Low RPM rattle when "lugging"?
 

It's a long story, but I bought my car with 149 km's on it so I know it's been test driven.

Everything seems fine on the car except that at low speeds & rpm the engine can sound quite rattly. Anywhere around 1000 - 2000 rpm if you load the engine it starts sound pretty bad. I've got less than 1000 km on the car and I'm hoping it's just a new engine thing until it breaks in.

Has anyone else experience this?

my old 240sx would shake a bit and otherwise complain when lugged like that, but never make such a rattle.

Lugging, hypermiling or what ever it's called is not good for you engine. I've never lugged mine so I can't answer your question. Think of it as riding a multi-speed bicycle. When you come to the hill it gets pretty damn tough to peddle unless you change gears. The same thing is happening to your engine when you lug.

Yep hes right, i dont even like going under 3000rpm if i dont have to, never mind 2 or 1000

I'm aware of this :)

It does happen though. stop and go traffic, taking off slowly from a stop, etc etc.

Anyone experience anything like that?

Are u talking starting from a stop or slowing down in a high gear?

I'd suspect a problem with the operator, not the engine.

All subaru engines sound like tractors, its just a characteistic, i would try and meet up with someone in your area and listen to there 86.

not noticeable from a stop as I'm usually above 2k rpm in 1st gear when taking off.

It's mostly in 2nd gear when moving really slowly (stop and go traffic) and I'm too lazy to shift into 1st. It's fine until you load the engine then it's noisy.

I'm not sure why everyone has an opinion on what I SHOULD be doing when I'm simply asking if anyone else has run across this.

That's really not helpful at all.

I'm asking if anyone else can hear a rattle when loading the engine at low RPM's... I'm not asking for driving advice. I know you're not suppose to lug any motor.

Mine rattles at low rpm's, high rpm's, at idle, lugging, cruising, hell, sometimes I can hear it rattling even when it's not running.

There's a known rattling of the throw out bearing in the transmission (if you have a manual). Mine rattles and a lot of others have this rattle sound ...there's a bunch of threads on it.

Do you notice it when you're idling? If you do, press the clutch - did the sound go away?? If so, you've also got some throw out bearing rattle.

I understand what you're saying. I worried about it first too because the cars with MT I had before never made this noise. I made a thread about it too. It's normal. I heard 370Z making the same noise. I just don't go below 2200 anymore.

nah, Idle is quiet (after the cat is warmed up) and having the clutch in or out makes no difference. It's only under load.

You other helpful posters couldn't just tell him it's flywheel or clutch chatter? Personally, I don't take the car under 2K rpm very often except for 1st gear starts and occasionally in 2nd, which is most often when you'll hear the chatter.