I don't know if anyone else has this problem with their 2002 WRX, but I'll be in 2nd gear accelerating. I'll let out the gas to decelerate then I hear the engine coming down AND this kind of metal grinding/scraping noise. I asked Subaru about it and the tech drove around with me in the car and told me that was normal. Kind of strange seeing as how my friends always ask me what that noise is. In 1st gear, the sound isn't as noticeable as it is in 2nd. In 3rd and 4th gear, there isn't a noise. Can anyone help explain to me what this noise is?

 

I think it has to do with gear lash when the transmission is unloaded - anyway, I eliminated the deceleration noise on my car by staggering the front and rear tire pressures - I run 36 front, 32 rear (on the Re92's) and the noise is gone. I was pretty skeptical myself when someone suggested this as a solution, but it works.

I was sort of thinking maybe, since the front/rear weight distribution is different (and that's exacerbated when decelerating) that the front tires were compressed more and had a smaller effective OD than the rear, making the AWD system think the front tires were slipping a little, and you were hearing the drivetrain trying to shift power back, and that by staggering the pressures (higher in front) that tended not to happen... just a guess - all I really know is that the noise is gone on my car.

 

It's gear whine, normal, especially in the 5 speed.

 

gear wind, i get it too

freaks me out, but nothin i can do

 

Probably related discussion:

https://www.i-club.com/forums/showth...threadid=22319