Suspension Squeak

[Garyhun]

I've used search and can't seem to find a definitive answer on this.

I have noticed a squeal/sqeak at very low speed (and even push-rocking the car in my garage) that seems to come from suspension (can’t be sure if rear or front). It may be there all the time but obviously at higher speeds all you can hear is the engine :-) Do you guys know what it is and if there is a fix?

Search indicated a "flipped" mag ride position sensor but I have also seen on other audi car postings a suspension bush issue!!

Car is at the dealer next week to have a look anyway but always useful to have first hand knowledge!

Cheers
Gary

[swansailor]

The flipped mag ride position sensor was a problem about which I posted. It was more of a creaking noise than a squeaking noise. Has not recurred.

[Garyhun]

The car had new pads and disks fitted last week. I wonder if that could be the source of the issue?

[willyjp]

if you can produce it in your garage, by pushing on the car, and you can do it without the wheels rolling (at all! ie; brake on or blocked), then it's likely a suspension bushing; see KfabR8's recent post about his suspension joint failure (NO WAY am I suggesting THAT's what you have!)....just to get a look at a suspension joint coming apart.

there's 8 joints (3 for each "A" arm+2 for trailing link) between moving parts in each side's rear susp. (not counting springs or axle connections) and each one has to have some kind of bushing that may or may not be subject to needing lubirication, depening on the nature of the joint; front susp. more complicated as far as squeaks because there's steering added in (but no trailing link);

but if the wheels aren't moving at all and you can produce it by pushing down on the car, I'd vote for one of those suspension bushings

what you can do about it depends on how they're made and whether or not a squirt of pentrating lube can get in there or is a good idea! some bushing materials might not take kindly to certain lubricants;

but good old WATER is a great test lubricant, so see if it still squeaks in the garage after a drive in the wet; sometimes those things will squeak dry but not wet

[swansailor]

if you can produce it in your garage, by pushing on the car, and you can do it without the wheels rolling (at all! ie; brake on or blocked), then it's likely a suspension bushing; see KfabR8's recent post about his suspension joint failure (NO WAY am I suggesting THAT's what you have!)....just to get a look at a suspension joint coming apart.

there's 8 joints (3 for each "A" arm+2 for trailing link) between moving parts in each side's rear susp. (not counting springs or axle connections) and each one has to have some kind of bushing that may or may not be subject to needing lubirication, depening on the nature of the joint; front susp. more complicated as far as squeaks because there's steering added in (but no trailing link);

but if the wheels aren't moving at all and you can produce it by pushing down on the car, I'd vote for one of those suspension bushings

what you can do about it depends on how they're made and whether or not a squirt of pentrating lube can get in there or is a good idea! some bushing materials might not take kindly to certain lubricants;

but good old WATER is a great test lubricant, so see if it still squeaks in the garage after a drive in the wet; sometimes those things will squeak dry but not wet

My position sensor problem had all of the symptoms of a bushing noise and that's what I thought it was ...Audi tech took quite a while to figure out the real cause.

[willyjp]

My position sensor problem had all of the symptoms of a bushing noise and that's what I thought it was ...Audi tech took quite a while to figure out the real cause.

interesting! is that the position sensor for the security system?

was going to ask you where it is located, but THAT info is probably
best NOT published on the web!! (no point making it any easier to haul one off!!)

[Garyhun]

Just to clarify. When I rocked the car in the garage I had to have the handbrake off so that the car would move slightly - ie rocking. With handbrake on and just trying to push down on the suspension did not result in the noise!!

[London Lad]

interesting! is that the position sensor for the security system?

was going to ask you where it is located, but THAT info is probably
best NOT published on the web!! (no point making it any easier to haul one off!!)

I was guessing at a suspension ride height sensor but may well be wrong

[swansailor]

interesting! is that the position sensor for the security system?

was going to ask you where it is located, but THAT info is probably
best NOT published on the web!! (no point making it any easier to haul one off!!)

It was the Mag Ride position sensor. It had "flipped" (I quote the tech) out of position and was rubbing on another part of the suspension so he repositioned it. A few weeks later it happened again so Audi replaced the sensor and mounting bracket. I noted from the Bentley manual that this then required a complete re-calibration of the mag ride and the head lamp leveling.

[willyjp]

Just to clarify. When I rocked the car in the garage I had to have the handbrake off so that the car would move slightly - ie rocking. With handbrake on and just trying to push down on the suspension did not result in the noise!!

well that adds at least a few dozen more places to look, but probably moves suspension bushings way down the list

brakes could be it? dragging pad? sticky caliper? but the sound would be very different from the "squeak" of a bushing I would think

I am a great believer in torque-ing up one's lug nuts to factory spec (in the manual)

I have solved several nagging vibration and noise problems over 50 years in several different vehicles just by torque-ing up the lug nuts....probably NOT your problem but it's easy and who knows! once in awhile you find a loose one! they're probably the most commonly loosened/retightened load carrying bolts on your car (most of the suspension has some kind of "lock-tite" on its bolts) and they're readily accessible!