chrisbeme

Whats going on? I hope someone can help!!!

I just bought an 07' WRX about three weeks ago, used with 27,xxx miles on it. The salesman sold it to me with some mods on it, telling me that it only had an exhaust and a turbo timer. Well, first night I had it I was smashing around SF and on my way home, I was really pushing it. All of a sudden, I'm shifting from 4th to 5th @ about 5k RPM the car jerks and then the check engine light comes on with the cruise control light flashing at me.

Took it into the dealership who tried to pull the code, with no luck. They come to the conclusion that my waste gate was stuck open. They replaced it. They also told me that I had a turbo back with DP. I drive out and all seems well. Until the next day when this happens again. This time, the dealership thinks that the previous owner ran a piggy back to the ECU and left the program running. They pulled a code and I was apparently over-boosting. Then they reflash my ECU to stock.

Well, this is happening again and the dealership is stumped. Whats up with my car???

VRT MBasile

iTrader: (17)

Dude, keep working with the dealership. The fact that the car is modded and they are still replacing stuff under warranty is GREAT!

Is this the new Putman Suby dealership? Maybe they just aren't as experienced. I doubt it'd work, but you could ask to take it to another shop and have it covered (or at least a portion of the cost covered). If they actually agree to that, I'd take it up to LIC in Novato. Well worth the drive.

I'm not sure if the lemon law applies to used/modded cars.

chrisbeme

Yeah my service advisor is pretty awesome @ the Burlingame location. I will give that a whirl, but last time he was talking about replacing all the mods with OEM. I don't want to go down that route, so I will ask and see if we can work the LIC thing out somehow. Thanks for your reply VRT MBasile.

1SIKBRU

iTrader: (2)

Agreed, keep at the dealership. I know it sux to have to keep taking it in, but its better to get it fixed for free, than pay a few thousand at some other shop.

btw, has everything that was aftermarket been taken off the car??

chrisbeme

Nothing has been taken off to my knowledge. Not sure what the previous owner had done to the car... Maybe he took some mods off that he wanted to keep, like the piggyback system or ECU tuner.

VRT MBasile

iTrader: (17)

Since you've bought the car with those parts on, it should not be a problem getting them back after they've been replaced with OEM ones.

chrisbeme

I jst got this email from the seller...
Hey Chris,
I have talked to people with subarus before that say after they do some mods to them they buy one of these little computer things below to properly tune the car with the new added power and actually had a customer that looked at the car prior to you ask if it had one of these, however I gave no thought as to why it mattered. When I read the ECU part in your description it made me think of this. Take a look at this link below I think one of these things is what could be needed for the right solution? Maybe the car just now needs to be retuned a little to go with the exhaust? However I am not 100% sure as I am no subaru expert at all. I delt with the old owner and he didn't do anything more to it and he had bought it from the dealership stock. He even had some other stuff he planned on putting on the car in brand new packaging that he never got a chance to because he now just needed the money.

http://www.cobbtuning.com/products/?id=4503

chrisbeme

The code that I keep getting is- P0244 " Waste gate control solenoid out of range" . How can this be corrected?

1SIKBRU

iTrader: (2)

sounds like it needs a new wastegate.
Another problem could be that the downpipe flange is somehow blocking the wastegate from opening propperly, so maybe a different downpipe is necessary.
Are you pretty comfortable working on car??
If so take off ur downpipe and check.

Javirex23

iTrader: (17)

If you said you have a turboback and a stock ecu map that might be the problem...try flashing to stage 2 with cobb or an open source,because what i know for 06-07 wrx its not good at all to be running an aftermarket turboback with no engine management....just throwing it out there

chrisbeme

I have very little knowledge in auto mechanics. I sure wish I did! The waste gate has been replaced by Subaru. Any idea on where I can get a deal on a Cobb AP? I appreciate everybody's help!!!

1SIKBRU

iTrader: (2)

pretty much everywhere you look the AP is gonna be $700

its not all that hard to remove the downpipe, but you have to remove the intercooler first to be able to reach a couple bolts.
most likely it isnt the downpipe causing the problem.
I would assume subaru woulda noticed if that was the problem when they replaced ur wastegate.

chrisbeme

I guess the car is too new to look for a "used" one, huh? Some dude at LIC said that for $695, he will install it too... I was under the impression that are hella easy to install. What gives? Man oh man, should have bought a stock car!

chrisbeme

Now I am being told that I may need to replace my ECM?

Mulder

If the dealership knowingly sold you the car with anything beyond a catback, they were violating the law by doing so. They are not supposed to sell any vehicles where emission components have been tampered with or removed, that would certainly include a turboback exhaust.
The car also must be capable of passing emissions as sold. It should be their responsibility at this point to restore the car to stock and make any necessary repairs to correct the code(s).