Q: Rod Knock, Timing belt or What? 2013 Subaru WRX

asked by on January 25, 2017

Hello my 2013 subaru wrx started to make a weird rattling sound and im not sure what might be causing the problem. i was driving home and out of no where the rattling sound came. when idling you cant hear it. once i rev it up to 2-4k the sound appears but then leaves around 5k. Ive taken it to 3 local mechanics and each of them say its one thing or another. One said its a Rod Knock, another said it was the timing belt & the other said something about a camshaft. i took it to one mechanic and they removed the oil pan and said tiny pieces of metal were found. then i took it to my fathers mechanic and they let the engine run for 2 hours & rev'd it up every 10-15 minutes and then changed the oil but he said there were no metal glitterlike shavings found. im only 19 and can barley afford to pay for the car and my living space. this is my daily drive to commute 30 miles to work. point is im so confused as to what i should do.

My car has 73579 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

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Hello - engine noises can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, especially without actually hearing it. Rod bearing noise can sometimes best be confirmed by snapping the throttle open ( aka "blip" the engine), if you get the rapping noise then, that could well be a worn rod bearing. In general, timing belts are quiet, although timing belt idler pulley bearings and tensioners can cause a bit of rattle - should increase fairly consistently with engine speed. Given that the noise goes away over 4K RPM, it could be a metal heat shield or other metal bolted to the engine that is resonating at lower engine speeds - and not a bearing noise at all. For a trusted "2nd" opinion, I recommend an engine noise inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

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