My 04 WRX has about 3k miles on it, and I did notice many, many weird sounds from the car, but I did learn about most of the usual WRX quirks from nasioc and i-club.

I have a few things that i'm worried about.. one is that the A/C compressor makes a low-pitched whining sound when it's engaged at idle. The sound comes and goes .. you can hear the a/c compressor click on, and it'll be all like "brrrrrrrrp............brrp....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp" .. the sound will disappear when the a/c compessor stops/ clicks off and will come back when it engages again; what, maybe a bad bearing inside thats making all the noise? (kinda sounds like a bicycle's brakes buzzing/ squealing when the rubber pads don't grip well) I can also hear a single "tick" sound outside the car after I release the clutch pedal from a fully depressed position, at idle. It happens every single time, but I need to hold the pedal all the way down for a half-second or so. If I don't hold it down for a bit, it doesn't make the sound. Also, i've experienced the famous "deceleration noise" in 2nd gear when letting the car engine brake/coast down on its own, but .. I noticed that it's pretty f*ckin loud, not to mention that there sounds like something in the transmission is rattling like hell in there in additon to the gear whine. Sounds like a jet engine slowing down when i'm decelerating. Only happens in 2nd gear. Is this alright?

Lastly, I have a potentially serious problem as i've read tonight while reading up on clutch adjustments, and apparently a pulsation or vibration of the clutch pedal is not supposed to be normal?! I can feel the pedal vibrate/pulsate when I press te clutch pedal in just slightly, about an inch or two. It's been like this since I got the car. When its fully depressed, or its around the bottom section of it's travel, there is no vibration or pulsation. From what i've read, its not good. Here is some of the stuff I found.. Not sure if it applies to boxer engines in general but I assume it does since the transmission / clutch design is pretty much the same.

"• Pedal Pulsation — If the clutch pedal pulsates or vibrates when depressed, it usually indicates misalignment between the engine and transaxle or an internal clutch problem, such as a broken clutch diaphragm spring, a warped or misaligned pressure plate, or a warped or bent clutch disc. "
from http://www.artsautomotive.com/clutchstory.htm

"Clutch Pedal Pulsation Movement felt on the clutch pedal or operating lever when the clutch is being disengaged is called clutch pedal pulsation. These pulsations are noticeable when a slight pressure is applied to the clutch pedal. This is an indication of trouble that could result in serious damage if not immediately corrected Several conditions could cause these pulsations. One is misalignment of the engine and transmission. If the engine and transmission are not in line, detach the transmission and remove the clutch assembly. Check the clutch housing alignment with the engine and crankshaft. At the same time, check the flywheel for wobble. A bent crankshaft flange or an improperly seated flywheel produces clutch pedal pulsations. After the flywheel is properly seated, check it using a dial indicator. If the crankshaft flange is bent, the crankshaft must be remachined or replaced. Other causes of clutch pedal pulsations include uneven release lever adjustments, warped pressure plate, or a warped clutch disk. If the clutch disk or pressure plate is warped, it should be replaced. It would be impractical to list every possible clutch problem and its remedy for repair in this training manual. Table 7-1 lists other possible clutch problems and their corrective action. Consult the manufacturer’s operation and repair manual before making adjustments to any clutch system."

from http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/14050/css/14050_175.htm

Of course its still under warrenty, havent done much to it, disabled the drl, took out the silencer and cleared out the headlights.. lol they shouldn't bother me about it right? I haven't taken it in for service before .. Does anyone know if this stuff is normal or should I make an appointment at the dealer to get it checked asap?

Sorry this post is too frickken long. I feel like i'm pessimist... hey.. when you have a car you love, when something seems wrong, it annoys the hell out of you.. or maybe i'm just a crazy stupid idiot. Thanks for the help anyone. I REALLY appreciate it. :cool:

Daniel

My advice, for what that's worth is - while you have a warranty do as little as possible that might be called into question- My 02 wagon now has 94,000 miles so it's about ready for mods...

and while you still have good warranty coverage- you should use the hell out of it!

soon enough it will be over and all this grief comes outta your pocket (take it from me!).

Go ahead and bring it in to the dealer for every little thing that you don't feel is right, I was surprised to find out that brake pads are covered under warranty for 36000 miles!

But especially if it is something you think might be serious, let them have a look at it, that's what warrantys are for.

I too am hearing weird noises from my 04. I get the same thing with the clutch. Also the 2nd gear is very loud when letting it decelerate. Also today I just got my oil change and I was driving it home and I heard this rattling. You know the rattling sound when you put something into a pipe and shake it around. I don't know what the hell that was but I'm a little worried. I really don't think that's normal. Also if I take it into the dealership and they look at it will they charge me for labor? Or is that all covered by warranty? Cause I want to take it back there tomorrow. Well hopefully they won't charge me for anything since the car is less than a month old.

i have the same issue (not necessarily a problem) with the downshifting into 2nd gear...although it may sound a bit off, it's normal. as far as the clutch goes, i hear a quiet lil' "click-thud" when i'm parked & depressing the clutch (like when i put it into first gear). i dunno if that's normal but i'm gonna ask them when i take it in next week. i know how you feel about worrying/panicking about your car. i LOVE my car & if & when i hear something off, i kinda freak. call your dealership & if they sound like they haven't a clue what you're talkin' about, take it in. oh & just call them for an appointment, that's what i do :)

samehere with all those sounds. im too scared to downshift into second when i decelerate

i have that 2nd gear thing but i dont hear that rattling sound only the winding sound so far.(knocking on wood) but my a/c and clutch are fine. except that my a/c smells kind of funny. but then again i only have 1700 miles on her. can anyone answer the q's to these post?

for the a/c smell..check out the stick a/c forum..it's mildew & it's normal...you can get rid of that with some lysol or simply by airing out the vents for 20 mins before u shut the car off =)

thanks for the a/c tip. btw im the one who started the stink a/c forum.lol. my girlfriend thinks that winding in second gear is the turbo. hahhaha. i just go along with it cause i dont want to explain that it might be the gears instead.

Hey thanks for the help guys, I made an appointment with my local service department. I'm assuming my car is alright besides the a/c making weird noises.

My salesman just told me to write a list. I dont really like other people driving the car behind my back (you know the deal with abuse ..) But oh well, gotta get it fixed.. But when I change my oil, heh no thanks, I'll do it myself as I wont forget to put oil ;)

Just got the car back today, the A/C has been fixed. The problem was a belt that was misaligned or something. A/C is quiet and smooth now. They checked the 2nd gear, and clutch vibration noises and said it is acceptable. Actually for the clutch vibration they wrote "condition normal". Their response to the "thud/click" noise that I said occured after depressing te clutch for a moment and releasing it:

"Thud noise from clutch pedal hitting floor and click from clutch switch"


:p

I should have been more descriptive ...:rolleyes:

Otherwise, thanks to the service place for fixing my car. But my exhaust tips have thick black carbon deposits on the back .. and it wasn't there before... HMMMMM... :)