Hey all,

My 04 forester X, MT has a really loud whine coming from the engine compartment when starting in -10F and below weather (I'm in Fairbanks AK, so its not unusual). It lasts for a few minutes and then goes away. Dealer says it's normal and even gave it a name...the "cold weather noise". Says they're looking into it. Anybody else have any experience with this? I really wonder what the heck it is.

Thanks!

Mike.

Does it seem to come from a particular area of the engine, or component?

I noticed this on our 2000 last winter when we didn't have a heated garage. When it got in the -tens and below I heard the same thing. It REALLY howled during the week it was -20 to -27.

 

I finally decided (with no actual proof) that it was the rubber belts.

 

The '87 may have done the same thing, but I couldn't hear it for all the other noisy protests!

My wife's Buick did that during some -20 F weather after it hadnt been driven a few days.

 

 

It sounded like a whine from a bearing in the power steering pump or alternator? I shut the car off after about 30 seconds, and when I started it later that day, the whine was gone.

 

It could have been the belts, I guess.

 

Maybe we should just move south. I think that would help.

 

Matt

We had to cold start our OBW without it being plugged in at -36C this winter visting the mountains, it made a whining/howling noise for a few minutes until the engine warmed a bit. Didn't seem to be a cause for concern, so I never looked into it. Only does it when it's very cold and it goes away.

This morning it was +8 and made me think of this post. So far this winter I've never heard the noise in my '95 Leg (replaced the '87 GL), even when it's down to -10. The difference is, I've got an oil pan patch heatere on this car, instead of a screw-in block heater. I've noticed that it not only heats the engine compartment enough to keep frost and snow off the hood, it keeps the bottom middle third of the windshield clear.

 

When I installed it, I put two layers of metal speed tape over the patch and with a wide margin. I was really thinking to protect the heating element pad, but I think it's reflecting so much heat up it's warming the whole engine compartment, so no whine.

 

Now, I'm sure it's the belts, and not a major problem.