Hi all,

Quick question. Ever since buying my STI i've noticed what sounds like a groaning noise at high speed (100km/h and above - it is most apparent on the freeway) It appears to come from underneath the car... but its far too hard to tell for sure, and I cant exactly hop out while doing 100km/h and have a quick peek

Has anybody experienced this before? It sounds A LOT like the well known "diff noise phenomenon", For those who don't know after doing a fair bit of research it seems the 07 STIs are well known for making a groaning type noise when on full lock in a low gear or reverse. Which is fixed by switching the diff controller to low lock (or something along those lines, I'm not in my car so can't check for 100% accuracy) but this doesn't fix the noise i'm getting at speed.

Its starting to really get on my nerves so any advice will be appreciated.

(07 STI, Less than 60,000km, No mods)

Cheers.

Is it rev dependent - meaning the groan is different at different speeds or consistent?

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Consistent, Around the 100-105km/h mark it comes on, and stays on until traffic slows me down etc, i can shift down to 5th, or stay in 6th it's still there, just a little harder to hear in 5th for obvious reasons

Edit - Also if it helps, I have noticed it gets a hell of a lot louder if I turn the steering wheel a tiny little bit (Like going around slight bends)

How about if you push the clutch in

then put it in neutral?

I guess that isolates the forward part of the drive train.

If the noise is still the same i assume it means its dif/tranny/wheel related..?

Iv got a pretty bad whine/groan, you clutch in and its still there also, noise changes with vehicle speed,
But i kno mine is my front diff. My05STI. Will rectify when i have a bit more $$ as well as fixing\ replacing everytging else that needs to be.
Untill then i bike it wherever possible haha

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my13 Rok

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You sur its not wheel bearin

I'm not uber mechanically inclined so I don't really know. I'm gonna try taking it for a drive on freeway tonight and whacking it in neutral to see if it is still groaning, But something makes me think it's the diff, as it's the same noise just louder that has been well doccumented about STIs on full lock. Starting to really bother me though, I dont care what anybody says, its certainly not "normal"

I have some funds coming shortly which will be used to complete some mods, so if it persists i'll have it looked at. Just hoping to know what i'm in for!

Girlfriend?

100% sure that is a defiant front wheel bearing gone.

I would say wheel bearing would be a possibility, especially if it changes when you turn the wheel.
It may be your tyres too, agressive tread patterns can be noisy, or the tyres could be scalloped.
Diffs on STI's are pretty reliable, I mean, have a look at the size of them!
If its a diff, it will change if you get off the throttle, eg, it will sound different if your coasting or accelerating.

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