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loud tick in engine

Featured Replies

just got a 98 outback

 

the engine has a loud "tick" from startup to accelerate

 

hot or cold

 

noise is related to speed of engine faster rpm faster tick

 

has anyone dealt with this??

 

thx

 

jeremie

i think you have mechanical lifter but def. sounds like a stuck lifter to me....i had this problem on my 96...i drove it around for a little while and added a bottle of marvels mystery oil and it hasnt come back since......than again it could also be a host of other things.....how many miles are on your car?

yeah i would take it for a drive on different roads/speeds etc.... and add a bottle of that marvels mystery oil or equivelant to the oil fill and see what happens.....from what ive read often they can unstick themselves.....

My same thought........you prolly have a sticky lifter. Yes, Marvel oil added to the crank case oil is a good product to fix the problem. Marvel is available at most any auto parts store.

just add it and leave it till next change?

 

Directions on side of Marvel bottle will tell you how to use it.

  • Author

sry

 

well im gonna try it and i will let u know what happens

 

i sure appriciate it

 

jeremie

have you tried to isolate it with a "listening" stick or mechanics stethoscope to see where it's coming from or at least what side or front to back of the engine it is on?

 

lifter. piston slap. rod bearing.

A simple oil change can sometimes clear a stuck lifter.

 

And if the car is new to you, I would suggest an immediate engine-oil + filter change anyway. (And the transmission and rear-axle oils too!)

okay it's not in the front of the engine then? could be a fuel injector too.

 

i'd pull the connector on each injector, one at a time. if it's a noisy injector it should go away when you unplug that one. never done this with new generation cars but have no reason to think they wouldn't be any different than the old generation of subaru's. they should run on 3 cylinders.

[...]i'd pull the connector on each injector, one at a time. if it's a noisy injector it should go away when you unplug that one.[...]
If the noise changes when a fuel injector is disconnected, it doesn't necessarily indicate the injector is the source. By stopping combustion in a cylinder, the high pressures associated with it are eliminated. Therefore, a change in noise level or characteristic when an injector is unplugged could also point to piston (slap), connecting rod (either end), etc.

 

There's some pretty good engine noise diagnostic info that might help localize the problem here:

http://remanufactured-engines.com/page4.htm

  • Author

well...

 

put in the marvels mystery oil in and after 4 or 5 miles it sounded quieter but not gone.

 

wife took the car to work today 60 mi round trip should know more when she returns

 

sounds close to normal though i think all subees have a "clicky" sounding engine as apposed to say a ford which is a "putt putt" sort of sound??

 

well... will update later

yeah... pretty much all the second gen legacys i have worked on the fuel injectors seem just a little bit louder than on other cars.....

If the motor is quitier, then good chance it is a lifter that is making the noise. My guess, is that after the 60 mile trip your wife takes, that the noise will be gone. Then, just the normal click/clack of the injectors opening and closing will be heard, as was mentioned in previous post.

 

Let us know if the motor is quieter.

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