A5 Sportback Rear Rattle over bumps ~ 35 mph
08-13-2018, 08:10 AM
#21
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I'm also annoyed by a rattle in this area. My wife pinpoints it when sitting in the back to the area where the c-pillar trim covers the seat belt so the location seems to be the same. But it's so light and tinny and sounds so superficial that I can't believe it is a structural weld problem. Also, it's present on tiny bumps/road irregularities at any speed. It sounds like I'd imagine a loose wire hitting on a panel to sound and I get the feeling that I could fix it instantly with a bit of foam tape if I could only find it. It also doesn't sound loud or significant enough to warrant the sort of repair your car has undergone. I don't think it would be recordable on a phone camera f'rinstance.
I'd love to investigate further, but I have a copy of the service manual and it seems to me that removal of the trim in this area is a major exercise that even involves dropping the roof lining. The rattle in my car just isn't intrusive enough to warrant letting the dealer do this or attempting it myself. Besides, on a smooth road, which is most of my driving, it just isn't heard.
So, it's a dilemma and I think I'll just put up with it for the present or maybe investigate if I can access this area just removing some easy lower trim components.
I'd love to get a better feel for the structural rattle you had in terms of loudness and character to work out if it's what I have or not. Would yours be noticed by the average passenger? Would you always hear it or would it sometimes appear to be absent? Could it be described as like a loose electrical wire, (which is what mine sounds like)?
I'd love to investigate further, but I have a copy of the service manual and it seems to me that removal of the trim in this area is a major exercise that even involves dropping the roof lining. The rattle in my car just isn't intrusive enough to warrant letting the dealer do this or attempting it myself. Besides, on a smooth road, which is most of my driving, it just isn't heard.
So, it's a dilemma and I think I'll just put up with it for the present or maybe investigate if I can access this area just removing some easy lower trim components.
I'd love to get a better feel for the structural rattle you had in terms of loudness and character to work out if it's what I have or not. Would yours be noticed by the average passenger? Would you always hear it or would it sometimes appear to be absent? Could it be described as like a loose electrical wire, (which is what mine sounds like)?
Now, if you ask me, if I had known I would be out of a car for 5 weeks, would I have gone through with the repair - maybe not. But I'm also happy it is fixed now. A big part of the delay was waiting on the part for the seatbelt bracket from Germany. Maybe you can arrange with your dealer so that while the part is on order, you can keep your car (if they deem that to be an issue?)
10-19-2018, 12:39 AM
#22
AudiWorld Member
I have the same rattle when going over bumps, sounds like the c pillar is tapping the rear screen. The car is going in on Monday for it's second service and I have asked they look at this as many A4 owners are experiencing similar.
10-20-2018, 11:40 PM
#23
AudiWorld Member
After a while trying to ignore and just live with my rear rattle, I've suddenly made a breakthrough.
It was particularly bad yesterday. On a whim, I stopped and dropped the center part of the back seat (the bit that holds the armrest). Result as total silence re the offending noise.
So, at least I can be reasonably sure it's in the centre section of the seat or something it connects to. I tried wriggling/thumping everything I could find there (armrest/storage lid/cupholders/headrest, but couldn't reproduce it. Some foam tape around the peg that the catch locks onto didn't help.
Of course I'll chase it further as soon as I get time, but finding roughly where the noise comes from should make it eminently traceable and fixable. In the interim, simply dropping the centre part of the seat down if it becomes particularly annoying works for me as a temporary workaround.
It was particularly bad yesterday. On a whim, I stopped and dropped the center part of the back seat (the bit that holds the armrest). Result as total silence re the offending noise.
So, at least I can be reasonably sure it's in the centre section of the seat or something it connects to. I tried wriggling/thumping everything I could find there (armrest/storage lid/cupholders/headrest, but couldn't reproduce it. Some foam tape around the peg that the catch locks onto didn't help.
Of course I'll chase it further as soon as I get time, but finding roughly where the noise comes from should make it eminently traceable and fixable. In the interim, simply dropping the centre part of the seat down if it becomes particularly annoying works for me as a temporary workaround.
10-21-2018, 05:58 AM
#24
AudiWorld Member
After a while trying to ignore and just live with my rear rattle, I've suddenly made a breakthrough.
It was particularly bad yesterday. On a whim, I stopped and dropped the center part of the back seat (the bit that holds the armrest). Result as total silence re the offending noise.
So, at least I can be reasonably sure it's in the centre section of the seat or something it connects to. I tried wriggling/thumping everything I could find there (armrest/storage lid/cupholders/headrest, but couldn't reproduce it. Some foam tape around the peg that the catch locks onto didn't help.
Of course I'll chase it further as soon as I get time, but finding roughly where the noise comes from should make it eminently traceable and fixable. In the interim, simply dropping the centre part of the seat down if it becomes particularly annoying works for me as a temporary workaround.
