Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
When I first start my Subaru it makes a high pitched sound that eventually goes away. The dealership checked and replaced the belts, but the sound is till there. They said it is a common issue with the 6 cylinder Outback, but I don't buy it.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
I would take it to the dealer and have them diagnose it some more there are some common whining noises coming from that car. It could be in the transmission, the wheel bearing, drive shaft, fuel pump or something else.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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A high-pitched chirping or squealing noise that comes from beneath your Subaru`s hood indicates a problem with its belts. Belts are one of the most heavily used parts in a car, which causes them to wear down easily.
High-Pitched Squealing
Belts tend to squeal or chirp when starting your car and in colder weather, and they will begin to quiet down as the engine compartment warms up. If your car`s belts continue to make noise during normal operation, you should have your car`s belts checked and replaced as necessary.
Possible causes include worn-out brake pads, faulty brake calipers, not enough or no lubrication on the brake parts or simply low-quality brake pads and/or brake rotors. Special tools are sometimes needed to locate the source of a noise, such as Electronic Ear Sensors.
A whistling sound when a car is idling can be caused by various factors. These include a vacuum leak, restricted airflow, faulty idle control valve, or exhaust leak. While some of these issues can be easily fixed with basic tools and knowledge, others may require more advanced diagnosis and repair.
A higher frequency makes for a higher pitch, and vice versa. A car`s engine under load plays a range of frequencies, but its root note—the pitch its musical chord is built on—is defined by its so-called dominant frequency.
What would be a likely cause of a high-pitched whine after the engine starts? The pinion gear to flywheel ring gear clearance is too small.
Fans, humidifiers, dehumidifiers and air conditioners in the bedroom also produce white noise and may help make tinnitus less noticeable at night. Masking devices. Worn in the ear and similar to hearing aids, these devices produce a continuous, low-level white noise that suppresses tinnitus symptoms.
Did you know that an overheating engine will often let out something of a sad whistling noise? This is because the engine coolant has reached its boiling temperature, and that whistle is from the excess pressure escaping. It`s kind of like a kettle letting you know it`s time for tea.
An alternator or water pump that is beginning to wear out will also produce a bit of a whining sound, both of which will produce the sound relative to RPM change as you are accelerating and will be less noticeable when the motor is idling.
The frequency of a sound determines its pitch, whereas the amplitude of sound waves determines its loudness. Pitch is dependent on the change in the frequency. As the frequency increases, the shrillness of the sound increases.
Over time, and alternator can wear down. If it`s the bearings in the alternator that have worn out, it may make a high-pitched squealing noise. This means that it`s time to have the alternator replaced.
Battery Problems
Low pitched whining noises and the noise of a cranking engine without it starting are both signs of a dead battery. No noises at all are also a sign of a flat battery. Check for any visible signs as well, such as the battery warning light illuminating.
verb. If something or someone whines, they make a long, high-pitched noise, especially one which sounds sad or unpleasant.
Using an ultrasonic detector or transceiver, high-frequency sounds can be translated into the human hearing range and heard over a headset. Ultrasonic sound detection has multiple industrial applications and is used for detecting hidden flaws and leaks.
The damage done by noise depends mainly on how loud it is and on the length of exposure. The frequency or pitch can also have some effect, since high-pitched sounds are more damaging than low-pitched sounds. Noise may tire out the inner ear, causing temporary hearing loss.
Tinnitus usually sounds like a high-pitched ringing in your ears, though it can also be a whooshing, sizzling, buzzing or pulsing noise. You might hear the noises in one ear or both, or it can feel like it comes from inside your head. Tinnitus often comes and goes, and some people find it gets worse at night.
Stridor is an abnormal high-pitched sound you make when you inhale or exhale. This sound happens when you have a blockage in your throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) or windpipe (trachea).
If you hear a whistling sound when you`re accelerating, it`s most likely due to a leak in your exhaust system. This can be dangerous, as exhaust fumes can enter the cabin of your car and potentially make you sick. If you think there might be a leak, it`s best to get it checked out by a mechanic as soon as possible.
The header piping from cylinders one and three are different in length from those from two and four. This means, the exhaust gas coming off the engine has to move through different lengths, as does the sound it produces, which creates an uneven tone (much like a rumble), instead of a smooth tone.
High frequency sounds include: Birds chirping. A child`s squeal. Women`s voices.
Using WD-40 to repel water from spark plugs, distributors, alternators, and batteries is a good way to prevent corrosion and keep moisture away. You can also use it to ease the removal of spark plugs, especially if there is any rust or corrosion.
It requires a good deal of energy to crank the car`s motor, and if a battery is not replenishing its power properly due to a faulty alternator, it will become drained and ineffective. You will hear a clicking noise while attempting to start the car, and the engine will have difficulty turning over.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Fuel pump engages. Batery good, alternator good volts, jump start helps when wont start. Temp does not matter. Intermittent?
