B8tamaster

Hey guys.
I took my 2010 A4 to the dealer the other day to have the consumption test done, and also for them to investigate and fix a (as they put it) "whirring" noise I hear while I'm driving. The sound gets louder the faster I go, I was almost positive it was a bad wheel bearing, and the service rep suggested it as well.

The service guy calls back to tell me that the technician didn't find any bad wheel bearings, but found that the two rear wheels have a slight bend in them, and that the tires are feathered. He then tells me to get the wheels straightened and that should fix my problem.

I'm a bit skeptical that this is the problem, setting as how the problem began rather suddenly. What do you guys think?

Kris Hansen

Feathered/cupped tires can make a tremendous noise.. IME, wheel bearings are more of a dirty roar thana whine..

B8tamaster

Well I brought the car to a local shop that repairs wheels, and had them fixed. All four wheels are now perfectly straight, and road forced balanced. I have to say he did a great job repairing the bends, and the car rides a smooth as glass. I would definitely recommend this guy to anyone, honest, fair and a class act.

However, the noise didn't change one bit. (Which I figured it wouldn't). When I got home I moved the rear tires (Audi's "culprits") to the front and front to the rears, just to see if the location of the sound would change. I assume that if the noise is being associated with feathered rear tires as Audi claims, moving them to front should make a noticeable difference in the sound in the cabin. There was no change in the sound, further leading me to believe that this is not a tire issue. I'm bringing it back to Audi on the 10th.