Oh, Sweet Lubricants for Thee

 Sports Fans!

NEW BLOG POST FOLLOW-UP.

Stratford Subaru completed my first "A" Service yesterday and it went off without a hitch.

It was interesting to note how involved the Service Manager was in the shop supervising and assisting (i hope) his mechanics.

I believe it was Jordan Medd who did the work and I think he may have had a bit of trouble with my Billetworks oil cap as it does screw on a bit tighter than the OEM cap.

I brought in my own oil, which they were really cool about, as I want to use what I understand to be the OEM oil used at the factory. For reference Sports Fans, it is Idemitsu Full Synthetic Engine Oil 0W16 5qt Part # IDM 30013013953 and costs $73.00 before taxes from NAPA.

I had washed the Mist the night before so they said there is no point washing her as my work was better than their courtesy wash. When you get a service at Stratford Subaru they wash your car for you.

The service involves:

• Replace engine oil and filter

• Inspect tire condition and adjust all tire pressures

 including spare

• Inspect and adjust all fluid levels including both differentials

• Inspect operation of all lights, wipers and washers

• Inspect and adjust drive belt tension if necessary

• Service battery

• Inspect axle boot condition

• Lubricate all latches, hinges and locks

• Inspect all steering and suspension components

• Check under body for damage

• Road test

The great thing with the oil container is it is exactly the amount needed for the change with filter so the oil is at the proper level.

A lot of fast lube shops overfill which causes oil cavitation on a wet sump system which can lead to several problems that are not good for the life of your engine.

After the service, I went to Canadian Tire and bought a car duster and Meguiar's Quick Detailer and did a detail when I got home. It works well and is now part of my care appearance regime.

Other tools for car care where acquired but more on that later Sports Fans!

I think she is looking pretty good.

Enjoy your weekend Sports Fans!

Drive safe and you know where the rubber goes!

Milestone: "A" Service for the Mist

 Hello, Sports fans!

First Service

With just over 8,000 km I figured I would go in early to get the service done. After that I will do oil changes at 5,000 km intervals between the services the Subaru dealer does. Oil is cheap compared to an engine and I think that a lot of maintenance intervals are based on the manufacturers trying to keep the appearance of maintenance costs down. Extended pour points of full-synthetic oil is all well and good but with the low-tension rings engines use the oil gets more contaminants than with high-tension rings.

Plus, when I had my 1988 Toyota Corolla I was an aircraft mechanic and I did oil changes every 5,000 km and that car's engine was mint when I sold it. It ran like a V8!

In anticipation of the Red Mist's first service appointment, I decided to head to a local self-car wash and gussy her up.

After about an hour of work, she looked so much better. I would have put a stronger effort into this, but its been a full day at work and with nightfall coming earlier it gets too dark to do any accurate detailing.

At least she is washed and relatively clean so the dealer gets an idea of how much I think of her. Did the full exterior and then all the door sills and hardware as well as a wipe down of the engine bay and interior of the hood. Dressed the wheels after detailing the mags.

She looks good and I will do a tidying of the interior tomorrow in the light of day.

Just hope it does not rain tonight.

Winter Wheels and Tires

I talked to my local service guys who are amazing and I am going to source a set of  Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 or Nokian HAKKAPELIITTA R5 winter tires.

I had attended an owner's seminar hosted by Stratford Subaru given by The Car Lady. Great overview of the features of the Subaru line given with enthusiasm and her knowledge is complete. She knows her stuff and was an automotive mechanic. She has a presence at Instagram (thecarladycanada) and Twitter (CarLadyCanada) as well as a website at www.thecarlady.ca.

She shared with us that we should be sure to get hub-centric rims as this type of rim is a better fit for tire installation on a Subaru than a lug-centric design. I had no idea about this and as I am in the market for new tires and rims for the winter this was key information I will be sure to pass on to or check with my mechanics.

Edited to add: I called my guys today. The totally only install hub centric rims!

Here is an article that helps us understand the difference.

Christine has a powerful wish to share automotive knowledge and she does it so very well.

Thanks, Christine!

As to the tires, my last car had Blizzak All Weathers and they do not require change over. With the milder wintes the Bridgestone Blizzak WeatherPeak is a great solution for those who do not have the ability to store tires or simply want to negate the twice-yearly visits to the dealer or shop for Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer change over.

The WeatherPeaks were amazing and very good in rain and pooling water. Road noise was minimal for such an aggressive tread and softer rubber compound.