ANSWER : Hello. Thank you for writing in. There are several reasons your vehicle may only start when jump starting. The first and most common is a build up of resistance that is causing you to need a boost of voltage to get the engine started. This may be due to poor battery cables, a bad ground connection, a poor starter solenoid, and a couple of other issues. The first thing you want to do is perform a visual inspection of the starting system. Make sure there is no corrosion build up in the battery cables. You can also check the resistance across these wires and make sure you have a solid connection between components. You then want to make sure the starter solenoid is doing its job. It is responsible for taking the small amount of electricity sent by the ignition and turning it into a huge electrical charge that is strong enough to push over the engine with the help of some gear ratios in its favor. Do some more testing, and stick to the basics before assuming its something seriously complicated.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
I put a penny in place of a fuse, tried to start my car and now it wont start and makes a grinding sound when i try to start it
ANSWER : Hi there. Putting a penny in place of a fuse, not recommended, replace with the correct fuse. The fuse is there, to protect the circuit. If the fuse blows, there is a short to ground. The grinding sound, when you try to start your vehicle, could be the starter. The starter drive could be at fault or the flywheel has a problem. I recommend having your vehicle’s no start be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician from YourMechanic.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
Unusual noises started suddenly and appear sporadically, clanking sounds and concrete-like sounds
ANSWER : Hello. There are some common issues that can cause a noise like this on your vehicle. Most of the time it is caused by a bad hub bearing. All of the wheels will need to be spun off of the ground to listen for the noise. If it is an all-wheel-drive (AWD) model, it may be the transfer case which is common. If you need to have this diagnosed, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to inspect the noise in person and determine what fixes are needed.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
Engine tapping noise related to short term fuel trim but only on cold start up.
ANSWER : Has a mechanic’s stethoscope been used to track down the specific location of the noise? There are several solenoid valves in the engine bay that do not run all the time and may be pretty loud once they start, such as an evaporative emissions purge valve and the like. The high fuel trims on one bank sound like you may have a problem on one side with a vacuum leak. A positive trim means air is being added and the computer is trying to add fuel to compensate.
I recommend having an experienced technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to determine why the engine is making a noise and suggest the proper repair.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
Vehicle won’t start, once it’s jump started it only stays running until you turn it off, then it work start again without jumping.
ANSWER : Hi there. There could be two problems here. It is possible that your battery is bad and will not take a charge from your alternator while driving. In that case every time you shut your car off you will not have enough juice to start it again. Inspect your battery – it should have at least 12.5 to 13 volts to start your car, if it doesn’t you will need to replace the battery. The second problem could be that your alternator is bad and not charging your battery, in this case you will need to replace your alternator. Both the battery and the alternator can be tested in your car. If you would like to have the car checked for you, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the starting problem and proceed with repairs.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
Car won’t start. When trying to start, starter makes a clicking noise and then closed back hatch recloses.
ANSWER : It sounds like there is some type of drain on the battery. When there is low voltage in a battery, it can cause several symptoms. The electrical systems can act very strangely when they don’t have the correct voltage being supplied. When a battery won’t hold a charge, it can be caused by a wiring issue, a bad battery, or some type of parasitic draw that can slowly pull voltage from the battery. Some electrical diagnosis done by a professional, such as one from YourMechanic, will be necessary to pinpoint the cause.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
Cranks over start than dies
ANSWER : Hi There,
The idle air control valve is a small valve on the engine’s intake system that reads the air intake as it comes into the motor. This is controlled by the car’s ECM which uses this information to make adjustments to the air/fuel ratio depending on various inputs such as outside air temperature, intake air temperature, load and various other things. As you accelerate, your car’s engine is receiving a much higher dose of fuel than when at idle and conversely, when you let off the gas pedal, there is a sudden change in this fuel supply as a result of your foot letting off the pedal. When this happens, the job of the idle air control valve is to bring this deceleration down to a slow and smooth idle rather than suddenly cutting off the fuel supply causing the motor to die. When the idle air control valve is not working properly, this cause a disruption in this process resulting in the engine not being able to idle properly. I would recommend having a professional come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
The idle air control valve is a small valve on the engine’s intake system that reads the air intake as it comes into the motor. This is controlled by the car’s ECM which uses this information to make adjustments to the air/fuel ratio depending on various inputs such as outside air temperature, intake air temperature, load and various other things. As you accelerate, your car’s engine is receiving a much higher dose of fuel than when at idle and conversely, when you let off the gas pedal, there is a sudden change in this fuel supply as a result of your foot letting off the pedal. When this happens, the job of the idle air control valve is to bring this deceleration down to a slow and smooth idle rather than suddenly cutting off the fuel supply causing the motor to die. When the idle air control valve is not working properly, this cause a disruption in this process resulting in the engine not being able to idle properly. I would recommend having a professional come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
Car won’t start but when attempting to start it makes a repetitive "pop" sound.
ANSWER : Hi there. What could be happening is the engine has either a large vacuum leak or the timing chain has skipped a tooth making a camshaft out of adjustment. First look all over the engine for any possible vacuum leaks, included looking at the brake booster for it uses the most vacuum. If there is no vacuum leaks, then try to hand crank the engine over. If the engine will crank free and has no binding, then most likely the timing chains are fine. The other thing to check is the fuel pump for fuel pressure. When the fuel pressure drops to almost nothing, the engine will not start and cause a constant popping sound. Check for fuel pressure on the fuel rail. If there is no pressure to the rail, check the fuel pump relay. If the relay is working, then the fuel pump needs replaced. If you need further assistance with all of a sudden the engine is not starting and begins popping, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : Subaru making high-pitched sound when starting.
