Exhaust Rattle on Cold Start

[TGJR]

Just checking if this is the norm or something to raise with the dealer when my car goes in shortly.....

When I start it from cold and you get the involuntary engine blip it is followed by what I can only describe as a metallic rattle for a second or two before the idle settles down?? Seems to come from the exhaust rather than engine area.

Thanks.

[Graeme4130]

Just checking if this is the norm or something to raise with the dealer when my car goes in shortly.....

When I start it from cold and you get the involuntary engine blip it is followed by what I can only describe as a metallic rattle for a second or two before the idle settles down?? Seems to come from the exhaust rather than engine area.

Thanks.

If by rattle, you mean a more mechanical sound for he first 15 seconds or so before it settles down, then this is perfectly normal

Sounds like a bag of nails at first

[Noyjatat]

I have had something similar mainly when I hold the key depressed too long on ignition.

[carsarecool]

Just go drive it... You are going to enjoy it if you worry about every rattle

[TGJR]

Just checking if this is the norm or something to raise with the dealer when my car goes in shortly.....

When I start it from cold and you get the involuntary engine blip it is followed by what I can only describe as a metallic rattle for a second or two before the idle settles down?? Seems to come from the exhaust rather than engine area.

Thanks.

If by rattle, you mean a more mechanical sound for he first 15 seconds or so before it settles down, then this is perfectly normal

Sounds like a bag of nails at first

Bag of nails may be about right. One of the things that prompted me to check this is that when I started up the other morning in a car park someone I know who was stood nearby asked if my car was ok as it sounded a bit ruff!!

Sounds great once it gets going though

[Rallyz]

It does sound terrible, but it does seem to be a case of "they all do that". It sounds like an exhaust heatshield rattle or perhaps that the exhaust itself is loose before it warms up, but it does go off quite quickly once the engine revs drop to the burble mode.

I did query it with my dealer and he showed me a letter from Audi which essentially said it was expected.

It doesn't seem to be so bad on a restart when the engine is warm, and sometimes it's not as bad as others.

Just a thought, do aftermarket exhausts rattle on startup in the same way?

Alternatively, I guess it might be due to the hydraulic lifters on the cam chain taking a bit of time to get pressured up. See http://www.audiclubsa.org.za/cgi-bin/ya ... 1334150207

[Jezzer]

I get a metallic resonance on tick over but this disappears when the engine is revved. Sounds like a heat shield to me but annoying to hear. Anyone else have it while the engine is ticking over and had any info from dealer?

[Outtlaw]

I also get the Bag of spanners sound on start up, even the wife said "is it meant to sound like that!"
Soon calms down to a nice throaty noise though.

[TGJR]

So it seems like a 'rattling bag of spanners' sound for a few seconds on cold start is another normal trait to sit along side knocking suspension from cold. Good job these cars make up for it with everything great that they offer!

Saying that, mine is going back to the dealership next week for the steering wheel to be centralised (nothing more annoying than it being 5 degrees off-centre when driving in a straight line!) and I have asked them to investigate the knocking suspension noise that I experience on a bumpy road, regardless of which damper setting I select.

[Noyjatat]

Knocking suspension is a new one to me.

[RSChief]

Yip, mine does the "rattle" thing too on start up from cold but only for about 1 or 2 secs.
I did wonder about it as mine sounds like a heat shield or something as well. Probably nothing to worry about now it seems they are all doing it