In fact, my guys in Cambridge are recommending and selling them based on my experience. They had never sold this type of tire before.

Why winters for the Mist after all this great experience with the WeatherPeaks Spots Fans?

Simply, I have a fresh set of all-seasons and can get tire storage at Elgin Auto Sales and Service so running winters is now an option.

If you need an independent repair place these guys are gold in my book!

So, now I have a clean car, a fresh oil change and a focus to get the right parts for my car's tires I can be confident the Mist will give good service until the "B" service.

Sports fans, I hope you all well.

Drive safe and you know where the rubber goes!

Interior Bling for the Mist

 Good Day, Sports Fans!

The interior of the Impreza is upgraded from the Touring with power seats with grey patterned cloth with red accents. The buttons and knobs for the car and basic black plastic with some having a "chrome" accent, such as the radio ON/OFF knob, Tuning knob, and the bezel of the Start button.

With the red exterior paint, the Mist needed some additional additions to the interior to connect it thematically with the overall treatment of the interior cloth seats.

In response to this I purchased from Amazon a set of  LOCOY Center Console Knob Covers; LOCOY Center Console Armrest Cover; and ‎MOCHENT Cup Holder Inserts Liners for the interior of the Mist.

Images for Amazon.

Images for Amazon.

Images for Amazon.

The overall quality of the items was good and the following are notes related to the installation...

‎MOCHENT Cup Holder Inserts Liners

The liners are straightforward to install. Just match the shapes with the proper location on the car and way you go. Good build quality and fitment was good except for the large rectangle placed at the bottom of the console cubby. It was not quite the right size being slightly smaller than the actual shape of the console. A minor quibble as no one is going to see it.

LOCOY Center Console Knob Covers

These were easy to install.

Note that placing the red ring around the Start Button needs to be slightly off-center for me. When I first installed it, from my seating position, I could still see the chrome ring. I had not pressed it on hard so was able to shift it up. Take care when separating the cover for the tape. I needed to use the tip of my knife to separate the paper protecting the tape and the adhesive for the red starter ring cover appears delicate.

The knobs for the radio controls slip on with some interference. It did not damage the knobs but I do not think I will be ever able to take them off.

The knob for the side-view mirrors needed the thin tape provided. I measure out a piece 3/4 the diameter of the knob, taped the tape to the knob and slipped the knob over the tape. It was tight and with a bit of rocking, I got the new knob to seat properly.

The thin tape is used to firmly set the knob on the side-view mirror control.

It's not coming off either!

LOCOY Center Console Armrest Cover

This slips on with moderate effort. Plan out before had your positioning of the cover before you put it on the console if you bias the cover to the rear or to one side you will have to start over. It does not interfere with the lid locking and looks OK. I prefer the feel of the OEM material on my arm but I wanted to protect the arm as I am resting it on the rest almost all the time (as opposed to my Accent, where the armrest was too low).

Will the wrinkles be problematic?!?

As can be witnessed by the photos the material still has wrinkles. Not a deal breaker for me and we will see Sports Fans if over time the wrinkles disappear.

Overall Impressions

Knobs: 9/10. Why the fit for the radio knob is spot on and the mirror know not so much? Comments as to why there is no ring for the Trip Reset button are well-founded. Would be nice to complete the set with this additional piece.

Cup Holder Inserts: 9/10. I really like the red piping and the coverage which adds to the protection of the cubbies and cup holders. All the pieces fit perfectly save the one in the Center Console cubby.

Center Console Armrest Cover: Provisional 7/10. A better fitment on installation would add confidence to the use of this product. I will revisit these accories updating you on their durability and service in the future.

Well Sports Fans, for about a Benjamin you can get some nice accessories that personalize your Subie and add some bling to your pride and joy.

Drive safe and you know where the rubber goes!

The Mist Got Some Bling

 Hello Sports Fans!

The Red Mist is in stock condition and will remain stock for a while yet, especially when she is in warranty. Also, time, money, and resources are not in my favour to do a lot of work on my own as I do not have a place or tools to do the work on my Impreza.

Still, there are tons of opportunities to make my Impreza my own and there are several sites that respond to the needs of the 6th Generation Impreza Community, though, as the Impreza is not sold in the same number as other Subaru models, such as the WRX, there are not the resources for parts and mods available to the Impreza community.

Luckily, I have a local resource, Subie Supply Co. in Brantford, Ontario. They do about 95% of their business online but I am a bit old school Sports Fans in wanting a person to "interface" with to ask questions, get ideas, and generally establish a relationship that benefits both parties.

