My outback's developed a creak behind the dash, especially in the mornings. Not to be confused with the dash rattle, it almost sounds connected to the steering column.. (ie i can almost hear it creak with the rotation of the steering wheel)
Just got a chance to check, only about a month after my original post.
Visually, they look good. I put a stethoscope on the strut bearings - no noise when the wheels are turning. I noticed some flex in the bushing when the wheels were fully turned, but nothing obviously bad... I performed this test with the wheels on the ground and in the air...
Is there any feedback through the wheel associated with that? That sounds annoying af.
Maybe put a few fingers on the input shaft of your steering rack while someone turns the wheel for you to see if you can feel it. Maybe you can isolate it this way?
I haven't really noticed any feedback from the steering wheel associated with the noise.
It seems to happen at very slow speeds (ie. Near a complete stop) and seems to be somewhat correlated to the weight of the car shifting from a stop to a start or vice versa. It usually doesn't happens in warmer temps (like above 65F).
Turning the wheel doesn't seem to cause it as much, but I will try that idea.
There's really only a few things that pivot up there. Strut bearings as have already been suggested. Ball joints and the rack pretty much round it out.
You'll also get movement out of the front sway bar when turning the wheel so don't forget the end links and sway bar bushings as well.
Edit.. Maybe I misunderstood your thread and injected what I thought you meant instead. Sorry if what I say isn't relevant to you. Guess I need more coffee
Does the creak always occur when the steering wheel is in the same spot (i.e. always at 3 o'clock regardless of turning it all the way to the left and then back to the right)? Maybe the steering column u-joint is failing?
The creak occurs at various steering wheel positions. Usually at parking lot speeds, so I'm often turning the wheel. But today, as I was backing out of my spot, with the steering wheel straight, it creaked.
Are you sure it's up front? I've had 3 Outbacks and all 3 have had worn out rear control arm bushings so that the metal part rubs on the subframe, the noise travels. Similar with the U-joints, except on those typically the car has to be driving to recreate the concern.
On all 3 of my Outbacks it was the rear upper control arm inner bushing that did this, it's the only cast iron arm. The rest are stamp steel. I have seen the rear front control arm bushings wear out to the point that the arm rubs on the front sub-frame but I never had noise. Still worth a good check.
it almost seems like a solenoid is going crazy - like a shorting wire in the column????
do you get any sense of that at all? does the car have to be rolling to occur? if you were stationary would it ever make the noise? stationary in park? Stationary in Neutral? Drive?
It was the pitching stopper/engine mount thingy below the air intake. Either it came loose or I didn't torque it properly when I put the engine back in after the HG change.
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