AlexM

My MY98 has had a noisy first and second gear since new, but as I suspected it is getting worse.

First gear now whines very noticeably - if I'm moving in first, and dip the clutch you can hear the whine slowing down and stopping. Am I right in thinking that it wouldn't be the clutch release bearing, otherwise it would be whining whenever the clutch was depressed?.

My dealer is making 'they all do that sir' type noises, but I'm not convinced about the long term longevity of my gearbox. I want the Subaru tech rep to check and report on the gearbox. How would I arrange this?.

Has anyone had any luck with this approach when you and the dealer disagree about whether something is a problem or not?.

I would appreciate some pointers on:
a) what the hell is making this noise
b) how can I get them to fix it without it totally breaking first. (they would probably accuse me of abusing the car at that point..)

Cheers,

Alex
alex.masters@ibm.net

Ian Cook

Alex, are there any other dealers near you. Sometimes the other dealer may have come across the problem before and no instantly what the problem is. If not ask the dealer to get the IM tech rep in, as you want a second opinion. Especially if the noise is getting worse.

One question, do you rest your hand on the gear lever when driving, as apparently this can cause funny noises.

brumster

The clutch release bearing would show itself up as a dull whining/groaning (not to be confused with the wife, ofcourse) when you depress the clutch, no matter what gear (it's easier to hear at a standstill). Revving the engine would change the pitch of the whine too.

If you're just getting a whine in first gear, is it with road speed or engine speed?

If it's road speed, it's most likely the layshaft but as I'm not 'au fait' with the Impreza gearbox I'm not sure if this equates to a whining on 1st/2nd gears - but it probably does.

If it's with engine speed, you should notice it in all gears (but the fact that you're doing 20mph+ by the time you get to 3rd might be why you can't hear it then...).

Laters,
Dan

AlexM

Hi,

Thanks for your replies Ian and Brumster,

I took a day off work to go to the dealer, and after a test drive with a mechanic they commented that there was some gearbox whine, but not an amount indicative of a problem and didn't think any action was required.I wasn't really satisfied with their response, but went away reassured to an extent. I didn't come away thinking that they were about to suggest doing anything to fix it unless it was terminaly ill.

At the 15000 Mile (1 Year) service, I had mentioned that there was some clutch judder again (the clutch and flywheel replaced under warranty earlier this year as a result of juddering). The service manager was very helpful, and said that they might be able to 'adjust' it out. When I got the car back, the clutch was fine but the gearbox seemed quite a lot noisier,especially in 1st gear.

The service invoice said that the mechanic had de-glazed the clutch - I presume this means giving it some welly while doing some standing starts. Hmmmm.....

The noise is (IHMO) definately gear or bearing noise. I agree that it probably isn't a clutch release bearing, as the noise isn't present when the clutch is being operated.
The noise is present while driving in 1st or second gear, and is directly related to engine revs in each gear. Interestingly, if I dip the clutch in 1st, I can hear the whine drop in pitch as the cogs slow down.

Prehaps I am being paranoid, but having owned a sucession of mechanically dodgy cars, It gives me cause to worry and spoils my enjoyment of the car to an extent - especially as it is gradually getting worse.I don't think a new car with 8500 miles on it should suffer from noisy transmission.

What are my chances of getting the gearbox replaced, or rectified properly?. I seem to remember reading that gearbox rebuilds ofen don't cure the problem unless you basically replace everything, because the gears just have a slightly different contact point when they are realigned on new bearings.

Thanks,

Alex

WESTFIELD

You could try getting them to drain the gearbox oil and check for metal filings.