annoying buzzing /rattle

[holly35]

Having this in a car is ****** annoying as you try and locate its source.I had this in my A4 ,however its been tricky to locate.These rattles and buzzing noises have a habit of playing mind games.You will be convinced you know where its coming from ,ony to find your wrong.
Before you start ripping out door panels,dash boards etc the issue,if you have this is almost bound to be the following.......
i was sure this was coming from the drivers door panel,or dash and the buzzing from the passenger door or dash/cd player/glove box.
The culprits were sunglasses,even in their case and in the glove box they somehow managed to resonate and buzz
first one cured.
The second rattling,which was usually when going over rougher roads,was the spare wheel nut remover wrench in the boot which should be pushed down in its holder so it clips into place,also tighten the strap for the jack.
ive also stored both high viz jacket pouches in the tool box.You can manage to get both in although its not specifically for this.
Perfection and return to the refinement im used to.

 

[cuke2u]

Yup, same thing with my focus in the overhead storage. Always pays to take everything out of the car that isn't glued or screwed in place then put them back one by one. I would include everything within the spare wheel well...

 

[holly35]

Drivers door rattle /buzzing still there,rough roads can start it off but it chooses to start and stop on its own.It resonates a while then stops.Will have it checked at first service in November,however past experience suggests it may bed in and disappear on its own.
Any others suffer this? Cures?

 

[Buck]

Nothing tucked away in your door bin that's causing it?

Have you tried touching/pushing specific parts of the door to see if that stops it or is it more internal?

Once you've located it that's more than half the battle and stops you going loopy

 

[holly35]

no
yes

 

[cuke2u]

Drivers door rattle /buzzing still there,rough roads can start it off but it chooses to start and stop on its own.It resonates a while then stops.Will have it checked at first service in November,however past experience suggests it may bed in and disappear on its own.
Any others suffer this? Cures?

Are you sure its coming from the trim, not the speaker?

 

[holly35]

Not sure really,its possible.Thing is it doesnt do it constantly,only sometimes .As with most rattles or more of a burring noise,its not constant.
I will have the dealer look at it when my first service is due,hope it sorts its self out on its own.

 

[Kestrel]

Not sure really,its possible.Thing is it doesnt do it constantly,only sometimes .As with most rattles or more of a burring noise,its not constant.
I will have the dealer look at it when my first service is due,hope it sorts its self out on its own.

Help yourself to a space bar now and again!

 

[guestlinger]

I have a similar problem which may help you. I found that if I slightly pulled (a few mm) on the door opener the noise would stop completely. I don't know what the door opening mechanism is but its as though there's a cable behind that is loose and resonates against something but by slightly moving the door opener it tightens the cable and stops it resonating. I'll get it looked at next time I go the the main dealers but for now I've installed a low tech solution - basically I brace a lolly stick under the door opener. It works great but looks terrible!!! And of course it falls out every time you open the door. Id be interested if you have the same issue and if you find a better temp solution

 

[holly35]

Well thats very weird.My last A3 had the exact same thing.I had forgotten about it as i cured this just a few weeks after delivery.It completley cured the rattle and i never bothered mentioning it to the dealer as i would have prefered not to strip door panels for fear of creating more problems.
Yes my cure was to stick small round rubber pads about 1mm thick and anout 5mm diameter onto the casing directly over where Audi have a small rubber gromit fitted ( i presume this was to stop the handle from rubbing )directly behind the door handle.
It stopped the noise instantly.it does mean that the handle sits slightly proud of the casing at its furthest edge but its no big deal .
Ive applied this to the A4s door and will report back.In fact to feed my ocd ive done the front passenger door as well.

 

[holly35]

didnt work....im not going to bother scratching my head,its relatively minor so i leave it and run it past my dealer at service time.

 

[guestlinger]

That's a shame. Did you actually just try pulling the door opener several mm when driving to see if that stopped the noise?

 

[holly35]

not the door handle.
However

Are you sure its coming from the trim, not the speaker?

when it starts buzzing/rattling i applied some pressure to the lower door trim next to the speaker grill and it stopped,so looks like its some where around the speaker .By the way ,its irrelevant if the radio is on or not,so its perhaps a loose speaker? or associated trim around this area.
decided to book it in to get it looked at.
Anyone else with the same issue?

 

[cuke2u]

I was just wondering if the buzzing was actually through the speaker itself. Some owners, just a few, have complained of this. But as it happens with it off it is unikely...

 

[holly35]

Currently booked in for early Aug.Just wonder now if it is a rattle in the window regulator.as im sure it stops when you slightly lower the window.Its difficault to say as obviously it increases outside noise when lowered even slightly.I presume it will come under investigation later.Does seem to becoming more frequent and more of a rattling than a buzzing noise (if that makes any sense)

 

[Spooky]

I have the same rattle, made worse at slowish speeds over uneven roads.
I definitely think it's the window mechanism...I need to phone Audi and get it booked in..

Let us know if they resolve it

 

[holly35]

Checked further and ive discounted anything to do with the window etc.Its coming from the speaker area .If you put pressure near the grill and surrounding door trim in this area it stops.Im sure its a loose speaker or mounting housing in /around there.

 

[BigAardvaark]

It's the grilles. Did it on the dash centre speaker on mine too until I stuffed some loom tape in there to stop the plastic-on-plastic area. Still have the doors to sort.

 

[holly35]

Interesting,is your door the same?
Same fault?
Its only occacionally it starts this loose rattling and can stop just as quickly.

