That high-pitched whine...
Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,023
From: Phoenix, AZ
Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
That high-pitched whine...
Since the day I have owned my 02 WRX I have noticed a certain high-pitched whine that seems to come from the engine compartment. It always appears at 2700 RPM in 3rd gear (abou 35 MPH) and 3000-3200 RPM in 5th gear on the highway. The whine is quite steady; it is totally unrelated to intake "woosh" (as it happens when I am at negative boost, light throttle and under 3000 RPM) and it is also not tire noise.
It doesn't bother me; I just turn up the radio. However I'm curious if any of you also have this whine, and what might be causing it.
It doesn't bother me; I just turn up the radio. However I'm curious if any of you also have this whine, and what might be causing it.
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Did you buy your car used? It could be an exhaust leak. If you bought it used, the person before you could of had a down-pipe and/or up-pipe and put the stock parts back on, but didn't do a very good job. The area where these two pipes connect to the turbo are common areas for exhaust leaks. It sounds like a high pitch and you don't necessarally need to be under boost to hear it. The other thing it could be in the tranny. If the guy before you beat on the car (launches), that tranny has gone through some torture. How many miles are on the car and has the tranny fluid ever been changed? Just a few ideas off the top of my head.
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Phoenix, AZ
Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
No, I drove it off the lot when it had 19 miles on it and noticed the sound right away. It is very quiet and very high-pitched, almost at the edge of being able to hear it. It sounds like it is coming from behind the dash near the firewall, and like I said is very steady. It seems to occur just under the boost threshold -- could it just be the turbo itself, spinning at neutral pressure?
Through process of elimination I have been able to determine that it isn't the AC, the fan, the tires or the transmission. Any other candidates?
Through process of elimination I have been able to determine that it isn't the AC, the fan, the tires or the transmission. Any other candidates?
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 149
From: Albuquerque, NM
Car Info: 2012 Legacy 2.5GT-L
I get a whistle sort of sound (guess you could describe it as a whine) which comes and goes as the turbo spools up (correlates perfectly with the boost gauge) - I would guess it's just the turbo (I have done no mods to anything under the hood other than adding a Perrin silicone y-pipe for the intercooler) - it's done that since I drove it off the lot w/6 miles (though it did get a little more noticeable with the intercooler hoses)
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Is your car stock? If it is, I would take it to the dealer. The only other thing I can think of is an exhaust leak from the exhaust manifold, up-pipe, or down-pipe. If you have any of these aftermarket parts, I would think back to whether or not I really tightened them correctly and/or used new gaskets. Mine didn't make any noises at all when it was stock...none.
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Do you have the sti short shift?
I have found that if you have anything other than the rubber dampened stock shifter, you are going to transmit a lot more drivetrain noise into the cabin. For me when I replaced my shifter with a kartboy I picked up a high pitched whine as you describe. That along with other rattles associated with the shifter forced me back to the stock one.
I have found that if you have anything other than the rubber dampened stock shifter, you are going to transmit a lot more drivetrain noise into the cabin. For me when I replaced my shifter with a kartboy I picked up a high pitched whine as you describe. That along with other rattles associated with the shifter forced me back to the stock one.
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Originally posted by Slick50
Do you have the sti short shift?
I have found that if you have anything other than the rubber dampened stock shifter, you are going to transmit a lot more drivetrain noise into the cabin. For me when I replaced my shifter with a kartboy I picked up a high pitched whine as you describe. That along with other rattles associated with the shifter forced me back to the stock one.
Do you have the sti short shift?
I have found that if you have anything other than the rubber dampened stock shifter, you are going to transmit a lot more drivetrain noise into the cabin. For me when I replaced my shifter with a kartboy I picked up a high pitched whine as you describe. That along with other rattles associated with the shifter forced me back to the stock one.
Thread Starter
VIP Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,023
From: Phoenix, AZ
Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
Originally posted by Slick50
Do you have the sti short shift?
I have found that if you have anything other than the rubber dampened stock shifter, you are going to transmit a lot more drivetrain noise into the cabin. For me when I replaced my shifter with a kartboy I picked up a high pitched whine as you describe. That along with other rattles associated with the shifter forced me back to the stock one.
Do you have the sti short shift?
I have found that if you have anything other than the rubber dampened stock shifter, you are going to transmit a lot more drivetrain noise into the cabin. For me when I replaced my shifter with a kartboy I picked up a high pitched whine as you describe. That along with other rattles associated with the shifter forced me back to the stock one.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 372
From: Encinitas CA
Car Info: Black 03 WRX
I have that same whine... i think its from the clutch or something... I honestly have no idea but I just turn up the radio and it seems to go away. Let me know if you ever figure it out.
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My car also has an audible whine at pretty much the same point (around 3K RPM) but it's just the turbo spooling up, as DrD described earlier.
I've been hearing it ever since I got the car off the dealer lot, with 6 miles on it.
I would say that there isn't anything to worry about, but if you think that it sounds like something else other than the turbo, just have the car checked out at your local friendly Subaru dealership.
I've been hearing it ever since I got the car off the dealer lot, with 6 miles on it.
I would say that there isn't anything to worry about, but if you think that it sounds like something else other than the turbo, just have the car checked out at your local friendly Subaru dealership.
Last edited by Nesquik; Mar 15, 2004 at 06:31 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 372
From: Encinitas CA
Car Info: Black 03 WRX
Umm yeah..today i got some new tranny oil put in (mopar stuff that they had at the dealer, don't ever use Mobil1 synthetic in your tranny) and the noise went away...the only whine i can hear now is the turbo spooling. ..The turbo noise comes in at about 3000 rpm and in fifth gear it is easist to hear. SO its probably the turbo spooling up.
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From: Santa Rosa, CA
Car Info: 02 Subaru WRX w/ JDM Spec C
Originally posted by meilers
It is very quiet and very high-pitched, almost at the edge of being able to hear it.
It is very quiet and very high-pitched, almost at the edge of being able to hear it.