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2005 Outback XT with ticking or clicking coming from engine

11K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  Soledad 
#1 ·
I am attaching a video clip, that will hopefully best describe my problem.

2005 Outback 2.5XT automatic
51,900 miles

Just bought it from a subaru dealer 2 weeks ago. Ran fine and the sound just started about a day ago and wont go away. You can also hear the engine running a little rough too. The sound seems to be coming from the passenger side of the engine in about the middle of the engine. Thanks for the help.

http://youtu.be/Ju4kD9-ZKX
 
#5 ·
Does it subside when it warms up? If so then I'd say typical Subaru cold knock. However... That sounds deeper than cold startup sound to me. I hate to say it but I wonder if its rod knock.

If it persists when warm I'd stop driving before something bad happens. You could always send an oil sample into black stone and see what is wearing. By the way, how is oil consumption and what is the history?

If its only two weeks new to you, I'd drop it back off at the dealer and not pick it up until fixed.
 
#6 ·
I was wondering if it was a rod knocking also. However, when I researched it you could only hear it when the engine was being rev'ed (in the videos I found). My car, you can hear it clear as day at idle, even sitting in the car with the windows up. The sound does not go away when the car gets warmed up. The subaru dealer I bought it from is several hours from me, so the car is sitting until I get time to take it to the dealer.
 
#7 ·
The more I think about it the more I think a) it is something major (ie a bad rod bearing) and b) the dealer is going to cover you. While it's technically out of warranty (powertrain in 05 was 5/60k) your miles are so low and your ownership is so short that I think you have a really strong case to get Subaru to pay for it - either Subaru USA or the dealer or a combo of both. I would call the dealer and ask how they would like to respond. And definitely do not drive it until they look at it.

So what does the oil level / quality look like? Is it even registering on the stick? Something tells me this is oil related.
 
#8 ·
oil level on the stick shows full. It was darker than I expected since it was changed when I bought it, but it does show full. The dealer is a 2hr drive, so I sent them a copy of the video clip they responded and said their mechanics dont work on sat and sun but they will show the clip to their mechanic first thing monday morning. Hopefully I can just take it to the dealer that is closer. We will have to see.
 
#9 ·
have you checked the oil?
any major work/maintenance done to the engine (dealer records?)?

that is an interesting sound for sure - i'm not sure if it's the sound quality...recorded and then played on my speakers....but anyway it initially makes me think of rod knock but then it's also dead enough that it makes me wonder what else it could be as well.

hopefully the dealer will be nice to you...they just sold you this car?
it never made this sound for the first two weeks?
 
#12 ·
I think I fixed it

Here it is.....there is a yellow wire (in the middle of the pic). That wire goes down to a piece of metal (in the other pic) there is a bolt (you can see the bolt in the second pic just to the left of the wire) down by a plastic piece (I am guessing it is an 02 sensor, you can see the plastic piece in the second pic), when i touch the piece of metal to the bolt, the noise stops. I hooked the piece of metal to the bolt and drove for a while and there was no noise the whole time. now the piece of metal came loose again. Maybe I just need a little more.....balls......when tightening the bolt again.
 

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#13 ·
It's really hard to see in that second picture but is that the bolt to one of the spark-plug coils? Assuming the bolt is part of the coil top, the ticking couldn't be a spark arcing could it? That you could easily see at night. Or maybe the spark-plug is loose under the coil?

If it's not the coil I'm seeing then are you saying that maybe the metal piece is loose and hitting the bolt and making the sound?
 
#15 ·
My best guess is a spark arcing or the coil is going bad or the spark-plug is loose under the coil. Even though it's a pain in the rear I would pull off the coil and pull out that spark-plug to make absolutely sure everything is fine then put it all back in with that metal bracket attached properly.
 
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