2013 2.5i Engine Click under load =( RIP Legacy?

VIDEO LINK

 

https://youtu.be/Jrk7GRpIySw

 

 

 

 

{TL;DR} Up in Sequoia Nat;l Park this weekend, Engine would experience engine click while under load at low speeds / Low RPM. I feel like the CVT Transmission always uses the highest gear / Lowest RPM, while driving an incline adds more stress on the engine, Thus causing click.. Just my theory, but it seems like something will eventually explode if I take another long trip again.

please note, this would only happen as soon as I would hit the gas pedal while on an incline at low speeds / low RPM. As though accelerating from 10mph to 25.... ..

 

very Odd =(

 

 

 

 

Hello there Forum, I am sure this has been covered many of times. From researching I have not been able to find something clear. perhpaps someone has experienced something similar to my issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Long story short every morning when I start my car, I hear clicking for about 1 second.

 

Scenario: twist Key to start car, soon as engine revs up you hear (Click Click CLick Click) all in about 1 second and then it goes away.

 

no real big issue there, it seems odd but it never affected my car, nor has that noise ever happened outside of the cold start.

 

The big issue: this weekend I was driving up in Sequoia, while going up to 5,000 feet I noticed that every time I would accelerate from about 10mph to about 20mph my engine would start clicking while accelerating. It seemed to only happen when the engine was in 3rd gear under load (Accelerating from 10-15 up to about 20-25mph on an incline.

 

 

now imagine another scenario, I am stopped at an incline, suddently I hit the gas, you hear clicking clicking clicking, then it goes away. Always under load.

 

 

This really discouraged me from ever driving my car far away again since I am from Los Angeles. I;m scared I have improperly taken care of my engine and now could suffer something more catastrophic while on a trip.

 

any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Thanks

Do you have enough oil in it?

bump

Are you sure it isn't pinging from detonation? Try some 91 octane gas and see if it goes away.

Are you sure it isn't pinging from detonation? Try some 91 octane gas and see if it goes away.

 

Its an odd issue, I wish I had the words to describe it with more clarity.

 

It doesnt affect performance at all, I only hear it when I start the vehicle, or EG> Im driving 40mph CVT engine RPM about 1200RPM , all of a sudden press the gas hard, not WOT just hard about 60-75% throttle to get it going and I hear the same noise.

 

Its some type of rattle / clicking sound and it only happens for a split second, also it doesn't happen all the time but more often than not I hear it under those conditions.

 

Could it be the CVT? could it be an Exhaust cover rattle? could it my cam shafts/head? detonation?

 

I will try the higher octane, I hadnt thought of that, but I will give it a Go next fill up.

Does it sound like someone's pouring a can of airsoft BBs down your intake? If so, sounds like detonation.

Does it sound like someone's pouring a can of airsoft BBs down your intake? If so, sounds like detonation.

 

 

If that sound lasts only for a split second then I would say possibly yes.

 

 

I literally sounds like this.

 

 

CLICK! CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK ----then -- Smoooth idle

 

and its a fast CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK

 

within half a second you get the clicks and then its gone,

AC compressor will go off (clicking sound) under load for power conservation. Maybe an ECU re-flash may help.

was it hot? i noticed this on my 2011 it will go away if you put premium in. happens sometimes when its hot and dry. its been doing it from time to time since it was new. there is a thread in around somewhere here where someone was talking about remapping the ignition timing because the stock ignition mapping being retarded on the 2.5i.

https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/diy-retuning-2-5i-257239.html?t=257239&highlight=tuning

 

this was it. maybe it will help

Check out the video guys

 

turn the volume Way way up, the sound is at the beginning of the video as soon as the car starts, it only last a second or 2.

 

 

https://youtu.be/Jrk7GRpIySw

If they have it (I'm not familiar with the 2.5) my guess would be the variable cam actuator. I had a Mazda that did the same thing at start up. There was a pin hole that would wear and start to make a clicking sound. When you accelerate the cams are adjusting. I would have someone start the engine with you up front and the hood open and listen to where the sound is coming from.

That would cause a misfire code on the affected bank, or the very least a timing error since the cam is out of time with the crank. In any case if you suspect the oil control valve you could easily swap it to the other side and see if the noise follows. My guess is that is not the issue.

