Loud buzzing noise backing up with steering wheel turned
 

A new noise started yesterday and got really loud today. It happens backing up with the wheel turned over ~15* in either direction. What should I be looking for or is it the power steering motor and it just needs to be replaced?

Could be the motor, call the Subaru service dept and tell them the symptom. They may be able to answer without you going in.

Where does it sound like the noise is coming from?

If it's hard to tell, you may consider jacking up the front end and having your co-pilot turn the wheel while you try to locate the source.


humfrz

Only when backing up is weird. Are you sure about that, or do you only notice it when it's cold, like the first time you back out of a parking spot?

It only does it backing up, I'm sure. Car has to be moving, it doesn't do it with the front wheels off the ground and turning the wheel. The noise is definitely coming from up front somewhere. It's louder when the car is warm than when it's first started for the day. I almost always back into parking spots and always back into my driveway which means that I'm always turning pulling out of any parking spot or the driveway and it doesn't do it when pulling out.

Tomorrow I'm going to find a place where I can back up at higher speed than I have so far and see if it does it then too. It's very disconcerting especially when people turn around to look at you...

Check your pads if you don't find anything else. I had my pads make extra noise when reversing when they were well worn (I run aggressive track pads all the time though).

I guess that could be possible, they're down to almost nothing. It sounded more like an electrical buzz but thinking about it you could be right.

Many years ago i parked in a back narrow lane and other cars parked very close , so i needed to go from left to right steering lock and move an inch at a time.
This caused the power steering to make an electrical buzzing noise.
Never had this problem again because i won't park in back narrow lanes anymore.