I have a 06 WRX with 65k miles on it, I got it at ~30k miles.
It has been in and out of the dealer multiple times throughout my ownership (and prior to it too looking at the dealer records) with the same problem over and over. the problem being the air pumps keep going bad, code p2444 i believe.
I had it replaced 6 months ago and it went bad again the other week. prior to that the last time it happened was about a year and a half or so ago. The dealer told me that as the car gets older they are more susceptible to moisture which causes them to fail so it looks like I can expect more of the same problem to come.
This just seems ridiculous that I have to keep going back paying for this thing to get fixed so often, these parts are expensive too. about $300/pump +labor
Is there a way to remove this stupid thing without throwing the CEL? I think it would be well worth it to just remove the damn thing so I dont have to pay for repairs every 6 months.
So it it possible?
Also is this a common issue with subaru’s? I really like the car but it certainly makes me think twice about buying another WRX if I have to go through this all the time
Buy a Cobb access port. You can Turn off any/all cel’s and remove the system if you buy the proper block off plates. I’m not sure if you can permenantly turn off cell’s with a tatrix cable or not.
Basically, the air pump is how many manufacturers keep up with emissions regulations. Rather than making more efficient engines, they just pump clean air into the exhaust to allow better cat efficiency which obviously reduces tailpipe emissions. Frequent failure points like this are not typical for suburus in general. For your car being turbo, expect to see higher dollar maintenance at around 100k miles. Timing belt required at 105k, and that is about when many people have turbo faulures.
My friends f150 eco boost has a bad air pump and the dealer can’t even get them to replace it due to high demand. I assume this isn’t only a subaru issue.
Also, I have a complete 2011 wrx air pump system that id let go cheap if you decided not to take yours out and want a spare.
I know in the bmw world guys delete the air pumps after they do catless headers. They fab up block off plates and then run Sims so there is no SES light on. Ill be doing mine next month or so.
No input for Subaru but I’ve got it tuned out on my wife’s Passat. Like Stuie said Cobb or I’m sure there are others that can get it tuned out as well.
Stuie nailed it. I’m surprised you didn’t get a downpipe and a tune. I would see if someone with a Tatrix cable will help you remove the code before spending ~$500 on a Cobb. Most people just get rid of the pump and use a blockoff plate.
So if I buy the cobb access port do I need to even worry about taking it off the car if I can just prevent the codes from firing?
I really cant bring myself to buy a $500 item that I am going to use for an hour or so and then never use again but I suppose it would save me in the long run
thats what mine did this time around, then the dealer started poking around and found the 2 valves were bad so they had to replace them too. needless to say they basically replaces the whole system