Hi fellow Subaru owners,
RE: 2006 Subaru Outback Wagon 2.5i AT Non-Turbo
Driving at low acceleration, coasting and at idle I often hearing a ticking/tapping noise that seems to be intermittent, separate from the normal engine noise. The noise is not very loud but annoying. I can tune it out with the radio on.
But it is a noise that I've never heard on other cars in the past. I took the car to two different Subaru dealers and they both assured me that this noise is normal for Subaru cars and it comes from the fuel injector. I never take what the dealer says at face value because when they don't want to fix something, they always just say it's normal. Both Subaru service departments were manned by apathetic, not so friendly advisors too. I would like to get the opinions of fellow Subaru owners on this group.
I know that a Piston Slap can make a similar noise, but I do not think it's that because this tapping noise does not go away when engine is warmed up, and the sound occurs exclusively during coasting, slight acceleration and at idle (and is not as loud as a piston slap noises from clips I heard on the internet).
Doing what I can to quiet this noise down I have started filling it with 91 octane and also put a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in the gas tank. That appears to have quieted down the tapping noise a little bit, but still has not gone away.
Is this an issue that I should continue to try and fix or just forget about it? Thank you everyone for your help.