[Kumachn]

04 FXT 5MT
99K Miles

2 days ago I started hearing a whiring sound from the engine bay. Don't have to be in gear to hear it. When I rev it can be heard louder. I haven't been able to pin point on the exact area since I can't rev the motor from the outside. I'm thinking it may be a belt tensioner.

Is this normal for Subi's ?
I asked one guy at Fine Line Tuning and he says " Yes " after hearing it.

Asked a guy from LIC and he say " No " after just explaining it to him, but was to busy to take a quick listen. His suggestion was Idle Gear.

Asked the Pretige Subaru they say " No " after hearing my car come into a Enclosed Service Bay. The sound was amplified bouncing off the walls.

I may take video tommorow and post it to YouTube. On Monday I have an appointment with Presige Subaru in Santa Rosa for diagnosis and hopefuly coverd under warranty. I've only had the car for 7 days and already acting like my AE86 .. LOL

The car has 99K Miles and no service records that I can track down. Even calling the dealers from what was listed on CarFax and the business cards I found in the Owners Manual Pouch. I may also take it to Coddingtown Firestone tommorow just for a quick inspection without telling them whats wrong to see if they find anything.

Any suggestions on what to look for ?

 

[flstffxe]

With 99K and no maintenance records I would not be surprised if it was a timing belt idler on its way out. The belt is due to be serviced at 105K. Many will say these rarely fail, however I have personally seen two of the smooth idlers fail. One completely shredded the belt leading to a high repair bill. The other was shut down before it did any damage. Recently I just did a second T-belt job on a friends '97 Outback with 77K on the belt components, one of the smooth idlers was blue from the bearings beginning to fail and heating the pulley

It could be some thing less severe, such as a whine from the alternator.

 

[Kumachn]

Took a long screw driver this morning a used it as a stetascope and the noise is in the vicinity of the Alternator and AC Compressor. I'll find out tommorow when I take it to the shop for warranty repair. Timing Belt and belt idler is included in my warranty.

 

[Kumachn]

Here is the video of the sound with light throttle.

 

[2.5x_sleeper]

My neighbor has a Subaru Legacy & it makes a noise like that. My first thought was a faulty alternator. It doesn't seem to bother the neighbor, but then, he's not into his vehicles...

Bobby...

['07 FSXT MODding Journal] ['03 X MODding Journal]

 

[funkymonkey1002]

It's the A/C belt tensioner. The part with the pulley and the long adjusting screw (its sold as one big assembly for about $100).

 

[Kumachn]

Just got it check this morning. It turns out to be the Timing Belt Idler Pulley Bearing. Est. Cost $479.00 at Santa Rosa Subaru Dealer. Now working with Irvine Subaru to fix the warranty.

The Extended Warranty has not been processed yet and said Subaru Irvine may need to front the cost cause it could have been a pre-existing problem before I bought the car. But in the mean time Santa Rosa Subaru is ordering the parts and I'm scheduled for Monday morning. So now I have to baby the car until its replaced.

 

[flstffxe]

As long as they are in there pay any added cost to do the hydraulic tensioner, T-belt and the other idlers pulleys if they are not included in that price.

 

[pleiad7]

Coddingtown Firestone is out of business.

And only go to P r e s t i g e if it's a warranty item... otherwise I would only trust LIC to get it right.

 

[Kumachn]

When did the Firestone go out of business ? I was just there a couple of weeks ago doing an oil change for my Montero Sport I just sold.

I hope Santa Rosa Subaru they replace everything since their in there anyway so I don't have to do the 105K Service. I'll pay extra for the Timing Belt and tensioners if not. I talked to Irvine Subaru this afternoon and they are trying to deal with their Extended Warranty Company and straighten things out. Crossing my fingures. I gave them most of my cash funds for the warranty just to cover the Drivetrain.

Who **** out the names of the Dealers ?

I don't know if I would go the mechanic in Novato. I didn't get a good vibe or welcoming feeling when I went to check it out. But maybe I just caught them on a bad day.

The one in Santa Rosa of of Piner was more than willing to give me options and advise but couldn't hear what I was hearing.

I like doing alot of the work myself, but this time I have to be more cautious due to warranty coverage and sensativity of the MAF unlike my AE86 where I can just simply bolt stuff on without tuning. In the meantime I'll be doing alot of reading on this forum and taking notes of what can and cannot be done.

I'll be keeping a worklog just like I did for my AE86 posted on Club4AG. But won't go to crazy due our new baby girl due in July.

 

[pleiad7]

The dealer name is blanked out because my husband (founder of this site) used to work there and almost lost his job over a stupid post on this forum. As for Firestone... we tried to go there about a month ago for an alignment after Subed got his new shoes at America's Tire, and Firestone was no longer. Wound up going to Spring Works - thumbs waaaayy down.

If you have any doubts about LIC, you should read up on their reviews... around here, and on i-club. Their reputation is second to none in the Bay Area. If you went there a few weeks ago, don't feel too bad... they were probably in a butt rush to get their race car prepped. We're actually headed there for an appointment today with Slynki, which got bumped a couple weeks ago due to the time constraints they had.

Oh, and here:
http://www.subaruforester.org/vbull...-novato-great-service-thanks-adam-noah-58821/

 

[Roo]

Who **** out the names of the Dealers ?

Well, who the **** searches this entire board, finds something MY WIFE posts up BEFORE I was employed by them, then brings it to my manager to hold over my head? What kind of manager calls me in and tells me that if this son of a two-bit wh*** (anonymous person) takes these posts to the owner, that there's nothing he can do to help save my job?

This is simply ensuring that the particular dealer, where I worked, and who I was trying to promote, does NOT get mentioned, and therefore has no reason to take offense to anything that is said.

Your problem with that IS?????

:furious:

 

[Kumachn]

No offense to you Roo, but I didn't know the past events of that particular dealership. So with that said it should have been a sticky to not mention that Dealership in SR. Also at the same time that dealership should know that anything mentioned on a forum is of the posters opinion.

I have not mentioned anything wrong about the SR location so there should be no offense. Its the Irvine location that messed up on warranty paperwork processing and vehicle inspection as per warranty company. I was just curious why it was ****.

All was needed was the first explanation from Pleiad7. Or a simple that particular dealer likes to retaliate and should not be mentioned. I hope all is well on the employment side and hope to meet you all in person and chat off-line.

 

[pleiad7]

It's all good. Hubby is grouchy today because we were sent a steering rack that wasn't up to the promised specifications.

Hope you get your idler bearing issue sorted soon.

 

[Kumachn]

Pleiad7 - Firestone is still in business. Are you sure you went to the right location at Coddington Mall near the post office on Range Rd.? On Google maps and GPS they have it in the wrong spot. But if your on Guerneville Rd and make a left onto Range you'll see it on the left.

850 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa, CA

I may go there for doing the Timing belt & water pump for aprox. $650 since I have credit there. I used most of my cash putting the downpayment and warranty cost up front at the dealer. Dealer cost $1,500. Even if I use the warranty to offset the cost it would still be $1,171.00. I just wished that the Irvine Location done this work before I purchased it and not have the buyer replace it after 1 oil change. I did have the Irvine location fix my warranty plus upgrade it for free for inconviencing me.