'siren' noise from turbo

fUbAr8p

fUbAr8p

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Morning.

Just dropped the A3 2.0TDi off at the garage to get the turbo looked at. It's making what can only be described as a loud siren noise when spooling up at 1500 revs, then when backing off it makes the same noise but backwards... sounding just like an ambulance (in the UK).

Basically, reading through my used car warranty it's not clear if the turbo is covered. Has anyone else experienced this noise who can comment on the outcome? I would like to be able to go back to the garage with some amunition when collecting the car later.

Thanks.
 
Yes i had that & EVERYONE including the dealer said it was the turbo

I bought a new unit from Garret for £700 & had it fitted & the noise is still there. To say i,m upset is an understatement especially after the garage said ahh well it could be a split pipe.

I still have the noise sounds like an owl under the bonnet. I,m living with it now as i know the turbo is fine.
Just goes to show dont believe everything you hear
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Tbh mine makes a slight noise but it just sounds like a presure building noise tbh. My dads old fiat coupe 20v turbo made the same noise and that was brand new from factory so i dont think its anything that you couldnt live with
 
Verdict from the garage confirms the above comment, it is indeed normal. Apparently it's just the sound of the turbo spinning under pressure.

Good piece of mind for me though, while I've still got warranty. Thanks all.
 
Drove another A3TDi this week and it didn't make the noise.

So, it's booked in to an Audi dealer this time for a proper diagnosis as I'm not happy with it... will report on the outcome.

Googling for the problem throws up so many similar stories, some people saying its normal some saying it's turbo failure... but it affects VW, Seat, Skodas with similar engines.
 
if you want weird noises you should hear mine

the turbo went awhile ago so i had a new one and then got a remap which didnt help the turbo at all and it whistled like a monster, then i got a de-cat custom system for it and now you can hear the turbo scream at you in high revs, like a supercharger noise but a hell of alot louder.

i'll make a video sometime and people can hear how messed up it is

not sure i like it and it attracts was too much attention

however a siren noise i have never heard before and surly isnt normal
 
You can get a high pitched whistle on the turbos fitted to our engines, but the "police siren" sound usually means that the turbo is on its way out mate.
 
SAiLO said:
You can get a high pitched whistle on the turbos fitted to our engines, but the "police siren" sound usually means that the turbo is on its way out mate.
Click to expand...

This is what I've concluded. I hope to get a diagnosis report at Audi which I'll pay for... and then go back to the garage and argue the replacement turbo under the warranty.
 
Do you have a DSG?

My gearbox seems to make a noise very similar to this, i was looking in my mirrors for blue flashing lights when i 1st bought the car :laugh:
 
smudge_don said:
Do you have a DSG?

My gearbox seems to make a noise very similar to this
Click to expand...

My gearbox makes that noise as well. It's a manual. Not as similar to a police siren as the faulty turbo was!
 
My 170 TDI makes a simular noise but i though nothing of it tbh my cars only done 40k I have noticed that the pipe going into the turbo compresses dramatically under revs hence I'm chasing forge regarding their turbo pipe as i want to change it.
 
Yeh mine does it aswell everyone that gets in the car thinks its sirens been doing it since i got the car a year and a half ago ive covered 25,000 miles in it and hasent caused me a problem so i wouldent worrie about it if i was you.
 
See, this is what I've been reading all day. Reports of it happening to loads and loads of VAG cars on the Internet.

However, just in case someone else types it in to Google search and for my own piece of mine I'm going to pay for diagnostic at Audi... to put the matter to rest. Hopefully they'll laugh at me and tell me I'm too paranoid.
 
hi, on my 3rd turbo in 12 months, decided to fit an hybrid unit and that ones been fine. my original turbo made the siren noise for months but never failed, i just changed it to be on the safe side. the one i fitted was a brand new one from audi along with a new oil feed pipe, that one started to get noisy within 3 months so decided to get an hybrid. think that audi no theres a problem but dont want to admit it.
 
When i had a service once, Audi said the turbo was about to fail and i should consider replacing it before it failed, I asked the warranty company and they turn round and said until it fails there not interested...

Then the head cracked, guess what? My warranty didn't cover cracked cylinder heads so I had to pay for it my self....

Will never get another after market warranty again, there crap... just thought i'd prepare you!
 
sijones said:
When i had a service once, Audi said the turbo was about to fail and i should consider replacing it before it failed, I asked the warranty company and they turn round and said until it fails there not interested...

Then the head cracked, guess what? My warranty didn't cover cracked cylinder heads so I had to pay for it my self....

Will never get another after market warranty again, there crap... just thought i'd prepare you!
Click to expand...

Oh I'm expecting a battle, no worries there... My warranty company is 'Customer Protect'
 
Dropped it off this morning for diagnosis... They gave me a 1.9TDi Sportback for the day, the 1.9 is awful!
 
Turbochargers don't just make noises in VAG cars, or even just in diesel cars. When you spin something at 100,000rpm or so, it's going to make a noise. If it starts grinding, worry!
 
£700.00 had mine refurbed for £300.00 ...

might it be the waterpump ?????
 
my turbo developed a siren noise when i had my downpipe fitted, dont know if its just random or not though.
 
Okay, here's the result for all those people like me trawling the internet for a proper diagnosis...

Audi have confirmed that the siren noise is indeed coming from the Turbo, and not the pipes. There is no air leak. The turbo is fit and healthy. Apparently it's just the small differences in the manufacturing tollerences that means that some turbo's will be louder than others.

Fitting another turbo at £1163.09 might make a difference, it might not... again depending on the manufacturing differences at the time. They have confirmed that the noise doesn't have any adverse affects on the turbo and it won't get any worse.

However, they did find that my NS CV Boot has split... but thats for another thead.

Dan.
 
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fUbAr8p said:
Okay, here's the result for all those people like me trawling the internet for a proper diagnosis...

Audi have confirmed that the siren noise is indeed coming from the Turbo, and not the pipes. There is no air leak. The turbo is fit and healthy. Apparently it's just the small differences in the manufacturing tollerences that means that some turbo's will be louder than others.

Fitting another turbo at £1163.09 might make a difference, it might not... again depending on the manufacturing differences at the time. They have confirmed that the noise doesn't have any adverse affects on the turbo and it won't get any worse.

However, they did find that my NS CV Boot has split... but thats for another thead.

Dan.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the post Dan. YOu may of helped with my post now and certainly put my mind at some ease.

Phil..
 
As long as your car doesn't go into limp mode, and you don't get overboost logged you should be fine. But lots of people have had siren noise coming from the turbos and then they went bang. Just make sure you get your car diagnosed if it ever goes into limp mode with those symptoms.
 
My 2.0 TDI 140 BHP makes the same noise. I've been driving with that noise since I got the car, about 30 000km ago. No trouble yet. It went into limp mode once, when I drove it really hard. Turned the car on and of, and no limp mode.

When I got passengers, they always look for cops, LOL.
 
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