October 19, 200421 yr 95 Legacy AWD Wagon. Tonight I was driving home through a monsoon--hardest rain ever driven through. Anyway, before I could see it, I hit a spot where water covered the road. Drove through I guess 10" of water...maybe a foot. Car didn't stall or anything, but afterward I had this whirring-chirring noise coming from the right front wheel--the brakes I assume. Kind of a light scraping sound that was constant as long as the car was moving--nothing sitting still. The only time it would go away was if I turned the wheel a bit. Never driven through water before and am also a new Subie owner. Is it just from wet, swollen brake pads? What all needs to be checked after driving through water? Thanks.
October 19, 200421 yr I would check the bearings and CV joints. Maybe you got something in either one. I am sure someone else will chime in if I a wrong. Check back.
October 19, 200421 yr I'll bet it is a stone between the rotor and another brake part. try going in reverse for a little bit see if that brings it out.
October 19, 200421 yr Could be grit/stones in the brake assembly. I would start there also. Take it to a power wash car wash and blast out the brakes with high pressure.
October 19, 200421 yr Author Thanks--I'll check that out. I carpooled to work this morning w/ my wife, so I left the Subie in the driveway. At first I thought it was the inner CV joint, but the sound felt like it was coming from the wheel and it changed when the brakes were applied. I'll get down and inspect it this afternoon.
October 19, 200421 yr does your wagon have fender/wheel well liners? its possible you just bent the inner plastic liner back against the hub/body of the car and you're now hearing it hit on wheel/tire/etc when in motion this would happen if you went through the water too fast, those liners will tear pretty easily Jamie
October 20, 200421 yr Author does your wagon have fender/wheel well liners? its possible you just bent the inner plastic liner back against the hub/body of the car and you're now hearing it hit on wheel/tire/etc when in motion this would happen if you went through the water too fast, those liners will tear pretty easily Jamie Okay--Subie Gal is the winner...and I'm a dork. The plastic inner fender was bent into the wheel. It was 11:00 at night and raining a monsoon and I'm an idiot for not getting wet and checking it. Didn't sound like anything rubbing a tire like I'd heard before, though. Anyway, that was a nice, cheap fix. Don't get too many of those...
October 20, 200421 yr Okay--Subie Gal is the winner...and I'm a dork. The plastic inner fender was bent into the wheel. It was 11:00 at night and raining a monsoon and I'm an idiot for not getting wet and checking it. Didn't sound like anything rubbing a tire like I'd heard before, though. Anyway, that was a nice, cheap fix. Don't get too many of those... Good call Jamie!!
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