Whining noise in 2001 Outback 2.5i

enduro · Post by **enduro** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:02 am

I'm searching around for a used Outback and took two for a drive on the weekend. One was a 2002 6cyl auto, which I am not interested in really as the leather seats stunk and I don't like automatics.

The second was a 2.5i manual transmission. This was a great looking car, and had plenty of guts though there didn't appear to be as much room behind the wheel for me as there was in my 1991 L series - even with the seat right back. The 2002 auto was a little more roomy in that area.

Anyway, as I was driving the 2001 2.5i manual, I noticed a medium to high pitched whining noise that varied as I accelerated and decelerated - it rose in frequency as the accelerator was pushed down as died back as it was lifted. The frequency pitch shift was slight but noticeable from the interior of the car. After a couple or k's I popped the bonnet, jumped out and had my wife manipulate the accelerator while I listened - there was no more whining with the car stationary.

Any idea what the noise could have been? The owner said it had made that noise since he got the car 12mo ago. He also said that he had never taken the car off road however there was lots of sand in the tuck away areas of the engine bay!

Post by **Alex** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:29 pm

no way it has less room than a l-series!!

Are you sure the noise isnt coming from the stereo?

Alex

ohsuby · Post by **ohsuby** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:51 pm

Whinning on acc you might be lookin at a front or rear diff noise...wot about down a hill in nutral as the car gets faster is the noise increasing or only as you touch the gas pedal.....

enduro · Post by **enduro** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:35 pm

Alex wrote:no way it has less room than a l-series!!

Are you sure the noise isnt coming from the stereo?

Alex

Stereo was turned off, so it couldn't be that.

Post by **Alex** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:37 pm

noise can still come through the stereo when its off.

otherwise wheel bearings?

alex

enduro · Post by **enduro** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:39 pm

ohsuby wrote:Whinning on acc you might be lookin at a front or rear diff noise...wot about down a hill in nutral as the car gets faster is the noise increasing or only as you touch the gas pedal.....

The area is very flat so may be difficult to test on a downhill.

To me it sounded like an electric pump such as a window washer pump running, though variable in speed/frequency as the acceleration varied. I didn't notice it as I was coasting. My unqualified opinion was that it might be the feul pump.

I'm thinking of a second test drive before I get the RAC to check it out at a cost of $250.

The Outbacks are a few grand more expensive in WA that elswhere. The Redbook shows the price for a 2001 to be $11K-$14K and there are none here below $15K that havn't done +200K on the clock.

enduro · Post by **enduro** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:46 pm

Alex wrote:noise can still come through the stereo when its off.

otherwise wheel bearings?

alex

Yes noise can come from the stereo even when it's off but I'm pretty sure that it wasn't the stereo. My inclination was it was coming from the front of the car somewhere, perhaps from a pump, bearing or diff. It did sound like and electric pump.

I have heard wheel bearing noise a few times before and I'm pretty sure it was not that. In the last stages, wheel bearings can be heard when braking and deceleration. Often accompanied with clunking/clicking.

daveosubi · Post by **daveosubi** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:18 pm

I think my ac pump makes a high pitched squealing sound intermittently, not sure as it's hard to pinpoint.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:01 pm

From the description I am with Alex on this, sounds to me like it would be electrical interference manifesting in the speakers somehow. Was it an aftermarket stereo install?

It would be unlikely to be fuel pump if it's changing frequency with acceleration, the fuel pump should mostly pump at a fixed rate.

chriSTIan · Post by **chriSTIan** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:00 pm

Theres a couple of gen3 rx wgns in the quokka,both have damage,both from the same guy.1 is 6k,the other 8k

Saeble · Post by **Saeble** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:58 pm

make the wife ride in the back, that should at least lessen the whining noise...

enduro · Post by **enduro** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:58 pm

well she was in the car at the time of the test drive so that could hav ebeen it!

there were a few whinings when I slid around the roundabout in the wet.

Gremlins · Post by **Gremlins** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:36 pm

Wife's aside, I'd probably think along the lines of geabox or diff(s) rather than electrical as you've indicated you couldn't hear it when stopped or while coasting. Does it make the noise in all gears or just one of them? The Soob manual boxes quite often aren't the quietest of gearboxes around so it may just be gear noise and it's varying with the loading on the gear as you're changing the throttle setting. If it's doing it in all gears then I'd suspect the diff(s) and this would possibly be slightly more unusual as in my Subaru experience the diffs are usually fairly quiet when all is well. Even if it is gearbox or diff any noise shouldn't be excessively intrusive into the cabin, so if it is I'd beware.