What’s that sound?

740GLE

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Aug 19, 2009
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NH
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Everyone’s favorite game, online forum driveline sound diagnosis.

I’ll use my best of my limited abilities to describe it and the situation that replicates the sound.

So it’s more of a click/tick than a thunk or clunk, its very light, almost dainty and quiet, I noticed it three weeks ago driving on a road trip in a city, I first mentioned it to the wife last night, she said she doesn’t hear a thing. At first I though it was something rattling around in the car but the more and more I drive it, it’s def drive line related. Sound is coming from the passengers side, 70% of the time it seems like it’s the front wheel area the rest sounds like it’s from the rear, amazing how sound moves around a car.

When and how it’s making the sound. So from a start or applying the brakes coming off the accelerator, so basically any shift in momentum cause the sound. It’s one and done, until momentum changes again, so one click coming off a stop then nothing until I coast or tap the brakes. The sound can reproduced turning left and right while changing in momentum. I also hear it letting off and coasting in a determined manor, you just don’t notice the sound as much due to road noise. Mainly it’s the in city driving that you notice it the most, slow rolling turning and braking or just stop and go traffic, gas/tick, coast/tick, gas/tick, brake/tick.

Now my guess as the cause.

The lightness of the click or tick that I’d describe it almost sounds like a brake pad with some minor play in the carrier. I haven’t changed the pads (I did change the rotors). Maybe when I reinstalled the rear pads the tolerance of the retainer clips/spring weren’t up to snuff and there’s some forward or back movement.

I’ve also read about the failure prone FCA bushing as being a weak link, but I don’t have any vibration or adverse feelings at highway speed (maybe this is an early phase of a failing bushing).

Other than that I’m thinking end links, but I don’t notice any increase or change in sound when the attitude of the car is pitched going across an incline.

Now’s the best part, what’s you guess?
 

forrest resto`s

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A mouse/squirrel eating acorns under the floor boards, click ..click.. :D..o/k let me ponder..
 
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740GLE

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friggen cat isn't doing it's job!
 

forrest resto`s

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Forget the cat!:rolleyes: get a couple of these (mini dachshunds) .. I have 2 and they kill all small things that make noises in car..not to mention my shop is "pest free" what kind of tire rims have ya got? That clicking I have heard from certain rims.or rim areas. Can you make the sounds with the car sitting still and have someone push the car down/side to side/up.. with force (not too much!) alot of suspension sounds can be replicated doing this..
 
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PB_NB

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Nov 20, 2007
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Vancouver, B.C.
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1999 New Beetle
Maybe water sloshing in the doors or in the spare tire depression.

I had water trapped in my door, after a break in where little pieces of glass plugged the drain holes.

Or something is loose! I wonder if the dashshunds can turn a wrench?
 

turbobrick240

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maine
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2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
I'd guess it is a brake pad/s vibrating. Usually those clicks go away when you get on the brakes though. Maybe try a couple hard braking stops to see if things get seated.
 

740GLE

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NH
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Our mouser cat passed away last December, she'll be sadly missed, 2-3 victims showed up almost ever night she was outside, it was quite shocking really.

Our new kitten who's about a year old now is way more interested in catching lady bugs and moths than high prize game. We also don't let her out overnight as she's white and tiger mix that looks like she's stuck at 6 months old kitten, very dainty, she'd make a good snack for the local wild life.

Right now on stock 18" Bristols, rotated them about 4K ago, didn't hear the sound back then but again the wife drives it regularly and still doesn't notice the sound (yet can hear me eating a potato chip 3 floors away at the opposite end of the house).

I'll be swapping over the winter sets Thursday night we'll see what happens, give the brake pads a poke see, my gut is still leaning towards this.

