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Old 01-27-2003, 11:24 PM   #1
quynce
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Question Weird Turbo Sound (help please)

I have been having a weird sound from my turbo for about three months now. The car now has about 11,000 miles on it, and was bought new in June '02. I followed break-in procedures, and change the oil at 3k/3mos, with Mobil 1 since 6k. I searched for this noise and came across a couple similar complaints, but they all either had aftermarket parts (mine is bone stock) or nothing ever came out of it.

Anyway, it sounds like a card in the spokes of a bicycle, only muffled. The noise is most definitely related to the turbo, because I only here it when the turbo is spooling and fully spooled. I have to be at least partial throttle, the noise goes away immediately after letting off the accelerator. At first, it only did it when the car was relativley cold, now it does it intermittenly at any temp. It doesn't seem to affect boost at all (unless .08 MPa is low, which it could be since that is only ~11.6 PSI). I can't feel any difference in power. It doesn't change pitch, even when varying revs. It makes the noise from about 3k RPM right on up to redline. Sometimes, it doesn't happen unless I'm at WOT, in which case it's the same noise, but it sort of stutters, the way a jet ski looks on a lake. (That's a weird comparison, but if you can translate a visual to sound...)

I've taken it to the dealer twice. The first time they couldn't duplicate it, the second time I went with them, and got a "You've got a lot of warranty left, so wait and see." I'm taking it to a more WRX knowledgable dealer next week, but I want to be armed with as much info as possible.


Any ideas? Thanks very much in advance.

josh
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Old 01-28-2003, 12:07 AM   #2
SFastWRX
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Sounds like the wastegate clacking. I heard it with two different turbos, until I put the FMIC on. Now there's more air in the IC, so the wastegate doesn't have to oscillate as much to maintain fairly constant pressure. If that's it, I wouldn't worry about it, although it was pretty annoying for me.
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Old 01-28-2003, 01:58 AM   #3
TaiChih
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If you are at constant throttle, and in boost, but not full boost, that would be your BOV not sealing all the way. It only stays shut on full boost. If you're still getting it on full boost too, then that would be your wastegate.
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Old 01-28-2003, 11:46 PM   #4
air_scooby
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Default try this//

take off your blow off valve, and clean it with carb cleaner really well. push the piston back and forth to help scrub any oil gunk that may be causing sticking in the BOV. let it dry for a bit, re-install. while you are there take a look to see if you are getting much oil in the intercooler. if so, a catch can would be recommended.
mm
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Old 02-12-2003, 12:04 AM   #5
slater
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i'm getting the same sound right now... started 2 days ago. my WRX is a MY02 and has only 6K miles on it....

would the BOV really be sticking already? odd.

peter
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Old 02-12-2003, 11:40 AM   #6
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its not odd. yours has been sitting arround for months. Oil will just sit in the turbo and every odd time its started it would seep through the bushes and thrown into the IC.


We will have a look on saturday and check everything out. I wouldnt bother till then.
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Old 02-12-2003, 02:14 PM   #7
disco
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Lightbulb

Interesting...

I have the same sound. After some discussion on here it was suggested that it might be my Blitz boost controller working, so, I turned it off and the sound went away. To me that rules out the actual turbo making the sound because I was still building and holding 8psi with the control turned off.

But if your car is completely stock, and you are getting the same "fluttering" sound...then...???

-disco
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Old 02-12-2003, 02:52 PM   #8
codean
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Guys....this has been covered many times. The noise that he described is the waistgate solenoid / flapper on the turbo. The noise is completely normal.
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Old 02-12-2003, 03:39 PM   #9
slater
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Quote:
Originally posted by codean
Guys....this has been covered many times. The noise that he described is the waistgate solenoid / flapper on the turbo. The noise is completely normal.
then why would it just kinda start happening one day? that's what i don't get...

peter
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Old 02-12-2003, 03:54 PM   #10
codean
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On a stock car it is hard to hear. Put a turbo back on and you'll hear it 2x better. The sound has been there all along, you just haven't been paying attention.
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Old 02-12-2003, 03:58 PM   #11
slater
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Quote:
Originally posted by codean
On a stock car it is hard to hear. Put a turbo back on and you'll hear it 2x better. The sound has been there all along, you just haven't been paying attention.
ummm, NO , i have ridiculously super-sonic hearing and i have never heard this before. trust me.
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Old 02-12-2003, 04:03 PM   #12
codean
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Ok, then what do you think it is?
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Old 02-12-2003, 04:07 PM   #13
slater
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i was waiting for the smartass remark.

i honestly haven't the foggiest since this is my first turbo car, but i can tell you that it didn't sound like that when i bought it 3 weeks ago.

i hate feeling ignorant.
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Old 02-12-2003, 04:23 PM   #14
rockt104
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my car makes the same noise...it sounds to me like it varies based on turbo speed/boost...not RPM...so i also thought it was turbo related. it has been doing it for 5-6k and has had not hurt the car...

does the wastgate still "throttle" even when trying to build boost as quickly as possible?
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Old 02-19-2003, 01:09 AM   #15
quynce
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Thanks for the replies! I didn't realize this got bumped.

I have now taken it to three different dealers, and none have really reproduced it. It is quite loud when it really does it; something you can't just not hear. My fiance even points it out, while we're talking and the radio's on.

Do you guys that have the same noise live in a cold climate? And if so, did you notice the noise come on with the season? I think mine started around when it got cold.

Oh yeah, I switched back to dino oil to see if that helped, and it didn't. It started around the same time I switched to Mobil 1, too.

Another strange observation: It doesn't do it when I first start it up in the morning, regardless of temp. I have to warm the car up at least a little, then let it sit for about a half hour or so, then it does it really bad, especially if its somewhat cold outside.

josh
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Old 05-13-2003, 04:42 PM   #16
Wheeler Bement
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this is a shot in the dark, but could it possibly be a heat shield. mine would rattle like that kind of, but only at a given RPM, boost, and when it was hot. i took it to the dealer twice and they had no clue. one day in a fit of rage and anoyance, i took the turbo heatshield off and drove around with it off and the sound was gone. so i put it back on and tightened the piss out of everything and it never came back.

just a thought.
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Old 05-13-2003, 07:08 PM   #17
SWITCH
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What about a leak in the uppipe? My car is making a similar noise under the same conditions and I never heard it before. Just starting happening after I replaced the uppipe, so we currently suspect a leak.

Just a thought.
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Old 05-13-2003, 08:56 PM   #18
MikeWRX-NJ
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dunno, uppipe leaks tend to be extremely loud, like 100db scratching nails on calkboard. My car flutters all the time since my uppipe and turbo back install. but it doesn't when i'm at full boost, or when I do a WOT run. Definately think it's the wastegate.
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Old 05-13-2003, 10:27 PM   #19
creature546
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i have the same thing.....happends at about 3000rpm's and then dies off at higher rpm's its annoying but it still seems just as fast so i dont worry about it. i am also 100% stock...for now

~Seth
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Old 05-14-2003, 12:27 PM   #20
Johnny5
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It sounds a little like what I had. Do a search by my username and look for a tread titled some like "Weird noise". good luck!

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...hreadid=330022
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