Bad noise on below freezing cold starts.

The past couple weeks have been below freezing every morning and when I start my 2005 Legacy GT I find that the last 1-2 seconds of the engine turning over ends with a loud almost grinding noise coming from the engine. I've recorded this noise to give a better description of the issue.

 

I checked around on the forum and found one thread with a similar issue but I've also noticed my engine loudly idling on stops with the cold weather as well so I'm unsure if it's the same thing or not.

 

Go to this youtube link to listen to the noise:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGpSjWWgsy0]YouTube[/ame]

The video is private.

It is probably your starter. When it is very cold, an older Subaru starter, for some reason, does not dis-engage as quickly as it should. All three of my Subaru vehicles have done this in the winter when it is very cold. A new starter would probably take care of the problem, but is probably not necessary.

I get the same thing happening - just last weekend, in fact. at <20degrees I'll get that sound. After reading the posts I would agree it sounds like a starter. I'll ignore it for a while.

Same issue as well, only happened a few times.

video private.

OMG this just happened to me this morning LOL Freaked me out!!! It definitely sounded like a starter, the same grinding sound a starter would make if you tried to start a car that was already running.

Happened to me the first couple of times starting my car after taking my starter out (had a bad connection). This must damage the flywheel in some way, unless the metal on the starter is much softer which is quite possible.

video is private

 

i would love to hear it....because my has started making funny noises on below freezing cold starts .. however i have a brand new oem starter...few weeks old.

 

so i wonder...

Sorry everybody the video is now set to public! Give it a listen and tell me if you still think it's the starter. Thanks!

I also should add that it's an automatic transmission.

Mine makes the exact same noise whenever its cold enough to frost my glass. So I had a block heater installed last week not so much for the noise but for my future e-85 conv and it just so happens that the block heater has seemed to fix the noise.

Since this thread is about noises on cold starts I figured I'd go ahead and ask:

 

My car will make a rough idle sound when it's cold (below freezing). It seems to go away for a second when putting the car in first gear and starting to drive and then will come back until the car is warmed up. Is that a normal?

does it sound like this? http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/weird-winter-noise-151428.html 4th post which is mine with a video...

 

Since this thread is about noises on cold starts I figured I'd go ahead and ask:

 

My car will make a rough idle sound when it's cold (below freezing). It seems to go away for a second when putting the car in first gear and starting to drive and then will come back until the car is warmed up. Is that a normal?

Mine does the same thing. I thought it was the starter also, but Ive seen something about a funky FPR and a TSB??

It sounds more like this:

 

 

Much like many other members I also have this problem, after doing some research I have found it to not be a Subaru specific problem. I ran across this website while searching for a solution... http://www.g20.net/forum/showthread.php?t=84940

 

 

I have not however had time to fix the issue, so I can't say if it will work for us or not.

i get this exact sound when weather is under 30deg.

mine? or vewildered? or the auto-start?

 

i get this exact sound when weather is under 30deg.

Yep, mines been doing that no/off for years. I'm not worried about it.

Mine has started doing the same

Thing lately. I've been trying to get a video of it, did it yesterday and my phone didn't record, didn't do it when leaving work even though it had been parked for 10 hours while I was at work.

 

I did a little search yesterday too and confirmed it's a Subaru thing and cleaning/greasing may work but if not a new starter might be in order. If it goes too long one person said they had to get a new flywheel as well. Sorry no links as I was at work.

I thought I said, mine has been doing this on/off for years. I did put in a Spec LWFW back about 72,000 miles. So may be I'm a little ahead on the flywheel thing. But I have no plans to do anything about the noise.

 

If it happened all the time...then I'd do something about it. Today it was 9F the noise didn't happen.

My 2005 LGT auto started doing this on Christmas morning when it was around 32F (Merry Christmas to me!). That was the only time it happened until today when it was just above freezing. It's supposed to be cold again tomorrow morning, so I'll see if it does it then.

my wifes 2.5i does this when its cold out too. its a 2005, and it just started doing it this season.

My 2005 LGT auto started doing this on Christmas morning when it was around 32F (Merry Christmas to me!). That was the only time it happened until today when it was just above freezing. It's supposed to be cold again tomorrow morning, so I'll see if it does it then.

 

Didn't happen when I started the car this morning, and it was 31F outside. The car had been sitting there about 12 hours, if that makes any difference.