A4 CAB CLICK/KNOCK NOISE HELP!!!

[STEVIED]

Hi All.

I have an A4 Cab 2.5TDi-Manual, all good so far, except a small noise which is driving me insane!

I bought the car 1.5months ago, not Dealer, but reputable.

I drive mostly with the beats on, however, i have become obsessed with a "click", light knocking noise which sounds like it comes from the right front wheel area from behind the bulkhead... i think !?

The noise sounds like pulling your tongue from the roof of your mouth.

As i pull away in 1st just as the clutch pedal comes fully back, just as i lift my foot or sometimes just before but "GENTLE" power applied i get this light knock.click noise, same again in 2nd ans sometimes 3rd but rest are fine. Do get it in reverse though. i have even heard it on cornering at low speed. If i apply power with even slight force there is no noise.

It is driving me nuts especially as i have only had the car a little over a month. Only 34,300 on the clock...

Please save my sanity and tell me someone has had this... turning up the stereo is NOT an option !

A Audi master Tech has heard it and doesn't know . . . what chance do i have ??

I love my car and want to love driving it..

C'mon Audi Brothers...
SD

 

[andyccr]

Charcoal filter maybe but I thought these normally stopped 'clicking" / tapping after the engines were warmed up.

 

[STEVIED]

Andy,

Thanks for getting back...

It does not change regardless of temp/time on the road.

I am not sure it is linked to the clutch as another forum thought, i can, at low speed, come all the way off the clutch pedal, then slowl increase power and a second or so later... "pop"/"cluck" , and even smooth but uneven road, it intermittantly comes back... Jeez, thinking of putting out a reward for finding the villan !

 

[ScottyP45]

my guess is a slipped bush on either the suspension arms, the snub mount at the front of the engine, or the transmission mount?

Im thinking a bush has slipped out and you are hearing the metal clicking together when moved thru torque, cornering etc....

One other thing....I had a similar noise from the drivers side front area on my B5, that gradually got more pronounced over time, couldnt find it, then whilst parking the car gave a loud "clonk" and the front right corner suspension went all soggy....turned out the INNER top nut holding the shock absorber rod to the strut top (not accessible from outside) had been unscrewing itself over time,, making a louder and louder click as the nut and plate made contact - as the gap increased (steering action must have been progressively loosening it) and then it came off completely, rendering the strut useless at that corner and the car handled very scarily on the way to the garage.

It was a pure c**t to fix as the suspension had to be stripped off that side and it took the mechanic 4 hours to get it fixed, (i was present the whole time) and the hardest part was getting the spring compressed enough, as they are VERY powerful springs even on an SE and the garage equipment struggled to do it. (it really needs a 5 ton hydraulic spring press to do properly, something most garages dont have). The guy (a very experienced mechanic) admitted to shitting himself doing the nut back up under tension as the forces on the spring compressors when closed are MASSIVE. Using ordinary garage compressor clamps required FOUR clamps to close one spring as they are variable-rate and cant be shut down using normal methods. Since no parts were used except a new nut, It only cost me £45 to get it sorted, cash, no receipt wink wink

Luckily it didnt let go in a fast bend, or with the wife and kids in the car on the M-way......I wouldnt be typing this now.

Get it checked out properly at a reputable garage mate.

 

[STEVIED]

AT LAST !!

Evil Scotsman, many thanks my man !, i am convinced the issue is related to the parts you have described and i just wanted someone esle to say it, i guess.

It has been to a good local guy and the Independant i bought it from with no Joy, but did they look where you suggested ? I suggest not.

I would love for this to be delt with as i love the car and having only had it since May, i want to have it a long time, but not with this ****** noise.

It's a while since a reply made me laugh, i keep picturing your Mech doin the springs...

Thanks again.

Steve

 

[ScottyP45]

LOL cheers mate!

try (its hard cos the springs are so strong) bouncing each corner up and down and see if you can tell (or a mate with good hearing) where its exactly coming from via the outside?

I stand on the sill of each doorstep in turn wi the door open wide and bounce it wi my body weight, you may be able to pinpoint it that way, hope you get it sorted mate

 

[STEVIED]

Well, " let it develop" i did and now i get this ..

On a left AND right turn at low speed it sounds like a handfull of gravel thrown into a open gear box ... good anology ?

And appears to be from source area of initial trouble ...

Steering ? Suspension ? Both ?

I even heard when i braked suddenly at low speed, a wee single clink/clunk..

But always there on low speed turns both diections, ie into a parking space...

Thoughts y'all ?

SD

 

[NHN]

So wouldnt be a slight grinding noise you're hearing would it?