 

[holly35]

Seems to be the door panel area between the door pocket and speaker

 

[holly35]

Another source of a buzzing sound that sometimes starts and stops was around the left hand dash area
Thought it was sunglasses in glove box .However i found if you pop the fuse cover on that side at the end of the dash there is a flimsy fuse holder that causes this .I put in a small block of foam which tucks in around the cover and its cured it.will be interesting to see what the dealer finds regarding the door.Its minor yes but because the A4 is so quiet its more noticable

 

[BigAardvaark]

Yeah, door cards will be very similar. I locked it down to the exact area by downloading a tone generator for my phone, paired to the car as an audio source and can find the exact frequency(ies) that the resonance occurs. Using this method I can make it happen on cue, stationary. Being stationary helps finding it too! Can be hard on the move....

 

[holly35]

Wow what a good idea.At what frequency did it affect yours?
I think mines more a solid rattle as opposed to a buzz likley to respond to a frequency test?

 

[holly35]

You would think a dealer would use a similar test?
How did you set this up on your car?

 

[BigAardvaark]

I downloaded "Tone Generator" by Michael Heinz. Go to media I think in MMI and find your phone and play around in the app from there. Can't remember the frequencies they resonated at but doesn't really matter, you'll probably find yours is different anyway. It's quite loud on mine when I hit the right note, only a small amount of pressure applied on the area the buzz comes from and it stops instantly. So shouldn't be too difficult to fix? Only attempted the dash speaker so far.

 

[holly35]

Tried this nope no buzzing using this .I did suspect its more a ratting than a buzzing noise.Still convinced its a loose mounting or something touching the door panel inside a connector perhaps?

 

[holly35]

Finally got this to work,yes it did resonate around the grill area,but also the arm rest. There is a fixing bolt under the arm rest that secures it to the door panel,will check to see if it needs a tighten up.It also stops buzzing if you push slightly on the fixing bolt.

 

[holly35]

Ok got this to work,yes there is a buzzing near the speaker grill/panel but also at the arm rest ,it stops when you push at the fixing bolt under the armrest so could be just a re tighten.Will check later.

 

[holly35]

Ok not a loose arm rest.looks like it may be the speaker grill area after all.Trouble is its difficault to pin point as various area pressure points around here stop it instantly.Perhaps the dealer will add similar noise damping tape to the grill fixings.
How does the grill come off ?

 

[BigAardvaark]

Not worked that out yet!

 

[holly35]

err because its been difficult to eliminate other possible causes ,not till now.Hope Audi has an approved fix.Have you the same issue with your door grills and if so have you fixed them?

 

[holly35]

While i expect this issue to be the door grill needing some isolating tape i did find this photo of the b9 door panel which has been removed.If you look at the bottom left next the grill area (which would be the corner grill /door frame area under the boot release button).there is a orange wire connector,possibly for the under door led light or boot release switch?
Perhaps its nothing but......
if this is just loose and occasionally comes in contact with the door panel its bound to start rattling/vibrating ?
I sent this across to my dealer any way in case its of any help.Better to eliminate two possible causes than just chance attending to one.

 

[Berrrtie]

While i expect this issue to be the door grill needing some isolating tape i did find this photo of the b9 door panel which has been removed.If you look at the bottom left next the grill area (which would be the corner grill /door frame area under the boot release button).there is a orange wire connector,possibly for the under door led light or boot release switch?
Perhaps its nothing but......
if this is just loose and occasionally comes in contact with the door panel its bound to start rattling/vibrating ?
I sent this across to my dealer any way in case its of any help.Better to eliminate two possible causes than just chance attending to one.

Did you manage to get your buzzing issues resolved?

Mine has developed what i feel is the same problem.. and it's driving me up the wall!!

Got my car booked in with the dealer to investigate

 

[holly35]

Booked in for next week.****** annoying,soon as you touch grill or bottom of doot panel it stops.
Could be grill/connector as shown/puddle light connector/holder/wiring?

 

[Berrrtie]

Booked in for next week.****** annoying,soon as you touch grill or bottom of doot panel it stops.
Could be grill/connector as shown/puddle light connector/holder/wiring?

That sounds pretty much exactly like mine.
Please keep us updated on their findings.. I've got to wait until 29th as that was the earliest appointment

 

[holly35]

Looking at the door panel on the photo above im suspicious of the electrical connector for the boot release switch if its touching the door panel inside its bound to vibrate,could be why the others doors are fine,and only occurs occasionaly over certain road surfaces causing it to start.

 

[Berrrtie]

Looking at the door panel on the photo above im suspicious of the electrical connector for the boot release switch if its touching the door panel inside its bound to vibrate,could be why the others doors are fine,and only occurs occasionaly over certain road surfaces causing it to start.

I think that's a good call

 

[BigAardvaark]

The buzzing from the dash speaker is back. Service at end of month and I've flagged it all as extra work, I'll give them a chance to fettle it but I'm sure I'll end up at my local ICE guys asking them to stick some deadening material into the doors.

 

[holly35]

I have no speaker buzzing in any other area apart from the drivers door,therefore i dont think its the grills.
I think its an electrical connector or similar touching the door. Its more a rattling than a buzzing noise and it only does it sometimes

 

[holly35]

Near convinced this is a "free hanging" electrical connector or similar thats coming into contact with the door panel
Dont think its a loose speaker grill as the noise stops when you touch other parts of the bottom of the panel.
My moneys on puddle light connector or associated or boot release connector or associated connectors possibly free hanging in this area or lying against the door
Will hopefully have an answer next week