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Old 01-23-2021, 03:41 PM   #1
Stretch916
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Default DAM dropping Need some help

Can someone please take a look at my Data log and maybe point me in the right direction.

I have an 03 wrx stage 2, recently my DAM dropped to 8 after a 3rd gear pull. It came back up to 11 shortly after. I reset the ECU and started back at 12 this then jumped to 16 but then immediately fell back to 15. I wasnt logging when this happened but have logs from before and after, pretty new to these cars and just looking for a good starting point as to where to look for issues. This happened on a low tank of gas, light was not yet on. Maybe dirty gas tank/water?? I have a compression test kit and will be doing that this weekend just to see where this motor stands. Any help is appreciated.

*Most Current
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...gid=2027524553

*Dam Between 10-11
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...gid=1518419979

*After ECU Reset
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...gid=1173335110
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Old 01-24-2021, 08:42 PM   #2
subaru_gc8
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get a good tank of gas and see if it raises your dam
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Old 01-25-2021, 01:11 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by subaru_gc8 View Post
get a good tank of gas and see if it raises your dam

Refilled with Costco 91, no change so far. That was the first thing I tried. In all fairness I did start with Costco gas but it’s supposedly top tier... should I not be going there?
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Old 01-25-2021, 06:18 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stretch916 View Post
Refilled with Costco 91, no change so far. That was the first thing I tried. In all fairness I did start with Costco gas but it’s supposedly top tier... should I not be going there?
My dam dropped with Costco gas and my tuner said it's significantly worse than Shell and 76 in regard to additive FWIW
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Old 01-27-2021, 01:19 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by K3rm1tth3fr0g View Post
My dam dropped with Costco gas and my tuner said it's significantly worse than Shell and 76 in regard to additive FWIW

Interesting, from what I had read I thought it was comparable to shell. Too bad cause you def can’t beat the price. I’ll run this tank down and see what happens when I switch. Thanks for the info
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Old 04-19-2021, 07:10 PM   #6
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Ok so I have now gone through 2 tanks of Shell gas and my DAM is still dropping. Where should I start to try to get this resolved. This is my daily driver and without an AP I wouldn’t even know this was happening. Idle fine, not losing any MPG’s not throwing any codes. I’d like to get this resolved just looking for some direction.
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Old 04-19-2021, 07:18 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Stretch916 View Post
Ok so I have now gone through 2 tanks of Shell gas and my DAM is still dropping. Where should I start to try to get this resolved. This is my daily driver and without an AP I wouldn’t even know this was happening. Idle fine, not losing any MPG’s not throwing any codes. I’d like to get this resolved just looking for some direction.

Just for added info. I have put on an invidia catless up pipe, invidia catted dp, and invidia n1 race catback. I am running the stage 2 ACN tune due to the Cali gas. It seems the DAM drops when I’m under boost in the higher rpm range or when barely on the gas at cruising speeds in 3rd-5th. This is
My commuter and if I baby it I can keep at 16 all day. If I romp on it sometimes it’s fine, other times I’ll look down and major drop in DAM. It hit 0 the other day and found that my oil was about a quart low. Had no idea I was burning so much oil. Maybe 1500 since last oil change. No leaks. Fwiw. Appreciate any help.
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Old 04-19-2021, 08:49 PM   #8
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well that is where detonation is the most dangerous.. I would get a protune. the off the shelf stuff is questionable. how long have you had your tune. I would try a couple of gallons of E85 to see if that helps

Last edited by subaru_gc8; 04-19-2021 at 08:55 PM.
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Old 04-19-2021, 09:18 PM   #9
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Protune or go back to stock. Boostleak test it.

Have your tuning shop diagnose the car if you aren't comfortable doing it.
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Old 04-19-2021, 10:24 PM   #10
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Ok sounds good. I have a good tuner near my work that I will contact tomorrow.

Current tune is just an OTS stage 2 and I’ve only been running it since doing exhaust upgrades.
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Old 04-19-2021, 10:25 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by subaru_gc8 View Post
well that is where detonation is the most dangerous.. I would get a protune. the off the shelf stuff is questionable. how long have you had your tune. I would try a couple of gallons of E85 to see if that helps

Is throwing in some E85 a safe option? How many gallons per 91 would you say?
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Old 04-19-2021, 11:16 PM   #12
K3rm1tth3fr0g
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Originally Posted by Stretch916 View Post
Is throwing in some E85 a safe option? How many gallons per 91 would you say?
If you ran multiple tanks through the car after switching gas stations and it is still having your DAM drop, I would be very hesitant to attribute that to poor fueling alone and I would suggest boost leak testing the car before throwing ethanol in and continuing to drive it hard.

Its way more resistant to knock and it will effectively raise your octane.

But if you're seeing DAM drop when you go into boost consistently, I would bet that it is a mechanical problem rather than bad gas.
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Old 04-20-2021, 10:09 AM   #13
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Do you have the intercooler shroud and do you have the intercooler mounted to both brackets on either side of it? If not and you have gaps around the ic then that may cause dam to drop. Likewise if youre looking for your next upgrade consider an sti intercooler.
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Old 04-20-2021, 10:51 AM   #14
K3rm1tth3fr0g
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Originally Posted by 86Dreams View Post
Do you have the intercooler shroud and do you have the intercooler mounted to both brackets on either side of it? If not and you have gaps around the ic then that may cause dam to drop. Likewise if youre looking for your next upgrade consider an sti intercooler.
How would this cause the DAM to drop? At worst it makes the intercooler less efficient.

There are guys I know running non-scooped Impreza hoods with no direct airflow over their intercooler and they are running stock top mounts and yeah they have higher temps than if they were using the WRX hood but their DAM doesnt drop.

I don't think a gap in the shround would drop the DAM.

