2005 Subaru Legacy Vibrating

[subaru2005]

At various, sometimes-unpredictable times, my 2005 subaru legacy 2.5i
vibrates and sounds like a motorcycle or low flying plane. I have taken
it to two dealers who have aligned it and balanced it but have not been
able to replicate the problem. One dealer told me that I should change
the rims at a cost of $500 to rule that out as a problem. I do not buy
this as the steering wheel does not shimmy the engine vibrates and
sends the vibrations and noise through the seats, floor and the entire
car. The car sounds like a motorcycle or a low flying plane while this
is happening. This happens between 40 and 80 miles per hour then stops
when the car goes below 35MPH. What could be the cause? What should the
dealers look for and fix?

 

[Victor Roberts]

At various, sometimes-unpredictable times, my 2005 subaru legacy 2.5i
vibrates and sounds like a motorcycle or low flying plane. I have taken
it to two dealers who have aligned it and balanced it but have not been
able to replicate the problem. One dealer told me that I should change
the rims at a cost of $500 to rule that out as a problem. I do not buy
this as the steering wheel does not shimmy the engine vibrates and
sends the vibrations and noise through the seats, floor and the entire
car. The car sounds like a motorcycle or a low flying plane while this
is happening. This happens between 40 and 80 miles per hour then stops
when the car goes below 35MPH. What could be the cause? What should the
dealers look for and fix?

Does the vibration show up at a certain speed or a certain
engine RPM? First imply it is at a certain speed but then
say that the engine is vibrating, which would imply a
certain engine RPM.

Is this a manual or automatic? If a manual it is a simple
matter to press in the clutch when you feel the vibration to
see if it goes way.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Does the vibration show up at a certain speed or a certain
engine RPM? First imply it is at a certain speed but then
say that the engine is vibrating, which would imply a
certain engine RPM.

Is this a manual or automatic? If a manual it is a simple
matter to press in the clutch when you feel the vibration to
see if it goes way.

good post, maybe slipping into neutral on an auto-tranny would eliminate
some possibilties.
Also, find another dealership or demand that THEY borrow some wheels
from a car on their lot for THEIR experiment.
Can you demonstarte the problem to a tech on a test drive?
I wouldn't discount tread seperation on a tire - how many miles on this car?

Could be weight thrown off the driveshaft or a bad axle or something???

I dunno

Carl

 

[subaru2005]

It is an automatic. It first sarted around 65 to 80 miles per hour but
lately it has happened at lower speeds 40 to 50.

 

[Victor Roberts]

It is an automatic. It first sarted around 65 to 80 miles per hour but
lately it has happened at lower speeds 40 to 50.

Seems the next step is to figure out if the critical issue
is engine speed or wheel speed. I don't drive an automatic,
but I assume you can put the car into neutral while driving
on the highway at constant speed to see if the vibration
goes away quickly as the engine slows down or more slowly as
the car slows down.

On the other hand, your description of this vibration is so
dramatic that perhaps the car should not be driven until it
is fixed. I would not want to be responsible for any
accident that occurs when you are conducting tests I
recommend. So - please do have a professional figure out
what is wrong before someone is hurt.

 

[eachcornerpulling]

It is an automatic. It first sarted around 65 to 80 miles per hour but
lately it has happened at lower speeds 40 to 50.

Assuming you aren't exaggerating, and the vibration is obvious to
anyone who drives it, then this is Subaru's problem since the car is
still under warranty. If it were my 2005 Outback I'd be demanding
immediate action from the dealer rather than looking for answers here.

 

[Victor Roberts]

At various, sometimes-unpredictable times, my 2005 subaru legacy 2.5i
vibrates and sounds like a motorcycle or low flying plane. I have taken
it to two dealers who have aligned it and balanced it but have not been
able to replicate the problem. One dealer told me that I should change
the rims at a cost of $500 to rule that out as a problem. I do not buy
this as the steering wheel does not shimmy the engine vibrates and
sends the vibrations and noise through the seats, floor and the entire
car. The car sounds like a motorcycle or a low flying plane while this
is happening. This happens between 40 and 80 miles per hour then stops
when the car goes below 35MPH. What could be the cause? What should the
dealers look for and fix?

Your description still puzzles me. Sounds like a low flying
plane but you don't feel any vibration in the steering
wheel? If this noise is dependent on vehicle speed instead
of engine speed, and starts at some minimum speed but does
not stop at a higher speed then I might check to make sure
that the cross bars are securely attached to the roof rails.
if one end is loose, the bar could be vibrating when air is
blowing over it at high speed.

 

[Clamstrippe Fecadunker]

My 2004 STi
developed a mysterious vibration, which was worst at the speeds mentioned.
it also would pull to either side when driving over uneven surfaces, such as
a "double hump" type road.
I had the front aligned and that seemed to help a little, but the
vibration persisted.
Eventually I discovered the rear was out of alignment, after it destroyed
both rear tires... Four new tires and BOTH ends aligned and its good as new.

rims can be measured easily for out of round and runout on any modern
spin balancer.
if they wheels are true and can be balanced, they can eliminated as the
problem.

if you can feel the vibration it has to be something heavy. see if you can get
the engine to vibrate standing still in neutral. if it does, you may
have a problem
with the flywheel, clutch or pulleys.

vibrations that shake the whole car are bad, it may cause damage to adjacent
components.

 

[Michael Pardee]

At various, sometimes-unpredictable times, my 2005 subaru legacy 2.5i
vibrates and sounds like a motorcycle or low flying plane. I have taken
it to two dealers who have aligned it and balanced it but have not been
able to replicate the problem. One dealer told me that I should change
the rims at a cost of $500 to rule that out as a problem. I do not buy
this as the steering wheel does not shimmy the engine vibrates and
sends the vibrations and noise through the seats, floor and the entire
car. The car sounds like a motorcycle or a low flying plane while this
is happening. This happens between 40 and 80 miles per hour then stops
when the car goes below 35MPH. What could be the cause? What should the
dealers look for and fix?

Maybe too obvious, but have the engine mounts been checked? Ditto with the
clearance of the exhaust pipe to the body? I had a problem with our Volvo
where an exhaust pipe hanger broke and the pipe moved against the body where
it went over the rear axle.

Also, does the sound change with the throttle, especially when it is just
starting?

Mike