oh shit...
over the last two days ive heard some funny noises starting to come from my engine at idle. in particular a very faint sound that resembles a diesel engine sound, bit like a van. i hope to god this isnt the start of engine knock or the dredded piston slap. since ive had it the engine has always "ticked" when started from cold but this has gone away when the engine is warmed up, which is what i have always done, warmed up cooled down.

if it helps any of the technicians on here the sound seems particular on the drivers side near the middle of the engine round the air box area.

please someone tell me its something that wont cost me £££'s as im totally broke as it is trying to save up for a decent service from jasemac...

any help appreciated for this lost soul

andy

 

boost solenoid is in that area and it could be busy clicking away.

 

thats probably the noise from when the car is cold then. is that normal?

but whats this new noise? bit of a deeper sounding tapping... please for the love of god tell me my car isnt dead... i havent even had chance to drive her enthusiastically...

andy

 

whats the oil levels like, if its low then the tappets//lifters may be suffering from oil starvation (depending on year of car if they are hydraulic or not).

A good way of testing if it is the boost solenoid is by connecting the connectors under the dash 2 x black 2 x green as the solenoid should get busy then see if it is the same noise.

 

i did a ecu reset this morning to see if it was any better. the ticking is still there but ive had that from day one. this new noise seems to be coming from somewhere deeper inside the engine. the oil has never been low, and i topped it up the first day i heard noises... and it wasnt low at all. popped in a little water in the coolant thingy too, just to top up until i get it serviced.

my main worry is if there is some sort of piston slap or the like coming on.

andy

oh the car is supposedly a 95 wrx, but seems to have a 93 engine going by the code on the engine somewhere near the drive shaft, i think...

 

If it's a knocking sound then that is potentially bad. Is it particularly prominent at certain revs?

A sound file on here might help.

The only way to tell for sure is to get it to a specialist really though mate.

Ns04

 

The early wrx cars had hydraulic lifters and they are prone to getting a bit noisy. They make more of a tapping noise than a knocking noise though. I used to have a 94 model and it was like that, and the noise would come and go. Lifters can be changed but you may need to remove the engine to do it, I can't remember. Not really a problem. If your car is due for an oil change then it may help if you get it done.

Piston slap is usually a problem on later cars 97/98 years, does make the car sound like a diesel, becomes more apparent when revved gently or when you go to pull off with a cold engine. Usually more noticeable when the weather is cold too. Not really a problem unless it is still there when the engine is warm.

There's also a possibility it is the cam belt tensioner.

As Ns04 has said, best bet is to get someone to listen to it who knows a lot about subarus, they don't normally charge for having a listen to it and can probably advise as to what's best.

 

much appreciated that mate. im in scunthorpe as you can see so its a trip to scoobybits to see jasemac or scoobyclinic, whoeer can see me first. sod petrol costs. my car needs sorting before it costs me £1000s to fix a £3000 car!!

andy

 

If the big ends have gone, not saying that yours have, would oil pressure drop or would it stil be at a reasonable pressure reading, if you had a gauge ?

 

no idea. still learning about the engine etc, but a service and a check over by a subaru guru may be the best option...

andy