Terrible Rattle at idle on my 06 Jetta TDI

[patter98]

Hey everyone,

The past few days my car has been making some odd noises. I had the DMF replaced a few weeks ago and it seems to have been making these new noises since then but i am not putting my finger on a dealer mistake yet.

Some of these may not be problems at all i am just trying to give all the information i have:

When putting it in park if the car rolls forward to the stop it will almost make a grind noise like it is pushing up against a gear (hypothetical to picture noise). If it rocks back and forth alittle if im on a hill it will make the grind only when pushing against the stop and bounce a bit. Maybe it is perfectly normal....wouldnt doubt it.

When driving around and then pulling to a parking spot it will rattle really bad when in idle but as soon as i apply the go pedal it will go away. only at true idle. No noise while driving. It doesnt seem to do it on startup.
Like today i started it up cold and no noise, got to work 10minutes later and it was a terrible rattle noise. Shut it off and came out 5min later after talking to the dealer and noise gone on startup.

It mostly seems like something in general has been rattling more than usual since the DMF replacement and Driveaxle replacement a few weeks ago.

Thanks,
Justin

 

[Windjammer]

I would check to be sure the axle flange bolts are tight.

 

[Mach1]

I dont think the DSG is a park only vehicle..I believe the manual says to apply the parking brake and not let the vehicle roll..

Yes, besides that tidbit of info, anything possible seeing that you just had it at the dealer, could be loose, CV's or bolts. could be something they did/did wrong.

I would have it checked by somebody soon..

 

[Anomie]

...When putting it in park if the car rolls forward to the stop it will almost make a grind noise like it is pushing up against a gear (hypothetical to picture noise)...

Your hypothesis is almost correct. Shifting to park engages a parking pall, which is a spring loaded lever with a single tooth on it that engages a toothed wheel on part of the output side of your transmission. This is just like any conventional automatics out there.

...I believe the manual says to apply the parking brake and not let the vehicle roll...

This is true of any vehicle with any transmission. Also true is the fact that on some cars, the rear brakes will not properly readjust without regular application of the parking brake. In more important news, putting undue pressure on the parking pall and associated wheel inside the tranny is uncalled for and ultimately a preventable failure-waiting-to-happen.


I digress mainly because the gross negligence of parking brakes irks me to no end. Back on topic, definitely get on the dealer. I feel like there is something they did during your DMF R&R that wasn't supposed to happen. Either something was left loose, or started coming loose down the road. Have them recheck any and components they moved/uninstalled/reinstalled during service and that the bolts are torqued to spec and still there. This sounds pessimistic but when a friend's brake caliper falls off because the mechanic didn't know thread lock was mandatory on that car, and the story goes, "... and all of a sudden I heard this horrible grinding from my left front wheel and I had no brakes! O_O," the pessimism is well intentioned.

 

[virusage]

I am experiencing this same situation on my VW Jetta TDI 2006. The car has some rattling or cranking noise ( like kakakakakakaka) when in idle mode (when gear is in P).
When you try stepping on the accelerator pedal the noise stops, when u release pedal noise comes back.

When you move gear to R or D then noise stops. There is no noise when car is being driven.

What is the problem? Please help quickly.

 

[nord]

Very likely the flywheel assembly. This especially on DSG cars.

 

[slamhouse]

I had the same issue on my car, The noise was a result of the metal "exhaust tunnel" shrouding that lines the car on the underside rattling against the car, a simple push on the metal here and there and the issue was resolved.

 

[dospitasl]

Here is the issue I have right now. Is this your noise?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQTV2Bt6PoI&feature=player_embedded
Here is Cam Shaft issue noise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDWDgbH_n9E&feature=related

My DMF(Dual Mass Flywheel) decided to kick the bucket in my 06 5speed Jetta TDi and I ordered a list of parts today from IDCLUB.com to replace the DMF with a Sachs G60/VR6 SMF(Single Mass Flywheel).

 

[kjemad]

I am experiencing this same situation on my VW Jetta TDI 2006. The car has some rattling or cranking noise ( like kakakakakakaka) when in idle mode (when gear is in P).
When you try stepping on the accelerator pedal the noise stops, when u release pedal noise comes back.

When you move gear to R or D then noise stops. There is no noise when car is being driven.

What is the problem? Please help quickly.

I know this is old but did you ever figure it out? I have the same noise

 

[MPankaM]

06 mk5 TDI Jetta, 230k miles, same issue… with the exception that my mk5 is a 5-sp manual… sitting perfectly still, hit the brakes, turn the steering wheel back and forth, shake the car, clutch in, clutch out, in/out of gear, nothing whatsoever changes the sound of the “rattle”, except for a simple change of even 100rpm the rattle instantly goes away….
Doesn’t do it while driving, moving at all, braking, in fact, the ONLY time it make this irritating “rattling” sound, it at base idle, and only base idle…
I could be coasting in any direction, or for that matter, sitting completely still, if the engine is at a constant base idle, cold start-up or at temp, winter temps or summer (I haven’t done anything about it for that long…. I know, but cut me a little slack, I won the car over a simple ridiculous bet…. So I’ve just been fixing anything that hinders drivability or makes it unsafe) Being a wrench for over 40 years, I’m putting my money on what “Slamhouse” said was the issue with his car, since those are the characteristics that it’s showing me, but I just haven’t had the chance to get underneath the car to check it out…. For the time being, it hasn’t gotten worse, or better, and as I initially tested the waters to attempt a diagnosis, just as it was the day I first started the car, it still only “rattled” at base idle….. within the next week or so, likely over Christmas break, when I have the chance to put it in the air to get a better look, I will repost what I found, regardless of what I found…. And if it’s doable, I’ll also post a link to a video, again if a video makes sense….
until then……

 

[Rx7145]

It’s not a flywheel rattle?

