Suspension rattling - one last attempt for advice please
07-15-2002, 03:31 PM
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Suspension rattling - one last attempt for advice please
I finally got my car and it has a very annoying rattle coming from the front end that seems to be suspension related.
- thanks to AW, the first thing I did was confirm no shipping blocks in springs
- it sounds like a metallic knocking or rattling
- I can feel it through the steering wheel
- it happens over very small undulations or rippled pavement
- didn't even have to leave the dealer's lot to demonstrate to the tech.--he could hear it immediately
- doesn't happen (or sound is masked) over larger bumps (or at least it certainly doesn't get progressively worse)
- happens whether brakes are applied or not
- on glass smooth surface, it will still make the noise if weight shifts from throttle input
- dealer had car for 36 hours and after much testing and tooing and froing, told me they will adjust steering rack and tighten a loose steering knuckle (sounded very plausible to me)
- picked up car at end of day just as shop was closing: problem not fixed, but steering is tighter and wood trim to the right of the steering wheel is damaged (where it was obviously removed or moved)
I am very afraid that I could be making repeated trips on this one and am so far not confident that the dealer knows what they are doing. I am OK with an answer that says we haven't been able to find a solution, but we'll keep researching. Instead I got "here is your fixed car"...and it wasn't, plus it was damaged.
- thanks to AW, the first thing I did was confirm no shipping blocks in springs
- it sounds like a metallic knocking or rattling
- I can feel it through the steering wheel
- it happens over very small undulations or rippled pavement
- didn't even have to leave the dealer's lot to demonstrate to the tech.--he could hear it immediately
- doesn't happen (or sound is masked) over larger bumps (or at least it certainly doesn't get progressively worse)
- happens whether brakes are applied or not
- on glass smooth surface, it will still make the noise if weight shifts from throttle input
- dealer had car for 36 hours and after much testing and tooing and froing, told me they will adjust steering rack and tighten a loose steering knuckle (sounded very plausible to me)
- picked up car at end of day just as shop was closing: problem not fixed, but steering is tighter and wood trim to the right of the steering wheel is damaged (where it was obviously removed or moved)
I am very afraid that I could be making repeated trips on this one and am so far not confident that the dealer knows what they are doing. I am OK with an answer that says we haven't been able to find a solution, but we'll keep researching. Instead I got "here is your fixed car"...and it wasn't, plus it was damaged.
07-15-2002, 04:51 PM
#5
My car rattles going over bumps also..... when I asked someone at dealer, he said
that there is something with the brakes that is causing that rattling. Not a design flaw, but something with the design.
Anyone ever here anything about this?
Anyone ever here anything about this?
07-15-2002, 06:28 PM
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hmm, me too
I just got my A4 3.0 2002 q tip recently (haven't been able to drive it much, yet), but I did make one 100 Mile drive and noticed a strange thunking noise over bumps that didn't seem big enough to produce a thunking noise. It's not a rattle, though, definitely a thunk, or maybe a clunk. Whatever, you get my drift. hyaven't checked for shipping blocks yet, thanks to AW I will.
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07-15-2002, 07:05 PM
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Re: Hmmmm. Did they check the upper shock mount ?
It certainly sounded to me like a bushing issue and I mentioned that to the tech., but figured they would know a lot more than me.
07-15-2002, 07:09 PM
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My wife's POS '95 Eagle Vision had brakes like that...sounded like a 50's pick-up truck
Some clip on the rear calipers would break after about a week after a new brake install and the entire brake assembly would have to be replaced to fix it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (This was only on the 3.5L sport model with disk brakes on the rear)
So you were stuck with a rattly car.
As a result of that and many other reliability problems, my wife bought a Honda this time and vowed never to buy a Chrysler product for the rest of her life.
So you were stuck with a rattly car.
As a result of that and many other reliability problems, my wife bought a Honda this time and vowed never to buy a Chrysler product for the rest of her life.
07-15-2002, 07:16 PM
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It isn't part of the design...
...because I have driven quite a few other A4's and none of them made this noise, nor has any other car I have ever owned, nor did the well used Jetta loaner they gave me when attempting to fix my car....etc.
I am serious that if all A4's made this noise, I would not have bought the car.
After picking up my car, I hadn't even made it half a block down the road from the dealership until I noticed it...it is definitely not in all A4's.
The closest thing I can compare it to was the wife's rattly Eagle rear brakes, but interestingly you couldn't hear those unless you rolled down the windows. Then they sounded like a clattering, rattling symphony. In the A4, you can clearly hear the clunking with the windows up and everything sealed shut.
I am serious that if all A4's made this noise, I would not have bought the car.
After picking up my car, I hadn't even made it half a block down the road from the dealership until I noticed it...it is definitely not in all A4's.
The closest thing I can compare it to was the wife's rattly Eagle rear brakes, but interestingly you couldn't hear those unless you rolled down the windows. Then they sounded like a clattering, rattling symphony. In the A4, you can clearly hear the clunking with the windows up and everything sealed shut.