[Keith Tobberman]

Hey,
I posted several posts/threads on here about engine ticking. Here is a link to a YouTube video of a startup and idle. What does it sound like to you? The camera makes it sound a little sharper and louder but I think it is a decent representation of real life.

YouTube - 2004 Subaru Forester X Startup and Idle

-Thanks

 

[Subie 2003]

Sort of sounded like an exhaust leak

 

[R5oss]

Keith your vid is too short to make any sense of the tap-tap-tap sound.

If you can, get someone else to start your car while you record it. Start at the drivers side, then the front, then the passenger side, and record about 10secs from each position with the camera held steady. You might also want do to a slow walk around the front. Don't stand too close (head in the engine bay) because you will pick up all of the normal engine sounds.

Is the tap-tap-tap sound there after the engine has warmed up ?

 

[flstffxe]

Vid is good enough for me, however I am not one who likes to internet diagnose engine/vehicle noises as I can't put my ear to the engine(listening probe).

Based off the vid, I would go with either piston slap or a bearing knock.

 

[frogstar7055]

Sounds kinda loud for piston slap.
Does it go away when it warms up?

 

[Wormguy]

The start of the video shows the temp gauge at warm. It sure sounds like piston slap. Does it sound worse when you first start the car?

 

[dpm]

sounds like a diesel.

 

[R5oss]

sounds like a diesel.

But NOT the Subaru :icon_wink:

 

[AlleyCat]

Hey thats not a Volvo 850! Sound like piston slap. Common. What weight oil you running? How many miles? How is your oil usage? Engine will require rebuild, but if oil usage is acceptable, you can go to a 5w-40 RT6 or similar to help quiet this.

 

[Keith Tobberman]

Thanks for the replies. It does it from startup through idle. It idles very slow, around 700 rpms. If I drive or rev it, it stops ticking when the rpms increase to over 1500 rpms. The engine oil is clean and at a good level. I don't know what it could be.

-Thanks

 

[funkymonkey1002]

If you rev up do you get a knock when you let off?

 

[Subie 2003]

Power brake it up to about 2000 rpm. Does the knock become more pronounced?

 

[Keith Tobberman]

Thanks for the replies, it doesn't tick when the revs are up, then, when you put it in park the tick comes back as the rpms drop to a low idle.

-Thanks

 

[Subie 2003]

So you held your foot on the brake while giving it gas and the knock/tick wasnt there?

 

[Keith Tobberman]

Hey, no I did not do that. I revved it in park then noticed the ticking stopped there when the revs were up and the ticking stopped when I was driving and the revs were up. (By up, I am talking over 1,500 RPMs). What is the worst scenario for this? How much money are we talkin'?

-Thanks

 

[Subie 2003]

Put the engine under load. Foot on the brakes, trans in drive, and bring your rpm's up slowly to around 2k while keeping the car stationary with the brakes. What happens?

 

[Keith Tobberman]

I don't own the Forester, it is at a dealership and I had taken it for a test drive home where I took that clip. It was back on the lot a couple of days ago.

-Thanks

 

[R5oss]

I don't own the Forester, it is at a dealership and I had taken it for a test drive home where I took that clip. It was back on the lot a couple of days ago. -Thanks

In that case, unless you're buying it as a 'fixer-upper/project car', it's likely to be very expensive to sort since the tap-tap-tap sound is almost certainly internal to the engine/drivers side cylinder block. If the dealership is telling you that it is a 'normal' sound for a "boxer engine" and is not including repairs in the price, buyer beware. Also, fresh engine oil is an easy con to hide some problems.

 

[Keith Tobberman]

I put the car in drive and gave it gas as I held the brakes. I only let it rev to about 2k rpms but the ticking was there throughout. It may have increased in volume but if it did, it was not much. Now what do you think??

-Thanks

 

[AlleyCat]

Run, not walk the other direction.