JDM Enthusiast : July 2020

I left my newly bought, Subaru Impreza WRX STI Version 9 at the workshop, MBA Unggul on Sunday to wait for the engine that I bought to arrive. The engine arrived the next day and I expected the workshop to start work on the STI the latest on Tuesday. Since it arrived early, it should be done in no time. According to the owner, an engine swap would take 4 days and I should be able to collect the STI on Friday. I called to check up on the status on Wednesday but to my horror, he had not even started work yet with the excuse of being too busy. Several other STIs were waiting for parts and needs to be done to clear some space for my car. I was smart to give him a longer time frame of a week but I was getting anxious. I would be on a business trip next week and I did not want my car to be kept at the workshop while I am gone. There was no update until Thursday afternoon where he told me work has begun. I gave him an earful and reminded him I must collect the car latest on Sunday. On Saturday night, I received a video from the owner that the swap was done but there is a little sound. I was worried and arranged to collect my STI the next day with my wife. When I arrived, the owner told me the sound was gone after he sprayed a little WD-40. He thought me the importance of engine oil for Subarus and need good oil such as Millers Oil. Bad engine oil could cause engine failure. I paid and drove away happily, experiencing an STI for the first time.

I was heading to a nearby mall with my wife and while I was driving, I had many thoughts about the STI. I love how the shifter shifts easily, how light the clutch is despite being a performance car, and the bypass valve sound. All these put a smile on my face like a child whose dream came true. She complained that I never smiled like that whenever I am with her. In a short while, the first issue came unexpectedly when I reached the parking of the mall. The engine would not off even after the key has been released. I suspected the turbo timer but it was not functioning, to begin with. I called the workshop owner and he was baffled as it did not happen when he had the car. He told me to unplug the MAF sensor located at the intake pipe which killed the engine but the radiator and power were still on. Next, I had to unplug the positive battery terminal to turn the power off and connect the terminal back. It was embarrassing and inconvenient that I had to do it every time I drive the car. My friend told me I could visit a workshop called Sham Auto which is famous for handling Subarus to check on this problem. It was good news because this workshop happens to be nearer to me compared to the first workshop. I made an appointment and went to visit with the intention to check on the wiring and change the oil for the gearbox and 2 axles.

When I reached, I told the owner regarding my issues with the engine and he had his electrician look at the wiring. He started by opening the compartment below the steering wheel because that is where the turbo timer was installed. I was shocked when I was greeted with a jungle of messy wiring. He also looked at the fuse box located in the engine bay to ensure no fuse was blown. While he was checking, I tried to install an STI Genome engine tower bar that I bought from MBA Unggul. I took some tools and tried to install but to my dismay, it would not fit. Most probably this was not for my model. I called MBA and asked for a swap. After around 20 minutes, of organizing, he removed the faulty turbo timer and an alarm system that was not in use. Next, he proceeded to check the ECU with an OBD Scanner for fault codes. There was one code regarding the MAF and upon checking, one wire was on the verge of breaking. He quickly changed and repair the wire. After all that, the moment of truth came and finally, my car behaves normally and could turn off. In addition, the compartment looks better and more organized. I thanked the owner for solving my problem and told him I did not have the time to change the gearbox and axle oil when I had the engine swap and would like to make another appointment to get that done at his shop. He quoted me and I agree to return next time.