ex-quattro PETE

This is one of the weirdest noises I've heard on a car. When you turn (regardless if braking or not, regardless if accelerating or not), you hear this metallic noise, as if some part was sliding from one side of the car to the other. It sounds like the noise is coming from the inside of the car, but I once heard it from the outside as well, when wife was driving.

Now, you need to be making subsequent left/right turns for it to occur. If you keep making only right turns, you won't hear it again until you make another left turn, and vice versa. This would support my suspicion that it is something that is sliding from one side to another, and needs an opposite turn to slide again.

Anyone had this happen? What is it? It's driving me nuts.

HZ60

Did you happen to drop anything between the seat and center console, coins, keys etc.? It's possible that something metallic found its way into the black hole in the body under the seats. There are openings on the side of the seat rail that go down into a small cavity below the floor under the seats. If there is something down there, opposite turns could cause it to slide back and forth on the sheet metal. Lost a small pair of scissors down there once, finally got them out, never again. Here's a thread that might be relevant to your issue.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...-seat-2842924/

ex-quattro PETE

I didn't, but it's possible either the wife or my kid did. Thanks for the link. 6 hours of labor, wow!

mancerator

I would check the wheel bearings that can load or unload as the front wheels are turned. Usually more of a grinding noise.

ex-quattro PETE

Yeah, that's not it. It's more of a screeching sound, similar to one metal object loosely sliding on top of another.

heartbeat91

@ex-quattro PETE heya, i actually started to have this issue from today...the EXACT thing.. where on turns, I hear something slide over, and it'll only happen if I go left after right and vice versa. So something is definitely sliding around.
I feel like I hear it above me, which assumes that something's gone loose in the headliner / sunroof mechanism... but I'm not 100% sure. Would love it if you've found the issue and solved it.

Tinpusher

Many years ago when washing my Corrado, I found a pair of locking pliers in the roof space behind the sunroof. Never heard any noise from them while they were there though. No idea what your noise can be, but noises like this can be infuriatingly hard to track down sometimes. Best of luck!

mancerator

To second Tinpusher's comment I recently had an oil change and the front control arms replaced by the dealer, was checking my oil level and found a short handled ratchet wrench under the hood just below the windshield on top of the plastic panel where the wiper arms are attached.

riskymouth

Started to have the same issue as well since a few weeks. Did you ever find what it was?

User 71423

I'm having the exact same issue on my brand new 2021 Q5 and it's driving me nuts. If you turn right after left after right, you can hear a slight thump as the object hits one side of the vehicle and the other side and so on. It sounds like it's definitely coming from the headliner or roof. Any ideas/suggestions?