2015 Forester - Vibrating noise (audio clip) near front passenger wheel

Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
835
Location
HUdson Valley, NY
Since Monday, the car started making a weird noise. Highly pronounced as you accelerate, but present when the vehicle is stationary at a certain angle. The noise goes away as I cruise, and the RPM is below or above 1500. It feels it is coming from the passenger side wheel area of the vehicle Nothing strikes as odd if you look from the side. The location of the noise and the way it sounds feel different than the dustpan rubbing against something.

Most likely, not relevant but got tires rotated 5 days ago. Didn't hear anything until Monday morning.

Audio recording of the noise https://www.dropbox.com/s/oozvsb4wmohe77s/audiomass-output.mp3?dl=0 (The file is trimmed to remove unnecessary parts).
At the beginning of the clip, you notice the first vibrating sound at the time of turning the key. In the first half of the clip when the car was stationary, not moved. The rest of the clip after the car was moved back and forth a couple of times but still stationary in Drive mode.

Any idea what this could be. The mechanic doesn't have an appt for another week.

Thanks in advance.
 
Heat shields.. the ones on the 2013 outback rusted off in 5 years.. giant metal cable ties worked for another 2-3 years.
 
It could be a broken flexplate which is common enough. The starter noise seems related.
I did a quick search on what a flexplate is, and not too sure if it should be visible from the top or its CVT's internal part. Doesn't feel anything different while driving. If I ignore the sound, doesn't feel anything is wrong with the car.

I will check under the vehicle over the weekend for a loose heatshield. I have had loose/broken heatshield on the other car but this is a novel sound for me. At the moment, I have parked the car.
 
The flexplate is bolted onto the rear of the crankshaft you cant see it enough to determine much anything, the transmissions torque converter bolts to it, the converter also has the ring gear for the starter attached to it. It is quite possibly a heat shield, these usually let go first on the rear converter.
If the noise seems to be coming from the bell housing (the bell shaped part between the engine and transmission) it is time to have it looked it.
You didnt state what engine you have, these may or may not be these actual parts but will be similar in any case.

Torque converter..

Flexplate, part #1 in the diagram, these sometimes crack under the reinforcement plate #2 as well as by the converter mounting bolts and can cause a real racket.

 
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