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Rear right creak

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 2:57 pm
by jonicox
Hi All. Went in to Bristol Audi today to get my front pads changed and the egits had forgotten to order the separate wear sensors (ceramics). Anyhow, they said they had noticed that the rear right side of the car was slightly lower than the rear left and had I noticed anything. As i happens I have and that was an occasional creak, but only when my kids are in the back so I thought it might be something to do with their carseats or some such.

Anyway, I'm back in to the stealers tomorrow for them to have a look and wonder if the collective hive mind has any thoughts on what story I might expect from them? DRC was done under warranty a few years back and I've taken a couple of photos of the rear and I can't see obvious 'droop' (sports + suspension to start with).

P.S. Any Bristol or reasonable local specialists advice most welcomed too as I hate going in to Audi for this sort of thing

Cheers.

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 3:52 pm
by jonicox
Hi I forgot to add that I did a quick look at the shocks and from what I could see (lying on my back on the road) there is no weeping.

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 9:47 pm
by TonyHayers
I get a bit of creaking from the interior - especially since I removed half of it to do some work, takes a while for it to settle - normally some leather squeaking against some plastic interior. Can't be sure that's what yours is of course.

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 6:35 am
by Graeme4130
TonyHayers wrote:I get a bit of creaking from the interior - especially since I removed half of it to do some work, takes a while for it to settle - normally some leather squeaking against some plastic interior. Can't be sure that's what yours is of course.
I had a lot of squeaking from my rear seat and boot area for a while and it was driving me nuts. Some days there was nothing, and thn seemingly randomly, it'd be terrible
I ended up going around all the points that hinge or contact and applying silicon spray. This fixed it and it became completely silent

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 8:20 am
by ravashanks
I get all manner creaks from the boot area of the avant, especially the plastic trim bits right by the rear windows. No idea how to get rid of them, and massively annoying.

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:46 am
by jonicox
Some days it sounds aweful, some days I get nothing too. Very bizarre. I went out last night to measure the difference in height between the right rear and left rear from top of the rim to the arch and I got about 2mm difference that I think could just be the camber on the edge of the road.

Maybe the Audi guys aren't used to seeing Sports Suspension +, but it always looks low to me as I can't get my hand under the arch to check the tread depth. That seems to be how it is though.

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:48 am
by jonicox
Graeme4130 wrote: I had a lot of squeaking from my rear seat and boot area for a while and it was driving me nuts. Some days there was nothing, and thn seemingly randomly, it'd be terrible
I ended up going around all the points that hinge or contact and applying silicon spray. This fixed it and it became completely silent
Graeme, did you do door hinges too, or just internal stuff, latches, catches that sort of thing?

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 5:30 pm
by Graeme4130
jonicox wrote:
Graeme4130 wrote: I had a lot of squeaking from my rear seat and boot area for a while and it was driving me nuts. Some days there was nothing, and thn seemingly randomly, it'd be terrible
I ended up going around all the points that hinge or contact and applying silicon spray. This fixed it and it became completely silent
Graeme, did you do door hinges too, or just internal stuff, latches, catches that sort of thing?
I did everything, even the rubbers where the boot hatch meets the body as they showed loads of wear, so must've rubbed loads
Best results were in getting into seat hinges and catches
Silicon spray is decent as its pretty much invisible. Car was eventually completely squeak and rattle free

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 7:51 pm
by jonicox
Thanks for that Graeme. I'll do a run around the the back end for everything I can find. I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be a worn bushings issue though. Going over all manner of bumps I can get no noise at all, but in a flat car park going around corners I can get the creak and it sounds like it is form the outside.

I'll give the ARB mounts a lube first and then work from there.

Audi had a look today but were none the wiser, but I parked on a completely flat surface and it looks like the right rear wheel is about 2mm closer to the arch the the left rear. If it is a bushing that is worn then I guess that may cause it to ride slightly lower, not that the car pulls to one side at all

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 10:00 pm
by Graeme4130
jonicox wrote:Thanks for that Graeme. I'll do a run around the the back end for everything I can find. I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be a worn bushings issue though. Going over all manner of bumps I can get no noise at all, but in a flat car park going around corners I can get the creak and it sounds like it is form the outside.

I'll give the ARB mounts a lube first and then work from there.

Audi had a look today but were none the wiser, but I parked on a completely flat surface and it looks like the right rear wheel is about 2mm closer to the arch the the left rear. If it is a bushing that is worn then I guess that may cause it to ride slightly lower, not that the car pulls to one side at all
From what I understand, the DRC should auto level it, no ?
Mine sounded like the outside too, even to the point where I got someone else to drive it and I rode alongside on my bike to see if I could hear it
Worst creak was from folding seat hinges. Try folding the seats flat and see if that makes a difference ?
Then try the rubber stops about chest height where the boot closes. They were real worn on mine where they'd rubbed. The bodies are stiff on these cars, but you still get an element of flex and a rigid rear boot door in a square hole is going to get some distortion
Audi were miffed with mine too
Silicon spray or Vaseline are your friend

I'd avoid telling your mates you're vasline'ing up your back doors though :biggrin3:

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 12:47 am
by jonicox
What product did you use? I've got a can of GT-85 for my bike that is silicone /PTFE

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:23 am
by Graeme4130
jonicox wrote:What product did you use? I've got a can of GT-85 for my bike that is silicone /PTFE
Basically, exactly the same product as its viscosity means it penetrates into hinges and harder to reach bits
Silicon on hinges and hard to reach bits, petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on rubbers

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:07 am
by Coaster
To all AVANTS with a squeaky rear end: have you tried removing the load space cover? I am fairly sure that on mine the squeak was coming between this an the N/S trim. This would also explain why the squeak goes away if you fold the seats flat. I use furniture polish to eliminate squeaks- seems to work well.
I notice all posters are Avants, any 'loons have this squeak.
I know this doesn't help the OP with his uneven ride height- sorry.

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:29 am
by Graeme4130
Coaster wrote:To all AVANTS with a squeaky rear end: have you tried removing the load space cover? I am fairly sure that on mine the squeak was coming between this an the N/S trim. This would also explain why the squeak goes away if you fold the seats flat. I use furniture polish to eliminate squeaks- seems to work well.
I notice all posters are Avants, any 'loons have this squeak.
I know this doesn't help the OP with his uneven ride height- sorry.
Load cover on mine wasn;t too bad, but I did apply the silicon to the edges where it meets the trim..
Mine had the rear blind in it and this made it weigh a tonne, so the whole unit moved around a lot and rubbed

Re: Rear right creak

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:30 am
by Graeme4130
alternatively, open the window and keep the engine above 6000rpm and you'll not hear the squeaks at all :)