2024 Subaru WRX (Page 20 of 22)
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: I like the GR Corolla. It's impressive that Toyota has managed to get 300 hp from a 3-cylinder engine. I've heard a rumor that in the next generation of the GR, Toyota is going to move to a 4-cylinder engine but I don't know if that's true. It looks like it's a really fun little car to drive. I remember the hot hatches of the early '80s to the mid '90s. I wanted one but ended up with a Nissan Pulsar. It was essentially a Sentra with pop-up headlights. With 69 hp, even with a 5MT, it was not a quick car. The one down side of the GR is that it's already tweaked out pretty well from the factory. Pushing it further drastically lowers its reliability. Still, I wouldn't mind having one if I was in the market. Every time I point out that they are squeezing that little triple pretty hard to make so much power, people tell me it was designed for it, etc., but I remain concerned about longevity. For the sake of the owners, I want to be wrong, but I feel like there is always a price to pay for making power.  I remember the Pulsar! They only had 69 hp?  I lived with a hatch in the 80s and it was a fun car (CRX) but they don't hold any appeal for me anymore. I prefer a trunk where my stuff is locked and out of view, whether it is rifle cases or groceries. I know some hatches have cloth covers for the cargo area, and I guess those work ok, but I like a trunk and prefer the shape of a sedan. My 4-door Wrangler is my utility vehicle for bulkier items and cargo space that is in view. It's just personal preference.
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Every time I point out that they are squeezing that little triple pretty hard to make so much power, people tell me it was designed for it, etc., but I remain concerned about longevity. For the sake of the owners, I want to be wrong, but I feel like there is always a price to pay for making power. I remember the Pulsar! They only had 69 hp? I lived with a hatch in the 80s and it was a fun car (CRX) but they don't hold any appeal for me anymore. I prefer a trunk where my stuff is locked and out of view, whether it is rifle cases or groceries. I know some hatches have cloth covers for the cargo area, and I guess those work ok, but I like a trunk and prefer the shape of a sedan. My 4-door Wrangler is my utility vehicle for bulkier items and cargo space that is in view. It's just personal preference.Lol, yes, I had a Pulsar NX. It had the same engine as the Sentra of the era. This was long before the Sentra was making 200 hp in sport trims. It still had a carb and an 8-valve head. I don't think the suspension had any notable upgrades, either.  Mine looked just like this, but it was a darker metallic blue. It was called Cadet Blue. I had those same wheels, though. They were an option that became available for the 1985 model. It was a fun little car for what it was, but it was not fast. It was still a Sentra under the sheet metal. I would have loved to have had another 30-40 hp. There was actually a turbo model of the Pulsar but I don't know to what extent it was exported to the US. It seems like I saw one or two early-year turbo examples but it may have been only in photos. I don't recall the Pulsar having the option by 1985. The turbo model made a little over 100 hp. That would have been nice to have, lol. I wanted a CRX so badly back in the mid-80s. They were much sportier than my Pulsar. They were tiny, but I didn't need much room back in the day. As long as I could put a good sound system in it, I was GTG. |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: Smedia has a YT channel where he works on all sorts of vehicles. He briefly had a 2024 GR Corolla. He immediately set out modding it but, I think, he got his hands on a bad tune. LSPI blew up one of the piston/cylinders. He rebuilt it but ended up getting rid of it not long after. He said he didn't trust it anymore. He seemed to really like it before the engine mishap. I think the engine was already making about as much power as it could before the mods so there wasn't a lot of overhead. Certainly not like what we have with the VB chassis. Lol, yes, I had a Pulsar NX. It had the same engine as the Sentra of the era. This was long before the Sentra was making 200 hp in sport trims. It still had a carb and an 8-valve head. I don't think the suspension had any notable upgrades, either. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-LRzFrSd/0/Ks5mdS6wQbBh3R8Fv7v4Tq4b89prGd6mgtnVqtwF9/XL/i-LRzFrSd-XL.jpg Mine looked just like this, but it was a darker metallic blue. It was called Cadet Blue. I had those same wheels, though. They were an option that became available for the 1985 model. It was a fun little car for what it was, but it was not fast. It was still a Sentra under the sheet metal. I would have loved to have had another 30-40 hp. There was actually a turbo model of the Pulsar but I don't know to what extent it was exported to the US. It seems like I saw one or two early-year turbo examples but it may have been only in photos. I don't recall the Pulsar having the option by 1985. The turbo model made a little over 100 hp. That would have been nice to have, lol. I wanted a CRX so badly back in the mid-80s. They were much sportier than my Pulsar. They were tiny, but I didn't need much room back in the day. As long as I could put a good sound system in it, I was GTG. Nissan had a lot of neat cars back then. I always liked them. The CRX was a red 1987 and belonged to my girlfriend but I drove it a lot. It was even good on long trips. Looked like this one: 
