bfairban001

I have an 2012 A8L with 45,000 miles. When I go over significant bumps at a reasonable speed, I hear a creaking sound from the front end. It is not too bad at this time, but I expect it will get worse over time.

I am wondering if this is something serious that needs to be addressed now, or if it can wait until my next service visit. I do have a pre-owned warranty that will likely cover the issue.

Thanks

MP4.2+6.0

Search? Already covered in a fair # of posts.

polo1

For cripe-sakes just tell the man!

the_duke

Those who spend hour and hours typing out clear concise responses (MP is the best on this board) get tired of doing the same thing over and over. This topic has been beaten to death. The beauty of a forum is that all that information is retained and can be accessed with a simple search.

polo1

The beauty of this forum is that people actually come here and ask questions/chat...

Would you rather a dead forum - with people just "searching" it?

Let's be honest - 90% of the questions asked here - you could give the same answer to - "do a search".

It is understandable that people with hundreds to thousands of posts here would know pretty much everything that was discussed here.

However people, like the OP, have only 4 posts and have not heard "everything" so far.

It is up to anyone if they want to respond or not, but if I knew the answer I would say something like this:

Try sway bar links - there is a thread (and then give them the thread).

Just my .02

the_duke

If sometimes the reply is "do a search" it's still good advice. If you want to contribute then why don't you "do a search" for the OP and post the answer?

MP4.2+6.0

So honestly, the other responder has much the same issue, as I have been chiding off and on. And if you want advice longer term instead of spending lots of time kicking tires and asking repetitive questions, and sometimes not even finding the true gems where clues are given (mine BTW), then folks also remember the players and who to help and what to just let pass. Also the nature of the beast. And since I am one who tries to help 98% of the time and have a lot of D body and Audi knowledge, folks can decide for themselves. Go to D3 board, and you could decipher about 3-5 long term players who have the most experienced knowledge and were there for years, and now maybe another half dozen who have joined and know a lot or are developing it. Said another way, that's about 5-10 folks to make or break 80 or 90 % of the time. Way more so with low volume D bodies, and AW probably being the primary North America forum for them. Go to QW or AZ by contrast (which i also like) and watch the tumbleweeds blow through week to week or even month to month. You'll also find the single sticky post on that AW D3 board hits right on literally these core subjects. Both the basic search first and other etiquette and the repetitive subjects. But also literally this subject around suspensions and noise. See #10 where it is first one flagged, as well as how it even is developed right in the search point. https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a8-...-read-2877219/

I don't know original poster at all, but he has checked in with car purchase and all, so that's good. Not so much here, but to develop the concerns further and why the pushback, besides the "having others do your basic homework" problem that can present itself, increasingly I sense there are also "professional" mechanics going to forums and seeing what dumb schmuck will give them "free" advice (whether right or wrong). One post wonders are the ones that catch my eye more, especially if it zooms in on something specific without prior context. In fact, I have asked AW to change that but they can't. Other vehicle forums I have been on may require you explicitly to first post into other existing threads (including a cumulative new owner thread) before opening new ones. 5 or so posts is what I recall it takes, and maybe helps reinforce the search first concept. Meantime, I'm not in the business of helping pros diagnose issues in general. For that crowd, they should know the vehicle, know the technical resources and use them, or be doing something else. We have a post right now on D3 board where that got revealed (it rarely does); needless to say I will just leave that one be. And nope, I bet a pro mechanic looking to pick others' brains will never even read this. A post or two and gone.

For OP, the issue you ask about is literally the number one common issue in my mind on D3's that I owned for 10 years. Again, see linked post above. Probably was on D2's once they adopted the aluminum suspension. Probably will be on D4's too given some of the same early markers (like this and a fair number of other posts already). Sorry you got dragged into this, but again search will help first. I have already posted on here, and at length and receptively on D3 forum. So far, the issues really seem the same. There is a slight tweak in the way the D4 roll bar is assembled, but the roll bar related points (two of them) are usually a pronounced second level issue. Happy to answer more advanced questions with some of the basics in hand, down to level of how to, dos and don't's, more cost effective parts sourcing, dangers of "cheap" alternatives, what 4/50 and CPO warranty covers, preemptively spotting it to get warranty coverage, and so on.

polo1

You just seriously typed over 400 words and did not answer the OP's question one bit...

You could have saved yourself the trouble and typed 20 words and answered the OP - and I am sure he would have been grateful...

Like I said, it is up to whomever if they want to respond of not...

I guess I am just different - someone came on yesterday and asked for the differences in the exhaust pipes - they saw some round and some trapezoid - I didn't tell them to "do a search" - I helped them out by giving them the information.

It literally took me less than a minute.

It is a forum - not a database.

Huge difference.

Again, just my .02

MP4.2+6.0

Se my final paragraph. Didn't finish. And, no I obviously disagree with you, and BTW you are off on secondary issue about the roll bars and links, more so at earlier ages and fewer cumulative miles. Interestingly, also draws out a problem w/ internet and forums--"if I read it on the internet, it must be true..." Why the "database" and some time searching and ferreting out wheat from chafe makes sense.

And BTW, the exhaust thread is interesting, but frankly now sort of commodity or personal style in my mind. Honestly now one can get that look on literally a Hyundai. I appreciate and respect effort folks though who want to put work into mods or design elements in a car purchase that make them happy. The D3 W12 was where the design all started before it was copied endlessly. There are more interesting exhaust mods that may be do-able now--and at a lower budget--than the style only ones. But, gotta know where to look, as well as how to ask...

skibreeze

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life...