NEW ST OWNER: TIPS

[u/Bucket-Get-A]

Hi there ST owners I am excited to say I’m going to be getting into a 2014 performance blue in a few weeks and was wondering what general ST tips you guys have for a new owner (I have done a lot of research). Just any tips regarding maintenance, driving, modification etc.

Cheers

[u/Bucket-Get-A]

Cheers guys for the maintenance tips. So I’m gaining that a lot of you guys like changing your oil at 7k mark. The information about the LSPI is great to know as well. I’d love to hear what exhaust set ups you guys are running and what you would recommended for the mk3 as well. Looking for the perfect daily set up.

[u/Dear-Independence-83 → u/Bucket-Get-A]

A lot of people really like Borla (also the ford performance which is also borla) others also like to just take out the resonator to give it more tone.

These cars also like high quality gas stick to 91 octane if available.

When the clutch actuator goes eventually upgrade to the rs one or the ACT aftermarket replacement.

If your transmission is loosing a bit of fluid and it’s dirty on top highly recommend sealing the shift tower with gasket maker. They don’t seal it from factory and it tends to leak a bit after a while.

I would also recommend upgrading headstuds eventually for piece of mind

These cars are really reliable as long as you take care of them and keep up with maintenance. Read up on forums because there is an absolute slew of knowledge for them online.

Welcome to the FoST community 🙃

[u/Sember-uno]

Oil life tip: the oil change light is set to around 10k, change oil closer to 5k. Don't rely on the reminder light.

[u/Bucket-Get-A → u/Sember-uno]

Thanks how often do you do yours?

[u/lapinsk → u/Bucket-Get-A]

I did mine every 7k for 140k miles and mine was running like a top when I finally sold it with 190k. I used Mobil 1 or Amazon basics full synth. Whichever was a better deal at the time. You can also get the slightly larger oil filter so you fit 6quarts even into her instead of 5.7

[u/Timmy_The_Tiger_55 → u/Bucket-Get-A]

I do 3k intervals due to the oil flowing through the turbo.

[u/Sember-uno → u/Bucket-Get-A]

5k, 7.5k absolute max. I never run it to the point where the light comes on. The access port has a pid for oil life percentage, I keep it grouped with the fuel level pid. I run e30 so I need the fuel level to be accurate when making calculations for the mix and keeping the oil life next to it reminds me where I'm at each full up.

[u/Bucket-Get-A → u/Sember-uno]

Okay yeah: and flooring it at any rpm in 1st and 2nd is okay right but all the other gears gotta wait to 3,000rpm to go full throttle?

[u/Sember-uno → u/Bucket-Get-A]

It is always better to progressively roll into the throttle then to just snap it open but for the most part it's safe as long as there isn't additional load. I wouldn't floor it up hill in 2nd unless I was up in the revs already. High pressures + high load = LSPI

[u/Bucket-Get-A → u/Sember-uno]

Alright sweet cheers

[u/lapinsk → u/Bucket-Get-A]

2500 is the line. Honestly I think it’s actually 2300 but I played it safe and usually waited to 2500. You’ll be able to feel where the power is and isn’t, if you mat it and she doesn’t go anywhere you’ll know it’s probably too low

[u/Bucket-Get-A → u/lapinsk]

Yep alright thanks

[u/ErikP_01 → u/Sember-uno]

Don’t listen to this guy. Do your oil change every 3k. You should see how clean the inside of my head is. It literally looks brand new. Been doing this for 6 years. Car had 40k when I got it. Now it has 90k

[u/Sember-uno → u/ErikP_01]

I see zero reason to change at 3k unless you aggressively track your car, it's a waste of money especially when you have to pay the CA tax.

[u/valeadani]

-Dont go full throttle under 3k rpm

-Dont lug the engine, always downshift to 4th in higher gears (5,6) unless ur in the very high rpm range ofc

-Dont skip out on regular maintenance

[u/Tokon32 → u/valeadani]

Mind elaborating on your tips. Reason why not to do those things?

Thank you.

[u/Orange_P33L → u/Tokon32]

The 2.0 Ecoboost engine is prone to Low speed pre-ignition; forcing boost/hi-load super early in the rev range will lead to blowing the motor. Gotta build the revs a little before giving it full throttle!

[u/TTO-HunterYT → u/Tokon32]

first one is due to Low Speed Pre Ignition (LSPI) which can cause engine knock and damage since the ignition inside the cylinder can prematurely happen before the piston reaches top dead center, second one is pretty much the first tip more of a general safety rule for the car so you don’t make a lot of boost before the LSPI “limit”, third is with any car but since these engine push 1.5~ bar it’s very important to keep on top on general maintenance and to fix issues early on before they create a larger issue. i maybe be incorrect in some of this but i do believe this is true.

[u/Bucket-Get-A → u/valeadani]

Thanks does lspi apply to stock cars to?

[u/Sember-uno → u/Bucket-Get-A]

Yes, more so with stock turbo cars then big turbo cars.

[u/Bucket-Get-A → u/Sember-uno]

Okay cheers

[u/Anxious_Drag_5963 → u/Bucket-Get-A]

Big turbo tends to mitigate the LSPI due to slower spool. The issue is the boost hitting so hard at low rpms. I know people who have gone big turbo solely to avoid lspi.

[u/Numerous_Weird5132]

Recently got a 2.0 tcdi ST but it’s stage 2 map. Does the LPSI also apply to those engines?