High pitch squeal from passenger side rear. Video included

Zoso

Active member
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Location
MA
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
2015 Passat TDI SEL. ~9600 miles.

The other day, when it was particularly cold (~0F), I heard a nasty squeal that seemed to come from the passenger side rear of the car. I took a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7YkBYK234&feature=youtu.be

Eventually the noise faded away and I haven't heard it since. Any ideas what this noise could be? I'm bringing it in for the 10K service so this would be a good time to address any issues!

Thanks!
 

Herkguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Location
minneapolis
TDI
2013 passat SE sun/nav
Only two pumps near there are fuel tank and DEF. I wonder if the DEF was frozen and pump was running, then when DEF heater warmed fluid, it quieted down.

Show the dealer your video though when you go in for service.

I live in MN and have never had that sound even on coldest days.
 

psd1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Location
OR
TDI
2006 Jetta 2013 Passat SE 6Man
My guess is DEF pump. If it happens again open the trunk and DEF hatch and see if you can pinpoint the noise.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
How much fuel in the car? Wish you had taken the audio clip from inside as well. Under certain conditions, the in-tank pump can make a similar sound, in my experience. It isn't failing, just finding a certain frequency that is magnified by specific fuel level.
 

psd1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Location
OR
TDI
2006 Jetta 2013 Passat SE 6Man
How much fuel in the car? Wish you had taken the audio clip from inside as well. Under certain conditions, the in-tank pump can make a similar sound, in my experience. It isn't failing, just finding a certain frequency that is magnified by specific fuel level.
Interesting thought, with 55 fuel ups I have run my car from completely full to running on fumes and have never heard the sound posted in the clip.
 

Zoso

Active member
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Location
MA
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
How much fuel in the car? Wish you had taken the audio clip from inside as well. Under certain conditions, the in-tank pump can make a similar sound, in my experience. It isn't failing, just finding a certain frequency that is magnified by specific fuel level.
I don't recall, but I typically don't let it run low enough for the low fuel light to come on, so all I can say definitely is that it wasn't critically low.


Herkguy's theory about the DEF freezing is interesting and seems believable to me. I just read that (32.5%) DEF freezes at 12F and I'm sure the outside temperature was under 0F throughout that night. The only odd thing is that if the DEF was frozen, you'd think this would happen all the time to people in cold climates and people would recognize the sound.

Everything about diesel engines is new to me!
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Zoso: All AdBlue equipped cars have a heater built into the DEF system. Search a bit and you'll see more than a few failures of the heater/pump system, which, AFAIK, are all combined in one inseparable unit.
IF your problem is the AdBlue pump, it will be the first one reported here that failed with a loud squeal.
 

dogger37

Veteran Member
Joined
May 28, 2012
Location
PA
TDI
2012 passat
fuel tank is directly under the rear passenger seat. If you push back and up on the seat cushion you can actually see the top of the tank.
 

Zoso

Active member
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Location
MA
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
My local dealer says they showed the video to their master techs and also to someone in vw America and were told that the sound is normal and is a flap in the exhaust system. The noise sounds mechanical to me but I was told it was exhaust gasses going around the flap and it went away when the car warmed up enough and the flap opened.
 

jimbo1mcm

Veteran Member
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Jan 5, 2015
Location
CT USA
TDI
2015 SEL TDI PREMIUM Blue 2015 SEL TDI PREMIUM's Silver and Blue
BS agreed. Amazing incompetence and uncaring.
 

Zoso

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Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Location
MA
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
What bugs me more is that the tires weren't rotated. I'm not sure what is exactly part of the 10k service but all they did was change oil and filter and top off adblue. Car wasn't washed or vacuumed either. Was told the doors were getting frozen closed after the washings.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Zoso: Your car is screaming at you and you're worried about your tires rotated? It ALL adds up to distrust of your dealership.
Find a trusted mechanic in your area.
(Of course, with all the snow you've got, your issues even more inconvenient...sorry about that!)
 

mattinak

New member
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Location
Alaska
TDI
2015 Jetta
My 2015 Jetta TDI is making the EXACT noise as in Zoso's video clip. It is inconsistent --sometimes I hear it, sometimes I don't. It is only heard when stopped and idling, or when driving at low speed. (it may be doing it when driving normally, but if so, you can not hear it above highway noise). Sound is definitely coming from passenger side, underneath, towards the rear; sound is not more noticeable from open trunk. From inside the car, it sounds just like the whistling noise you get from rubbing a wet finger around the rim of a crystal glass. I am in a cold weather climate, if that makes a difference.

