"Crickets" - is this true?
 

So I have the dreaded "crickets", with only 7500km on my car. Some days they don't come out at all. Other days, like last night, they are unbearably loud and make my nice, new car sound like a rotten old piece of shit with a slipping belt. I can just feel the judgmental stares of "oh, this guy doesn't maintain his car".

I took my car in to Subaru Mississauga last week for my first oil-change, and mentioned the crickets when I booked my appointment so that they could take a look. Based on what I read online, I was prepared for them to keep the car overnight and replace the fuel pump to eliminate the problem.

After what seemed like too short of a time, the advisor came and got me and told me my car was ready. My first thought - wow that was fast! Well I quickly found out why.

The service advisor tells me yes; the squealing sound is indeed your direct injection fuel pump, as I suspected (from my readings on here).

What shocked me was that he told me this is "normal operating procedure" for this vehicle, and that there was "no fix at this time". Basically, "tough shit, dude. You have to live with it" and "we didn't fix it/aren't willing to fix it".

Is this for real?? I have read threads where people in the US have had their pump replaced 2, 3, even 4 times under warranty! In some cases, the problem goes away. In other cases, they have to have multiple replacements as the problem keeps coming back.

Is it different for Canada? Is Subaru Canada not willing to admit they put a faulty part in this car and should be liable to fix it?

I'm actually shocked that they essentially told me it's "normal" and "there's no fix". How the hell is it "normal operating procedure" to have a brand-new performance-oriented vehicle in 2014 with a sophisticated fuel-delivery system, and have it squeal like a stuck pig? It's actually embarrassing how loud it gets sometimes. I don't understand how this can be normal in anyone's eyes, let alone acceptable, and can't fathom how they are unwilling to do anything about it.

Can anyone shed any light? Has anyone else had this same response when having their crickets diagnosed? Is it a Canada-wide thing or maybe just this dealership? Should I go elsewhere?

I had the same cricket noise as everyone else.

I read somewhere probably here) that using Shell V-power gas makes it go away or at least minimize the noise. I've been using Shell ever since and I don't hear them anymore.

There has been a couple times where I needed gas but no Shell around so I filled up with Esso. Couple blocks at a red light, crickets louder than ever.

2013 here, shell since day one, now at 35k and not once did I hear crickets.

I try to only use V-Power if possible, but as you mentioned, sometimes you can't help it.

Doesn't help that I live in the middle of an area with very few Shell stations, and work in a town that doesn't have one at all...

Put two ounces of two stroke oil in your tank before filling it up. I use [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-VV461-6PK-Certified-Multi-Purpose-2-Cycle/dp/B00DJ4FKWW"]Valvoline multipurpose two cycle oil[/ame]. It provides lubrication for the fuel pump. Some people will say you need Lucas upper cylinder lubricant or some other expensive stuff, but the Valvoline works just fine and costs less. The only time I get crickets anymore is when I don't have any two stroke oil on hand to put in the tank.

well, they're going to replace your fuel pump with a supposed "updated" fuel pump but from what I gather it's not really all that updated :p


so from the dealer's point of view it's wasted effort

Fuel pump replacement appears to be a wasteful way for the dealer to appease the client. The sound seems to always come back. I'm surprised the factory approves these jobs, but I guess that's just public relations.

Non-ethanol fuel has worked for a lot of people. Make sure your tank is very empty before refill.
Personally, I tolerate the crickets and don't let mechanics fix something that ain't broke. Also, with an OFT 93 tune the benefits outweigh the minor drawback.

First direct injection car?

Conclusions from past year:

1. If you use a zero ethanol fuel, your chances of crickets goes down. This includes Shell V-Power and (possibly) Costco 91.

2. Petro 94 and Esso 93 are prone to crickets. This happens to me when the engine is warm. So in the morning, when I start my car, no crickets. By the time I get to work, I hear them sometimes.

In the end, crickets are an annoyance, but your car won't blow up. Here is a sticker I put on my car that made my dealer laugh:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...842d5df5_c.jpgGot crickets? by Drewbot 95, on Flickr

Where can I get that sticker? LOL

This is because when you first start the car, the engine is running on port injection and not direct injection.