Before I left on vacation I bought a Perrin Battery Tie Down in red (PERPSP-ENG-700RD) and ordered a Billetworkz engraved Engine Bay Caps (BW-EBCZ-SUB-VASTI-RED-E). I would have ordered the caps from Perrin to keep consistency in colour and branding but they only make an oil cap at this time.

Billetworkz Caps

The installation of the caps was pretty straightforward but note the following:

Oil Cap: it has an o-ring which was loose and I almost lost it. It seems to want to fit in the recess machined into the mating surface that mates with the oil filler housing. I put some oil on it and firmly secured the cap. It would be a good idea to check the cap after driving several miles to make sure it was not venting or leaking oil.

Washer Fluid Cap: Pretty straightforward press-on fit but the fit was tight and was afraid of distorting the washer fluid tank top. It worked out but taking it off may be problematic.

Brake Fluid Cap: You need to take the gasket off the inside of the OEM cap and transfer it to the new cap or the cap does not fit properly. The gasket is thin so use care and a blunt object to separate the gasket such as a wooden coffee stir-stick. The fitment was good.

Coolant Reservoir Cap: Same as Washer Fluid Cap.

There is no Power Steering Cap as the power steering is electric on the 6th Gen.

Overall the look and feel of the caps are very good and I think the small volume production and machining setup equate to the cost for these parts.

Having said that the Mist is pleased with this bling.

Billetworkz Engine Bay Caps Set

Perrin Battery Tie Down

I read the instructions on this part thoroughly. I have to admit that Perrin's documentation for several of the parts I am interested in is well written and thought out and engenders confidence in my in looking to decide on using their parts in the future.

The tie-down does involve removing the negative cable of the battery and following the instructions closely but I modified my installation. You will note that the tiedown ends are different. One has a deep recess and one end does not. The instructions have the deep recess end of the tiedown facing forward. I reversed this as I only had an adjustable wrench and access to the nut was easier. If you shortened the battery hold-down rods you then could get a socket on the nuts. As it was, a conventional deep socket would not work with the OEM hold-down rods, such as those you can get from Klein Tools.

Good NEWS Sports Fans! If you undo the negative terminal you do not lose your radio presets and other settings. They must be kept in non-volatile memory so you do not have to re-program your radio and infotainment settings!

Note the difference between the ends of the hold-down. The end on the left has a deeper recess than the one on the right.

I reversed the orientation as my battery tie-down rods are longer.

The last thing added was a Perring Reservoir Cozy.

Perring Reservoir Cozy

Simply stretch it carefully to encompass the reservoir taking care not to use too much force as it could separate at the seam.

BEFORE

AFTER

Note the shallow recess on the battery hold down facing the washer fluid resevoir.

Overall I am really pleased. I a bit more expensive than I imagined but if one wants to play the game one needs to pay the people willing to take the time, money, energy, development, and risk to create the things we want to add to our cars.

Though the red anodizing on the Perrin and the Billetworkz parts are different, over time, with aging, they may begin to give a similar cast.

I am hoping that the caps are reliable and do not make it harder to add fluids, especially the windshield washer reservoir.

Next purchase...

Perhaps a set of Perrin Solenoid Covers!

The Long Way Round

 It has been several days since my return home, and the memory of the recent trip is still strong. Many adventures over many miles. The Mist and I visited the states of New York, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire, as well as the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Fort Erie

The following table summarizes some of the stats the Mist experienced during her inaugural trip to the Maritimes.

A total of 5, 138.2 km consuming 400.7 litres of gas costing $549.00. An average speed of 67.3 kms/h consuming 8.0 litres of fuel per 100 km over an estimated drive time (including stops and side trips) of 71.5 hours.

The Average L/100 KM estimates were recorded from the Subaru's trip computer and it is quite accurate (7.8 realized compared to 8.0 recorded) and translates to 30.1 miles per gallon.

Overall I am pleased with the gas economy. Compared to my previous car, a 2012 Hyundai Accent, it is lower because the Subaru is All Wheel Drive, and has a larger engine with more horsepower. Note that some spirited driving and a lot of hilly terrain would impact the overall fuel economy.

Oil consumption was marginal and the car performed flawlessly. I will cover my driving impressions in the next blog post.

She Was a Dirty Girl. Now She Isn't

 Sports Fans!

