Question:
What does blowoff, bypass and wastegate mean and what are they for?

Answer:
1. Wastegate
A valve between a exhaust manifold and an exhaust pipe (in parallel to turbine part of the turbocharging unit), starting up exhaust gases around of turbine vane wheel to limit growth of pressure charging above a set value by means of speed growth prevention of turbine rotation.

2. Bypass
The valve between an inlet branch up to a compressor part of the turbo-charging unit and an inlet branch after this (i.e. in parallel its compressor part) serves basically for decrease of inlet noise and some decrease in the resonant phenomena at quick throttle blade closing. It is not established on many serial cars at all.

3. Blowoff
It's a valve between an output of a compressor part of the turbo-charging unit and atmosphere. I'll tell you a secret: some… wrong tuners, for which the main thing is to pull the wool over our eyes, put it for achieving a typical sound at switching and throttling back.

Note: while installing enormous tuning turbines (twice bigger than standard one) devices 2 and 3 become necessary as they protect the turbine from the big axial loading on the shaft.


Question:
I can't shut off my alarm in my 1989 subaru. Needless to say I can't start my engine to get it to anyone who can fix it as a result. Can you make some suggestions how I can shut off the alarm?
Best Regards, Andrew

Answer:
Dear Andrew,
Unfortunately, to answer your question there is not enough information. It is important to know exactly the mark, model of your alarm.
As a rule, at alarm installation the opportunity to block it is provided: this can be made by means of a special key, or by the button located in an imperceptible place. Anyway I have to know the model of your alarm.
The easiest way, as it seems to me, will be to consult any service, occupying with alarm installations - preliminary having specified, what model is installed on your car. Or you have to send your car on a wrecker to the garage. Kind regards,


Question:
First of all, cngratulations for the site. It is great to find that many share a common interest. And also thank you for the time you spend helping others.
I have a 2,0 Forester XT. Iґm very happy with it but it acts like dr. jekill and mr.hyde.
Some days I have power, some days I donґt. Itґs hard to feel if you donґt drive the car everyday like I do, but I know something is wrong. For example. Some days the car REALLY bites. Itґs fast and you can feel as you do regular driving that it wants to take off. If you step on the gas at 3000 rpm it almost jumps out and accelerates very progressively and hard. The other days (that I donґt really like talking about) it acts as if I have the non turbo version. You step on it and it accelerates as if the handbrake is on. Very tame. Like if it has 90 hp.
Another thing that happens is that I may be driving at a constant speed on the highway and I feel a sudden release and it turns into the turbo version again. Itґs the same feeling as when you turn the air conditioning off. I know it isnґt the a/c because on the days that I have power it flies even with the a/c on.
I had a part changed to see if it would solve the problem. I live in Spain so I donґt know the term for the part. It is in the airflow duct and it measures the air flow it has a little wire harness and I imagine it sends the info to the ECU. It has improved some but the power still comes and goes. Itґs frustrating. I think sometimes that I have something that blocks some air going into the turbo or that something blocks something,....I donґt know.
Is there any way to START discarding different possibilities. I am mechanically inclined and have worked on American engines (muscle cars) changing camshafts, air intakes, carbs, etc.
Thank you so much in advance.
Christian Ageno

Answer:
Dear Christian Ageno.
Thanks for the high estimation of my site, though, in my opinion, it is a little bit premature - it will be more developed.
Regarding your problem, it seems to me that you should start from self-diagnostics - its technology is described in detail in the manual, or - from the diagnostics in a car-care center. And it is desirable to make diagnostics during that moment when you will see problems in your car.
Also it is necessary to specify - what is your car's total miles for today, whether works on its service were performed in due time and how long has the problem lasted.
Kind regards,


Question:
Can you give me an answer on buying the new 2008 impreza, or the Opel Astra?
Regards
Omar Attia

Answer:
Dear Omar Attia,
Will you agree that it is ingenuously to ask me - the real Subarumaniac - such a question! Of course Subaru! )))
And if to be serious, it is very difficult to answer such inexact question. What is the estimated budget of the purchase, what are requirements for the car, what will be the conditions of car's exploitation?
Though I ask all these question only to argue that Subaru is the best! )))
Kind regards,


Question:
I have been opel guy for 10 years, the difference between both car in price $5000 (Opel is expensive)
Please tell me reasons to buy the Subaru

Answer:
What car package are you talking about?
On my site I have enough information about Subaru advantages, but there is an reservation: these advantages are obvious and necessary only for those who is attracted by active and sport style of driving.
You can at least make a test-drive on both cars and if you'll not like Subaru - that will mean that it's not your car.
I wish you to make the best choice!


