You shared something that no everyone can see, you should change the privacy settings for that to be for everyone or upload it to YouTube.

Yes! This is absolutely it! And I've never heard that from any Subaru either and I've been around a good number of them

No, it does use the direct injectors a little bit at idle and low speeds. Mid-range is direct injection only and high-end is both again. High pressure fuel injectors are noisy. The Evo X has port injectors but they still make a lot of noise.

I caught the tapping from another thread, too. The one with the Subie engineer. It's very faint (and I'm probably imagining it), but around the 20 second mark and on, you can hear it. Kind of have to drown out the chatter between the folks in the video, but yea.


Anyone else with a BRZ want to confirm the tapping? G37s had a similar, VVEL related tapping issue which is common in about 1 out of every 10 cars or so in the early models. I believe the fix was switching to Nissan ester oil. I think the conclusion was that it was normal and expected, but the magic oil would get rid of it completely if it bothered the owners that much.

In all actuality, I accept it as normal operation noise. Normal, annoying, operation noise. I think you should speak up about it during your next service visit and make sure they document it.

100% Normal. Boxer motors have a "tapping" noise at idle and may sound like a diesel to some. The noise you are hearing is the combination of the typical boxer "tapping" and the DI injectors. If you are really spooked, have the dealer check it out.

Yeah I had a turbo cobalt SS and the DI on that was louder if I remember correctly.

This. I saw your post where you already took it in to get a speaker cover replaced. Just enjoy it and stop worrying.

Boxers in general do not make any tapping noises. The tapping from your FA20 engine is 100% from the Direct injection injectors firing. As some have pointed out, the fuel pressure is very high and when they fire the injector, it uses 80V-ish to pull the injector open. This creates the noise you hear.

What I have found is that sometimes at idle, the DI injectors are not firing at all and its much quieter. Then sometimes is firing 100% of the time at idle. Probably a way that Subaru cleans out the engine, or tests out the cats, or a lean burn situation. Who knows for sure. This creates that noise that isn't always there. That isn't good for customers as its going to create a lot of calls to the dealer over nothing.

Subaru BOXERS are not loud engines at all, in this specific case it will be the DI, there arent many quiet high pressure fuel injection systems

Well my car is under warranty and since it came like that it's getting fixed. I'm enjoying my car just fine.


Jeff, thanks a lot for mentioning that bit about the noise being either 100 or 0% at idle. Sounds like my cars just making usual Subaru news

I changed it to Public

FYI - I sent a Quality Monitoring Report to Subaru about this and received two calls yesterday. We'll see if this is normal or an issue.

Post remove

Post some videos.

Someone told me about the "crickets" we'll be hearing. oddly shortly after they told me this I heard a chriping sound that sounded like a cricket. Odd. The only other noise I have is simply when I downshift and the car is at higher rpm I get a slightly high pitched vibration from the front left footwell or door. The ticking sound will last forever...DI systems are just that way. I suggest dulling it down with a catback!