It was particularly bad yesterday. On a whim, I stopped and dropped the center part of the back seat (the bit that holds the armrest). Result as total silence re the offending noise.
So, at least I can be reasonably sure it's in the centre section of the seat or something it connects to. I tried wriggling/thumping everything I could find there (armrest/storage lid/cupholders/headrest, but couldn't reproduce it. Some foam tape around the peg that the catch locks onto didn't help.
Of course I'll chase it further as soon as I get time, but finding roughly where the noise comes from should make it eminently traceable and fixable. In the interim, simply dropping the centre part of the seat down if it becomes particularly annoying works for me as a temporary workaround.
10-21-2018, 12:12 PM
#25
AudiWorld Senior Member
Also check the hinge on the hat shelf - I had similar problem, finally figured out one hinge was not fully seated.
10-28-2018, 02:13 PM
#26
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Hello everyone.
I took delivery of my 2018 s5 sb recently. The car is amazing it’s everything I wanted in a car. I started noticing that over moderate to severe bumps there was a rattle in the back kinda like something shaking around In a box. After finding this forum I read up and saw others were having the same problem.
I’m going to be taking the car into the dealer soon, I read that some were saying the dealer found the rattle to be coming from the rear passenger seat belt compartment, some were having the rattle come from the back seat, and some even from the trunk. Tried putting the seats down and no success, touched around and couldn’t find anything loose. I want to narrow it down and make the downtime they have my car as short as possible. Can anyone give me some insight/tips how to find the problem.
Thanks in advance
I took delivery of my 2018 s5 sb recently. The car is amazing it’s everything I wanted in a car. I started noticing that over moderate to severe bumps there was a rattle in the back kinda like something shaking around In a box. After finding this forum I read up and saw others were having the same problem.
I’m going to be taking the car into the dealer soon, I read that some were saying the dealer found the rattle to be coming from the rear passenger seat belt compartment, some were having the rattle come from the back seat, and some even from the trunk. Tried putting the seats down and no success, touched around and couldn’t find anything loose. I want to narrow it down and make the downtime they have my car as short as possible. Can anyone give me some insight/tips how to find the problem.
Thanks in advance
10-28-2018, 04:46 PM
#27
AudiWorld Member
Hello everyone.
I took delivery of my 2018 s5 sb recently. The car is amazing it’s everything I wanted in a car. I started noticing that over moderate to severe bumps there was a rattle in the back kinda like something shaking around In a box. After finding this forum I read up and saw others were having the same problem.
I’m going to be taking the car into the dealer soon, I read that some were saying the dealer found the rattle to be coming from the rear passenger seat belt compartment, some were having the rattle come from the back seat, and some even from the trunk. Tried putting the seats down and no success, touched around and couldn’t find anything loose. I want to narrow it down and make the downtime they have my car as short as possible. Can anyone give me some insight/tips how to find the problem.
Thanks in advance
I took delivery of my 2018 s5 sb recently. The car is amazing it’s everything I wanted in a car. I started noticing that over moderate to severe bumps there was a rattle in the back kinda like something shaking around In a box. After finding this forum I read up and saw others were having the same problem.
I’m going to be taking the car into the dealer soon, I read that some were saying the dealer found the rattle to be coming from the rear passenger seat belt compartment, some were having the rattle come from the back seat, and some even from the trunk. Tried putting the seats down and no success, touched around and couldn’t find anything loose. I want to narrow it down and make the downtime they have my car as short as possible. Can anyone give me some insight/tips how to find the problem.
Thanks in advance
10-29-2018, 06:26 AM
#28
AudiWorld Senior Member
Hello everyone.
I took delivery of my 2018 s5 sb recently. The car is amazing it’s everything I wanted in a car. I started noticing that over moderate to severe bumps there was a rattle in the back kinda like something shaking around In a box. After finding this forum I read up and saw others were having the same problem.
I’m going to be taking the car into the dealer soon, I read that some were saying the dealer found the rattle to be coming from the rear passenger seat belt compartment, some were having the rattle come from the back seat, and some even from the trunk. Tried putting the seats down and no success, touched around and couldn’t find anything loose. I want to narrow it down and make the downtime they have my car as short as possible. Can anyone give me some insight/tips how to find the problem.
Thanks in advance
I took delivery of my 2018 s5 sb recently. The car is amazing it’s everything I wanted in a car. I started noticing that over moderate to severe bumps there was a rattle in the back kinda like something shaking around In a box. After finding this forum I read up and saw others were having the same problem.
I’m going to be taking the car into the dealer soon, I read that some were saying the dealer found the rattle to be coming from the rear passenger seat belt compartment, some were having the rattle come from the back seat, and some even from the trunk. Tried putting the seats down and no success, touched around and couldn’t find anything loose. I want to narrow it down and make the downtime they have my car as short as possible. Can anyone give me some insight/tips how to find the problem.
Thanks in advance
12-27-2018, 05:29 PM
#30
AudiWorld Senior Member
