Question - 'chirping' noise on idle - '02 WRX

[BD]

Hi, all.

I'm not so much looking for a solution to this, but looking to see if it's common.

I have an 02 WRX wagon. Standard.

If I sit down in neutral, and tap the gas pedal to bring the revs up just slightly and for a moment, as the revs slow down to idle again (right around the 1000 mark), I can hear a 'chirp' noise which sounds like a small belt that might not be quite tight enough. Very quiet, very brief - but audible, and kind of weird.

I had this in to a dealer some time ago during a service, and the mechanic could definitely hear it. I'd have to go digging through my invoice to see if I could find what he said it _was_. He indicated to me that he'd dealt with it, and for all indications, he had. Apparently it was a bit of a pain for him to get just the right tension on the belt.

But now, about a year later, the same symptom occurs. I'm wondering if this (whatever it is) is endemic to the model or the year.

I can go digging to see if I can see what belt it was that he adjusted, but I'm hoping that other Impreza owners will go 'yep, been there done that', and can give me some insight...

Thanks!!

 

[Jim Stewart]

Hi, all.

I'm not so much looking for a solution to this, but looking to see if it's common.

I have an 02 WRX wagon. Standard.

If I sit down in neutral, and tap the gas pedal to bring the revs up just slightly and for a moment, as the revs slow down to idle again (right around the 1000 mark), I can hear a 'chirp' noise which sounds like a small belt that might not be quite tight enough. Very quiet, very brief - but audible, and kind of weird.

I had this in to a dealer some time ago during a service, and the mechanic could definitely hear it. I'd have to go digging through my invoice to see if I could find what he said it _was_. He indicated to me that he'd dealt with it, and for all indications, he had. Apparently it was a bit of a pain for him to get just the right tension on the belt.

But now, about a year later, the same symptom occurs. I'm wondering if this (whatever it is) is endemic to the model or the year.

I can go digging to see if I can see what belt it was that he adjusted, but I'm hoping that other Impreza owners will go 'yep, been there done that', and can give me some insight...

Most likely a loose exhaust pipe cover.
Really a pita to find which one. Easier
just to live with it if you can.

 

[BD]

Easier just to live with it if you can.

Yeah, I can live with it - just want to be sure it's not a sign of something more ominous.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Yeah, I can live with it - just want to be sure it's not a sign of something more ominous.

You could try spraying 'belt dressing' on the belts. If the noise changes - likely its the belts. If not, maybe a vacuum leak or bad bushing/motor mount or exhaust leak or ???

How many miles on the belts? maybe time for new ones?

Carl

 

[Edward Hayes]

Spray the belt to confirm the problem. If the problem is the belt, get out your owners manual and check belt tightness. If the belt tension is correct and it's still noisy then get a new oem belt.

 

[BD]

How many miles on the belts? maybe time for new ones?

The car only has 40,000 km on it. And the problem first cropped up before there were even 20,000...

 

[Larry Van Wormer]

Spray the belt to confirm the problem. If the problem is the belt, get out your owners manual and check belt tightness. If the belt tension is correct and it's still noisy then get a new oem belt.

An even cheaper test, if you can have someone blip the throttle while you are watching the belts: spray a bit of water onto the inside belt surface (the surface that touches the pulleys). If the belt is the cause of the chirp, the noise will stop, or at least reduce, for a few seconds. Of course, unlike the belt dressing, the water will have no other useful effect.

Larry Van Wormer

 

[BD]

Of course, unlike the belt dressing, the water will have no other useful effect.

Aside from being a 'cost-free' test.