negipai98

Hello. First post so please be gentle...

I recently purchased a 2017 A4 Quattro with Cold Weather and Tech packages. I like the car for the most part, but am being driven crazy by a strange noise. The sound is like a low electric whirring, so to speak. Almost like a hydraulic pump or the flaps on a plane being adjusted. It happens mostly during braking, though sometimes when coasting after braking. There is no real consistency in terms of weather or road conditions, as it happens under all conditions, but only some of the time. With that said, it is very pronounced when driving in the snow.

I brought it into the dealer and they couldn't hear they sound when I drove with the tech (naturally it didn't happen that day) but they kept the car for a few days to test it out. During that time I had a loaner which was the exact same make and model, and never heard the sound. There was a variation of the sound when braking, but it was much lower - barely audible and not an issue. The sound we hear is very noticeable. The best diagnosis Audi could give was that it was likely the ABS Pump adjusting and anticipating a need of being used. I struggle with that explanation since it often happens when I am braking gradually and have almost come to a complete stop. Surely the ABS is smart enough to know it won't be required under those conditions.

I kept the car for another week, then brought it back to Audi and asked them to take another look, since I have never heard a sound like this. They kept the car for 11 days, and then came back and said that while there is definitely a sound, it is normal and I shouldn't worry about it. They said all cars make different sounds - even within the same model - and this one just happens to be louder. I have driven many different types of cars over the years and never have heard a sound like this, much less have it be called normal. Don't get me wrong - it isn't a crazy loud sound - but it does seem to be far from normal in a modern, premium car such as an Audi. The reality is that if I had heard this sound during the test drive I would have immediately turned to my sales rep and asked what it was, and likely would not have bought the car.

Sorry for the long post, but wanted to see if anyone has had a similar experience. If yes, at least I know it is normal (although annoying). If not, I can feel more confident pushing back on my local service dealer. This is my first Audi, and unless something changes, it will be my last.

Thanks!

VipinLJ

No idea about the whine you are talking about. Could you maybe take a video or something? Any idea where it originates from? Front of the car/rear/footwell/towards engine bay? Haven't noticed any whine till now.

negipai98

Attached is a video I took. With the ambient noise and my phone's mic it is hard to pick up, but with 6 seconds left in the video you can hear me step on the brake, and immediately after (with 5 seconds left) you can hear the sound. I recommend listening with headphones and the volume up.

To me the sound is coming from inside the cabin and from the driver's side, though my wife hears it emanating from the front middle part of the car. Tough for me to say.

Thanks!

tekmo

I can't hear anything in your video other than road noise, but i do have some weird sound as well when braking, which i think matches your description. When i had another loaner B9 A4, it did exactly the same so i assumed this is normal on these cars.

VipinLJ

Yes. I did hear the whine in that video!! Haven't noticed it in my car ever. I'll pay more attention and see if I have it in my car. Almost all the time, the radio is playing. Maybe that's why I never noticed it.

negipai98

Interesting. As far as hearing it, not sure if you listened with headphones. Once you know what it sounds like you can definitely hear it, though it is certainly muted on the video as compared to in person.

negipai98

The workaround for me is to have the music on, but obviously I can't and don't want to do that all the time. Glad you could hear it. It really is quite noticeable in person and really I'd be very surprised if Audi released the car to market with this kind of sound and classified it as "normal".

minmet

Heard it. Initially I didn't spot your time frame note. I heard the whine and marked the time point myself and it matched your note. I can say for sure my car don't have it (at least for now. knock on wood). How is your braking power? Hope this is not the booster or something brake line related.

negipai98

Thanks. Braking power seems fine, but I don't have anything to compare it too since the noise has been there since the beginning, and I only have about 2500 miles on the car.

VipinLJ

My car has less than 1400 miles on the odo. I did drive it today. Turned the music off. Tried braking from various speeds. No whine at all. Is this under hard braking or is it present all the time when you slow down?