+1 for 08+ STI TMIC as an upgrade tho. I just doubt your DAM drop is related to this.
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Old 04-20-2021, 11:18 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K3rm1tth3fr0g View Post
At worst it makes the intercooler less efficient.
This.

I had this problem on a stage 2 wrx and fixing the intercoooler helped, upgrading the intercooler helped even more.

there are many factors to consider with your friend isolating their tmic from airflow. are they running an ots tune? was the vehicle tuned in that condition? what kind of gas is being used? the list of questions goes on. the reason its always recommended that you get a protune is because an OTS tune isnt tailored to whatever peculiarities a motor might have. even between two identical setups one might make a little more power than the other for a reason that isnt obvious or easy to identify.

The best you can hope to do in OPs situation is eliminate as many variables as possible, and being meticulous and specific about the way the different pieces of the vehicle are installed helps to ensure this.

I am speaking from first hand experience on this. It may not solve the problem, but if its not installed correctly its not installed correctly and suggesting that he half ass it doesnt really get him any closer. These things are engineered this way for a reason.

Last edited by 86Dreams; 04-20-2021 at 11:25 AM.
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Old 04-20-2021, 11:35 AM   #16
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Thanks for all the input guys. I will check over all fittings and check for anything suspicious as well as perform a boost leak test this weekend.
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Old 04-20-2021, 11:48 AM   #17
K3rm1tth3fr0g
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Dreams View Post
This.

I had this problem on a stage 2 wrx and fixing the intercoooler helped, upgrading the intercooler helped even more.

there are many factors to consider with your friend isolating their tmic from airflow. are they running an ots tune? was the vehicle tuned in that condition? what kind of gas is being used? the list of questions goes on. the reason its always recommended that you get a protune is because an OTS tune isnt tailored to whatever peculiarities a motor might have. even between two identical setups one might make a little more power than the other for a reason that isnt obvious or easy to identify.

The best you can hope to do in OPs situation is eliminate as many variables as possible, and being meticulous and specific about the way the different pieces of the vehicle are installed helps to ensure this.

I am speaking from first hand experience on this. It may not solve the problem, but if its not installed correctly its not installed correctly and suggesting that he half ass it doesnt really get him any closer. These things are engineered this way for a reason.

There is one guy I know running a COBB OTS stage 2+ setup with a scoopless impreza and he has rock solid DAM w/ only occasional fine and feedback knock FWIW

I agree tho that installing parts correctly yields the best results obviously.
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Old 04-20-2021, 01:08 PM   #18
86Dreams
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K3rm1tth3fr0g View Post
There is one guy I know running a COBB OTS stage 2+ setup with a scoopless impreza and he has rock solid DAM w/ only occasional fine and feedback knock FWIW

I agree tho that installing parts correctly yields the best results obviously.
thats pretty extraordinary. I had cobb stage 2 on 93 octane and i had a similar issue to OP that got better when I fixed my sagging IC and went away when I upgraded to a STI TMIC.

do you know if its a stage 2+ for acn, 91 or 93? if hes using like an acn map and putting in 93 that could explain it, the igntion timing on the acn maps was quite a bit lower iirc
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Old 04-20-2021, 01:21 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by 86Dreams View Post
thats pretty extraordinary. I had cobb stage 2 on 93 octane and i had a similar issue to OP that got better when I fixed my sagging IC and went away when I upgraded to a STI TMIC.

do you know if its a stage 2+ for acn, 91 or 93? if hes using like an acn map and putting in 93 that could explain it, the igntion timing on the acn maps was quite a bit lower iirc
He's on the 91 Map using 91.

He doesn't track the car but he definitely gets it nice and hot.
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Old 04-20-2021, 03:56 PM   #20
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Spoke to M45 auto near where I live and will be getting a tune from Travis with Snail tuning in May. Over the phone they said the issue is most likely that I’m running all invidia parts and Cobb OTS isn’t liking it.

As far as intercooler I will try to get a new one by tune day. Any other things I should add to help with tuning? I was considering an EBCS... is there a tuner preferred EBCS?
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Old 04-20-2021, 04:51 PM   #21
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Ask your tuner which EBCS they recommend. They all have various parts they prefer to use for those types of items
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Old 04-20-2021, 05:16 PM   #22
K3rm1tth3fr0g
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stretch916 View Post
Spoke to M45 auto near where I live and will be getting a tune from Travis with Snail tuning in May. Over the phone they said the issue is most likely that I'm running all invidia parts and Cobb OTS isn't liking it.

As far as intercooler I will try to get a new one by tune day. Any other things I should add to help with tuning? I was considering an EBCS... is there a tuner preferred EBCS?
Ask Travis @ snail tuning for that list.

And a used oem 08+ Sti top mount will outperform almost every aftermarket top mount in the real world just fyi

Last edited by K3rm1tth3fr0g; 04-20-2021 at 06:25 PM.
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Old 04-20-2021, 05:54 PM   #23
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And a used oem 08+ Sti top mount will outperform every aftermarket intercooler in the real world just fyi

Where did you find that information? I find it very unlikely
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Old 04-20-2021, 06:01 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by snow_bound26 View Post
Where did you find that information? I find it very unlikely
I'll try and find the thread but it was mentioned by killer B directly and it was comparing a Grimmspeed top mount vs the 08+ STI top mount in regard to real world IATs overtime. and also Dom who makes the cooling mods said that as well in one of his videos on YouTube. In actual real world non dyno runs, the OEM tmic is better than 99% of top mounts available. Almost every aftermarket intercooler manufacturer advertises their gains on a dyno not on the road, the road and the real world is where the OEM tmic performs better.

Last edited by K3rm1tth3fr0g; 04-21-2021 at 08:48 AM.
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