require any input from the driver, but instead of a system of gears it functions with a two pulley design that requires one pulley to be connected to the engine, and the second pulley to be connected to the wheels. Without directing the detailed engineering behind the CVT, this unique design is based on both belt flexibility and pulley width which changes with the need for power. Because of this design, the CVT can provide an infinite number of gear ratios instead of limiting the vehicle to one set of gears during its operation. As we well know, the manual transmission has a set number of gears, but obviously the driver determines what gear ratio they need by shifting the transmission from inside the vehicle. When a new enthusiast selects a Subaru WRX built with the CVT they often do not know that they cannot do everything they could do with a manual transmission. They then realize that the CVT is a weak point of their newest investment and goal to own a modified performance Subaru. This is another oversight that is very important for any new enthusiast to understand. Again, unfortunately, you cannot and should not do the same things with a CVT. As most experienced Subaru enthusiasts , mechanics , and drivers will confirm, lack of research traps a lot of people with good intentions who assume that modifications are easy. It is unfortunate that many uninformed, undereducated, and inexperienced new Subaru enthusiasts will hit this obstacle and then realize why it is easier finding a WRX with a CVT in today's marketplace. They didn't realize that this limitation would not allow the driver to gain the level of power, performance, and modification they desire.
Another serious oversight by the new Subaru enthusiast is their lack of understanding of how fueling and gasoline can dramatically affect the proper performance profile of their Subaru. One of the first things an enthusiast must understand is that these vehicles were designed with Direct Injection Engines not Port Injection Engines. Many vehicles were manufactured with a Port Injection design which allows fuel to be injected through a specifically configured port on the engine which is not directly fixed to the vehicle's cylinder. With the alternative, as the name clearly explains, Direct Injection injects fuel directly into the vehicle's cylinder which has been proven to be the best most efficient way to fuel the vehicle, but with this efficiency comes some problems if the enthusiast is not aware of their fuel type and how it burns within their engine. One significant negative result that comes from a vehicle manufactured with a direct injection system is that fuel is continuously sprayed directly into your cylinders which can cause a couple of serious problems. If lower quality fuel or less than prime, higher octane fuel is used in the vehicle, extra carbon collects and adheres to the interior walls of the cylinder and everything inside your engine that is directly related to how and when the fuel burns. Unfortunately, that carbon and residue doesn't disappear or get filtered someway in the combustion process. If this carbon and residue collection continues the engine performance will continue to degrade and possibly cause failures. Newer enthusiasts who have been operating the vehicle with less than optimum fuel, but desire to modify and possibly tune their Subaru, must realize that the interior of the engine will need to be cleaned properly before tuning. Unfortunately, a serious carbon build-up due to poor, low quality fuel usage, will force the enthusiast to perform this cleaning every 30 to 45,000 miles. This procedure is a significant investment since opening the engine to expose the cylinders to properly clean, service the vehicle, and correct the problem. Unfortunately, carbon builds up fast and frequently if fuel awareness on a performance vehicle is ignored. Fortunately, if a new enthusiast focuses on investing in the quality fuel they can avoid the additional investment and servicing to the vehicle which eventually will take its toll on both the vehicle's lifespan and overall performance. Most experienced enthusiasts recommend fueling their Subaru with Premium gasoline rated at a minimum of 93 octane. Lower octane gasoline allows a higher chance of a knock event happening while operating the vehicle which can also push a lower compression value.
Many of us have encountered a new enthusiast who has proceeded to install parts just to make their car sound "cool", but don't have a clue why they should follow up with an appropriate procedure to tune the car properly and avoid a major mishap. We all know someone who had the goal to get that perfect, recognizable "purr", blow off, or make that sweet intake noise possible but they don't know what exactly they're doing. We can be sure if they move forward, install parts to get the sound, but don't know anything about the components or their purpose, it is quite possible that they might not be tuning the car. They might just be installing the parts and hoping for the best. Many times a new enthusiast will install these parts and experience all kinds of hissing and air noises then say, "I'm too afraid to void the warranty - so I'm not getting my car tuned." As we have noted earlier in the article, performing modifications to increase power or alter engine performance should not be pursued without proper direction and knowledge. We cannot explain enough how much damage that a new, inexperienced enthusiast can inflict on their car when following the incorrect course. Depending on the year and the model Subaru, this damage can be catastrophic. They move forward, uneducated and with good intentions simply because they want their car to sound aggressive. Most inexperienced enthusiasts who do not understand how their engine works do not realize they are bringing in so much more oxygen than the factory designed car can process. Simply, the car doesn't know how to respond because it has not been appropriately tuned to align with these dramatic changes. There are many modifications that can be applied on Subaru platforms that will affect how it should perform safely and efficiently. As we have explained repeatedly, the first step is understanding how a specific modification affects the vehicle and what needs to be adjusted or changed in concert with the upgrade - before anything is installed on the vehicle. Frankly, an enthusiast cannot install components to amplify the sound or create an impressive noise on your car without gaining a proper understanding of why the specific noise is happening.
Some may say that tuning and upgrading a Subaru can lead to problems while other experienced enthusiasts will confirm that having the vehicle tuned is always needed after a modification, but tuning incorrectly or by a company that does not have much experience could result in tragedy. As the modification of the Subaru and other performance brands has become more popular, tuning cars has obviously become more and more common. Due to the demand, more companies are tuning cars and charging a premium for the service. Please note that all tuning procedures, tuners, and tuning services are performed correctly or by reputable companies. An organization that has tuned 10,000 vehicles successfully without issue or damage to their customer's vehicles compared with a local shop or mechanic that has tuned 60 cars as a side hustle, without proof of success should provide with enough information on how to proceed. Go to a tuner that does a lot of Subarus, specifically the engine and platform that you drive. They know more about failures and specific issues while how to correctly diagnose to make the vehicle safe. Unfortunately, there are a lot of tuners who claim to serve the Subaru community and other brands that will tune any car with a driver that will pay, selling you a dishonest pitch that they are the best tuner in town. Unfortunately this is the type of promise that typically leads to blown engines - because they're not specialists. After their modification, the new enthusiast should hire a high volume, reputable tuner that is experienced, qualified, and knowledgeable who exists based on their success and overwhelming reputation. There will be no regrets if the vehicle encounters issues whether it's altitude based, fueling based, ethanol based, or part-based. A reputable tuner will have more knowledge about tuning around the Subaru platform and understanding of every modification that has been applied along the way. Overall, whatever the plan may be, make sure there is one that can be understood and implemented with the help of trained experts. A new enthusiast always needs to do their research. With proper understanding, anything is possible, but it is critical to make sure all modifications are applied with the required knowledge.
Subimods continues to concentrate on providing aftermarket innovations and products that take the Subaru platform of your choice to new levels in the present and the future, no matter if you choose a more exciting, dynamic daily drive, a more exhilarating weekend on the track, or a more aggressive adventure overland and in the wild. We would be very interested in your thoughts regarding this article and would encourage your feedback.
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Bryon Turcotte - Marketing Writer/Analyst
Turcotte has worked as a writer, journalist, and digital content developer for 30 years. He began his career in music journalism in 1995 then worked for several years as both a staff writer, managing editor, and a freelancer for both regional and national music publications. Over the next three decades his contributions extended beyond the music industry as he served within the realms of higher education, science and technology, manufacturing, and finance. He has been serving as a content developer and writer on the Subimods Marketing team since August 2023.
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