New & Abnormal Engine Whine

[Milhouse]

Haha I swear it used to be a pretty normal level. Better high than low I guess?

Took it to the Subaru mechanics again and they said a rebuild is the best way to go since the pumps themselves usually have a great lifespan and it's only the seals etc that ever need replacing. Apparently they rarely replace the whole pump and rebuilds on this model are far more common. $375 and half a day should bring it back to as new. Asked about the lifespan of the reconditioned pump and they said it should have a similar life to what it's had so far, so hopefully several more years!

Taking it in next week so I'll update the thread on how it goes.

[Daytona]

Good stuff, will be interesting to see how you get on!
Fingers crossed the rebuild makes everything OK again.

[Milhouse]

Well, got it rebuilt today and the noise is still as loud as ever. No improvement whatsoever. Still sounds like it's coming from the pump but who knows, it could just be how they naturally sound.

[Daytona]

That's a bugger, not too much else I could suggest.

Do you know if the mechanic flushed the system at the same time as rebuilding the pump?

I think whine is generally caused by air in the system or worn components. When mine was really whiny, air was in the system. But you could tell because there were air bubbles in the reservoir.

Sorry man, not much else I could suggest really!

[cliffo3rb]

I had a bearing sieze in the rear housing of the alternator couple months back which sounds exactly the same as a bad PS pump.

You should be able to check by removing the serpentine belt and rotating the pulley by hand.

Rebuild for the alternator was $95 which included new bearings and brushes.

[Milhouse]

I'm not too sure Daytona. The fluid level seems to be back to normal which suggests to me it was replaced but I could be wrong (assuming that's what you mean by flushed haha). I'll see if I can pop in today to ask.

Cliff, my first thought when I heard the whine was that it was the alternator since the noise is still pretty loud in the alternator if you listen through a screwdriver. Is that generally a job for a mechanic or an alternator specialist or something? Is the $95 rebuilding it yourself?

I'm not gonna rush into spending more money any time soon but it's good to hear what people have to say.

[cliffo3rb]

I'm not too sure Daytona. The fluid level seems to be back to normal which suggests to me it was replaced but I could be wrong (assuming that's what you mean by flushed haha). I'll see if I can pop in today to ask.

Cliff, my first thought when I heard the whine was that it was the alternator since the noise is still pretty loud in the alternator if you listen through a screwdriver. Is that generally a job for a mechanic or an alternator specialist or something? Is the $95 rebuilding it yourself?

I'm not gonna rush into spending more money any time soon but it's good to hear what people have to say.

I removed the alternator myself and dropped it in to an auto electrician.

[Milhouse]

Alrighty, update time!

Took the car to an auto electrician and he said the noise the alternator was making was normal.
Took the car back to the Subaru place and when the belt was off to change the tensioner he tested the alternator for noises and it was fine. The guy there showed me his son's 3.0R-B and it made the exact same noise as mine.

Rebuilding the pump definitely did help with the steering feel as it was getting quite firm. The only thing left that I could do is replace the pump with a brand new pump, and even then I could be spending $1500 and have it sound the exact same.

Looks like I'm just not used to the H6 sound! Might just invest in a louder exhaust

[Daytona]

Haha - must admit I did have a laugh when you posted the update.
Went through all of that only to have just a normal noise!

It's hard to diagnose things with the internet - when I try and sort things out on my car (I'm not a mechanic, I'm a programmer but switching careers at one point!) I'll research a lot of material first. The Liberty forums is totally awesome and there's a lot of knowledge here. I'll try the US ones (which aren't helpful) and the NZ ones (which also aren't that great). I'll do Google searches and try and find as much as I can. I'm based in NZ but having an Australian Legacy/Liberty does come in handy.

Downloading the factory service manuals is really handy and Opposed Forces website is also great for checking part numbers out.

A flush means to get the old fluid out and put new fluid in by the way.

Great stuff on researching and trying to figure things out though, I'm learning all the time working on my car!

[Milhouse]

Haha yeah I had a bit of a giggle myself. Definitely a good experience learning how everything works and what's considered normal though. I plan on keeping the car for a while so any parts I got fixed would have been done later anyway!

Thanks for your input!