siren at 120mph - Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras

smokenawd · 2004-09-09, 09:55 PM

I was driving down to Vegas via 95 and decided to open up the Subie and low and behold, not a rev limiter, but an annoying noise came on at 120mph. Scared the hell out of me at first but it was coming from the passenger side behind the dash. I tried it several times to rule out freak engine noise, but it came on at 120 every time. I could go past the 120 mark but the noise continued. I have never had a car do this before, sure I have had rev limiters and speed governers on past cars but never a "warning alarm" to let me know I was passing 120. Is this common on WRXs? Or is mine just freakish and feels that it can stop me from speeding by annoying the hell out of me or do all subies have this phenomenon? Thanks for the input.

MattR · 2004-09-09, 09:57 PM

It's the wind hitting your side-mirror. Fold it in and you won;t have that problem, just a funky design oversight. Someone figured out how to put some small diffuser on the mirror to retard the airflow, I guess that would work...

MattR · 2004-09-09, 10:03 PM

Check out this thread... I think this is the first time I've linked L4,,,yeah...

MikeSTI · 2004-09-10, 11:02 AM

yah Art had a good one on that if you want to try to atleast rule out the mirrors, it could also be the wind hitting the winshield wippers

Bob Danger · 2004-09-13, 10:13 PM

I've hit 120mph in my subaru multiple times and never heard anything like that. Even crusing through Washoe at 135 for 8 miles and it gets windy in washoe valley. Maybe its some safety feature on a later model but not on my 2002 or my friends 05 STI. My RX-7 had an alarm that went off when i hit 9000 rpm, good times though

sperry · 2004-09-14, 01:14 AM

Why is this rumor spreading like wildfire on all the boards?

Subaru did not install a siren/fog horn/moose call/whatever on the car that goes off when you drive at a rediculous speed. The car's just not clean aerodynamically and it makes noise at 120+ mph. Shit, you shouldn't even be going that fast! Subaru never designed the car's aero for those speeds... otherwise it'd look just like the rally car w/ all the splitters etc. Hell in stock trim, the WRX can't even go as fast as the speeds some of these people are complaining about: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=627835

AtomicLabMonkey · 2004-09-14, 08:16 AM

Heh.. that's funny, cause there actually is an option in the Ford EEC's to turn on a high-speed warning bell.

sperry · 2004-09-14, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

Heh.. that's funny, cause there actually is an option in the Ford EEC's to turn on a high-speed warning bell.

Sure... lots of cars in Japan have chimes that ring at speeds over 100kph. (You know that'd be the 1st thing ripped out of my dash... much like the Jeep's buzzer.

) However, I'm pretty sure that even if Subaru's ECU has said output, it wouldn't be connected to a fog horn under the hood.

Geez people, I know common sense is dying in America, but if you really think that it would make sense to install a horn that only goes off when the car drives over 140mph... a speed that the stock WRX can't even reach... then you're just vanilla flavored gullible.

AtomicLabMonkey · 2004-09-14, 08:27 AM

There are also lots of other annoying things in the EEC that monkey with fuel delivery, spark timing, etc. at high speed to slow you down like a passive speed limiter... all gone now.

sperry · 2004-09-14, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

There are also lots of other annoying things in the EEC that monkey with fuel delivery, spark timing, etc. at high speed to slow you down like a passive speed limiter... all gone now.

Did you get rid of the code that makes the car ping like a biotch? Or how about the part that makes the car a 3300lb pig w/ no power.

I'm just kidding, don't send the AIX car over here to eat me in my sleep!

AtomicLabMonkey · 2004-09-14, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

Did you get rid of the code that makes the car ping like a biotch?

Currently working on it...

Quote:

Or how about the part that makes the car a 3300lb pig w/ no power.

Probably puts down more to the drive wheels than your car does... :wink:

sperry · 2004-09-14, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

Did you get rid of the code that makes the car ping like a biotch?

Currently working on it...

Quote:

Or how about the part that makes the car a 3300lb pig w/ no power.

Probably puts down more to the drive wheels than your car does... :wink:

It better! I've got 3 times the differentials!

What's normal drive train loss on a Mustang, about 10%? Mine's like 28% IIRC.

But I'm never really in danger of spinning the wheels, and can get on the throttle way earlier... sometimes well before the apex of the corner... assuming I slowed down enough going in so the thing actually turns.

AtomicLabMonkey · 2004-09-14, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

What's normal drive train loss on a Mustang, about 10%? Mine's like 28% IIRC.

I've read there's typically about a 30-40hp loss through our manual drivetrains.

Kevin M · 2004-09-14, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

What's normal drive train loss on a Mustang, about 10%? Mine's like 28% IIRC.

I've read there's typically about a 30-40hp loss through our manual drivetrains.

Wow, so it's like, 20%?

AtomicLabMonkey · 2004-09-14, 01:08 PM

Well, a 35hp loss out of 300bhp is 12%, out of 250bhp is 14%, out of 200bhp is 18%, etc. etc... from what I've read from engine builders, the power loss through a typical manual tranny correlates more closely to a fixed hp number rather than a percentage of flywheel output. Otherwise, a 700bhp engine with a "15% loss" would be losing 105hp, which apparently doesn't typically happen. The percentages just work as good approximations within the 200-300hp range that most people are in...