Mist was a bit road-weary and dirty. I had intended to wash her in the AM at Ticonderoga at the Ticonderoga Car Wash but this facility is so 1980. It only takes coins. Sixteen (16!) quarters to be exact. The bays were messy and obviously, everyone with a dirt bike, ATV, Quad and mudder truck comes through here and washes their vehicle. The floor pad was so dirty.

My Google review:

As Lamont says, "Good location."

Sadly this is the only redeeming feature of this facility.

The most glaring issue is it does not take debit or credit card payments. Be sure to bring 16 quarters with you to get a wash, assuming the coin machine works! Have fun and good luck.

It looks like every local washes the ATV, quad, dirtbike, and mudded up 4X4 in the bays and the proprietor seems not to clean the bays out so you drive into muck.

Fix it up and make it cleaner and modern or close it.

It wasted my time and that really pisses me off.

So, the Mist did not get her once every 2 or 3-day wash and we had to move on.

But today I was able to catch up and give her some much-needed attention.

I am still getting the hang of using the machines more efficiently and organizing my cleaning and washing supplies to get the best bang and results for the buck. On average, it costs about $15.00 to wash her.

Used the Market Street Laser Wash in Corning, New York. 5 stars and really loved the air dryer!

Well worth it in the end.

I do say she looks mighty nice today!

Oh. No twisties today.

Quite By Accident

 No Sports Fans, the Red Mist was not involved in a vehicular altercation!

Cannon Drill at Fort Ticonderoga.

She, through an oversight by yours truly, ended up on a ferry.

Yesterday was a drive from Killington Vermont to Fort Ticonderoga and then an overnight in Ticonderoga.

Before I write anything else I must, must express how truly great the Fort is to visit. It is a well done PRIVATE institution which has persevered for over a century displaying and living the history of this storied fort.

But I digress.

Leaving Killington I made an error in navigation. Two really. To explain, I have a corporate phone that I turn off when I am in the US. My company does not furnish a data plan and I only want it for emergencies. Thus, I use an older Garmin GPS and its route and place-finding capabilities are astoundingly primitive compared to Google or Apple maps. It sometimes cannot find towns located only 50 kilometres away in the same state. It can take you on obscure 2nd-class paved and gravel roads. Etc.

Soooooooo...

I drove 5 minutes in the wrong direction and realized I was going South when I needed to go North. Once on track Spots Fans we found some Vermont twisties and the Mist was very happy indeed.

I took VT Route 100 North through Stockbridge, Talcville, and Forest Dale. Delightful! Simply delightful. Passed a Forester and stopped at a Scenic Overlook and it was easily 5 minutes before she passed me. Who knows, she could have stopped for a break of some kind?

After Forest Dale you get out of the mountains and the land opens to a beautiful valley that extends to the New York State border, where the mountains begin again.

Unbeknownst to me, I was heading to a little extra adventure.

The roads went from two-lane State highway to rural two-lane asphalt to gravel. Down a hill and WATER!

At first, the appearance of the road seemed to be a dead-end but as I dropped closer to the water I found I was at a ferry crossing!

Which turned out to be perfect.

Sports Fans, the closest route not using the ferry was south to Whitehall, about 19 miles as the crow flies. Going north is much farther and I would have had to enter Canada and exit back into the US. So, for $12.00 it was well worth the short trip across. The man managing the cars (car) was quite pleasant, and it turns out he was a candidate for Vermont State Senate.

The ferry crossing drops you about 500 metres from the Fort's entrance so it was all good from then on.

The Fort was engrossing. The re-enactors make all their own clothes and use the skills that the men and women of the 1750s would have used to make clothes, cook food, and all the sundry things people needed to do to equip themselves and survive.

The view and location are simply breathtaking and it is recommended to go Mount Defiance for a more panoramic view of this wonderful place.

After that stayed at the "quaint" Super 8 in town. Not much in the way of accommodation in Ticonderoga, New York. And piss poor Internet.

Overall, a banner day Sports Fans!

Mount Washington!: A Life-Long Dream Realized.

Sports Fans!

Today was a realization of a long-time dream.

I have always wanted to go to Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Today I realized that dream.

The drive up the mountain appeared more harrowing than I realized and it took a bit of calming Mozart to help me deal with the unguarded road that did not fall off sheer cliffs but would have resulted in rolling a long way down the mountain before you hit the tree line.

I was unsure I would be able to drive down but it turns out that driving DOWN the mountain on the narrow switch-backed road was easier than going up.

I met a nice couple from Massachusetts who had been there three times and they confirmed that they felt the same way.

The photographs do not do the experience justice.