I'll also see if i can replicate the sound with the car parked and just rolling it back and forth in P.
 

oilhammer

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Dec 11, 2001
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outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
I would check the compliance bushings in the control arms. Look closely for any indications of them moving against the subframe "pocket" in which they live. No idea how you would easily do this on the ground, and jacking the car up defeats the point of looking. You need to look while the car is at rest under its own weight. Maybe drive on jacks. Also sometimes the subframe bolts themselves need to be tightened a bit.
 

forrest resto`s

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Very sad about your cat... been there..but a dog for me, devastating..let us know if you find what your "click" is...good luck!
 

740GLE

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Joined
Aug 19, 2009
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NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I would check the compliance bushings in the control arms. Look closely for any indications of them moving against the subframe "pocket" in which they live. No idea how you would easily do this on the ground, and jacking the car up defeats the point of looking. You need to look while the car is at rest under its own weight. Maybe drive on jacks. Also sometimes the subframe bolts themselves need to be tightened a bit.
I'm guessing muckling on to the tire and giving a shake with the side jacked up prob wont do much as the end links and other things are tweaked and causing abnormal tension, but I'll give it a try.
 

740GLE

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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Very sad about your cat... been there..but a dog for me, devastating..let us know if you find what your "click" is...good luck!
Thanks,

It was the wife's cat that predated out marriage, the new cat has been seeming to favoring me which makes the situation even worse. I can't help it if the little bugger wants to lay in my lap.
 

740GLE

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Joined
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Location
NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Well i did check the play of the right rear TRW pads there was a mil or to of movement that I could push the pad with a flat head but when the wheel was free and rocking the wheel back and forth the pad stayed the same.

I'm not thinking it's something in the subframe shifting, which would lead my to think of LCA bushing.

BTW these look promising

https://blackforestindustries.com/c...rs3-control-arm-bushings-solid-rubber-mk7-mqb

https://blackforestindustries.com/c...ms-rs3-solid-rubber-bushings-with-ball-joints
 

740GLE

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NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Necro bumping,

Still have the clunk and poked around, biggest tell is that I swear I hear the clunk when starting the car.



Could this be the source of my issue?

I undid the 2 support bracket bolts tried to seat the exhaust hanger further in and retorque them, but no dice. I also checked all subframe bolts easily visible and everything seemed tight enough.

Seeing this had phase 2A (just 2nd O2 sensor) my guess is they had to drop the entire exhaust and things were tweaked on reassemble. Any one care to chime in at what work is needed for phase 2A?

Any thoughts?
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
so after +40K and having two shops look at this "clunk", one pointed to rear aftermarket sway bar (BS), other said they tightened the passengers motor mount (this did solve the clunk for a heat cycle.

But we still have the clunk.

It does seem to be most prevalent when the cars cold, and it's engine movement related, upon start up it can be heard, from a stop sign it can be heard, aggressively letting of the accelerator you can hear it. Its a single clunk as the motor/exhaust is shifting.

So this leaves some sort of exhaust mount or the engine mount threads are SOL, anyone have some good DIY for me to get at the exhaust mounts? pull the fender liner? i believe there's one bolt from the DPF to the block?

I'm going to take a peak at the threads of the drivers side motor mount, see if they've been stripped out. If that's the case, what are the options for fixes? JB Weld?

Does the Phase 2A have the shop touch the motor mounts to cut in that O2 sensor?
 

NSTDI

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Joined
Jan 26, 2002
Location
Nova Scotia
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15 Passat
I have a similar rattle/clunk, dealer told me control arm bushings, which may or may not be true. Did you ever get yours checked out somehow? I haven’t crawled under mine to see what I could see.

I’m a believer in poly bushings, I’ve bought them for my other vehicles and figure they will outlast OE rubber.
 

740GLE

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Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I can't see how control arm bushings would make a sound starting the engine (maybe because our garage is on an incline and the wife never uses the parking break and there's some force/contact on the LCA/Subframe). On a cold engine it's the first tell tail sign, once it's warmed up the sound is greatly reduced after the mechanic adjusted the motor mount and is only noticed while driving.
 
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