[newsance]

So, I'm loving my new FXT quite a bit.

The only thing I am surprised about is the amount of turbo lag from a stock, small, ball bearing turbo on a 2.5. What's up with that?

I know I spool slower at altitude, (6500 feet), but punching it from idle at a stop, it seems to take 1-2 seconds to get into boost. I know I could powerbrake and stall up the converter, but I also know that is a great way to make sure your 4EAT lives a short life.

I suspect that this is part of the whole "lets detune the crap out of the FXT so it doesn't take away WRX sales" deal, as this thing spools slow- slower than auto DSM's.

I don't want to dive right in and replace the Up pipe on a brand new car, but I am thinking about playing with tuning to basically 100% close the wastegate off idle until the turbo spools- I would guess the stock duty cycle doesn't do this.

 

[greentrees]

This is why the 5spd is the optimal match for the turbocharged engine.

So, I'm loving my new FXT quite a bit.

The only thing I am surprised about is the amount of turbo lag from a stock, small, ball bearing turbo on a 2.5. What's up with that?

I know I spool slower at altitude, (6500 feet), but punching it from idle at a stop, it seems to take 1-2 seconds to get into boost. I know I could powerbrake and stall up the converter, but I also know that is a great way to make sure your 4EAT lives a short life.

I suspect that this is part of the whole "lets detune the crap out of the FXT so it doesn't take away WRX sales" deal, as this thing spools slow- slower than auto DSM's.

I don't want to dive right in and replace the Up pipe on a brand new car, but I am thinking about playing with tuning to basically 100% close the wastegate off idle until the turbo spools- I would guess the stock duty cycle doesn't do this.

 

[newsance]

That's great. Should I tell them that

This is why the 5spd is the optimal match for the turbocharged engine.

and thus they should custom build me a 2010 FXT with a stick?

I mean, I get what you are saying, but it is like saying it would be better with an accessport with 6 pro-tuned maps already installed. Technically correct, but pointless because they don't offer it that way.

I am saying I am surprised by the amount of lag that seems to be worse than other cars with autos, smaller engines, and non-ball bearing turbos. This leads me to suspect it is not just the turbo but that something else is up.

 

[SubieOutlaw]

You answered your own question.

The FXT does have lag. To get rid of it open your wallet.
I am ok with the performance. I have 2 young kids and I needed the turbo for mountain passes with a fully loaded FXT.

 

[toddlamp]

Seems to me that Greentrees was agreeing with your rant by suggesting that Subaru should offer a manual for the XT and not rubbing it in that you can't get one; at least not without spending some money.

 

[greentrees]

That's great. Should I tell them that and thus they should custom build me a 2010 FXT with a stick?

Oop, hope I didn't come across as a butt, didn't mean to, was just saying yeah I think the AT is gonna handicap the turbo's potential if you can't safely choose gears.

Seems to me that Greentrees was agreeing with your rant by suggesting that Subaru should offer a manual for the XT and not rubbing it in that you can't get one; at least not without spending some money.

Todd you're a peacemaker! Yes I agree, but as it has been discussed many times here, there's just not much money for Subaru for a MT Forester turbo anymore. In fact, there was a regional dude here at my local dealership, just happened to be there when I was getting some parts about a year ago, we struck up a conversation and he asked me about my car, I explained it was a manual XT, and he said that these were only about 1% of all Foresters sold. Not just Subarus, but Foresters. 1% of drivers bought the XT manual transmission combo for the Forester from 2004-2008. So it only makes good economic sense that they canned it for 2009+. Yes it hurts the performance, but what these figures tell us is that 99% of consumers looking at a Forester don't care!

Long live the SG!!!!!!!

Jeff

PS Newsance, you are in that 1% that would care about this! Kudos!

 

[Vinnyd]

you could always build 1. find a rolled sti and put a 6 speed in. if greentrees thinks that the 5 speed is better than the auto, he should drive a 6 speed.

and implying that the td04 is a laggy turbo that makes me :lol:

 

[toddlamp]

Inspiration:
http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f62/fantasy-forester-64741/

 

[Papa_D]

1% of drivers bought the XT manual transmission combo for the Forester from 2004-2008. So it only makes good economic sense that they canned it for 2009+. Yes it hurts the performance, but what these figures tell us is that 99% of consumers looking at a Forester don't care!

