slickfast Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Hey guys, I picked up my Subi this summer and have slowly been going through its problems. It's my winter beater, so I'm not really worried about non-essential items. Both of the issues below have started only recently. Anyway, I have been trying to address a couple of noises I've been having since I put the M3 in the garage, one of them being what sounds to be valve tapping. I've checked my oil, and it's in the correct range. I even added a quart and it did nothing. Any idea what it is? The second sound is in the suspension. When I got over any kind of speed bump or something that requires the suspension to deflect a relatively large amount, it sounds... crunchy. Really though, it sounds like I'm stepping on a plastic bag every time I go over a speed bump. Two ideas for this: I did let the car sit for a while since I've been driving the other car a lot, so could it just be from lack of use and the shock pistons have oxidized? Or maybe it's because of the colder weather? Let me know what you guys think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante2699yahoo.com Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 It sounds like you need struts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slickfast Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 uhhh...thanks? I'm looking for an answer to my question, not someone telling me to replace the part I'm talking about. The struts appear to be functioning properly, btw. Anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz98gt Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Valve clicking is because of the mechanical lash adjusters. I'm looking for specs to adjust them in my other post, as I am having the same problem. I'll also look elsewhere and let you know what I find. The valves aren't soaked in oil either, so adding more wouldn't "soften" the clicking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante2699yahoo.com Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Ok. My fault. You didn't hav to be rude about it. I didn't tell you to go buy anything. You probably already you know hav to. So don't get rude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmb2485 Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Push down on one corner of the car and then let go. It should come back up to the neutral position and settle, without bouncing up and down at all. If it bounces, the strut is bad. Repeat for the other three corners. edit: You can also check and re-torque all of your suspension bolts. One or more loose bolts could be letting some suspension component move enough to make noise when it takes a hard hit. And I'm no expert on Subaru motors, but a valve tick isn't necessarily a terrible thing. For example, the 4.0L in my Jeep is know for the valve tick, and its just a quirk of that particular motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slickfast Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 Valve clicking is because of the mechanical lash adjusters. I'm looking for specs to adjust them in my other post, as I am having the same problem. I'll also look elsewhere and let you know what I find. The valves aren't soaked in oil either, so adding more wouldn't "soften" the clicking. Very informative, thanks man. Let me know when you find something; I'll be looking as well. I added the oil actually thinking it must be low, but afterwards I realized it wasn't. whoops. Ok. My fault. You didn't hav to be rude about it. I didn't tell you to go buy anything. You probably already you know hav to. So don't get rude. No problem man, just try to keep in mind what the OP is asking. It happens all the time on other forums, and it's really irritating. Push down on one corner of the car and then let go. It should come back up to the neutral position and settle, without bouncing up and down at all. If it bounces, the strut is bad. Repeat for the other three corners. edit: You can also check and re-torque all of your suspension bolts. One or more loose bolts could be letting some suspension component move enough to make noise when it takes a hard hit. And I'm no expert on Subaru motors, but a valve tick isn't necessarily a terrible thing. For example, the 4.0L in my Jeep is know for the valve tick, and its just a quirk of that particular motor. Yeah like I said before, the shocks function properly ie are "critically damped", if you want to think of it that way. I actually did the same test you described, and no bouncing. I'm thinking it's just a little oxidation or lack of lubrication on the strut mount that was exposed to the elements while the car was sitting during the summer. Right now it's just a noise; since it's just my DD I'll let it be. As for the tick, that sounds pretty reasonable. I'm thinking of asking my friend who runs a subi garage if this is a common thing. I hate to bug him without reason, but it sounds like this isn't really a common enough issue. I'll let you guys know if I find out anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz98gt Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 The tick could possibly be just what we EJ22 guys have inherited, like the glorious 4.0L on jeeps. I didn't know it had a tick, but that's one helluva motor. Swap anyone? lol Do you have an automatic that seems to have some shifting irks too? Another common issue with 4EAT trans. from 2nd generations, but nothing detremintal to driving except it being rough every so often. I'm going to check the suggestions I got on my other post about the lash adjustment tomorrow, and see where that goes. The subaru dealer would definitely know the spec! I can't believe I didn't think of that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmb2485 Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 If the shocks are functioning properly, cycle the suspension with a jack or just rock each corner by hand as much as you can and try to isolate the noise. Once you know where its really coming from you can look at possible solutions. edit: And don't just concentrate on suspension components. Anything could be moving around and making noise when the car takes an impact from a speed bump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slickfast Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 Do you have an automatic that seems to have some shifting irks too? Another common issue with 4EAT trans. from 2nd generations, but nothing detremintal to driving except it being rough every so often. I'm going to check the suggestions I got on my other post about the lash adjustment tomorrow, and see where that goes. The subaru dealer would definitely know the spec! I can't believe I didn't think of that! No, I've got a 5 speed. My friends 99 2.5 GT auto is jerky as hell when shifting though... I thought maybe he had an ATF leak or something. Side note: do GT's have stiffer suspension? His car feels incredibly stiff next to my L model. My buddy definitely doesn't work at a dealership, but yeah give em a try! I have a feeling they'd find a way of charging you for that information though... If the shocks are functioning properly, cycle the suspension with a jack or just rock each corner by hand as much as you can and try to isolate the noise. Once you know where its really coming from you can look at possible solutions. edit: And don't just concentrate on suspension components. Anything could be moving around and making noise when the car takes an impact from a speed bump. Good point. I'll make sure to check out everything I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz98gt Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Yep. Same with mine; I did a tranny flush though and it's actually helped alot. Prolly because the stuff that came out was black (previous owner didn't do a good job ) I couldn't tell you about the suspension because I've never been in an L, but I know mine is kinda sloppy. Needs new struts probably haha, but she bounces and it's a mushy ride. I want some decent handling to match my spirited driving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdubs Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Crunching may be related to old bushings in the suspension parts. It's common for those stock rubbers to deteriorate over time. Possibly the rubber on the spring perches are worn as well. So, it may not be directly related to the struts. What viscosity oil are you running in your 2.2? I always loved to run 15w40 meant for the diesel engines in them to quiet the tapping down. Of course, in the winter, you'd probably want a 10w30 or something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slickfast Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 Update: I verified with a videocamera this time that the front shocks aren't shot; they're working perfectly. Also when I compress it by hand there is no sound. Either I'm not deflecting the suspension enough or the noise is from somewhere else. I'm running 5w30. I wouldn't run a higher viscosity than what the manual recommends... is 15w40 in the range? That's like what I run in my M3, but thats a honkin 3.2L inline six. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdubs Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Every time I ran a 5w30, I had insane lifter tick. Although it is recommended, higher mileage cars tend to need a little more help to resolve issues/noises which weren't present when the car was new. It's not uncommon to find older 2.2 owners using a higher viscosity than what the manual recommends. Winter for me was always 10w30, and in the warmer months was 15 or 10w40 diesel grade. Worked wonders for my 95, which had over 230k miles on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz98gt Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I'm in for this, next oil change. how often do you change your oil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osei Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Valve clicking is because of the mechanical lash adjusters. I'm looking for specs to adjust them in my other post, as I am having the same problem... I have valve lash specs available as a pdf. The path is too convoluted to attach. Send me pm with your email and I'll send to you. Anyone else who needs this, do the same. Just fyi, www.endwrench.com has a lot of info avail on the 2.2. O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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