If you open the hood of a 2.0T VAG product, you will hear the crickets on startup because that engine only has direct injection. The Hitachi HPFP in the 2.0T is just better insulated than the Denso HPFP in the twins. VW/Audi also have much better sound deadening with their cabins.

I also hear rocks hitting the bottom side of my BRZ readily where I don't hear anything with other makes and models, yet nobody ever complains about that. :iono:

This part of your post hit home for me because I hear this all the time and always get out and check once I'm at my destination to ensure it was the underside and not the fender or quarter panel lol.

To answer your earlier question, no this is not my first direct-injection car, nor am I "inexperienced" when it comes to direct injection. My last 2 cars before my BRZ were BMW 335i sedans, an '07 and then an '08, and both had noticeable "ticking" coming from the engine compartment at all times, which I came to learn was the high-pressure direct-injection fuel pump. It never bothered me because it was better-insulated (as you mentioned) and because it was more of an innate unobtrusive "ticking" rather than an obnoxious and noticeable "squealing" like in the BRZ.

I also say I am experienced in GDI because I sell cars for Kia, which almost exclusively uses GDI in their new vehicles, so I need to be able to understand and explain the technology to prospective clients, and the Kia vehicles also have somewhat of a prominent noise from the GDI. Nothing like the twins though, which is what surprises me; you can put a quiet, insulated GDI pump on a $14,000 Rio, but can't put one in a more-expensive, performance-oriented vehicle like the BRZ/FRS? Doesn't make sense.

I've got them - and I have a MY2015 with 2300km on it, Petro 94 since first fill up. Only noticeable when idling, other than that I am ok with it. I haven't bothered with the dealer, I figure they will just say it's normal or have one of their super experienced-caring-bonehead mechanics install a new pump and "fix" a problem that will come back anyway.

Yes you are right my old Golf GTI had this ticking sound too from the Hitachi HPFP (Made in Japan ironically), and the crickets only happen when I first crank the engine and I really have to listen for it with the hood opened, otherwise I can never hear it ever after driving it for any reasonable distance.

I take it the GDI with Kia/Hyundai is from Mitsubishi? I think Mitsubishi have had this technology since the 90's?

The twins is a really cheaply built car, I think they spent the bulk of the budget on the chassis, leaving everything else much to be desired. I basically just went from one rubbish car, to another potentially rubbish car taking my chances with a different make lol!

Yeah, I've had all 3 revisions of the fuel pump at this point and always use Shell 93 Octane. ChirpChirpChirp

I have crickets with both Shell 91 and Husky/Mohawk 94.

I once ran an E91 320i without the engine cover on. My god it was a heavy beast and removal made a mk 1 Fiat Punto sound refined :eyebulge:

Are you really calling it rubbish because of a chirping noise that has zero negative performance/reliability effects?

Yes it makes noise, no it isn't hurting anything at all.

I've ran V-Power since the first time I put fuel in the car.


Last week I went on a 1500km road trip in the states. By the end of the first tank with ethanol gas I had crickets. Come home and put Shell and I'm as good as new!

No crickets since day 1. She only drinks Chevron 94.

I've had crickets since the morning after I brought the car home. Gets me laid.

I manage the a scion dealership, I just last week got out of the company lease and purchased my own 2014 frs as a demo and had about 8k on it. I have the sounds that come and go.
You will notice some gases/weather will make it worst or come back. They have a new updated pump that my dealership will happily put in for me but I am going to wait until the fix is fixed for good. I simply turn up my music or listen to the exhaust some more.
I know as a owner the sound is annoying, but every time I rip threw a corner I could care less how the car sound.
I hope you get better service from your dealership, the advisor for sure could have done a better job explaining it to you

It's something that happens to a lot of vehicles with HPFPs. Everyone will tell you they have a fix, but nothing works for everyone. Just like how some types of hard drives are louder clickers, it's just one of the noises it makes. Doesn't indicate a problem and it sucks but its life.

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No crickets and I only use Esso.