Long live the SG!!!!!!!

Jeff

PS Newsance, you are in that 1% that would care about this! Kudos!

I would take that a step further and say that some of us who do care about Turbo Lag are not prepared to drive a stick to eliminate it for one reason or another and my reason is quite logical, I want to be able to drive the car with one arm and one leg because various injuries over the years have made me realize that we don't always have the use of all our limbs and it's tough to drive a stick without one of them.

Damn Turbo Lag, curses, lol.

 

[funkymonkey1002]

I'd make sure everythings working right. On my basically stock FXT theres practically no turbo lag at all. The only time it feels laggy is when something is broken or i'm using bad gas.

 

[Papa_D]

I'd make sure everythings working right. On my basically stock FXT theres practically no turbo lag at all. The only time it feels laggy is when something is broken or i'm using bad gas.

At some speeds or RPM's I don't notice much lag if any but at others it seems very unresponsive. I suppose my being used to a very responsive throttle in some other vehicles I've owned also doesn't help either but at the end of the day, I am happy with the overall performance to be sure and would not trade the ability to operate the vehicle while wounded for better performance anyway.

 

[FXTRunner1]

Would a higher rpm torque converter help with that lag? Also what about helping the engine spin up faster with some light weight pulleys? Crank and power steering.

 

[Papa_D]

Would a higher rpm torque converter help with that lag? Also what about helping the engine spin up faster with some light weight pulleys? Crank and power steering.

It may help but I am very careful about what I do to newer vehicles these days because I have seen some strange mishaps from modding what would seem like something inconsequential or unrelated to the busted parts that resulted.

I call myself a mod vulture because I circle around and wait for others to sample the mod carcase first to see if they get sick and die before I dive in and partake and although I will never have the glory of being a first, I will avoid the unpleasantness of mod poisoning, lol.

 

[guzzla]

I explained it was a manual XT, and he said that these were only about 1% of all Foresters sold. Not just Subarus, but Foresters. 1% of drivers bought the XT manual transmission combo for the Forester from 2004-2008. So it only makes good economic sense that they canned it for 2009+. Yes it hurts the performance, but what these figures tell us is that 99% of consumers looking at a Forester don't care!

Long live the SG!!!!!!!

Jeff

PS Newsance, you are in that 1% that would care about this! Kudos!

Thank god Aussies have a different attitude and like manuals so we still get to have 5 speed SH XT's. And what is turbo lag? I've never had a car that responds so swiftly to the accelerator as the Foz does. Is it that slack feel you get in the auto XT as you wait for it to get going off the line?

 

[ArcadeTom]

Turbo lag is a short delay you get in acceleration before you get the actual "feel" of the turbo kicking in. Sometimes you get it more with a bad tank of gasoline or if the Foz is just not running up to par.
I have noticed it sometimes, but that is usually during a long trip and filling up with gas from stations that I have no idea what kind of quality level their gas is.

 

[funkymonkey1002]

Would a higher rpm torque converter help with that lag? Also what about helping the engine spin up faster with some light weight pulleys? Crank and power steering.

A higher RPM torque converter would help if you're launching it and such, but for daily driving they're not really that great. I find most of the lag in my forester to be from the transmission before the TC "grabs", not actual turbo lag (you can't just floor it off the line, it just seems to confuse it!)

 

[Vinnyd]

are you guys really talking about lag with a td04????

 

[scubadoober]

are you guys really talking about lag with a td04????

Yep I don't get it either,:shrug: It is the TCU figuring out what to do when floored from a dead stop. It always pulled harder stock when you rolled into the throttle a bit before flooring it.

 

[funkymonkey1002]

are you guys really talking about lag with a td04????

lol right?

With the catless uppipe, by 2500 rpm I'm beginning to spool and before that the 2.5 has plenty of low end torque anyway, especially coupled with the 4.44 gearing. This thing is quicker off the line than just about any other car (its one of the top 100 cars ever produced off the line).

 

[g00fy]

Yep I don't get it either,:shrug: It is the TCU figuring out what to do when floored from a dead stop. It always pulled harder stock when you rolled into the throttle a bit before flooring it.

+1 Even with my highly modded & tuned setup i still think this holds true. I never really floor my car anymore because i seem to get the best response out of it when I quickly roll on the throttle to about 75% or 80%.