Wah-Waah noise from Bell Housing/Engine Area - 98 Legacy Outback

[jlclark4]

Hi.  Newbie posting, so please bear with me and hopefully I've included all pertinent information.  Vehicle is a 1998 Legacy Outback with auto transmission.  290k miles with a new engine about 90k miles ago and rebuilt tranny about that same time.  Fluids/maintenance done regularly.  College kids car.  Daughter came home from college the other day and said the vehicle is making a strange sound.  Not obnoxious at all, but she has driven the car for years and knows it sounds and feel, and noticed this noise which started about a month or so ago.  As best as I can describe it, the sound is kind of a waah waah waah repeating sound, kind of a circular repeating sound.  Take a clock for instance, if one was to rotate the minute hand and every time the hand passed between say 12 and 1, it would transmit this 'waah' sound.  Car runs fine.  Engine runs strong.  Transmission shifts fine. The sound can be heard when in Park and idling, as well as when driving.  Also heard it in Reverse.

 

Got under the car, and the sound seems to be coming from the area in which the bell housing connects to the engine.  I shot a short video/audio from under the area of the bell housing/engine where the sound is emanating,

 

Not the most tech savvy here, couldn't get the video uploaded, but posted it out on youtube so if you wouldn't mind referencing that link, I would be most appreciative:  youtu.be/9jbAaPBpd5k

 

With that long winded story in mind, would anyone have any ideas as to what this might be?  Don't want to send her back to school with it should it be something serious.

 

Thanks in advance!  And big thanks to those that have responded already

 

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2017 by jlclark4

[1 Lucky Texan]

cracked flexplate?

 

 

youtube -

 

 

youtube.com/watch?v=3OFTVscB3_U

Edited May 16, 2017 by 1 Lucky Texan

[uniberp]

Hi.  Newbie posting, so please bear with me and hopefully I've included all pertinent information.  Vehicle is a 1998 Legacy Outback with auto transmission.  290k miles with a new engine about 90k miles ago and rebuilt tranny about that same time.  Fluids/maintenance done regularly.  College kids car.  Daughter came home from college the other day and said the vehicle is making a strange sound.  Not obnoxious at all, but she has driven the car for years and knows it sounds and feel, and noticed this noise which started about a month or so ago.  As best as I can describe it, the sound is kind of a waah waah waah repeating sound, kind of a circular repeating sound.  Take a clock for instance, if one was to rotate the minute hand and every time the hand passed between say 12 and 1, it would transmit this 'waah' sound.  Car runs fine.  Engine runs strong.  Transmission shifts fine. 

Got under the car, and the sound seems to be coming from the area in which the bell housing connects to the engine.  I shot a short video/audio from under the area of the bell housing/engine where the sound is emanating, unfortunately it's a small mp4 file and looks like we aren't allowed to attach those to this site.

With that long winded story in mind, would anyone have any ideas as to what this might be?  Don't want to send her back to school with it should it be something serious.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Check the exhaust shields. The sometimes vibrate in resonance with the engine.

[idosubaru]

How positive are you it's in the vicinity of the bellhousing?

 

Heatshields are common.

 

Check ATF and diff fluid level and condition.

 

Torque converter?

 

Does it do it while idling?

Revving?

While coasting down hill in neutral?

In reverse?

Edited May 17, 2017 by grossgary

[jlclark4]

Thanks all.  Checked fluids (ATF, front/rear diff, oil) and all are good (and have been regularly maintained). 

 

Makes the sound idling in park or neutral, plus drive.

 

Revving so far hasn't made any difference (when the sound is there, it's there at idle or revving engine).  Sounds about the same.

 

Here is a link to a short video/audio of the noise I was able to shoot and post to youtube:   youtu.be/9jbAaPBpd5k

 

LOL - And this morning I verified it will still make the noise when snowing outside.  Ahh Colorado, gotta love it

 

Thank you.

[1 Lucky Texan]

were you able to watch the youtube video I linked?

 

(just left CoSpgs coupla weeks ago - got caught in horrible white-out on 64 going to Clayton. terrifying)

[Bushwick]

If it's a flexplate issue, I'd imagine you feel it vibrating deeply when revving, and a loose starter would probably cause a "zing" kind of sound. Definitely sounds like a rubbing/scraping kinda noise like a dried out needle bearing.

 

Might be worth getting it inspected locally by a trusted mechanic.

[jlclark4]

were you able to watch the youtube video I linked?

 

(just left CoSpgs coupla weeks ago - got caught in horrible white-out on 64 going to Clayton. terrifying)

I was able to view the video you posted.  Thanks so much!  The sound from our Subaru sounds a bit different.  In your video, there is more of a broken metal or clatter/rattle.  In ours, it's much more subtle (we actually disconnect the electric fans while I shot my video as the fan noise kind of masked the sound).  But one can definitely hear it.  Ours doesn't seem to have that much clatter or rattle.

Sorry to hear about your white-out drive a couple weeks ago.  Those are not fun.