2002 A4 clunking noise
#41
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 10:44:24 -0700, "iws" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
><tockeyhockey@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1185103716.943202.208340@g4g2000hsf.googlegr oups.com...
>> one other quick question: do the control arms eventually wear out on
>> all four wheels, or is it an issue that mainly happens with the front
>> wheels? is there any sense, while i have it in the shop, of having
>> all of the bushings replaced even if only one of them is bad right at
>> this moment?
>
>The control arm problem is usually associated with the front upper arms. I
>drove my '98 A4 for thousands of miles as the problem gradually got worse.
>Finally had it fixed recently when I bought new tires. Total at an
>independent including tie rod ends and 4-wheel alignment was about $1300.
I've had mine replaced twice, and only on the right front passenger
side, both uppers and lowers (at different times), and I'm at 109k
now. I'm not sure when the next replacement will happen, and I'll be
curious how much longer the other three corners last. I'll be putting
in new struts when I replace the tires in September/October (I'm
seeing tire slap now, which tells me a couple if not all of the
factory struts are gone, but I'm not feeling it much in the ride).
1998.5 A4Q, love this car
><tockeyhockey@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1185103716.943202.208340@g4g2000hsf.googlegr oups.com...
>> one other quick question: do the control arms eventually wear out on
>> all four wheels, or is it an issue that mainly happens with the front
>> wheels? is there any sense, while i have it in the shop, of having
>> all of the bushings replaced even if only one of them is bad right at
>> this moment?
>
>The control arm problem is usually associated with the front upper arms. I
>drove my '98 A4 for thousands of miles as the problem gradually got worse.
>Finally had it fixed recently when I bought new tires. Total at an
>independent including tie rod ends and 4-wheel alignment was about $1300.
I've had mine replaced twice, and only on the right front passenger
side, both uppers and lowers (at different times), and I'm at 109k
now. I'm not sure when the next replacement will happen, and I'll be
curious how much longer the other three corners last. I'll be putting
in new struts when I replace the tires in September/October (I'm
seeing tire slap now, which tells me a couple if not all of the
factory struts are gone, but I'm not feeling it much in the ride).
1998.5 A4Q, love this car
#42
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
On Jul 22, 1:51 pm, Peter <pe...@SPAMMERSGOTOHELL.allblue.f9.co.uk>
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
#43
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
On Jul 22, 1:51 pm, Peter <pe...@SPAMMERSGOTOHELL.allblue.f9.co.uk>
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
#44
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
On Jul 22, 1:51 pm, Peter <pe...@SPAMMERSGOTOHELL.allblue.f9.co.uk>
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
#45
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
On Jul 22, 1:51 pm, Peter <pe...@SPAMMERSGOTOHELL.allblue.f9.co.uk>
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 -0000, "tockeyhoc...@gmail.com"
>
> <tockeyhoc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
> >past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
> >building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
> >reliability problems than a hyundai?
>
> Interesting. I also have an '02 A4, and my experience couldn't be
> different. I've owned it over two years, and all it's had in that time
> has been a couple of routine services (about 15 months apart, right
> when the dashboard computer said they were needed) and a set of new
> tyres. That's it. Nothing more has been needed. (Well, apart from
> fairly frequent oil top-ups - I carry a bottle in the boot.) At the
> last service - in January - I was warned that it'll need brake pads
> soon, but the dashboard warning hasn't lit yet.
>
> I've been well impressed with the Audi quality.
>
> My contrast is with the BMW that I traded in for the A4. It was a
> 323i, seven years old when I parted with it. That car had been in and
> out of the dealer's workshop ever since I bought it - typically, about
> three times a year. The dealer just regarded that car as a siphon
> feeding money from my bank account to theirs. I didn't like their
> personal attitude, either - it amounted to 'you're not good enough to
> own a BMW'. The Audi's costing me about half as much money to run, and
> a lot less hassle. For that and other reasons, I'd rather own the Audi
> than the Beemer.
>
> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>
> Peter.
thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
regular service and my bill is really rising.
i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
pace.
it's very strange.
i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
see if that helps.
also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
#46
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
>> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>>
>> Peter.
>
> thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
> granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
> paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
> vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
> regular service and my bill is really rising.
>
> i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
> clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
> instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
>
> also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
> believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
> can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
> could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
> road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
>
> if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
> come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
> as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
> traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
> pace.
>
> it's very strange.
>
> i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
> open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
> describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
> the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
> see if that helps.
>
> also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
> control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
> any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
>
> any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
If it is due to control arm bushings you could reach in to the joints
while the car is sitting on the ground and feel for any play.
Again while siting on the ground get a good hold of each front tire with
both hands and try to shake it in / out at the top and back and forth
when holding it at 9 / 3 O'clock as if it is steering. If you feel any
clunks or other mechanical sounds this may be your problem.
Another thing that can happen is that the rubber sway bar mounts can
deteriorate and cause sounds. You might be able to detect this by trying
to bounce each front corner of the car by pushing on the bumper. Don't
try thi when pushing on and plastic trim or sheet metal as it cound be
damaged.
Another thing to look for is leaks in the fluid filled engine mounts. If
the leak the engine drops down a bit and can cause components to hit
things they are near.
#47
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
>> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>>
>> Peter.
>
> thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
> granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
> paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
> vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
> regular service and my bill is really rising.
>
> i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
> clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
> instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
>
> also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
> believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
> can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
> could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
> road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
>
> if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
> come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
> as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
> traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
> pace.
>
> it's very strange.
>
> i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
> open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
> describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
> the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
> see if that helps.
