Strange Whine Noise?

[evans1089]

My A4 Quattro avant manual has developed a noise which can only be described as a whine I think? You can only hear it over 25mph. It still occurs if you press down the clutch and Coast along. It gets louder and more distinctive the faster I go.

It seems to come from the front. The car drives and steers fine with no errors when scanned.

I've booked it in for a gearbox oil change as I think it maybe the cause.
Do these cars suffer from anything to do with differential problems?

 

[Broken Byzan]

Wheel bearing

 

[evans1089]

Wheel bearing

It doesn't sound like a rotary noise though?
Is there any way to check or test? Is it a visual check?

 

[Zafi]

Wheel bearing. Every 60,000 miles approx. Change the pair as the other side will soon follow.

 

[evans1089]

Wheel bearing. Every 60,000 miles approx. Change the pair as the other side will soon follow.

Just hit 75k. This a common thing then or..? Wish I could record a decent video of the sound but no luck lol

 

[benjie]

Mine was a wheel bearing too and it was a whine that started very quickly and sounds exactly like yours... I didn't change both though, that was last May and the other side is still okay (though I'm on standby for the other one!)

 

[evans1089]

I thought it may had been gearbox related.

The noise which is made when accelerating in 2nd or 3rd gear and then lifting off the gas as revs drop.

You actually hear it reducing in 'rpm'. It's quite hard to explain but if people have experience maybe similar instances, then I'll get them looked it !
Thanks!

 

[AdamB8]

Sounds like wheel bearings to me. For some reason they don't last very long on these. Min went at appoximately 45k on a 2008 year car.

Starts with a light whining but it'll get a lot louder as time goes on!! Apparently an acid test is to jack it up and spin the wheels. If there is some resistance from spinning freely it'll deffo be the bearings. Good quality bearing are around £110 each. I paid £415 including labour from my local indy with three hours labour. Apparently it ended up taking them five hours as both were seized on!

 

[evans1089]

Thanks for that mate. Hopefully be able to get them a little cheaper than that! I'll get it looked at.

 

[Zafi]

Genuine part is about £130 from Audi.
Its a straightforward DIY job, no press required as the bearing comes already mounted in a carrier. But you do need decent allen key sockets and a slide hammer.

However as you have now changed your description of the symptoms of the fault I am confused!

 

[evans1089]

Like I said it's hard to describe. After the service on Monday I can then look into these bearings if they are common to need replacing.

 

[evans1089]

Just collected my car from Shark Performance in Mansfield. It's had oil and filter change, gearbox and rear diff oil change. New brake fluid, and a near side bearing.
No more noises and the car feels loads better.

Thanks everyone for their input! Much appreciated!

 

[Buxton2901]

Glad u got it sorted mate.

 

[Meemo]

Thats so weird, mine has started making what I think is the same noise, strange whiring like a faint ped or something coming from the front and you can hear it accelerate and slow down, no chang to noise if clutch is pressed.. I pressumed it was my new grooved disks I had fitted the week before and I had just not noticed (I have read they are noisy).. but perhaps not! was after a 400 mile drive to edinbrugh too...
I also have a seized rear which we noticed when we changed the disks and pads, so was surprised the noise was from the front.

 

[evans1089]

I would quickly get it looked at, if you lift one side up and spin the wheel and it doesn't run freely, then you have a problem!