Strange noise

[Amused]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a used 2015 A3 8V Sportback 1.6 TDI with 50k km on the clock, manual transmission. While it’s a lovely car, there are several issues (strange noises) to be dealt with and I would appreciate your help. The car is still under warranty.

There is a strange humming noise from the front wheel area that comes and goes in a kind of circular pattern exactly between 100 and 105 km/h (62-65 mph). It is not rpm or gear dependent, it is there even when I put the tranny in neutral. When I speed up past 105 kmh it goes away. Very strange. I suspected a worn wheel bearing, but the Audi dealer told me all the bearings were fine and blamed the tyres (one of the front wheel bearings was replaced under warranty before I bought the car). Yesterday I replaced all 4 wheels and tyres and the noise is still there. So it has nothing to do with the tyres or the wheels. Any ideas?

 

[Phutters]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a used 2015 A3 8V Sportback 1.6 TDI with 50k km on the clock, manual transmission. While it’s a lovely car, there are several issues (strange noises) to be dealt with and I would appreciate your help. The car is still under warranty.

There is a strange humming noise from the front wheel area that comes and goes in a kind of circular pattern exactly between 100 and 105 km/h (62-65 mph). It is not rpm or gear dependent, it is there even when I put the tranny in neutral. When I speed up past 105 kmh it goes away. Very strange. I suspected a worn wheel bearing, but the Audi dealer told me all the bearings were fine and blamed the tyres (one of the front wheel bearings was replaced under warranty before I bought the car). Yesterday I replaced all 4 wheels and tyres and the noise is still there. So it has nothing to do with the tyres or the wheels. Any ideas?

Far be it from me to suggest that the dealership might be wrong about the wheel bearing, but I think the dealership might be wrong about the wheel bearing...

I had exactly those symptoms on an allroad a few years ago. The noise was a kind of 'wowing' drone, as if you were being followed at some distance by a large helicopter. It was most noticeable when the wheel was side-loaded, like it is when going round a curved motorway slip road for instance, but it was there when travelling in a straight line too.

At high(er) speed it was just about audible, but increasingly drowned out by road and wind noise.

There was no noticeable play in the bearing whatsoever when rocking the wheel vigorously with the car on axle stands, but it was most definitely the culprit, because a replacement solved the problem immediately.

.

 

[Amused]

Far be it from me to suggest that the dealership might be wrong about the wheel bearing, but I think the dealership might be wrong about the wheel bearing...

I had exactly those symptoms on an allroad a few years ago. The noise was a kind of 'wowing' drone, as if you were being followed at some distance by a large helicopter. It was most noticeable when the wheel was side-loaded, like it is when going round a curved motorway slip road for instance, but it was there when travelling in a straight line too.

At high(er) speed it was just about audible, but increasingly drowned out by road and wind noise.

There was no noticeable play in the bearing whatsoever when rocking the wheel vigorously with the car on axle stands, but it was most definitely the culprit, because a replacement solved the problem immediately.

.

Thank you for your opinion, I might as well check it with an independent shop first and then take it back to the dealership.

The thing is that the noise disappears after I hit 105 kmh or higher. However, it gradually starts to build up from around 70 kmh, whereas it’s most audible in the 100-105 kmh range. And the pattern of the noise is strange, it goes ooooooomph ... pause ... oooooooomph .... pause ... oooooooomph .... and so on

 

[Amused]

I uploaded a video too

 

[Amused]

Hi everyone, it turns out a wheel bearing was the issue, just as @Phutters suggested.

The car has 52k km on the clock and this is the second wheel bearing that had to be replaced.

Shame on Audi. My car already had the water pump (and timing belt) replaced under warranty, and now this. Still waiting for them to solve the water noise coming from the AC vents, they ordered some new parts and scheduled a service for late August.

I am really disappointed by the quality of this car.