Car Wash leading to engine problems?

Hey everyone, just took my wrx for a carwash and afterwards I noticed this repeating ticking kind of sound coming from the turbo or around that area. I'm assuming it's from the turbo because it only starts to make the ticking noise when the turbo is making that whistling sound. Also when i get to around 60-70 mph, I hear this noise getting higher and higher that i've never heard before. Best way I can describe it, take a fan remove the actual blades and that sound that starts to gather up is sort of the sound that i'm hearing. It's like a ::eeeeeiiinggg:: sound. I've never heard this sound before from my car, is it from the car wash? the crappy gas tank I had previously? the oil change i had a week ago? or am i just worrying too much and it's something that will go away.

I'd bet it would be the crappy gas, but... it sounds like something you have to hear in person to really get ahold of.

First, check the oil level, make sure it's full.
Second, it could be the crappy gas. Put better gas in the next time you fill up.
Third, I have seen it happen in other cars (Miatas are notorious for this) that water can get in the coil packs or spark plug holes, causing a small short that created teh ticking. Unfortunately, these aren't very easy to get to on the Subaru, but you may want to take the time to get at the spark plugs to see if there's any water in there, and let it dry out.

We tell you to take it easy on the car until you've run that crappy gas out of the tank and there you are flying down the road at 70mph.

How about showing the car a little respect?

First you're neutral dropping it, now you're driving it hard on sub-par gas, what's next?

With the current weather here in the NE, why did you take it through a car wash, that's just begging to get ice somewhere you don't want it.

We tell you to take it easy on the car until you've run that crappy gas out of the tank and there you are flying down the road at 70mph.

How about showing the car a little respect?

First you're neutral dropping it, now you're driving it hard on sub-par gas, what's next?

With the current weather here in the NE, why did you take it through a car wash, that's just begging to get ice somewhere you don't want it.

I did this is the 2nd full tank of premium. And i do show this car respect what's so bad about driving at 70 mph. Jesus, ease off. And the neutral dropping was just a lie, I didnt' actually do the neutral dropping but just wondered if i did. It was in the 30's today and sunny and the weather wasn't that cold, plus there was a long ass line at the car wash. Take it easy man, I know how precious this car is.

So you're saying you completely drained the tank before filling up with premium?

well after the tank with the crappy gas, I had a full tank of premium and now I'm on my second. I'm guessing it's all out of the system or does it not work that way.. :-/

It doesn't work that way, it will take more than one tank to get all the bad stuff through the system.

All you did on the next fill up is dilute the bad stuff, there was still some in the tank.
At a conservative guess, it will probably be several tanks of gas before that stuff is all gone.

After one tank, the crap gas should be so diluted as to not even be an issue any more. We're talking the difference between 93 octane and 85octane, not 97 vs. water. You've run the tank to almost empty, let's say 1/8 tank. Then you've got 1/8 crap and 7/8 premium. They do dissolve into one another, so the next time you fill back up you've got 1/64 crap gas and 63/64 premium. 1/64 crap gas is not going to make any difference whatsoever. And that's if you ran it only to 1/8. If you got the tank lower than that, the fraction is even smaller.

hahaha keep it up everyone this is getting quite funny good math skills by the way hahaha

Hooray for middle school math and high school chemistry!

Did anyone take into account the time for the deposits from the low grade gas to be flushed from the system?

Shouldn't have any significant deposits from one tank of crappy gasoline. Gasonline in America is not that bad.

Shouldn't have any significant deposits from one tank of crappy gasoline. Gasonline in America is not that bad.

No it's not, but I have found that certain gas stations tanks have enough crap in them that you can get a really bad tank of gas if their underground tanks are low.

Just a thought :icon16:

enough with the gas talk ive been in many boosted cars when the idiots run crappy gas, even if the car was running on crappy gas it wouldnt act the way it is....so lets drop the gas argument

enough with the gas talk ive been in many boosted cars when the idiots run crappy gas, even if the car was running on crappy gas it wouldnt act the way it is....so lets drop the gas argument

Party pooper :p