Other mustangs with engines set up similar to mine usually make in the neighborhood of 230rwhp.

Kevin M · 2004-09-14, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

Well, a 35hp loss out of 300bhp is 12%, out of 250bhp is 14%, out of 200bhp is 18%, etc. etc... from what I've read from engine builders, the power loss through a typical manual tranny correlates more closely to a fixed hp number rather than a percentage of flywheel output. Otherwise, a 700bhp engine with a "15% loss" would be losing 105hp, which apparently doesn't typically happen. The percentages just work as good approximations within the 200-300hp range that most people are in...

Other mustangs with engines set up similar to mine usually make in the neighborhood of 230rwhp.

You just took all the fun out of me calling your mustang slow.

AtomicLabMonkey · 2004-09-14, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

You just took all the fun out of me calling your mustang slow.

I apologize..

2004-09-09, 09:55 PM	#1
smokenawd n00b Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tahoe City, CA Posts: 8	siren at 120mph I was driving down to Vegas via 95 and decided to open up the Subie and low and behold, not a rev limiter, but an annoying noise came on at 120mph. Scared the hell out of me at first but it was coming from the passenger side behind the dash. I tried it several times to rule out freak engine noise, but it came on at 120 every time. I could go past the 120 mark but the noise continued. I have never had a car do this before, sure I have had rev limiters and speed governers on past cars but never a "warning alarm" to let me know I was passing 120. Is this common on WRXs? Or is mine just freakish and feels that it can stop me from speeding by annoying the hell out of me or do all subies have this phenomenon? Thanks for the input. __________________ 2002 Black WRX Stock

2004-09-09, 09:57 PM	#2
MattR El Matador Real Name: Matt Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 10,660 Car: 2012 Toyota Tacoma Class: ?	It's the wind hitting your side-mirror. Fold it in and you won;t have that problem, just a funky design oversight. Someone figured out how to put some small diffuser on the mirror to retard the airflow, I guess that would work... __________________ "Dallas..We have a problem.”

2004-09-09, 10:03 PM	#3
MattR El Matador Real Name: Matt Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 10,660 Car: 2012 Toyota Tacoma Class: ?	Check out this thread... I think this is the first time I've linked L4,,,yeah... __________________ "Dallas..We have a problem.”

2004-09-10, 11:02 AM	#4
MikeSTI EJ205 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 2,354 Car: 2004 STi Class: TSM I can't complain	yah Art had a good one on that if you want to try to atleast rule out the mirrors, it could also be the wind hitting the winshield wippers __________________ Cobb Stage 2

2004-09-13, 10:13 PM	#5
Bob Danger Tape Terrorist Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Melmac Posts: 1,792 Car: ? Class: Retired! Warning: Prolonged eye contact may cause insanity	I've hit 120mph in my subaru multiple times and never heard anything like that. Even crusing through Washoe at 135 for 8 miles and it gets windy in washoe valley. Maybe its some safety feature on a later model but not on my 2002 or my friends 05 STI. My RX-7 had an alarm that went off when i hit 9000 rpm, good times though __________________ A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi.

2004-09-14, 01:14 AM	#6
sperry The Doink Real Name: Scott Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 20,335 Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata Class: PDX/TT-6 The way out is through	Why is this rumor spreading like wildfire on all the boards? Subaru did not install a siren/fog horn/moose call/whatever on the car that goes off when you drive at a rediculous speed. The car's just not clean aerodynamically and it makes noise at 120+ mph. Shit, you shouldn't even be going that fast! Subaru never designed the car's aero for those speeds... otherwise it'd look just like the rally car w/ all the splitters etc. Hell in stock trim, the WRX can't even go as fast as the speeds some of these people are complaining about: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=627835 __________________ Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?

2004-09-14, 08:16 AM	#7
AtomicLabMonkey Nightwalker Real Name: Austin Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Oshkosh, WI Posts: 4,063 Car: '13 WRX YGBSM	Heh.. that's funny, cause there actually is an option in the Ford EEC's to turn on a high-speed warning bell. __________________ "None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you.. you're locked in here with me."

2004-09-14, 08:27 AM	#9
AtomicLabMonkey Nightwalker Real Name: Austin Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Oshkosh, WI Posts: 4,063 Car: '13 WRX YGBSM	There are also lots of other annoying things in the EEC that monkey with fuel delivery, spark timing, etc. at high speed to slow you down like a passive speed limiter... all gone now. __________________ "None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you.. you're locked in here with me."

2004-09-14, 01:08 PM	#15
AtomicLabMonkey Nightwalker Real Name: Austin Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Oshkosh, WI Posts: 4,063 Car: '13 WRX YGBSM	Well, a 35hp loss out of 300bhp is 12%, out of 250bhp is 14%, out of 200bhp is 18%, etc. etc... from what I've read from engine builders, the power loss through a typical manual tranny correlates more closely to a fixed hp number rather than a percentage of flywheel output. Otherwise, a 700bhp engine with a "15% loss" would be losing 105hp, which apparently doesn't typically happen. The percentages just work as good approximations within the 200-300hp range that most people are in... Other mustangs with engines set up similar to mine usually make in the neighborhood of 230rwhp. __________________ "None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you.. you're locked in here with me."