No I meant overall build quality. ;)

OK so this is only the 1000th thread on this subject!
I have tried to use nothing but Esso non ethanol from the same high volume station since I got the car and was cricket free for MOST of the time.
The one time I got too low on fuel for comfort (about 3 weeks ago) I stopped at a small neighborhood Pioneer station and got half a tank. Wasn't half an hour later it sounded like late summer at dusk under my hood. My car was also running like CRAP so I figured more than just the ethanol was up. I burned through that tank and went back to my regular fuel. Silence (well other then all the other weird and wonderful noises that the boxer makes)!
I was going past the same station about a week later and stopped in to talk to the attendant. Once I convinced him that I wasn't trying to get anything out of hem and asked about how much premium gas they sold he responded "not much". We took a look at the records and that gas had been in the station tank since MAY! The fill up before that had been November of 13.
So... the moral of my story is that ethanol is certainly a factor (in my OPINION based on MY experience) and always try to get your gas from a station that uses lots of premium or you could be getting stuff that is well on the stale side.

Other than the first tank (which I think was from Pioneer), every other tank has been ethanol free and I have not heard crickets. There are quite a few options: Shell 91, Esso 91, Canadian Tire 91, and Costco 91. Pretty much any gas that is higher than 91 has ethanol in it. I also find that I tend to get better gas mileage than those on the 93, but, not as much performance. Seems contradictory, but, meh, I don't have crickets.

hmm...i have been using shell 91 and only, coming close to 8k on the clock now.
i don't know if I'm just dull at these things..but i don't hear anything but normal engine noise?

Had crickets regardless of the fuel including shell 91. Had the fuel pump replaced near the end of July, haven't had any crickets yet.

@Tcoat you're right only the hundredth post. However I've gone through 5 fuel pumps and still have crickets. Don't matter the brand of gas or octane. Cause each pump I tried something different.

What is strange is how some (like me) keep getting them and others don't. It must be something other then the fuel pump.

Btw, dealer hesitant now to replace my 5th pump as crickets/chirp is back. Lol. Glad it's under warranty


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Temperature plays a role.

I'm well aware that this is probably the 1000th post on this topic, but I'm a new owner and wanted a current, local discussion based on what I was told at the dealer.

Thank you all for contributing.

I have a 2015 86 with 5000km now and i only had the crickets once when the car was around 3000 and it only lasted that one drive for about 20 minutes.

Use shell v-power only

'13 with ~5850km, never had any crickets.
I always use 91 fuel with no ethanol. And I always go to "busy" station to avoid getting old gas. (Had problem with old gas on a previous car)

I cant get higher then 91 in my area but all the 91 is without ethanol at least (87 and 89 have a sticker at the pump saying it may contain up to 10% ethanol)

It absolutely is the fuel pump. But they aren't defective, it happens to other cars with HPFPs too. Just really a noise of operation that happens sometimes. But the consensus is far and away through official channels that it's the pump but not really something they can fix. At least take solace in the fact that it isn't a thing to worry about.

For the record I almost always have crickets every time I'm stopped so believe me it's livable.

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If Toyota/Subaru really cared about that sound they're design a more effective sound insulator for the fuel pump. Personally, I don't find the sound intolerable.

It astonishes me that a dealer replaced one person's pump 5X. It shows that replacement is simply appeasing the customer, and at this point is an exercise in futility.

The futility of complaining with no resolution reminds me of this:

[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aY5Ex4B5dNI[/ame]

invidia n1 exhaust will kill your crickets.

You know what, I think that's the reason I had crickets that one day because i filled up at a Shell in Kitchener where not many people use 91. Because in Woodbridge, I never have crickets when i was 91 at Shell

Well said. Who gives a turd about squeeks. Don't bother me none -

But then agin I'm an old fart and a life time of rock concerts and gunfire has taken a lot of my high frequency hearing, mebbe dats why da creekets don't bother me. Or maybe my headers are too loud.

By the way I fixed the Monkey Butt. Will bring some for you for the next track day.

http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/u...psb27e7500.jpg

CERBERUS