2009 Legacy GT Limited - Whistle

[SubieSmacks]

I don't usually use forums but google is giving me general info not info for my car. So here I am.

in case this is something to help yall to help me mods are my car is (Cool air intake, exhaust, tuned) Those mods are well over a few years old.

I left the house. Car sounded and ran fine. 2 hours of driving later I hear a low whistle noise at around 1500 - 2000 RPM but no loss of power. No weird smells (other than the usual burning oil <_< trying to fix that as well)

Is it the turbo, intake, exhaust? It's got 165K miles on it give or take.

[KZJonny]

Probably a good idea to drop the downpipe and have a look at how much play there is in the turbo shaft/journal bearing.

Lots of diagnosis to do to really figure out what the problem is, but as a general rule, when the turbo starts making whistling noises it never used to.... bad things usually follow. First signs of the turbo being on the way out is excessive shaft play and whistling/whining.

Edited Wednesday at 03:49 PM by KZJonny

[SoobyDoobyDoo]

Mine sounded like an ambulance or fire truck siren any time I got on the throttle. Thankfully it didn’t grenade, but a shortly after I felt a complete loss of power, so that was that. If it’s at 165k and original, you’re lucky. I’d park it and get that puppy replaced. Change your oil and check for glitter just to be one the safe side.

[KZJonny]

Looks like OP might be one and done, but the advice stands. Hah!

[silverton]

sometimes the internals of the muffler will fail and this will happen.

[SoobyDoobyDoo]

I should clarify that I did have the dreaded P0021 code…but I would still pull the dp like @KZJonny said to be on the safe side.

[KZJonny]

4 hours ago, silverton said:

sometimes the internals of the muffler will fail and this will happen.

That’s very good to know.

But would you choose not to check shaft runout because it might be the exhaust instead?

[silverton]

It's a lot less work to have someone stand at the back of the car while you rev it than pull the down pipe, but you do you!

[KZJonny]

24 minutes ago, silverton said:

It's a lot less work to have someone stand at the back of the car while you rev it than pull the down pipe, but you do you!

I was having fun, but I do take your point. 

I, however, have nobody to ask to do such a task. So since I can't be at the exhaust at the same time as I am revving the engine, I tend to always take the most conservative path.