My daughter has a 1995 Impreza (EJ18) with a manual transmission.

 

When she lets up on the accelerator or is going down a hill a noise occurs. I made a feeble attempt to push the driveshaft around to see if a bearing has obvious play but didn’t find anything obvious. I did this 6-12 months ago, so we haven’t considered this an urgent matter and it doesn’t seem to be getting worse.

 

Now that I’ll have some time off for the holidays this might be a nice little project.

 

From the symptoms I’ve described is the driveshaft the likely source? The car has 178,000 miles on it.

Could be a lot of things. Check ball joints, check engine and trans mounts, pitch stopper, etc. Driveshaft too. Hard to say the exact source.

 

GD

You'll have to describe that with a lot more detail. The radio makes noise, door locks make noise, the engine makes noise when you start it, lots of things make noise. We're not able to listen to it unless you can upload a video or sound clip.

Better description:

 

Did you check diff/trans fluid? What did you find?

Has it ever been changed?

 

Does it have an aftermarket front axle?

 

Left/right or center or unsure?

Noise - one time clunk, continuous, high pitch or low....turning heads loud or no one else can hear- it annoys OCD people loud?

 

How about when accelerating fast from a start- does it do it? Or accelerating up a steep grade?

 

Loaded noises while accelerating or decelerating are often front diff or inner

Better description:

 

Did you check diff/trans fluid? What did you find?

Has it ever been changed?

 

Does it have an aftermarket front axle?

 

Left/right or center or unsure?

Noise - one time clunk, continuous, high pitch or low....turning heads loud or no one else can hear- it annoys OCD people loud?

 

How about when accelerating fast from a start- does it do it? Or accelerating up a steep grade?

 

Loaded noises while accelerating or decelerating are often front diff or inner

We changed the rear differential oil and the transmission fluid. I didn't see any metal pieces in the oil. The previous owner did put on new front axles and we don't know if they are aftermarket or not. I found a video on Youtube with what I believe to be the same noise. I'll post a link to it in a little bit. It never does it while accelerating.

Someone posted a video on Youtube with audio of what I believe to be the same noise. Here is the link:

 

 

Even though I include the link it doesn't show up after I post it. The title of the youtube video is "Subaru transmission rattle on deceleration." It's 22 seconds long.

Edited December 18, 20178 yr by Ravenwoods

1. can you tell if it's front, center rear, or left, center, right on the vehicle? 

 

2. Are there any vibrations physically - floor board, steering wheel, rear view mirror - when the noise occurs?

 

post a link - make it just the address with no hyperlink or www if needed

 

how sure are you it's identical to yours?  i hear people say "it's like this..." frequently and the only similarity is that a noise is being made. 

1. can you tell if it's front, center rear, or left, center, right on the vehicle? 

 

2. Are there any vibrations physically - floor board, steering wheel, rear view mirror - when the noise occurs?

 

post a link - make it just the address with no hyperlink or www if needed

 

how sure are you it's identical to yours?  i hear people say "it's like this..." frequently and the only similarity is that a noise is being made. 

It is real hard to tell where the noise is coming from. No vibrations in steering wheel, floorboards, or mirrors. I would say the noise is very similar. My guess is that it is the same thing but that our noise is more severe. My daughter just puts the clutch in or puts the transmission in neutral to avoid it. We figure that probably helps preventing it from getting worse. I'm planning on getting a FWD fuse to put in that fuse slot to see if it still makes the noise when it runs only on FWD.

input shaft bearing? symptoms don't match too well but ???

 

no FWD fuse on manual trans.

Edited December 18, 20178 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

input shaft bearing? symptoms don't match too well but ???

 

no FWD fuse on manual trans.

So there isn't an easy way to change the car to a FWD?

 

Is the input shaft bearing in the clutch? The clutch itself feels very healthy.

So there isn't an easy way to change the car to a FWD?

 

Is the input shaft bearing in the clutch? The clutch itself feels very healthy.

 

You don't have a FWD fuse on the manual trans. Manual trans doesn't have FWD option, it's not physically possible because of how they're built it's a direct mechanical 4WD connection with no partical ability to interact or interfere. 

 

AT's have an electronically controlled clutch pack so you can interrupt that electronically a few ways for FWD options.  Including the familiar FWD fuse. 

does it make the noise sitting still idling in N ? Or, can you rev in N and get the noise?

 

If so, when the noise is happening in N, does it stop if she depresses the clutch pedal?

does it make the noise sitting still idling in N ? Or, can you rev in N and get the noise?

 

If so, when the noise is happening in N, does it stop if she depresses the clutch pedal?

It only makes the noise while decelerating, or going down a hill and using the engine as a brake, mostly while going down a hill using the engine as a brake.

 

It never makes the noise while idling in neutral. We cannot make the noise just by revving the engine. 

anyone know what symptoms bad engine/trans mounts give?  

 

interesting it does it loaded while decelerating but not loaded while accelerating - the trans is loaded in both scenarios. 

 

check engine and trans mounts first - i've had them come apart when removed multiple times, if they're in even worse condition then i'd expect symptoms.  

anyone know what symptoms bad engine/trans mounts give?  

 

interesting it does it loaded while decelerating but not loaded while accelerating - the trans is loaded in both scenarios. 

 

check engine and trans mounts first - i've had them come apart when removed multiple times, if they're in even worse condition then i'd expect symptoms.  

Whats the best way to check engine and transmission mounts? Hold the car with your foot on the brake and let clutch out a bit while an observer watches to see if the engine moves?

Im unsure, google it?

 

The engine and trans combo are so heavy that at idle nothing probably happens and you’re not experiencing symptoms there so just running and looking won’t reveal it.

 

I’d probabky use a jack and some wood blocks to lift the engine and trans at each mount location - namely two engine mounts, and one rear transmission mount.

 

I’d check the center carrier bearing too. (The bearing support the rear driveshaft passes through). Pry on it with a digging part or other beefy object.

Edited December 19, 20178 yr by idosubaru

Whats the best way to check engine and transmission mounts? Hold the car with your foot on the brake and let clutch out a bit while an observer watches to see if the engine moves?

Get under the car with a prybar and try to lift them.

Mounts won't cause that noise even if they are bad.

Possibly a bad CV joint. Kinda sounds like a bad bearing in the trans, or the release bearing for the clutch bouncing around.

What happens if you just put slight pressure on the clutch pedal? Just enough that you feel the resistance of the clutch but not enough to disengage it.

Edited December 20, 20178 yr by Fairtax4me