Engine idle chirping (cricket) noise poll.

[Don_SA]

I am beginning to think they will never fix the chirp, and simply don't care.

Until they do I will not be able to bring myself to order the car. It's disappointing, since I really want one. I will have to be confident it had truly been fixed for good, though, as evidence by a new part a reports here of the chirp gone for good (ethanol or no.). E10 is all they have around here.

[Silver86]

Originally Posted by Panda Grahams

As far as I know, no. I've asked and checked for ethanol signs.

My guess is it probably has ethanol then. Unless it says "no ethanol" just assume it has it, especially if it is a popular national chain like shell.

I've been running ethanol free for over 1k miles and haven't had a chirp since I stopped running Ethanol in my car.

Seriously the same day I stopped using ethanol is the same day the chirp ended.

[Silver86]

Originally Posted by Don_SA

I am beginning to think they will never fix the chirp, and simply don't care.

Until they do I will not be able to bring myself to order the car. It's disappointing, since I really want one. I will have to be confident it had truly been fixed for good, though, as evidence by a new part a reports here of the chirp gone for good (ethanol or no.). E10 is all they have around here.

When the 2014 models come out the car will be more "Americanized" and I'm sure it won't have the problem with ethanol it has now.

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by Silver86

Does it have ethanol in it?

Yes. I'm in California so all the petrol has ethanol in it.

I brought my car to the dealership to have the fuel pump changed out at exactly 800 miles on the odometer. Chirping went away, but the temps has also been low (hasn't gone over 75 degrees since I had it done) and I haven't had the chance to really "drive" the thing to get hot. Mostly grannying the throttle to and from work to get the MPGs up. Well see if this isnt a permanent fix.

On the subject of MPGs... how the hell are people getting +30 average? they must never go past quarter throttle and 3000rpms... I granny the throttle big time when I'm not on the twisties and I'm averaging about 24MPG.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Don_SA

I am beginning to think they will never fix the chirp, and simply don't care.

Until they do I will not be able to bring myself to order the car. It's disappointing, since I really want one. I will have to be confident it had truly been fixed for good, though, as evidence by a new part a reports here of the chirp gone for good (ethanol or no.). E10 is all they have around here.

So the chirp is the only thing keeping you from buying a car, that, by all other accounts, is a great piece of automotive engineering?

[frslee]

Crickets come alive mostly after pushing the car hard. If I drive the car casually (under 4k rpm), the cricket noise is reduced. I don't want to waste my time taking the car to dealer now, but I'll get mine checked out for 7500 service..

[tha7osavage]

Sorry guys, i'm at work and i really don't have the time to read through all 70 pages of this thread, but i just hit 2,100 miles and I hear this damn chirp at all times. Has anybody figured out why this is happening?

All help is appreciated.

[Don_SA]

Originally Posted by HunterGreene

So the chirp is the only thing keeping you from buying a car, that, by all other accounts, is a great piece of automotive engineering?

Pretty much. It would drive me crazy and a lot of people here find it annoying so I probably would, too. I do not want my neat new sports car to sound like it is 10 years old with squeaky belts and pulleys. This is really something very basic (a fuel pump should not be causing this racket in any car, especially if it starts quiet then develops the defect) and to me, it is inexcusable. They should have found this in development and testing before it came to market. I am not convinced it is just ethanol as the chirp is very prevalent and some who have used E0 exclusively are still getting it. Besides, even if it was the E10 they should have found this a long time ago and corrected it before the car came to market. In some places in the USA (like where I live) E10 is all that is available.

I love the car but reading about the chirp, blown engines, CEL etc makes me uncomfortable with the thought of owning it 5 years or more, which is my intent. Still, I am willing to roll the dice once I know the chirp has been banished for good.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Don_SA

Pretty much. It would drive me crazy and a lot of people here find it annoying so I probably would, too. I do not want my neat new sports car to sound like it is 10 years old with squeaky belts and pulleys. This is really something very basic (a fuel pump should not be causing this racket in any car, especially if it starts quiet then develops the defect) and to me, it is inexcusable. They should have found this in development and testing before it came to market. I am not convinced it is just ethanol as the chirp is very prevalent and some who have used E0 exclusively are still getting it. Besides, even if it was the E10 they should have found this a long time ago and corrected it before the car came to market. In some places in the USA (like where I live) E10 is all that is available.

I love the car but reading about the chirp, blown engines, CEL etc makes me uncomfortable with the thought of owning it 5 years or more, which is my intent. Still, I am willing to roll the dice once I know the chirp has been banished for good.

I was where you were a couple months before I got my car. So far, the fuel pump chirp does not seem to be having any effects, some owners are getting up there in miles with no determinable problems from that.

Are there problems? Yes, but they aren't wide-spread. The CEL issue seems to be limited to the run of cars that came out during the first couple months. Any "blown engines" I have heard of have been the result of over-ambitious tuning and charging.

You can wait until there is a fix, if any. But I know my car will last at least 5 years, if not more. I guess it boils down to how much you actually want this car.

For the record, I have the chirp, and I can honestly tell you that I don't hear it unless my windows are down and the radio is turned down/off. I think you are imagining that it is more than it is.

[Fenrir]

Originally Posted by tha7osavage

Sorry guys, i'm at work and i really don't have the time to read through all 70 pages of this thread, but i just hit 2,100 miles and I hear this damn chirp at all times. Has anybody figured out why this is happening?

All help is appreciated.

Yes, we have figured out why it is happening.

[tha7osavage]

Originally Posted by Fenrir

Yes, we have figured out why it is happening.

So gathered from the few posts that I was able to actually read, it's a fuel pump problem?

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by tha7osavage

So gathered from the few posts that I was able to actually read, it's a fuel pump problem?

Ah, Fenrir, informative as always. He'll likely argue whatever I post here, but its not a problem with the fuel pump exactly, more with the formulation of gasoline was have in the states, specifically the addition of ethanol. No long-term problems with the chirp have been observed.

[Fenrir]

Originally Posted by tha7osavage

So gathered from the few posts that I was able to actually read, it's a fuel pump problem?

Yes, it's the fuel pump. No, it's not a problem.

It's just a noise. Nothing else.

[Fenrir]

Originally Posted by HunterGreene

Ah, Fenrir, informative as always. He'll likely argue whatever I post here, but its not a problem with the fuel pump exactly, more with the formulation of gasoline was have in the states, specifically the addition of ethanol. No long-term problems with the chirp have been observed.

Nothing to argue, because you're posting accurate information this time

To further clarify, it's a combination of the design of the fuel pump, the ethanol content of the fuel, and heat.

Plenty of other cars with DI have been doing this for 20+ years and don't have any issues.