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Nissan had a lot of neat cars back then. I always liked them. The CRX was a red 1987 and belonged to my girlfriend but I drove it a lot. It was even good on long trips. Looked like this one: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1986-Honda-CR-X-Civic-front.jpeg I also wanted a first generation RX-7. I had a friend at the time who had one. It was a cool little car. |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: The first generation of the CRX is my favorite. In 1988, Honda released the second generation. It was a bit bigger and more refined. I still wanted one, but I really liked the 1984-1987 generation. I also wanted a first generation RX-7. I had a friend at the time who had one. It was a cool little car. The CRX was definitely fun. Not much motor, but with a stick shift you could zip around fairly well. You probably dodged a bullet on the RX-7. Those Wankel motors had problematic oil seals, if I recall correctly. |
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I had a chance over the weekend to install the Perrin low profile intake return. I meant to snap a few pics but got wrapped up in the install and forgot. I also took care of a few other "while you're in there" items. I re-lubed the clutch fork where it meets the slave cylinder. I also wanted to check the PCV valve and hose where it connects to the catch can. It looked like it had a slight oil leak from the hose clamp area so I tightened it. I went ahead and replaced the PCV valve itself with a clean one. I'm glad I did. I checked the catch can and it was completely full. I don't know how long it had been that way, but I had oil residue in the charge pipe and the turbo inlet which I attributed to the catch can being full. Usually, the can doesn't fill up in only 2k miles, which is the last time I checked it. I presume it may have been from the colder weather, but I need to take a closer look at the valve that was on the engine to see if it was stuck. And I need to keep a closer eye on the can so it doesn't fill up again and start bypassing oil vapors into the intake. As for the new part, the change is subtle. Throttle response feels a touch better and power feels a bit more linear. If you look at the factory part, it sticks way up into the throttle body intake pipe, partially blocking it. Removing that obstruction certainly cannot hurt airflow. I consider it more of an efficiency mod than a power mod. The install isn't too bad. It was easier than I was expecting. The other items were far more time consuming, although I'm glad I got them done. |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: That cover part for the fan area finally shipped. Should have it in a week or so. |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: That's awesome! I'm glad to hear you're going to be able to get the part. My install process was a bit longer because I added a bit more sound matting but the part just clicks right in. I will be curious if you can tell a difference in sound. I like the way it looks, as well. It finishes the area under the dash. What did you use for sound deadening material? |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: What did you use for sound deadening material? Sound Matting I've also used a lot of this in various places and I've found it also works well to quiet rattles, tapping, and buzzing. Especially on the back of the door cards. More Sound Matting |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: I used mostly this, cut into small squares to fit on the flat spaces. I have a lot of it under the rear plastic shelf behind the back seat. It helps dramatically with rattles and buzzing plastic. The rear shelf used to vibrate like crazy. It's now very quiet. Sound Matting I've also used a lot of this in various places and I've found it also works well to quiet rattles, tapping, and buzzing. Especially on the back of the door cards. More Sound Matting Thanks! |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: My part arrived today. Was yours like this? Mine came with what appears to be some sort of sound insulation(?) on it. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bR8H7ZP/0/Nd8rW5bVCmzbXTKRvHq9GwwTHh4NNQScTFf8JDK3C/XL/i-bR8H7ZP-XL.jpg |
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Emoto, have you had a chance to install the panel? I checked the PCV valve I removed from the engine. It still moved but the valve appeared to be a bit sticky. If it was getting stuck open or partially open, that would explain why the catch can filled up as fast as it did. I'm glad I was able to catch it. I'm hoping to have no more issues with it. |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: Emoto, have you had a chance to install the panel? I checked the PCV valve I removed from the engine. It still moved but the valve appeared to be a bit sticky. If it was getting stuck open or partially open, that would explain why the catch can filled up as fast as it did. I'm glad I was able to catch it. I'm hoping to have no more issues with it. Nope, not yet. I want to hit one of the local auto parts stores and see if they have any sound deadening material. Just