Jonathan Morton

Any thoughts on this one please? The car is a 2000 model S8 (80k miles) and
it has a rumble from the front end. It's quite bearable at cruising speed
but very noticeable at low speeds on good surfaces, where it appears as a
"wop, wop" noise each wheel revolution. Front discs and pads are new, so I
don't think it's a warped disc. Tyre wear is slightly uneven (more wear on
the outside of the tyre on both sides) but no worse than on the front tyres
of any Audi.

I suspected front wheel bearings, and last week I took it for service at a
VAG main dealer (Crewe Audi - nee Charles Audi). I told them about the noise
and said I suspected the bearings, but I told them they would need to
test-drive the car and listen to it. As soon as I'd uttered my suspicions I
regretted doing so, and guess what, they've just changed the bearings and
the noise is still there. They obviously haven't listened for the noise
either before or after doing the work.

Three questions. First, could this be worn inner or outer CV joints? Second,
could it (gulp!) be from the final drive? Third, can anyone in the UK
recommend a decent independent Audi specialist in the midlands who knows
about quattros and is actually interested in diagnosing a problem, rather
than just doing what the owner thinks might need doing? I was wondering
about BR Motorsport in Leamington. I'm in Staffordshire.

Thanks for any help.

Regards

Jonathan Morton

BBO

Jonathan Morton wrote:
> Any thoughts on this one please? The car is a 2000 model S8 (80k miles) and
> it has a rumble from the front end. It's quite bearable at cruising speed
> but very noticeable at low speeds on good surfaces, where it appears as a
> "wop, wop" noise each wheel revolution. Front discs and pads are new, so I
> don't think it's a warped disc. Tyre wear is slightly uneven (more wear on
> the outside of the tyre on both sides) but no worse than on the front tyres
> of any Audi.

I'd check the rubber bushings in the front end. I had the same problem
on my Audi 100 and could have sworn it was the front bearings. I had the
shop check and they indeed indicated that it was the bearings, but they
also noticed that the lower, inner rubber bushings on both sides of the
front suspension lower arm was totally defective.

They wanted to replace both wheel bearings and the front shocks on a
hunch, but didn't mention replacing the rubber bushings. Although that
might have been obvious. Also, they wanted a hilarious sum for the job -
around 1500 dollars.

I took the car for a second opinion. The other mechanic checked the
bearings and said they were fine, but let's start with the cheap parts
first - and I had the bushings replaced.

Noise gone.

> Three questions. First, could this be worn inner or outer CV joints? Second,
> could it (gulp!) be from the final drive?

Check the rubber bushings first, and see if they are gone bad.

> Third, can anyone in the UK
> recommend a decent independent Audi specialist in the midlands

Can't help you there. Sorry.

--
azoth@dod.no
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wenn im Zweifel, Volleistung! DoD#2101
'90 BMW 318i '93 Audi 100 2.3E When in doubt, floor it!

Tony

BBO wrote:
> Jonathan Morton wrote:
>
>> Any thoughts on this one please? The car is a 2000 model S8 (80k
>> miles) and
>> it has a rumble from the front end. It's quite bearable at cruising speed
>> but very noticeable at low speeds on good surfaces, where it appears as a
>> "wop, wop" noise each wheel revolution. Front discs and pads are new,
>> so I
>> don't think it's a warped disc. Tyre wear is slightly uneven (more
>> wear on
>> the outside of the tyre on both sides) but no worse than on the front
>> tyres
>> of any Audi.
>
>
> I'd check the rubber bushings in the front end. I had the same problem
> on my Audi 100 and could have sworn it was the front bearings. I had the
> shop check and they indeed indicated that it was the bearings, but they
> also noticed that the lower, inner rubber bushings on both sides of the
> front suspension lower arm was totally defective.
>
> They wanted to replace both wheel bearings and the front shocks on a
> hunch, but didn't mention replacing the rubber bushings. Although that
> might have been obvious. Also, they wanted a hilarious sum for the job -
> around 1500 dollars.
>
> I took the car for a second opinion. The other mechanic checked the
> bearings and said they were fine, but let's start with the cheap parts
> first - and I had the bushings replaced.
>
> Noise gone.
>
>> Three questions. First, could this be worn inner or outer CV joints?
>> Second,
>> could it (gulp!) be from the final drive?
>
>
> Check the rubber bushings first, and see if they are gone bad.
>
>> Third, can anyone in the UK
>> recommend a decent independent Audi specialist in the midlands
>
>
> Can't help you there. Sorry.
>
A friend with a TT had a similar grinding sound that was very noticable at low
speed a few weeks ago. I drove it and usupected wheel bearings or inner CV. He
asked if it could be tires. I said it could but didn't really think so.

A few days later he tried changing to his winter tires and sound was gone.

The offending tires were a fairly new set of Perellis (don't know the model or
the spelling) with normal wear pattern.