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Ok - I need some help...

In the last 200 miles or so i have noticed a strange resonance that sounds like a drone coming from the rear left of the car. It starts around 30mph and increases with speed. It is not dependent on revs, or acceleration, but stops when cornering reasonably hard in Left hand bends, and gets marginally worse in right hand bends. I've jacked the car up and cant feel anything wheel bearing related, and there are no signs of anything wrong on the track rods. Anyone had anything like this or got any clues?

THanks

Stu.

I would have said wheel bearing, Stu, but it seems like you've ruled that one out.

It's a wheel bearing , These cars have a sealed twin roller bearing. They will become noisy but they will have no play until they get really bad

Ah great - I guess my car seems to know when it's booked in for a service and everything goes wrong just before... Ah well more money to throw at APS i guess... Doh!

I would have thought wheel bearing... more heat coming from the noisy one over the other back one after a run? Can usually be a good sign also... had it with a wheel bearing on the back of my BMW a while back (when I had it). No play but definitely more heat

Have to agree sounds most likely to be bearing related, but I did have similar droaning noise a couple of months back, at it turned out to be a badly balanced wheel.
Assumung you have directional tyres, swap the front with the rear and see if the noise moves with the swap.

I had the same problem last year - No doubt in my mind, it's the Wheel Bearing!

Hope it's that simple!

I had similar suspected wheel bearing but on inspection/investigation (after swapping the bearing) turned out to be asymmetrical wear on the tyre tread think it took 7000 miles to resonate (I forgot to rotate them front to rear earlier in their life doh).

I rotated the wheels and the problem moved with them, I've also a slight buckle in the harder compound wheel (ar5e) and I'll get that warranty'd.

Basically, according to Micheldever tyres the leading edge of the tyre wears more than the trailing on the steering wheels and after too long will start to warble. Its worth checking (you'll be able to feel a lip on the tread) just to eliminate before you get into swapping bearings.. Mine also changed note and stopped whilst steering left or right - but if I hit a raised part of the road which unweighted the car (lifted it) the noise also subsided briefly.

Apparently they'll wear down eventually - and I've noticed it is reducing the more I drive.

wozza wrote:I rotated the wheels and the problem moved with them, I've also a slight buckle in the harder compound wheel (ar5e) and I'll get that warranty'd.

You seem quite confident of that... get in touch with your Audi stealer quickly... me thinks you'll be starting the ball rolling of yet ANOTHER wheel warranty battle...

I had two HARD wheels buckled when acquiring my car, and were only 10 months old - Audi stealers and UK said they WILL NOT pay for another set under that warranty or indeed replace the wheel in question

Had to source my own...

Join the club ^^^

Dunno about confident, not even optimistic, pessimistic perhaps - I'll try my luck getting one replaced, if not then my local independent garage has mentioned that one of his contacts in the trade has recently acquired an alloy wheel straightener...

wozza wrote:Dunno about confident, not even optimistic, pessimistic perhaps - I'll try my luck getting one replaced, if not then my local independent garage has mentioned that one of his contacts in the trade has recently acquired an alloy wheel straightener...

How good are these though?
I've kept my bent HARD wheels (as they weren't bent that much, but enough) as my mate in trade also says he knows someone with an alloy straightener

Surely with the wheel being bent in the first place, straightening it would weaken it in the affected area?

mbelle wrote:

wozza wrote:Dunno about confident, not even optimistic, pessimistic perhaps - I'll try my luck getting one replaced, if not then my local independent garage has mentioned that one of his contacts in the trade has recently acquired an alloy wheel straightener...

How good are these though?
I've kept my bent HARD wheels (as they weren't bent that much, but enough) as my mate in trade also says he knows someone with an alloy straightener

Surely with the wheel being bent in the first place, straightening it would weaken it in the affected area?

Totally agree with you, and why I haven't got mine straightened. Will be good to hear from someone in the know