TARManiAC

I´m new here so forgive me if I post this wrong!
bought my car from new one month ago. It has now done 3500 km´s and had its first oilchange. I always make sure to warm up the engine before I push it. However there is a nocking noise from the
engine when I start it in the morning. Car stays in warm (approx.13 degrees celc.) garage during nights so the engine is not completely cold when I start it up. I can hear the noise from inside the car too. It is not clutch/gearbox noise as it makes no difference wether the clutchpedal is worked or not. When car has been driven for 5-10 minutes and has reached normal working temp.
the noise has gone. Noise is not very loud. For instance I can not hear it if I at standstill rev the engine and exhaustnoise comes into play. My dealer, who is an amateur Subaru rallydriver, insists on using Duckhams semisynthetich 10w/40 oil. I broke the engine in according to the book (max. 4000 rpm for the first 1000 miles). Anything to worry about and what could be the cause for this??

Active

Sounds like piston slap, but at 3500k!.
I would write to your dealer expressing your concern over the noise, then if anything untoward happens at a later date you will have registered your concern in writing.
Just my twopenneth
Bob

dan4

I have had exactly the same problem with my car (MY01 WRX) and last week had it diagnosed as piston slap. My car has only done 8k miles and the noise was first heard at about 5k miles. I am now awaiting confirmation from IM that it can be dealt with as a warranty issue.

Dan4

Alistair Peake

What fuel did you both use, UL, SUL or Optimax?

MAC76

I know that some 01my wrx have problems with one of the tension pulleys. It might be worth checking that out before letting them pull your pride and joy to bits.

I know this from experiance ( 3 yrs at a subaru main agent)

Hope this helps
Mart

scoobyboy

prob the cambelt tensioner can produce a noise similar to piston slap but a well trained ear will notice the difference! there is a modded tensioner out for this prob.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Is the cambelt tensioner a cold, hot or both problem? I sometimes detect a noise not unlike slap with the engine hot at idle. I have experience of piston slap on other makes over the years, so know the sound, and this isn't it
Johnd (99MY - UK)

MAC76

the tensioner is a hot and cold problem!
I had it on my car.
Martyn

TARManiAC

WOW!! Not even 24 hours, and I have 7 replies. Thanks guys, this
site is awesome. As for the question about fuel I use Total 98 octane. But don´t think this got anything to do with the problem.
Are the tension pulley´s the visible small wheels on the frontside of the engine who runs the belt? If so, how can they make a noise?
their bearings or what?

Apart from this "little" problem and a car which is in far from new
condition (small white stains in the paint and dirt/dust in every little corner, I am very satisfied with it. My dealer tried to clean the paint two times, which helped, but still those small stains are visible. Perhaps the car has been stored outside hence
the model year. He told me it was produced June ´01 and came to Belgium November ´01. I come from a Volvo S60 T5 which the dealer took back because of numerous problems so I don´t hope the nightmare starts all over again. After all I bought the Subaru because it is an old dream (since ´98 when I first tested a GT turbo) and because the word has always been that Subarus are reliable. I actually plan to keep this car forever to beat Volvos record of the longest mileage with the P 1800 in the states.

MAC76

The pulleys are visable when you take the cover off that exposes the cam belt. I am not sure how they make the noise but the other post that states that there is a fix is indeed correct. I would take it back and get someone else to look at it as i am sure you will find it to be the pulley and not piston slap!
Mart

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Re - my previous post, how much of a problem is this tensioner? Mine has been making the noise for almost 20k and removing the smaller of the two belt covers reveals no apparent belt wear, and it seems clean in there! although I haven't run the motor with it off to see any excessive belt flap. Is it simply a noise thing or should it be corrected as a matter of course?
JohnD

TARManiAC

Thanks again MAC76. What model is/was your car that had the problem
with the tensioner? Did you get it fixed? did it help?

TARManiAC

Having just cheked the SIDC FAQ piston slap section I found that this problem concerns late 90´s models and normally only sets in at around 1500-2000 rpms. So I don´t think mine has this problem as it is a ´01 model and noise is also there when idling. I will talk to the dealer and come back when I know more.
Claus

MAC76

The car i had at the time was a 2001 WRX and when the tensioner was changed the car was fine.
Mart

Plums

Had the same problem after the 7000 kms service.....