 

Subaru advances or retards the cam timing in lieu of having a separate lobe or lift actuator as other systems do.

I had thought it was happening only on accel as i had only skimmed the post. happening on startup could be timing chain noise. maybe a bad guide or tensioner? does it happen every time you start it up? or only after it has been sitting for awhile? if its every time you can maybe narrow it down with a long screwdriver and listen at various points on the engine.

Bump

I had thought it was happening only on accel as i had only skimmed the post. happening on startup could be timing chain noise. maybe a bad guide or tensioner? does it happen every time you start it up? or only after it has been sitting for awhile? if its every time you can maybe narrow it down with a long screwdriver and listen at various points on the engine.

 

It happens every time I "Cold Start" the car, and under acceleration under the right circumstances IE cruising at 40mph at lowest gear, suddenly accelerate (Hear the rattle) and car accelerates just fine.

 

The rattle does not occur at startup once the car has been started once, only when cold start or under load.

I have the same thing happening at start up and between 2-3K when driving. It happens a bit more when sticking the clutch in to shift, but I know it's the engine and not the clutch. It seems like the noise gets a little louder when the load is taken off the engine.

I can reproduce sometimes at idle with a blip of the throttle.

When it's cold it's quiet and as it warms and I rev past 2.5-3k it seems to show up. Not sure how long it's been happening... I should really turn the music down more often.

 

I have had chassis ears on it and it seems to be coming from the side of the engine under the valve cover. I need to hook up my oil pressure gauge tonight and verify pressure because it seemed to get worse when I thickened up the oil, which would be the opposite of what I would expect from a failing lifter, that's where my guess is at the moment.

 

I will also log my misfires and injectors tonight. I'm in the middle of a tune as well and have a question out to the tuner about the issue being a fuel injector tick.

 

Good luck MC, I'll keep you posted as to what I find.

It happens every time I "Cold Start" the car, and under acceleration under the right circumstances IE cruising at 40mph at lowest gear, suddenly accelerate (Hear the rattle) and car accelerates just fine.

 

The rattle does not occur at startup once the car has been started once, only when cold start or under load.

 

Did you try some high octane gas to see if the rattle goes away?

I have the same thing happening at start up and between 2-3K when driving. It happens a bit more when sticking the clutch in to shift, but I know it's the engine and not the clutch. It seems like the noise gets a little louder when the load is taken off the engine.

I can reproduce sometimes at idle with a blip of the throttle..............................

 

 

Good luck MC, I'll keep you posted as to what I find.

 

Thank you, and sorry to hear about your noise. I will also keep this posting updated if I find anything, get any leads, I will attempt to take to a Mechanic sooner or later =/ not trying to spend the cheese at the Dealer. Pray for me

Did you try some high octane gas to see if the rattle goes away?

 

Yessir, I used 91 Chevron (as opposed to my usual 87 from whatever gas station is available, normally Chevron since its close to my home.)

 

I also tried those :"Octane Waste of Money Boosters" but still same thing.

 

=(

 

Thanks for suggestion tho ,

The start up video sounded like detonation, but video sound can decieving though. I wonder if it could be loose heat shields.

There is no way I would be using 91 octane gas in mine. I only use 98 Octane gas in everything I drive.

 

No idea why you don't use better fuel, the price of petrol in the USA is so cheap its just not funny.

 

We are currently paying NZ$2.57 a LITER not a GALLON so with the currency conversion we are paying US$6.32 per gallon for 98 fuel.

There is no way I would be using 91 octane gas in mine. I only use 98 Octane gas in everything I drive.

 

No idea why you don't use better fuel, the price of petrol in the USA is so cheap its just not funny.

 

We are currently paying NZ$2.57 a LITER not a GALLON so with the currency conversion we are paying US$6.32 per gallon for 98 fuel.

 

Lol, the USA only has 91 in many states, understand the octane rating is figured differently for different countries. 98 RON is equivalent to 93 (r+m)/2 which is what is used here to determine octane rating.

 

Our 100 octane is not legal for use on public roads, it either race gas or aviation fuel.

Yeah, ethanol-free 91 AKI is about the best I can find around me, which would be about a 96 RON, I guess. Costco has 93 AKI (with ethanol), but that's a 15-minute drive, and is really only worth it if I'm already up there to go to Menards or something (which happens a lot).