 

[MPankaM]

If it is the flywheel, I can only imagine there is something close enough to it, that while at base idle the harmonics or whatever you want to call it, causes it to vibrate just right to where at idle it makes whatever vibrate just enough tho hit the flywheel…. Something odd I just noticed yesterday, as I was pulling up to work, my passenger front wheel had gone through a “pothole” with standing water in it, and as soon as the wheel went through it, the noise STOPPED…. I paused to listen, wound up the
Motor a few times, and maybe 2-3 minutes later, the noise came back….. Since then, each time I have to leave and come back. I repeat the same thing (it’s been raining for 3 days in Wisco) but every time since realizing it, I repeat it as close as I can. And it does it consistently every time…

I just finished rebuilding an automatic trans for my truck, and I’m in the process of swapping one for the other, so aside from working, I haven’t had much time to look into the noise thing yet, but for the time being, I just wanted to put that out there, and see if anyone had any thoughts on that….
I don’t think it’s the serpentine belt honestly, it sounds to me more like a hard piece of plastic or a shield or something that only vibrates at its natural frequency which is at idle…. But as soon as I can, I’ll check that out too, I’d hate to not look into Any advice or ideas that you guys have generously mentioned….. I Very much appreciate it!!

 

[Mozambiquer]

If it is the flywheel, I can only imagine there is something close enough to it, that while at base idle the harmonics or whatever you want to call it, causes it to vibrate just right to where at idle it makes whatever vibrate just enough tho hit the flywheel…. Something odd I just noticed yesterday, as I was pulling up to work, my passenger front wheel had gone through a “pothole” with standing water in it, and as soon as the wheel went through it, the noise STOPPED…. I paused to listen, wound up the
Motor a few times, and maybe 2-3 minutes later, the noise came back….. Since then, each time I have to leave and come back. I repeat the same thing (it’s been raining for 3 days in Wisco) but every time since realizing it, I repeat it as close as I can. And it does it consistently every time…

I just finished rebuilding an automatic trans for my truck, and I’m in the process of swapping one for the other, so aside from working, I haven’t had much time to look into the noise thing yet, but for the time being, I just wanted to put that out there, and see if anyone had any thoughts on that….
I don’t think it’s the serpentine belt honestly, it sounds to me more like a hard piece of plastic or a shield or something that only vibrates at its natural frequency which is at idle…. But as soon as I can, I’ll check that out too, I’d hate to not look into Any advice or ideas that you guys have generously mentioned….. I Very much appreciate it!!

Sounds like the alternator clutch pulley being failed. It's the exact symptoms, especially mentioning driving through the puddle and it went away temporarily.

 

[MPankaM]

So, I can’t be 100% certain where I read it, or who said it, since this has been an apparent ongoing issue with seemingly 06 MK5 Jettas in particular, which is odd enough if you ask me, lol , in any event, I FINALLY got tired of hearing this annoying rattle, I mean, it’s bad enough Diesels make some racket on their Own, especially without any help! Haha, so, I guess all Along I was under the impression that if I don’t pay any attention to it, it’ll eventually blend in with everything else, but it just getting more and more obvious….. Following the noise, immediately looking at the front of the engine, not To be confused with the front of the car, of course, heh, pulley side, passenger side, etc, you get the picture… perhaps I just didn’t want to know, assuming it’s going to be something other than an easy Quick-Fix, but as soon as I put eyes on it, there’s only one thing that clearly matches the rattle, vibration, or however you chose to describe your noises, but for starters, prior to my eyes adjusting fully, I could very clearly see that my serpentine belt is literally on its last leg…. Yea, not even Legs in the plural sense, it’s down to its last amputated at the knee, Leg.. lol Then, as my eyes fully adjusted to the dim light under the hood, the culprit, is most definitely the belt tensioner…. The spring must be busted, over stretched, but I do know, that’s the issue…. The movement matches the noise to a “T”….
So there you have it!
Hope
It helps someone down the road! Thanks for all of your suggestions!!

 

[Mozambiquer]

So, I can’t be 100% certain where I read it, or who said it, since this has been an apparent ongoing issue with seemingly 06 MK5 Jettas in particular, which is odd enough if you ask me, lol , in any event, I FINALLY got tired of hearing this annoying rattle, I mean, it’s bad enough Diesels make some racket on their Own, especially without any help! Haha, so, I guess all Along I was under the impression that if I don’t pay any attention to it, it’ll eventually blend in with everything else, but it just getting more and more obvious….. Following the noise, immediately looking at the front of the engine, not To be confused with the front of the car, of course, heh, pulley side, passenger side, etc, you get the picture… perhaps I just didn’t want to know, assuming it’s going to be something other than an easy Quick-Fix, but as soon as I put eyes on it, there’s only one thing that clearly matches the rattle, vibration, or however you chose to describe your noises, but for starters, prior to my eyes adjusting fully, I could very clearly see that my serpentine belt is literally on its last leg…. Yea, not even Legs in the plural sense, it’s down to its last amputated at the knee, Leg.. lol Then, as my eyes fully adjusted to the dim light under the hood, the culprit, is most definitely the belt tensioner…. The spring must be busted, over stretched, but I do know, that’s the issue…. The movement matches the noise to a “T”….
So there you have it!
Hope
It helps someone down the road! Thanks for all of your suggestions!!

The underlying issue is the alternator clutch pulley though... The tensioners rarely fail without the alternator clutch pulley failing first. What you describe, even with the serpentine belt on its last leg... That's alternator clutch pulley failure.

 

[Rx7145]

I agree, serpentine belt tensioners don’t die. They’re murdered by the alternator clutch.