>
> also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
> control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
> any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
>
> any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
If it is due to control arm bushings you could reach in to the joints
while the car is sitting on the ground and feel for any play.
Again while siting on the ground get a good hold of each front tire with
both hands and try to shake it in / out at the top and back and forth
when holding it at 9 / 3 O'clock as if it is steering. If you feel any
clunks or other mechanical sounds this may be your problem.
Another thing that can happen is that the rubber sway bar mounts can
deteriorate and cause sounds. You might be able to detect this by trying
to bounce each front corner of the car by pushing on the bumper. Don't
try thi when pushing on and plastic trim or sheet metal as it cound be
damaged.
Another thing to look for is leaks in the fluid filled engine mounts. If
the leak the engine drops down a bit and can cause components to hit
things they are near.
#48
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
>> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>>
>> Peter.
>
> thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
> granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
> paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
> vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
> regular service and my bill is really rising.
>
> i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
> clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
> instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
>
> also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
> believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
> can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
> could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
> road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
>
> if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
> come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
> as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
> traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
> pace.
>
> it's very strange.
>
> i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
> open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
> describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
> the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
> see if that helps.
>
> also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
> control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
> any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
>
> any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
If it is due to control arm bushings you could reach in to the joints
while the car is sitting on the ground and feel for any play.
Again while siting on the ground get a good hold of each front tire with
both hands and try to shake it in / out at the top and back and forth
when holding it at 9 / 3 O'clock as if it is steering. If you feel any
clunks or other mechanical sounds this may be your problem.
Another thing that can happen is that the rubber sway bar mounts can
deteriorate and cause sounds. You might be able to detect this by trying
to bounce each front corner of the car by pushing on the bumper. Don't
try thi when pushing on and plastic trim or sheet metal as it cound be
damaged.
Another thing to look for is leaks in the fluid filled engine mounts. If
the leak the engine drops down a bit and can cause components to hit
things they are near.
#49
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
>> I really do hope that your clunking doesn't turn out to be serious.
>>
>> Peter.
>
> thanks for the wishes. i bought this car with 28,000 miles on it and,
> granted, i have driven it hard. a lot of city driving on the barely
> paved streets of baltimore. but i have had a bad thermometer, two bad
> vacuum lines, and now this issue all in about a year. add that to
> regular service and my bill is really rising.
>
> i drove home today from the shore, probably about 150 miles. the
> clunking was there at low speeds, when driving out of a toll booth for
> instance, but there was nothing noticeable at highway speeds.
>
> also, as a slight adjustment to my original post: i now do not
> believe that the noise is in any way connected to vibrations that i
> can feel through the steering wheel. i studied that as much as i
> could, and there was no correlation between the sound, a bump in the
> road, or vibrations through the steering wheel.
>
> if the problem truly were related to the bushings, wouldn't the thunks
> come during moments of turning, accelerating, or hitting road bumps?
> as far as i can tell, the noise is MORE likely to happen when
> traveling slowly on smooth roads in first or second gear at a steady
> pace.
>
> it's very strange.
>
> i also noticed that my door has recently gotten a little creaky when i
> open and close it. the sound is a very similar pitch to the thunk i'm
> describing. is it possible that the door swing mechanism is creating
> the noise, even when closed? i'm going to spray some WD-40 on it to
> see if that helps.
>
> also, is there anything that a ley-person could see regarding bad
> control arms from an unsprung inspection? cracks? leaks? is there
> any portion of the assembly i should particularly look at?
>
> any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
If it is due to control arm bushings you could reach in to the joints
while the car is sitting on the ground and feel for any play.
Again while siting on the ground get a good hold of each front tire with
both hands and try to shake it in / out at the top and back and forth
when holding it at 9 / 3 O'clock as if it is steering. If you feel any
clunks or other mechanical sounds this may be your problem.
Another thing that can happen is that the rubber sway bar mounts can
deteriorate and cause sounds. You might be able to detect this by trying
to bounce each front corner of the car by pushing on the bumper. Don't
try thi when pushing on and plastic trim or sheet metal as it cound be
damaged.
Another thing to look for is leaks in the fluid filled engine mounts. If
the leak the engine drops down a bit and can cause components to hit
things they are near.
#50
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 2002 A4 clunking noise
On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:26:59 +0000, tockeyhockey@gmail.com wrote:
>Thanks for the truly worst case scenario!
>
>I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
>past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
>building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
>reliability problems than a hyundai?
While most may consider a them a reliable automobile, Hyundais do not even
come close to the driving experience your A4 should provide you with.
That's not even a fair comparison. Audi's engineering on everything from
the suspension to it's electronics is a lot more sophisticated than your
average Hyundai grocery getter. The cars are geared to different
audiences; which one do you enjoy driving more?
>anyway, i am going to drive the car home and take it to my mechanic
>tomorrow morning. i'll report back on what i find out.
>Thanks for the truly worst case scenario!
>
>I have had the car in the shop at least once every two months over the
>past year. It just seems to me like audi didn't take much time in
>building this car right. how can a supposed "luxury car" have more
>reliability problems than a hyundai?
While most may consider a them a reliable automobile, Hyundais do not even
come close to the driving experience your A4 should provide you with.
That's not even a fair comparison. Audi's engineering on everything from
the suspension to it's electronics is a lot more sophisticated than your
average Hyundai grocery getter. The cars are geared to different
audiences; which one do you enjoy driving more?
>anyway, i am going to drive the car home and take it to my mechanic
>tomorrow morning. i'll report back on what i find out.