I just found a 96 Outback with 78k miles. It's in great shape, the only problem is that there is this ticking/knocking noise in the engine. It's not real bad, but you can hear it. They are asking $3,100 for it as is. Does anyone know what this could be, and do you think it is something major? If I drive on it could it cause more damage down the road? That is the year that has both the 2.2 and 2.5, correct? Thanks for your time!

Hmmm...hard to hear the noise on the internet.

 

Could be piston slap, do a search on this board for more details. I'd consider it minor if it quiets down after a few minutes of driving.

Is it a 2.2l or a 2.5l?

 

 

I have a 96 OBW and a 95 Legacy L both with 2.2l engines...and both tick. The Legacy ticked really loud for a while...then seems to have quited down...but both still tick. Its a Subaru thing...or so it seems. I've learned to live with it. They have done it for a while and I don't think it will hurt anything.

still running.

thanks guys, the ticking sound is not real bad at all, I mean unless you were listening for it you wouldn't notice. So, is there any way this could turn into something major down the road? Does $3100 sound like a good deal?

years with no ill effects other than the irritating noise when cold. You will soon develop Subaru friends in your area and then you can compare noises.

If it is a real loud hard knock it would be good to check out, but most seem to make some noise.

I've got a 96' OBW--love the car--and it has ticking every so often. I found that it was the valves. Not enough oil getting up to them. Recently it had started up, and when I added a little oil, the ticking subsided. Could be that the car is a little low, and if the front crank seal has not been replaced, you'll find a little drip coming from the the timing belt cover underneath. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Ticking could be anything from a bad bearing to an out of adjustment valve. Taking a rubber hose and holding one end to your ear and moving it around helps isolate the sound if you don't have an engine stethescope.

 

FWIW my car starts much more quietly with Castrol High Mileage.