I would stick it on a ramp & check the bushes

 

[STEVIED]

Hi.

Yup, grinding. but a sharp noise...

Both sides !?

 

[NHN]

Well bushes if worn would allow metal to metal grinding fella, so this would suggest this, suspension is another, I had a grinding noise which I then solved which was just the spring had got some grit or rust between the spring & base plate so when I sprayed it with wd40 it obviously cleared it as didnt make grinding noise anymore, but I cant say this is cause of the knocking, bushes to me

 

[STEVIED]

Well, i have had enough of the crack & crunch, took it back to the garage and thankfully she was crackin' like a good un' in full lock, low speeds, both ways.

He said he had never heard that from an A4 or an A6, and was quite unsure.... so its up on the ramps tomorrow.... if this solves it all i will require a re-map to off-set the new lump in my drawers !

Fingers x'd Audi friends !!!

OK, who's up ? Whats the guess ?

 

[ScottyP45]

from your last post im guessing driveshaft couplings, ie cv joints. Or maybe a broken spring / strut bracket but my money is on a cv joint - which means a new driveshaft pair since the cv isnt removable and your better to replace them both. If one is worn the other wont be far behind, looking forward to finding out!

 

[aragorn]

evilscotsman: not quite sure what you mean about the spring compressors... I changed some springs on an S4 the other week and had no problem compressing the springs with two standard spring compressors.

The springs on an A4 are no stiffer than the springs you would find on any modern saloon car, and the standard spring compressors i have can happily compress springs on a transit van which are distinctly heavier than those on the front of an A4...

Tis also very unusual not to be able to replace individual CV joints, infact i've found numerous places selling B6 CV's online in about 2 minutes on google. Not to mention the fact they're available from Audi direct.

Its also FAR more likely for outer joints to fail than inners, because the outers move thru a far greater range of motion, they're generally under more strain than the inners.

 

[STEVIED]

INTRIM UPDATE :

While i am at home, anxiously praying for good news, i have called the garage who are a complete loss other than their gut feelings...

So they have taken it to Audi, in the hope the MasterTech knows what it is this time... god i hope he is on his game today !!!

........The Plot thickens my friends !!

 

[aragorn]

Unfortunately you'll discover that the "mechanics" who work at main dealers are quite often nothing more than "parts fitters" who do what the computer tells them. When it comes to a real mechanical fault they simply have no clue

From what you've described though, clicking/graunching that gets worse when at or near full lock is stereotypical CV joint failure, its usually caused by split boots letting all the grease out though!

 

[flappytabs]

my A4 conv has a CVT box, and when i pull away first thing in the morning i get a clunk from the drivers front area.

it has done it for about 12 months, and only happens when cold.

i just turn the radio up

cant do that now (see bose thread)

 

[ScottyP45]

evilscotsman: not quite sure what you mean about the spring compressors... I changed some springs on an S4 the other week and had no problem compressing the springs with two standard spring compressors.

The springs on an A4 are no stiffer than the springs you would find on any modern saloon car, and the standard spring compressors i have can happily compress springs on a transit van which are distinctly heavier than those on the front of an A4...

Tis also very unusual not to be able to replace individual CV joints, infact i've found numerous places selling B6 CV's online in about 2 minutes on google. Not to mention the fact they're available from Audi direct.

Its also FAR more likely for outer joints to fail than inners, because the outers move thru a far greater range of motion, they're generally under more strain than the inners.

dunno mate but the mechanic that did my b5 struggled to close the dual rate springs with plain compressors, i was there while it was done and they are a busy popular garage with a good rep.

I read somewhere that the original driveshafts (like vr6 ones) dont have removeable cv joints but may be wrong. I just reckoned it sounded like cv's is all.

 

[STEVIED]

Okioaki.

Well nothing changed, waste of time.. however i made a discovery last night.
The car has been to 2 garages, one of which 3 times now, and not one (to my knowlege) has tried the REV stationary.

I had noticed the click/knock when pulling away just as the clutch comes out (roughly 1000 - 1200 rpm) -- "drive like a girl ".

Anyway, by accident i rev'd the car as i was about to shut the engine off and i heard the familiar noise, so i rev gently to 1000 ish and there it is ! CLICK,..and back down, and now, i notice even more cruising along the "Z" road connecting my work to the main drag i am at about 15-20mph, low RPM and i hear internittant click/knock several together but always at the REV speed.

What tree should i be barking up now. looks like the spring/shock theory is down the swanny.. HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ScottyP45]

could be an engine mount scraping? thought maybe the engine moves a certain amount surely until it hits the limit of the mounts then further revs wont make it worsen cos its already touching....?

dont our cars have a hydraulic engine damper....