Question:
I notice, that my gear box has different revolutions of switching (at other equal conditions):
- After a long trip on highway;
- After quiet city driving;
- After intensive city driving with a considerable quantity of accelerations/braking.

Answer:
In managements on some boxes the following is written:
Directly after connection of preliminary disconnected accumulator or right after change of automatic transmission fluid, you can feel the difference in transmission's behavior.
This is the result of deleting of the information collected by the on-board computer about the optimum moments of your car transmission switching, based on its current state.
Optimum switching of speeds will be restored after some time.
The given note points to some adaptability of the A/T control package and explains change of car's behavior after long driving in certain conditions.
However you don't have to "be under a delusion" concerning the given option. Most likely, it is realized only in cars of 98-99 (where control packages of engine and transmission are combined) and in any case "adaptation" affects only after 30-40 km of driving in certain conditions.


Question:
Can be Subaru used for trips off-the-road (in countryside, for hunting, fishing, etc.).

Answer:
Subaru - is not an offroader, and an all wheel drive is needed for more confident and safe driving, especially in bad road conditions (winter, wet - dirty asphalt, etc.). Nevertheless, Subaru's flotation ability on "easy off-the-road" (sand, country-track, etc.) is much better, than two-wheel drive cars' ability. As to geometrical flotation ability - it depends on a ground clearance and overhangs. The most passable is Forester, Legacy Outback with similar ground clearance (19-20 cm) it has bigger overhangs that limits its use on pits and bumps. In any case it is unreasonable to use Subaru for heavy off-road.


Question:
People say that Subaru are extremely complex and expensive in service? Is it true that for changing a plug it is necessary to take off the engine?

Answer:
It is not necessary to take off the engine for plug changing, a correct spark plug spanner is needed. For more convenient access to plugs it is necessary to take off some hinged equipment - a window washer reservoir, the air filter body - depends on model and a complete set of the engine. But this is the work of a moment. As a whole Subaru - are quite maintainable cars and they don't create any extreme difficulties. Transmission, because of an all wheel drive, certainly, contains more details that always can be taken off. But in comparison with rear-drive cars - there are not more of them. Consumable materials and spare parts for Subaru are not more expensive than for other cars of the same class, service cost is approximately similar too. Many operations, including that plugs changing having desire and presence of elementary skills are done on one's own.


Question:
How safe is Subaru's suspender?

Answer:
Subaru's suspender is quite safe. The only "weak place" is bushings of antiroll bar's pillars, which break after the average kilometerage of 40-50 thousand km (depends on the manner of driving and roads). Thus, being broken stabilizers pillars keep the rest of the suspender. Besides they are inexpensive and can be easily replaced.


Question:
How to compare cars of VAG - QUATTRO, SYNCRO and 4MOTION concern to Subaru cars?
Answer:
Cars of VAG (Volkswagen/Audi) concern, that have QUATTRO, SYNCRO and 4MOTION labels also have, actually, following distinctions in all-wheel-drive systems (the device of the central differential): Quattro label means presence of an interaxle differential torsen on all Audi cars, except for A3, S3 and TT; Quattro label means presence of an interaxle differential haldex for A3, S3 and TT; Syncro label means presence of an interaxle differential torsen on the automobile Passat B5; Syncro label means presence of viscous clutch instead of an interaxle differential on all cars Volkswagen up to 98 year of manufacture; 4motion label means presence of an interaxle differential torsen on the automobile Passat B5; 4motion label means presence of an interaxle differential haldex on Golf 4 and Bora cars. Therefore we can compare more or less correctly only Subaru cars with automatic transmission to VAG cars that have as the central differential haldex system - these are similar constructions. VAG doesn't have analogues of Subaru all-wheel-drive construction with a mechanical gear box, all the more it is incorrectly to compare it to cars with viscous clutch instead of the central differential (the last, generally speaking, cannot be considered as cars with a constant all-wheel-drive - this drive gear more correctly can be named "partial" or PartTime, unlike the "constant", or FullTime).

Michael: Heh! I have also noticed such jack on my car: when I was establishing the alarm system, the accumulator was disconnected for some time. After that I could not recognize my car - it had absolutely another behavior. I already was going to go to service, but at first I had no time, and then everything has settled into shape. It's interesting, whether the onboard computer can "adapt" thus to this or that style of driving? I've written them a question, we will see - what will be the answer.