Loud knock coming from engine most noticeable when in reverse
and releasing the clutch! Really sounded like piston slap!

Annoyingly also cleared up when warm..... so the garage didn't hear it!
So I had a hunch that the oil maybe to thin so swopped it for thicker Motul 15W-50

Sorted out the problem and now sounds sweet!

Apparently if the oil is too thin the correct oil pressure cannot be obtained and low oil pressure equals poor shock protection!

Plums.

dan4

Now thoroughly confused! I took the car to a Subaru main dealer and left it with them over night so that they could cold start it and listen. They told me it was piston slap and suggested cylinder 4. Surely they would have known if it was the other suggestions made in previous posts earlier in this thread? The oil in the car is what they put in and the car is run on SUL. The noise is only there when cold started and not even every time. It is never heard when the car is hot and once the engine is at running temperature, the noise stops. Any ideas what this might be?

Dan4

scoobyboy

the piston in the tensioner looses pressure so when it starts up the belt whips causing the tensioner to knock slightly against the top of the housing it sits in which is mistaken for piston slap. which after a while it builds up pressure and goes but the car is warm by then so can't be heard. when it's bad the tensioner can't hold pressure even when warm and carries on knocking.
usally i.m say that that model year car doesn't suffer from piston slap and to change the tensioner first.
to see what type you got take the covers off and look at the colour of the paint mark on the head of the bolt that holds the wheel on not the pivot bolt cos it aint got no paint on it! if it is blue then you got the old type tensioner and should get it changed for the new type which has a green paint mark on it.

TARManiAC

When I started the car this morning there was nothing wrong. Will keep an ear on it though.
Claus

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Scoobyboy
From what year or model was the modified tensioner fitted and how much are we talking about to buy the replacement?
I can remember you describing the tensioner removal and replacement procedure in a thread quite a while ago? Could you remind us? It would be most appreciated.
JohnD

scoobyboy

i think the mod is quite a recent thing i've only done a few so can't give specific my's but it seems to be if there is a knocking at the front and your in warranty you get a new tensioner. don't know about the price either i only fit the bit!!
but for fitting it it's easy, when our looking at the belt turn the engine until the timing lines line up, then undo the 14mm bolt that holds it to the engine,this is where it gets tricky you have to remove the tensioner whilst holding the belt so it don't jump any teeth. the new tensioner is all ready to go straight in so after a bit of juggling with fingers and tensioner just do the 14mm bolt up and remove the locking pin, turn the engine over a couple of times to preload the belt before starting and your done tensioner changed without disturbing the belt. hope this helps i'll see if i can find the part no. and price

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Scoobyboy - Excellent, price & part No would be good!
Cheers JohnD

scoobyboy

the price of a new tensioner is £221.37 with vat and the part no. is either 13303aa002 or 13033aa002 cant remember which think it's the first though

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

S**t! - Still, with Subaru written on it what do you expect! You would have to be sure you really needed one. Anyone in the Romford area (Other than Wilsons) who can recognise the sound?
Cheers for the info. Scoobyboy, much appreciated.
JohnD

JackClark

My Subarus have always sounded awful for a few minutes each morning. I thought that was normal, I've not seen any damage yet. Pehaps I'm lucky.

TARManiAC

Maybe they all do that sir.

scoobyslut

timing belt tensioner is the norm for wrx's, its the hydraulic damper that fails, causing the damm thing to slap up and down against its little bump stops.

scoobyboy

sorry it's defo the second!!!!

DaveP

Just had my 02 in with the same problem - Noisy when cold. Left it with the Scooby dealer over night for a cold start and they diagnosed timing tensioner. It has been replaced under warranty and the problem has gone. This has also helped me to feel secure in the knowledge that the UK dealer will honour the warranty on a car I got from Belgium in February.

Im Happy.

TARManiAC

Hi DaveP

How loud was the noise from your engine? Can you explain the noise?
Does your car stay outside during the night? What kind of temperatures was it when you discovered the noise?
I ask because the noise from my engine can best be heard from inside the car. Maybe the noise from my car is more quiet because my car is garaged during nights (in app. 13 degree warm garage).
My dealer says that from my explanation it cannot be the tensioner.
I will have him listening to it when cold.

Claus

TARManiAC

By the way Dave, where in Belgium did you by your car?

Claus