haven't gotten around to it. How time-consuming was it to pull that PCV valve? |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Nope, not yet. I want to hit one of the local auto parts stores and see if they have any sound deadening material. Just haven't gotten around to it. How time-consuming was it to pull that PCV valve? |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: You have to remove the TMIC to get to it. It's down in a narrow channel so there's not a lot of room to work. Getting the OEM hose off when I installed the catch can was pretty awful. It's stuck on there really well. You have to do a lot of twisting and torqueing to get it off of the valve fitting. Once you get the hose off, though, the valve just unscrews using a 27mm deep socket. With the new PCV valve, I'm keeping an eye on the catch can. I want to see if it makes a difference. I have an oil change in about 1k miles so I'll see if a different oil helps. Good info. Thanks. |
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| If you need any reinforcement on having a VB instead of a GR Corolla: https://carbuzz.com/toyota-three-cylinder-gr-yaris-engine-teardown-video/ |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: If you need any reinforcement on having a VB instead of a GR Corolla: https://carbuzz.com/toyota-three-cylinder-gr-yaris-engine-teardown-video/ Yeah, in stock format that engine is really highly strung - IMO it's not really meant to be tuned ...it's already got a very small envelope. I don't think the Subaru 2.4 is nearly as tight in it's operating arena as the Toyota 1.6 is, but I still wouldn't go super aggressive with a tune either way. While a LOT of the EJ shortcomings were resolved with the FA...there's no free lunch. The FA20 is known to go poof too, especially with an aggressive tune and without all the required upgrades such a tune requires. While I haven't seen a FA2.4 autopsy on youtube yet, I'm sure there's one out there.. |
"Oh, bother," said Pooh, as he pulled the pin on another grenade...
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Smedia, a YT'er, has a car channel. He had a '24 GR Corolla, briefly. He seemed to really like it. But, the temptation to mod and tune it was too strong. He covers what happened in a series of videos from around a year ago. He was doing a small pull one day when something detonated in the engine. He wasn't sure what it was at first. When he tore down the engine, he saw that he had major piston damage. It sounds like he had a serious LSPI event. My guess is that the tune was too aggressive. As you pointed out, the engine is already tweaked heavily from the factory. There's just not a lot of overhead when it comes to more power. Certainly nothing like what we have with the VB chassis. Check it out, it really is fascinating to watch him take the engine apart. I wish I had that skill level. I'd love to be able to just know how to replace the clutch. He actually has quite a bit of VB content. He had a 2023 WRX for a while, although it never really grew on him and he traded it for the GR. Smedia |
Ride along with the Subaru WRX Nurburgring car tomorrow. Race starts 9am Eastern  ?? LIVE Onboard #88 | Subaru Tecnica International | ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring 2026 |
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I've been tracking down a rattle or tapping sounds coming from the front passenger door. I can pull on the inside door handle to make it stop. So, it would seem that the tapping is near the door handle (not the lever, the handle). It's not that trim piece behind the actual handle lever. I have the back of that piece lined with fabric tape. I have already added some sound deadening to the back of the door card but decided to add a bit more. Behold my handiwork, my friends.  I am having trouble finding a bare spot on the back of the door card that doesn't already have a piece of sound deadening. If this doesn't solve the problem, I'm not sure where to go from here. I will also look at the door itself to see if maybe it's a cable tapping or a loose wire. I don't think it is but I'll take a look in the interests of due diligence. |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: That's wild! What does the inside of the door itself look like?  You can see the two cables for the door mechanism. Just under that, you can see the two wiring harness connectors. The only thing I can think of that might be the source of the tapping is the metal protruding out in the middle of the door, center of the image. That tab is where the handle is located. There is also a screw attachment on that tab. I will wrap that tab with some material to cushion it. I think that will work. Although it's just a theory. |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Interesting. Might also want to see if you can get padding between those cables and the sheet metal of the door, back where they go out of sight. |
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Originally Posted By TripleC: Ride along with the Subaru WRX Nurburgring car tomorrow. Race starts 9am Eastern  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlKlNPaonyU
