desgnconcpts

I just got a call from my service manager -- my car is ready -- they got back the trued rim, mounted/road-force balanced the tire and mounted it my car. The serv mgr test drove it and at my request, had them rotate the tires and test it again to check for vibration. I'm told that the vibration is gone.

I did ask them to please note on my paperwork the road-forces for each wheel/tire combo so there would be a record of how close each is to max force (and thus, out of spec).

I am going to pick up my car in the morning and will post after I've had a chance to drive it tomorrow.

Avant4Adam

I would suggest you take it out for a test drive with the SM/mechanic you worked on it. You drive, they can ride along. I discovered that at my Audi dealer, they never took it up to highway speeds so never felt the vibrations. Sigh.

desgnconcpts

Good Idea, I will do that -- thanks.

mnemons

Yes, test drive with mechanic foreman is the way I got replacement of 3 problematic tires and again the replacement of new control arms. (We actually drove on the PA turnpike and the dealership paid for the toll.)

TOaudi

Not sure if this has been asked before. Has anyone who had the vibration issue changed their rims? Larger size, etc... If the vibration is gone then we know its the rims if not the problem is else where.

Damn i'm peed that Audi can't fix this issue!

joesky

I've been reading all of these threads since before I got my 2010 MT Prestige and was seriously hoping that mine wouldn't have this problem. 50 miles into ownership, the virbration started. Sometimes at 45mph+ but mostly at 55mph+.

Left the car parked at the airport for 6 days, got back in and wow - it was just truly awful. So I took the car back to the dealer. What's the answer "road force balance" required. That's when I realized, I must have the same problem as everyone else.

The car still has the vibration and in fact it is worse then before. I'm going to take it back in and insist on either new tires/rims or new control arms. If that doesn't fix it, I'm not sure what the next step is.

But after buying a 42k+ car, getting it with 10 miles or so on the odometer, I'll be darned if I'm going to put up with a defective car. Moreover, a defect that was never disclosed to me before purchase and a defect that was not on any of the loaner/demo cars I was given to drive.

Audi S5 TC

Your dealer clearly installed the new control arms improperly. Fortunately, the control arms (and, if necessary, sometimes some other fixes) have cured the vibration problems 100% from what I have heard, read and seen, especially overseas.

FWIW, overseas, the vibrations, though by no means non existent, are far more isolated (considerably less than 50% of vehicles-about 10 to 25% of vehicles) than in North America (about 50% of vehicles). The vibrations on the vehicles overseas are relatively mild overall and far less severe than in North America as well. Everything in this paragraph is also from what I have heard, read and seen.

Audi S5 TC

Insist on new control arms alone first (and aggressively make sure that they are properly installed or the vibration will only be largely reduced and not cured like with mnemons). All of this equally applies to all 2009+ A4 and A5/S5 owners with these vibration problems worldwide. Only go ahead and insist on new wheels and tires if the control arms alone do not cure the vibration (which is very isolated even in North America from what I have heard, read and seen).

chrisPA

Is this the only reply you've read that mentioned new control arms not completely solving the problem? I've been reading these threads as well (was about to buy a new A4 earlier this week but am hesitating now), and I can't recall if there have been others.

If this is an isolated occurance after new control arms, might it be due to problems with wheel balancing, etc. that occurred while running with the old control arms but that was not corrected awhen the new ones were installed? That would give me hope they're on the right track.

Has anyone heard of any new S4 with the vibration problem? I haven't read any yet...

Audi S5 TC

AFAIK, mnemons is the only person whose dealer improperly installed the new control arms.

FWIW, compared to some older Audi models (such as the B5 A4/S4, B6 A4/S4, C5 A5/AllRoad/S6/RS 6, D2 A8/A8L/S8 and D3 A8/A8L) in their first year of production, especially in the North American market, the B8 A4 and A5/S5, though not trouble free by any means, are not all that bad in terms of problems.