by Colin Hogue

Basic WRX Performance Tricks
Here are a few WRX performance tricks that I have come across that may give you that extra punch next time you pull up next to a Corvette at a stoplight. Please keep in mind that oftentimes increasing horsepower comes down to some common sense.
Oil Changes
Let’s start off with an easy one. How about changing your oil? I can still hear my dad saying, "Make sure to change that oil every 3000 miles!" Nowadays, most cars don’t require that oil be changed quite that often, but if you drive hard, it never hurts to put some fresh synthetic oil in there to help things run a little smoother. The Subaru WRX manual says to change the oil every 7,500 miles under normal driving conditions or every 3,750 if you drive hard. I suggest the latter.
Fresh, Properly Gapped Spark Plugs
Keeping your spark plugs inspected, cleaned, and gapped properly are also easy ways to keep your WRX running at its best. The proper spacing for a 2002 or 2003 WRX is 0.028"-0.031" (0.7-0.8 mm).
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