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Finally got a Subaru, I didn't get a wrx however. If they still made a wagon I would have but I wanted more utility of having a hatch and bars for a roof rack. The little Crosstrek goes pretty good for what it is though. A long time friend who I spent decades racing with had a Corolla Cross and I wasn't impressed with his opinion of it. That kind of sealed the deal on the Subaru. There is a sporty set of turns on the way home and I gave it a pretty good test (on asphalt). It handles well beyond the capability of the factory rubber as well as 99% of the drivers on the road. It left me wishing it came in a manual. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By Badlatitude: Finally got a Subaru, I didn't get a wrx however. If they still made a wagon I would have but I wanted more utility of having a hatch and bars for a roof rack. The little Crosstrek goes pretty good for what it is though. A long time friend who I spent decades racing with had a Corolla Cross and I wasn't impressed with his opinion of it. That kind of sealed the deal on the Subaru. There is a sporty set of turns on the way home and I gave it a pretty good test (on asphalt). It handles well beyond the capability of the factory rubber as well as 99% of the drivers on the road. It left me wishing it came in a manual. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/196498/Xtrek_jpg-3766250.JPG Congrats. Those are cool cars. Change the CVT fluid periodically. |
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Originally Posted By Badlatitude: Finally got a Subaru, I didn't get a wrx however. If they still made a wagon I would have but I wanted more utility of having a hatch and bars for a roof rack. The little Crosstrek goes pretty good for what it is though. A long time friend who I spent decades racing with had a Corolla Cross and I wasn't impressed with his opinion of it. That kind of sealed the deal on the Subaru. There is a sporty set of turns on the way home and I gave it a pretty good test (on asphalt). It handles well beyond the capability of the factory rubber as well as 99% of the drivers on the road. It left me wishing it came in a manual. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/196498/Xtrek_jpg-3766250.JPG I had a 2015 and a 2020, both manuals - first one was a 5 speed, second one was a 6 speed. Both were so terribly underpowered that I sold them - not because they were bad, but because I couldn't merge onto any of the local highways/freeways without basically bringing traffic to a halt while I spent more than 10 seconds trying to get to traffic speed (60+)...or, try to pass someone was the other thing that took forever. If I lived in a town/suburban area where I rarely had to hit a major highway, and I rarely had to try to pass someone, it'd have been a nearly perfect car. Yeah it wouldn't go quickly but it was nimble, decent cargo room, decent gas mileage, comfortable to drive. Looks like they gave newer ones the 2.5l with another 40 horsepower - that might be enough to make the car actually driveable 
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"Oh, bother," said Pooh, as he pulled the pin on another grenade...
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Originally Posted By Badlatitude: I wish It had a turbo and a manual lol The manual transmission was a big factor in why I bought a WRX. I wanted a 4-door sedan with full-time AWD and a manual transmission. In the US market, there are very few options with that combination. A lot of the "AWD" cars are wrong-wheel-drive until the computer senses some sort of slipping and only then do they send power to the rear wheels. F that. |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: The manual transmission was a big factor in why I bought a WRX. I wanted a 4-door sedan with full-time AWD and a manual transmission. In the US market, there are very few options with that combination. A lot of the "AWD" cars are wrong-wheel-drive until the computer senses some sort of slipping and only then do they send power to the rear wheels. F that. It was mostly the same for me. I was looking for a second vehicle I could use as a commuter. I wanted to get back into a 6MT vehicle. I wasn't really looking for a performance sedan, just something that had a manual since I've been driving them for over 40 years and I love the experience. And it's been a long time since I've owned one. The more I looked, the more I realized that there are just not a lot of cars out there that still offer a manual transmission. Not like it was even 30 years ago. Even the basic commuter sedans now mostly all come with CVT transmissions, which I expressly did not want. I saw that several turbo model sedans still have manual boxes. I had never before had a turbo car and it's something I have always wanted. So, I began looking at turbo sedans from Kia and Hyundai. They both offer models with 6MT setups and seemed to be priced affordably. However, I noted there were a lot of complaints about the engine durability in both makes. Nice looking vehicles but there seemed to be a lot of issues with them, even with folks who took good care of them. Then, I decided to look to see where the WRX sat in the lineup. I hadn't considered it before. To my surprise, the WRX was a lot less expensive than I had thought, especially the Base model. This was when SOA was running their 1.9% interest special. Suddenly, the WRX was in the thick of my search. I've been wanting a WRX since 2003, when I went with a Mazda 6s instead. At the end of 2024, I sent an email to a dealership about an hour away (my local dealership