Wheel wobble not what you think!

[Jools]

I've recently come back from a 5000 mile road trip up through europe to Norway and Sweden.
At one point on the way back I notice a wheel wobble that resonated at 80mph (130kph) at which point I thought I had lost a wheel weight, no biggie.

Any how when we stop at our hotel for the night I check the wheels and find I've not lost a wheel weight but have got a build up of very fine road dirt stuck in the groove behind the spokes of the wheels. Also a ring of the same around the inner edge of the barrel of the wheels too.
I brushed the offending dirt build up off the wheels and the following day the wobble disappeared!

[Rusty Racer]

How bizarre. What was it?
At least you can get a hand into the 20” wheels

[Jools]

The amount of unequal build up of dirt, mainly around the valves was throwing the wheels out of balance!

[elchet]

Looks a bit like cement or something, to be sticking like that. Might be worth a look under the car as well if you can.

[Rwg]

Yep, that will do it. Did it come of easy enough without staining wheel

[Jools]

We did drive through a number of road works, it was not cement dust but a very fine road dust that ended up as a light coloured mud that stuck itself unevenly to the wheel rims as it dried.
It all brushed off with a little effort.

[stuartbarriskell]

Norway has awesome roads..

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

[Jools]

I agree, stunning landscape, lovely people who nearly all speak very good english.
There is nothing like being able to drive for half an hour or more and not see another sole!

I think there speed limits are a bit low, I have never got such good fuel economy!
Mind you the autobahn's changed that

[Rusty Racer]

124,000 miles?

[Jools]

No kilometers, 81000 miles odd

[elchet]

No kilometers, 81000 miles odd

That's some distance! Off topic but have you had any issues beyond 50k? I'm at 47 and not sure how to plan ahead, whether to keep or sell, but there's honestly no other car I'd rather have.

[Jools]

I'm the same as you I've always wanted an RS4 from when they first came out. As a daily driver its just the right amount of sensible and lairy on tap when you want it!
As mine is a 2018 plate I had the chocolate rocker arms fitted which had to be replaced (not under warranty) chough 69000 mile mark!
Collapsed rocker arm bearing and a scoured cam the result.

Audi as usual deny all knowledge of a problem, even though they changed the design in 2019, the dealership decided they didn't want to service my car after that, as I hadn't gone to them to get the work done!
When I pointed out the number of cars with the DECA engine in and my high mileage would be very low at present so numbers wouldn't have caused 'a technical bulletin' about it yet, they got all hot and bothered that I knew more about my car then the average Audi driver and accused me of believing internet gossip. A sad reflection of the, I can't see it as my eyes are closed' world we live in now.

Next, front upper suspension arm inboard bushes, as with all Audi's that use this design, they make the car handle better but wear out quicker.
Mine are just starting to crack so will need replacing soon.
I feel a diy job coming on as I also do all my brakes, sprakplugs, air filters and interim oil changes myself.
Watch out for the rear suspension lower road spring locating cup, they are a rubber ring with a metal inner. Of course Audi leave holes in the rubber ring so water can get to the metal where it rusts and blows out the rubber around it causing it to collapse.

Yes I am old enough to be of the make do and mend generation who know more than how to just change a wheel myself. My first car was a propper Mini!

If you don't already I always get a 4 wheel alignment (by someone who knows what they are doing) after fitting new tyres, no point wrecking them for the sake of £80 after having just spent £1000 on rubber because your tracking is out

I'm just starting to get an MMI fault where it keeps rebooting itself, I have either a gateway or bcm module problem according to VCDS (yes I have one of those too) I have second hand parts I just need to find the time and dry weather to start fault finding.

[rjwojcik]

As mine is a 2018 plate I had the chocolate rocker arms fitted which had to be replaced (not under warranty) chough 69000 mile mark!
Collapsed rocker arm bearing and a scoured cam the result.

Audi as usual deny all knowledge of a problem, even though they changed the design in 2019, the dealership decided they didn't want to service my car after that, as I hadn't gone to them to get the work done!

Who did the work for you, pls?

[Jools]

I know what some people will say when I tell you and all I will say is there is more than you think to the video on YouTube slating them!
VAG Technic in Dudley
They were very helpful back and forth with emails trying to help me diagnose the problem before I took it to them, even replying at weekends and evenings.
I went and saw them and there setup, talked through the job at length with Tomas and Mirislov, plus all the possible what if senarios.
Looking at the number of engines they rebuild all the time I got a good feeling about them and there abilities.
They are not RE Perfomance and I think they would agree with that but the prices are realistic considering the work involved.

Since then the car has been faultless

I'll post thread no the run up to the rebuild as it might help someome else out there

By the way the dog is lovely, barks like hell and then licks you to death!

[rjwojcik]

I know what some people will say when I tell you and all I will say is there is more than you think to the video on YouTube slating them!
VAG Technic in Dudley
They were very helpful back and forth with emails trying to help me diagnose the problem before I took it to them, even replying at weekends and evenings.
I went and saw them and there setup, talked through the job at length with Tomas and Mirislov, plus all the possible what if senarios.
Looking at the number of engines they rebuild all the time I got a good feeling about them and there abilities.
They are not RE Perfomance and I think they would agree with that but the prices are realistic considering the work involved.

Since then the car has been faultless

I'll post thread no the run up to the rebuild as it might help someome else out there

By the way the dog is lovely, barks like hell and then licks you to death!

Thanks