I have a 2001 H6 VDC Outback, 75k miles on it. Bought it new off the dealer lot so I know the full history of the car. No accidents, mods, etc.
Over the last 3-4 months, I have been noticing a whine which seems to come from forward of the passenger compartment. Been trying to narrow down the cause of this but the best I have been able to do is determine that it only comes on when the engine is under load/open throttle. If I'm driving on the freeway, it comes and goes as I press/release the accelerator. While on cruise control, it also comes and goes when the car is trying to accelerate uphill, etc. Am certain it does not correlate to engine speed. If I release the accelerator at
70mpg (and note that rpms stay high), the whine goes away immediately.Took it to the dealer but they have been unable to trace it. They hear the same during the roadtest but when they had it up on the rack and doing 40-50mph, cannot find the noise.
My thoughts are that is has somehow to do with the fuel pump, injectors, throttle and some bad grounding perhaps? Any other thoughts or similar experiences?
Thanks!