wouldn't deal) and the rest is history. We haggled a bit, down to the last $50. I told the sales guy we both knew there was no way the deal was going to get blown up over 50 smacks. They needed to just agree and prepare the paperwork. I ended up getting far more than just a basic commuter car with the 6MT. I got the most fun car I've ever owned. Of course, in buying one, I've met some really great guys in the process, Emoto, EE, TripleC, and Ray. It's been a blast. Sometime later, I noticed the GR Corolla. But it would not have been a contender given the price. At the time, the dealerships were not dealing on them. They were a solid $10k+ more than the WRX. I like the GR, to be honest. It reminds me of a modern-day heavily souped-up mid-80s GTI. I wanted a 1984-85 GTI back in the day. And a 1985 CRX. And a 1985 RX-7. I ended up with a 1986 Pulsar NX. Good times. |
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Originally Posted By Badlatitude: Finally got a Subaru, I didn't get a wrx however. If they still made a wagon I would have but I wanted more utility of having a hatch and bars for a roof rack. The little Crosstrek goes pretty good for what it is though. A long time friend who I spent decades racing with had a Corolla Cross and I wasn't impressed with his opinion of it. That kind of sealed the deal on the Subaru. There is a sporty set of turns on the way home and I gave it a pretty good test (on asphalt). It handles well beyond the capability of the factory rubber as well as 99% of the drivers on the road. It left me wishing it came in a manual. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/196498/Xtrek_jpg-3766250.JPG |
when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness
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Originally Posted By Badlatitude: Finally got a Subaru, I didn't get a wrx however. If they still made a wagon I would have but I wanted more utility of having a hatch and bars for a roof rack. The little Crosstrek goes pretty good for what it is though. A long time friend who I spent decades racing with had a Corolla Cross and I wasn't impressed with his opinion of it. That kind of sealed the deal on the Subaru. There is a sporty set of turns on the way home and I gave it a pretty good test (on asphalt). It handles well beyond the capability of the factory rubber as well as 99% of the drivers on the road. It left me wishing it came in a manual. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/196498/Xtrek_jpg-3766250.JPG |
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Originally Posted By Badlatitude: Finally got a Subaru, I didn't get a wrx however. If they still made a wagon I would have but I wanted more utility of having a hatch and bars for a roof rack. The little Crosstrek goes pretty good for what it is though. A long time friend who I spent decades racing with had a Corolla Cross and I wasn't impressed with his opinion of it. That kind of sealed the deal on the Subaru. There is a sporty set of turns on the way home and I gave it a pretty good test (on asphalt). It handles well beyond the capability of the factory rubber as well as 99% of the drivers on the road. It left me wishing it came in a manual. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/196498/Xtrek_jpg-3766250.JPG Nice! My '24 Crosstrek is my first Subaru and it's been great.  
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Originally Posted By Evil_Ed: I had a 2015 and a 2020, both manuals - first one was a 5 speed, second one was a 6 speed. Both were so terribly underpowered that I sold them - not because they were bad, but because I couldn't merge onto any of the local highways/freeways without basically bringing traffic to a halt while I spent more than 10 seconds trying to get to traffic speed (60+)...or, try to pass someone was the other thing that took forever. If I lived in a town/suburban area where I rarely had to hit a major highway, and I rarely had to try to pass someone, it'd have been a nearly perfect car. Yeah it wouldn't go quickly but it was nimble, decent cargo room, decent gas mileage, comfortable to drive. Looks like they gave newer ones the 2.5l with another 40 horsepower - that might be enough to make the car actually driveable Yeah, I was surprised. It scoots along pretty good and my commute is all rural. I think there is 1 stop sign in 20 miles lol. At the end of the day I got it to commute to work. I was burning $100-125 a week (I work 4 days a week) on fuel with the gas F-250 and she was getting wore out so I had to do something. Plus I needed something for snow as I work for a municipality and get to drive into work in all of the fun storms. |
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I was getting 32+- mpg on my Crosstrek on my commute at the time - I think it made the full 400 miles of my weekly commute at the time on a tank; if it didn’t it was close. My WRX will get ~27-28 on non-oxy 91 and just barely do my 4 day commute now of ~270 miles before I need to fill up at about 1/4 tank, usually around 9-10 gallons on refill. If nothing else you’ll be saving a ton on gas. I never got winter tires on anything until the WRX, but man are they worth it in winter; I wish I had thought to do that back then. It’d have been truly unstoppable in the snow
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"Oh, bother," said Pooh, as he pulled the pin on another grenade...