I see there a lot of guesses in here... is there any consensus as to what is actually causing this noise?
 

jimbo1mcm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2015
Location
CT USA
TDI
2015 SEL TDI PREMIUM Blue 2015 SEL TDI PREMIUM's Silver and Blue
What bugs me more is that the tires weren't rotated. I'm not sure what is exactly part of the 10k service but all they did was change oil and filter and top off adblue. Car wasn't washed or vacuumed either. Was told the doors were getting frozen closed after the washings.
Sure they changed the filter? It's a PITA. So easy to just say they did it.
 

ArtK65

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2015
Location
Northern Illinois
TDI
2015 VW Passat TDI 6M
I too have heard the same sound from my 2015 Passat 6MT, 15K miles. It didn't sound nearly as loud as what I hear on the video. I did add a gallon of adblue, and it seemed to go away, but that also coincided with filling up the fuel tank. I have heard it again with about 3/8 of a tank of fuel.It was definitely not that cold out, maybe in the 30's.
 

c-wagen

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Location
Houston TX
TDI
North American Passat 2012 TDI SEL (bought back march 2018)
I have heard a similar noise (similar pitch, but not as loud, more like a humming) when in cold weather (30 to 50s) if the diesel tank is below 1/4. I'll check with warm weather this summer. I would say is the diesel tank fuel pump, but I don't know if is going to fail or not (more than 2 years hearing the noise). Yours is really loud. Mine's a 2012 Passat TDI SEL

BTW, does anybody know if there is a pressure gauge metering pressure at LPFP intake, so engine can shut off if fuel is pressure is low/ fuel is not flowing (empty tank, or fuel tank pump failure)
 
Last edited:

PaulB

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Aug 6, 2000
Location
Oregon, USA
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE M6
Fuel pump is my guess. I started getting a ringing noise when accelerating, coming from the right rear. Pull up the rear seat and it gets really loud; that is how you can tell. I had mine replaced but I can still sometimes hear the replacement pump squealing. I care less though; I can deal with a little noise now and then, as long as I don't get stranded. :)
 

brian_e

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Location
Farmington NH
TDI
2001 Silver Jetta
From the video I definitely thought it was the fuel pump. As other suggested you can check from the inside to confirm the fuel pump or, perhaps, the DEF pump as others suggested.

No way in hell is it an exhaust flapper or that this is even a normal noise...
 

Rico567

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Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
Last week, I changed my fuel filter and then ran the lift pump with VCDS to make sure the lines were full of fuel. The sound audible from inside the cabin was not unlike the one in the video, but of course it wasn't loud at all, could only be heard because the car wasn't running and there was no other background noise. But a high-pitched whine, yeah.
 

Itzed

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2015
Location
Maryland
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
My 2015 fuel pump squeals also. I'm m not too worried about it. My 1980 Scirroco pump sounded the same way for 300K miles.
 

Funguy

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Jan 18, 2005
Location
Front Range of Colorado
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2015 Golf Sportwagen dsg and 2015 Passat 6 M/T
Count me in, I have the same noise. It stops a few seconds after shutting off the engine. Thankful that I can't hear it at speed as that would drive me up the wall
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
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Jul 2, 2000
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Springfield, VA
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‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Fuel pump. DEF pump is much lower pitched. The fuel pumps have a tendency to get louder as the temperature drops and viscosity increases.
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
also loud when tank is near empty- almost loud as the 90's chevy trucks. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
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Location
Springfield, VA
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‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
also loud when tank is near empty- almost loud as the 90's chevy trucks. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Yep. Ours got particularly loud one time when I ran the tank low, but it was only that one time early in its life. At first, I was a bit concerned, but it went away when I filled it up. I believe that was on a cross-country road trip a few summers ago, but I don't remember exactly.
 

Funguy

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Joined
Jan 18, 2005
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Front Range of Colorado
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen dsg and 2015 Passat 6 M/T
I have a long trip coming up. I will be sure to have some CD's that will drown out the squeal should it become too loud.
 

dbias

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Location
Huntington WV
TDI
2015 Passat SE w sunroof buyback 3/18/17
Fuel pump. DEF pump is much lower pitched. The fuel pumps have a tendency to get louder as the temperature drops and viscosity increases.
That's is a lot louder than the fuel pump on my 2015 but the exact same sound, pitch.
Took it in right before 36k and they replaced it and the right front swaybar link.
Cannot hear it at all now.
On the old pump the noise was always louder at a quarter tank or less
 

luther

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2018
Location
Las Vegas
TDI
2015 Passat SE 2.0L
Same noise here when the fuel tank level drops close to the red line.
Not very loud, but you can still hear it. 2015 Passat TDI SE 2.0L
Noise seems to go away after filling the tank.
 
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