Playing Card inside 03 Subaru Baja

Asked by little_tile_guy Mar 09, 2015 at 04:23 PM about the 2003 Subaru Baja Sport

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a ticking noise inside my engine. It sounds like what your bike used to sound
like when you put a playing card in the spokes to make it sound like an engine. My two
guesses are a Differential Bearing or a crazy guess from my father in law is that one of
my compression fingers (whatever those are called) on the clutch plate has warped
and is resting against the throw-out bearing when its released...the trouble with both of
these theories is that the noise ONLY happens when I am in gear AND pressing the
gas. It speeds up as the car does to the point you almost cant hear it on the highway
around 70 MPH If I clutch-in, let off the gas, or shift into neutral...noise goes away.
Which is why I am leaning away from the bearing theory since I would've thought that
would be constant noise when the car is moving????
Its not getting worse or affecting the driving of the car in any way as far as I can tell. I
know both of those theories involve removing the tranny so I am hoping for some
feedback before I make that leap. Thx guys....

4 Answers

18,455

I got nothin.. solid anyway. I would copy and paste this to NASIOC or a baja forum. I'm not sure the pressure / compression fingers or whatever is the issue. If it was touching the bearing, why would it make a noise? It would be a constant sound, not a click, right? I think it would be something inside the trans, a chipped gear or whatever is engaged. What about when you are in gear, foot off the clutch and not on the gas? Like decelerating with the trans? You absolutely have to be on the gas for it to happen? You might try testing your theory on a road with a barrier wall that you can ride along or a long-ish bridge with your window down and nothing inside the car on. Let off the gas and see if it is still ticking while you're still engaged in gear.

it goes away in gear is the weird thing tho. if I release the gas in gear it goes away. which doesn't sound like a chipped gear right because it would continue to sound as long as I was in that gear...? and it's though-out all the gears, makes no difference

18,455

I'm just saying it could be load related and you might not be able to hear it as well. And the sound bounce off of a barrier/bridge or another vehicle might help you hear what you can't hear through the car body. And again.. I've got "nothin" really.. just some assumptions. I really wish you the best on this. And I think you'll get some good help on the forums.. there are some real geniuses on there!!

Sounds like valve lifters..have them checked, if solid could be rectified, if hydraulic could be trouble..

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