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Originally Posted By Evil_Ed: I was getting 32+- mpg on my Crosstrek on my commute at the time - I think it made the full 400 miles of my weekly commute at the time on a tank; if it didn't it was close. My WRX will get ~27-28 on non-oxy 91 and just barely do my 4 day commute now of ~270 miles before I need to fill up at about 1/4 tank, usually around 9-10 gallons on refill. If nothing else you'll be saving a ton on gas. I never got winter tires on anything until the WRX, but man are they worth it in winter; I wish I had thought to do that back then. It'd have been truly unstoppable in the snow |
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Originally Posted By Dynamo: Nice! My '24 Crosstrek is my first Subaru and it's been great. http://i.imgur.com/dIDs3gE.jpg Nice, I really like the green! |
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I ordered an upgrade. It's not a suspension part or an engine part. However, it's an upgrade I think I need. I ordered an amp from Beat Sonic to add to the head unit. These little amps seem really cool. It's 45w x 4 and it plugs in with a harness between the head unit and the OEM harness head unit connectors. It draws power from the stock harness so you don't have to run a separate power wire. It looks like it mounts on top of the OEM head unit.   Everyone who has one raves about them. It really helps bring out the audio from the stock system. This is nice since we have no aftermarket upgrade options for the head unit. I have an amp that powers a pair of 6x9 speakers in the back footwells but they overpower the front speakers. This looks like it will allow me to balance the front and rear speakers much more effectively. It's completely plug and play. All you have to do is remove a few trim pieces to access the bolts holding the radio in. Remove those to get to the wiring harnesses. Connect the plugs, secure the amp, and put everything back together again. I'm really curious to see how it sounds. |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: I ordered an upgrade. It's not a suspension part or an engine part. However, it's an upgrade I think I need. I ordered an amp from Beat Sonic to add to the head unit. These little amps seem really cool. It's 45w x 4 and it plugs in with a harness between the head unit and the OEM harness head unit connectors. It draws power from the stock harness so you don't have to run a separate power wire. It looks like it mounts on top of the OEM head unit. https://www.beatsonicusa.com/cdn/shop/files/ENA-2S1-5_main.jpg?v=1765300764&width=580 https://www.beatsonicusa.com/cdn/shop/files/ENA-2S1-5_Connection_1.jpg?v=1765300764&width=580 Everyone who has one raves about them. It really helps bring out the audio from the stock system. This is nice since we have no aftermarket upgrade options for the head unit. I have an amp that powers a pair of 6x9 speakers in the back footwells but they overpower the front speakers. This looks like it will allow me to balance the front and rear speakers much more effectively. It's completely plug and play. All you have to do is remove a few trim pieces to access the bolts holding the radio in. Remove those to get to the wiring harnesses. Connect the plugs, secure the amp, and put everything back together again. I'm really curious to see how it sounds. Awesome, cant wait to see the install. The stock stereo suuuucks in my car, I was surfing Crutchfield the other day lol |
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The amp came in and I've had a chance to take a look at it and at the wiring harnesses. The amp is pretty small. It's not going to have any issues fitting inside the dash, on top of the telemetric unit. The box:  Because I have a Base model WRX without the HK option, I have to use an additional harness so as not to upset the Starlink system.  Everything unboxed. The main harness is on the left and the additional harness is on the right. It's all plug and play. Everything should just clip together once I get access to the back of the head unit.  It looks fairly simple, for the most part. I will probably take the time to add some sound deadening while I have access to the area behind the head unit. I'll have to see what it looks like back there. I will snap some pics so you guys can see, too. If I see anything I can tighten, I'll probably make sure everything is snug. I'm looking forward to hearing how it sounds. From everything I have read, it makes a pretty startling difference. |
