macvin

Hi everyone,

I have a 2013 Q5 2.0T (metal intake manifold), with roughly 75,000 miles on it.

I am getting a ticking / pinging noise on acceleration with WOT. It's particularly noticeable when I'm driving next to a wall or structure and the sound reflects back to me. It sounds like a consistent ticking that is timed with one of the cylinders, almost as if I have a single injector that's considerably louder than the rest? That's what it sounds like anyway, but I'm not convinced that's it. I can't really hear the noise at idle or below half throttle, but it's present at WOT under harder acceleration. The engine doesn't seem to be behaving poorly or anything, and no CEL or engine codes are present. I haven't been able to replicate it while in neutral because I don't think I generate enough load on the engine.

A few things:

• I recently replaced my PCV valve and only noticed this after, but I don't think this is related to that... just coincidental, and perhaps present before and I didn't notice.
• I am using exclusively 91+ octane fuel, have changed my fuel multiple times from multiple sources to prove to myself it wasn't as a result of octane.
• I have just changed my oil to 5w-40 LiquiMoly molygen and it's still doing it. So it's not that.
• Sound only occurs in response to the throttle. No noise is present when coasting the vehicle.
• Used OBDII reader - no engine codes at all.

I'm starting to think it could just be noise from the '5th injector' on the intake manifold... could that be it? To me it sounds just like an injector but considerably louder.

Here's a video of the sound (shoddy camera work, but turn your volume up and you'll hear the tick):
https://streamable.com/q8p95

Do you guys have any ideas what it could be? This is driving me crazy.

macvin

I realize there are no replies, but here's an update for visitors from the future...

Took it to the dealership today. Had the head of the service dept sit in my car and I replicated the noise for him. He said it was definitely coming from the drivers side, but he wasn't sure what it could be. He told me it'd be $198 for them to diagnose the problem for me, but said it's probably not worth having him investigate it because his first thought is that a spark plug is on its way out and that'd probably be what they'd do first anyway. His suggestion was that I replace those on my own ($15/pop for OEM plugs, easy job) and if it persists to bring it back into the dealership for further diagnostic.

Again, no codes, premium fuel (91+ octane), and recent oil change.


I could still use some guidance, if other people hear this noise in their 2.0Ts and figured out what it was please let me know.