Engine idle chirping (cricket) noise poll.

[BRZJunkie]

Originally Posted by protpibe

I added 2 oz of Shell synthetic 2stroke oil to a full tank of 94 octane fuel (10% ethanol) yesterday and the crickets are gone.

I'm actually very pleased with the results thus far. I'll post up again if they come back.

As I wrote a little up this thread, I did the exact same Petro-Can 94 + 2oz and it's gone for the most part. It comes back now and then but its because I know much too well what to listen to. It's easily burried with the rest of ambiant noises. Especially when other cars are around... So far so good.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by andrew20195

The noise (as determined by Fuji engineers) is caused by cavitation (bubbles) in the high pressure pump with certain fuel blends in certain conditions.

Where did you hear this?

[JonAvalon]

Chirps are starting to become insanely loud now on my replacement pump. I may finally start doing 2 cycle oil trick.

[Nevermore]

I bought a small 2.6oz bottle of the Lucas oil low ash today, couldn't really measure it out so I dumped most of it in and left some in the bottle. If I keep doing it I'll find some better way of measuring. Either way, it worked. By the time I got home the crickets were gone. I'm being told that I shouldn't be adding anything though. People seem to very skeptical of this. I keep seeing it being asked and answered, but I still don't know if this is safe for the engine. I've put a question out to a relative that owns a car shop about it this. Hopefully he can provide a clear answer.

It's nice not having crickets, but killing a noise isn't worth hurting the engine.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Nevermore

I bought a small 2.6oz bottle of the Lucas oil low ash today, couldn't really measure it out so I dumped most of it in and left some in the bottle. If I keep doing it I'll find some better way of measuring. Either way, it worked. By the time I got home the crickets were gone. I'm being told that I shouldn't be adding anything though. People seem to very skeptical of this. I keep seeing it being asked and answered, but I still don't know if this is safe for the engine. I've put a question out to a relative that owns a car shop about it this. Hopefully he can provide a clear answer.

It's nice not having crickets, but killing a noise isn't worth hurting the engine.

Considering that the oil is designed to be consumed in the combustion process, and its "ashless," there shoudln't be much of a problem. Another owner who posted a couple pages back said that he hasn't seen any buildup on his oxygen sensor.

Also, most people are having good results with a small amount, maybe a capful (which usually comes to about 1 oz). That's the way I would go, anyways, finding the bare minimum that works.

[andrew20195]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Where did you hear this?

It's in the TSB for the fuel pump chirp.

[FR-S Matt]

Hearing less and less chirps since I used the Lucas upper cylinder lubrication on this tank of gas. Only gone about 30 miles so far on this tank of 93 oct from Chevron. Need to use a bit more of it to confirm, but so far so good. I'll report back after a few tanks.

[Frost]

Originally Posted by andrew20195

The noise (as determined by Fuji engineers) is caused by cavitation (bubbles) in the high pressure pump with certain fuel blends in certain conditions. It makes sense to me that adding a lubricant to the fuel can affect the noise, as the oil changes the surface tension of the fuel making it less likely to foam up.

The only potential downside is the additives may reduce the octane rating of the fuel, but 2 oz. per tank is negligible.

Cavitation is due uneven pressure regions in the fluid causing dissolved gases in the fluid to suddenly come out of the fluid (in areas of low pressure) and then suddenly get "pressed back into" the fluid in areas of high pressure. When you get a bunch of these areas of hi and low mixing, you get bubbles forming and collapsing insanely fast and the energy is exerted as shock waves which can result in sound and physical damage.

The bubbles don't produce foam per se but surface tension does affect the pressures it takes to allow the gases to come out of solution and then go back.

I am surprised at how this produces a squeak though - usually when a pump or propeller cavitates in a liquid it sounds like rocks are going through it.

Sauces:
- [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavitation"]Cavitation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
- My education and work

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by andrew20195

It's in the TSB for the fuel pump chirp.

Thanks, I forgot Subaru specifically called it out.

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide information regarding a high-pitched "chirp", "squeak" or "cricket" sound you may hear coming from the engine’s high-pressure fuel pump. Not all pumps may exhibit this condition. Some may have internal components which in combination with certain fuel temperatures or fuel formulations, may result in aeration of the fuel within the body of the pump and cause this sound when the engine is idling. This result is non-detrimental to the fuel system or engine.

[JoeC]

I just filled up with my second consecutive tank of Ethanol free 91. Zero crickets regardless of the fuel level. Problem solved for me and the car runs a little better on straight gas. I'm not looking forward to the eventual scenario where I have to get gas with corn additive.

[mla163]

I'm not pouring ****ing oil in my gas tank.

[mweidner311]

Forgive me if this was already covered in the earlier pages of this thread but out of curiosity has anyone tried running Marvels Mystery Oil in the gas?

People have done this and most that do swear by it for decades now. Supposed to clean the fuel system, lube the upper cylinders, give your balls a tingly feeling ext ext.

Just wondered if it would help the crickets out since this would seem a safer alternative to using 2 stroke oil.

[because racecar]

Originally Posted by RobertB

Anybody try Lucas Upper Cylinder lubricant/injector cleaner to quiet the chirps?

http://www.lucasoil.ca/products/prod...&cat=HeavyDuty

One ounce did not do the trick...

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by mla163

I'm not pouring ****ing oil in my gas tank.

Either that, or this is the best joke I've heard all day.