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I had a chance this morning to get the install of the Beat Sonic amp done. This pic is of the necessary trim pieces removed. This is what it looks like under the center part of the dash. You can tell that there's a place for a center speaker although it's not an option for the US market. I've heard the JDM version has an optional center speaker. Those two 10mm bolts hold the top portion of the head unit in the dash. They are very tight. So, no rattles coming from there.  The back of the telemetric until. All of this has to be unplugged to be able to pull the head unit out far enough to get to the set of plugs you have to get to in order to plug everything in. They were a bit of a bear to get out, to be honest. I used a set of 90 degree needle nose pliers to gently tug them out. Once I figured out how to do it, the rest were fairly easy.  This is what the space behind the head unit looks like. There's quite a bit of room back there. I checked those two 10mm bolts. They were on tight.  This is the Beat Sonic amp mounted on top of the telemetric unit. There's plenty of room for it there and it fits easily. It mounts securely with double-sided tape.  As for sound, it makes a very noticeable difference, especially on the lower end. The amp outputs a lot more bass. Before testing, I disabled the two amps I have in there already so I could get an idea of how much the Beat Sonic amp adds. The non-HK system is pretty bland. I'd wager that with the amp, the base system sounds about on par with the HK system. Once I turned on the other amps, the entire system sounded much richer and fuller. And it's far more balanced now that the front sound stage is getting some power. Overall, the install wasn't too bad. The hardest part was figuring out how to get the wiring harnesses unclipped. They are pretty snug in their connectors. The trim pieces unclip easily and it's straightforward. It's not the cheapest option but compared to something like a build from OEM Audio+, it's a bargain. I'm looking forward to getting to try it out more. It was hot today and very, very humid. Once I finished the install and tested it, I had to get back into some a/c. |
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Finally got around to installing (and I use the term loosely) that trim piece that goes on under the dash on the passenger side. Couldn't twist myself around enough to see where the most forward part of it was supposed to go, but it's up in there somewhere and the 4 posts snapped into their holes well.
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Don't confuse where I live with where I'm from.
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Finally got around to installing (and I use the term loosely) that trim piece that goes on under the dash on the passenger side. Couldn't twist myself around enough to see where the most forward part of it was supposed to go, but it's up in there somewhere and the 4 posts snapped into their holes well. Have you had a chance to drive yet with the piece installed? I cannot hear the blower motor at all now. I can only hear the air coming from the vents. Did you install any additional sound matting? |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: The same with me. I didn't see how the piece fit closest to the firewall but it clipped in fine. There are a pair of vents you can see. If they are flush, then you have it installed correctly, best that I can tell. Have you had a chance to drive yet with the piece installed? I cannot hear the blower motor at all now. I can only hear the air coming from the vents. Did you install any additional sound matting? Oh, you too? Funny. No, I haven't driven with it yet, but I did put the ignition in the run position then put the fan on with it coming out at the feet only to make sure nothing was interfering with anything. It wasn't. Yes, I bought a box of sound deadening heat shield rectangles and used one on the back of the trim panel. Now I have a bunch that I don't really know what to do with. You put some in your car, didn't you? |
Don't confuse where I live with where I'm from.
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Oh, you too? Funny. No, I haven't driven with it yet, but I did put the ignition in the run position then put the fan on with it coming out at the feet only to make sure nothing was interfering with anything. It wasn't. Yes, I bought a box of sound deadening heat shield rectangles and used one on the back of the trim panel. Now I have a bunch that I don't really know what to do with. You put some in your car, didn't you? |
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Originally Posted By TheLASwamp: I have a lot of them on the back of various trim pieces. The door cards, especially, and the underside of the plastic tray on the rear dash. I had a lot of noise from that when I first got the car as that panel would vibrate and resonate from rough roads to music beats. The trunk area has a lot of places you can install them to help cut down on road noise. I find they make a pretty big difference, especially if you get creative. I remember you trying to chase down various noises. I will have to see if I can't add some of these here and there. The whole back is self-adhesive so it is easy to peel and stick. Is it hard to pull a door card off? |
Don't confuse where I live with where I'm from.