downpipe exhaust rattle
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AudiWorld Super User
Joined: May 2016
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From: MA
downpipe exhaust rattle
HELP! long story short I have a 20K mile 2018 CPO Q7 and it went in this morning for an exhaust rattle. dealer confirmed issue by listening to it and hearing the noise when banging on the exhaust pipe while it was on a lift. went through their warranty administrator and apparently this portion of the exhaust is exempt from the CPO warranty. car is under a year old to me.
I have a full parts list (both left and right downpipes right after the cats - includes resonators) and it is around $500 online. around $800 from the dealer. they want $350 to do the labor and my indy wants $200 and is willing to let me bring all the parts to him.
who at Audi of America can I reach out to for a goodwill repair? This is an $81K vehicle that sounds like bolts in a coffee can every time it starts up and it's completely unacceptable. I am going to pull the sob story card and see where I can get with it... considering this is my 6th Audi vehicle and I might have some pull.
or does anyone have a TSB that they can reference? since the car is under the CPO warranty maybe I can pull that card...
Thanks in advance!
I have a full parts list (both left and right downpipes right after the cats - includes resonators) and it is around $500 online. around $800 from the dealer. they want $350 to do the labor and my indy wants $200 and is willing to let me bring all the parts to him.
who at Audi of America can I reach out to for a goodwill repair? This is an $81K vehicle that sounds like bolts in a coffee can every time it starts up and it's completely unacceptable. I am going to pull the sob story card and see where I can get with it... considering this is my 6th Audi vehicle and I might have some pull.
or does anyone have a TSB that they can reference? since the car is under the CPO warranty maybe I can pull that card...
Thanks in advance!
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Mar 2022
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you are one super liker of the Q7 AFAIK 
I'd say if there is no real leak, just try to place or stick some double sided padding material where it rattles off?? A simple hack I did for stopping my sunroof noise in a different car.
I'd say if there is no real leak, just try to place or stick some double sided padding material where it rattles off?? A simple hack I did for stopping my sunroof noise in a different car.
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 5,793
Likes: 1,234
From: MA
This is my second Q7 but it is my 6th audi. I do like the vehicles.
AudiWorld Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 17
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From: Northern Virginia, USA
Hwy,,,,so I had the same rattling issue and my dealership replaced the downpipes per the TSB (see link below). Perhaps since the TSB is from 2020, they may offer some help here! Good luck!
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...82174-0001.pdf
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...82174-0001.pdf
AudiWorld Newcomer
Joined: Jan 2022
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Are they sure it's not just the supports/brackets of the downpipes?
I have a 2017 that sounded like a bicycle when decelerating between 1900rpm and 1100rpm.
By just tightening the screws, my mechanic (here in Coral Gables, FL) fixed the 95% of the sound. And of course he confirmed it was not engine related.
So he even recommended not to change the brackets.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...82174-0001.pdf
Perhaps if your indy does this in 15min, and the sounds reduced noticeably, you'll be happier.
. Proceed with the adjustment method below:
Loosen the exhaust clamp (A), exhaust bracket (B)
Then re-tighten beginning with clamp (A) and then bracket (B) (Figure 1).
BTW, at the audi dealer here in Coral Gables, they couldn't even find the noise. He said: it's the injectors... or the chain......
I have a 2017 that sounded like a bicycle when decelerating between 1900rpm and 1100rpm.
By just tightening the screws, my mechanic (here in Coral Gables, FL) fixed the 95% of the sound. And of course he confirmed it was not engine related.
So he even recommended not to change the brackets.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...82174-0001.pdf
Perhaps if your indy does this in 15min, and the sounds reduced noticeably, you'll be happier.
. Proceed with the adjustment method below:
Loosen the exhaust clamp (A), exhaust bracket (B)
Then re-tighten beginning with clamp (A) and then bracket (B) (Figure 1).
BTW, at the audi dealer here in Coral Gables, they couldn't even find the noise. He said: it's the injectors... or the chain......
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 5,793
Likes: 1,234
From: MA
so that TSB is for the downpipe droning. I can play it off like the pipes are "droning" with another dealer and also tell them the exhaust is making a terrible noise and try to get them to replace everything... but my understanding is these components are still not CPO.
does anyone have a contact at AoA in regards to getting something like this goodwilled if they would cover it?
does anyone have a contact at AoA in regards to getting something like this goodwilled if they would cover it?
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 522
Likes: 72
make sure they are not the flex pipes. I had the same rattle at startup and a light rumble on idle/throttle. It was rusted out flex pipes and cost $1700 out the door at the dealer including parts and labor.
car is super quiet now (sort of wish it was louder
car is super quiet now (sort of wish it was louder
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Thread Starter
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 5,793
Likes: 1,234
From: MA
my understanding is it is the flex pipe (pipe). don't know if it is actually the flex section though. the parts are less than $550 online and my dealer said it was $350 to install. they gave me all the required OEM part numbers. my indy mechanic said it was $200 to install. looks like you got taken to the cleaners but really the dealer just made a healthy markup on the parts and charged big for labor. Labor here in southern NH (where I go for dealer work) is about $175 an hour. Much closer to Boston it is more like $250 an hour.
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I hope you have better luck than me
I spoke to Audi corporate, shared my history and my love for VWAG products hoping for some good will on Audi's behalf. My wife has an S3 and I also have a B5 S4 but they said there's nothing that they can do since the dealers are privately owned and it's up to the dealer discretion.