# Possible Wheel bearing?



## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Hi,

I'm a new member of this website and from the South Wales area. I have just bought a 2008 Audi TT 2.0 FSI Roadster with 27k miles, and i have 6 months warranty from the dealer, but it's out of warranty through Audi.

I have noticed a droning noise coming from the car when travelling around 65mph to 75mph, along with a slight vibration through the floor panels. The sound drones for a second then pauses for a second then drones again for about a second? The noise is more noticeable when manouvering the car from left to right lanes on the motorway, and not so much when manouvering from right to left lanes.

I have taken the car to a mechanic. The mechanic informed me that the wheel bearings were ok and that it was the tyres (3 x Michelins, 1 x Bridgestone. Alloys are standard).

I therefore took this advice and went to my local tyre garage who spent over an hour testing the tyres for defects and bulges. They also balanced all the wheels, checked tyre pressure all around and replaced the Bridgestone with a Michelin (now 4 all around), and moved the front tyres to the back and the back to the front.

I tested the car and nothing has changed regarding the noise and vibration through the floor. I am at my wits end and really starting to regret the purchase of this car. I have spent alot of hard earned money on this car that i have wanted over 10 years. I was going to take the car to Audi but they wanted to charge me £80 an hour diagnostic fees (which the warranty from the dealer will not cover), for them only to tell me that the wheel bearings have not gone?

Please can anybody shed any light on this issue for me? I would be really grateful.


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## newt (May 12, 2002)

If it is a manual car you could try taking it out of gear down hill just to check it is not the engine vibrating at a certain RPM. There are some low risks in operating out of gear so be careful. Wheel bearings usually growel at a constant level at a certain speed, you need to run the car on a stretch of smooth road, if you can find some, to really check the bearings. Dont get to dis-heartened if it is a bearing it can be fixed these things happen. I assume the car was not bought from an Audi dealer as the warrenty will not cover their work, but why can you not insist that the dealer who sold you the car and warrenty fix the problem. You also have rights to ask for you money back if they do not fix it.


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Thanks for taking your time to reply. It is much appreciated.

Yes it is a manual car and i have tried the car out of gear at 70 mph and the sound and vibration is still there.

The car was bought 3 weeks ago from an independent dealer that is 189 miles from where i live. So it's not as if i can take the car back to the dealer for him to fix. The dealer did inform me that he would pay if a wheel bearing needed replacing (just as long as the garage was VAT registered). I just need to know if it is a wheel bearing in the first place, and if so which one should i replace? The mechanic and the tyre place checked each of the wheels and they both said the wheel bearings seem fine???

The noise only really is noticeable at around 70mph and not at low speeds, and also when i change lanes from left to right (NB. the steering wheel does not vibrate and feels smooth at all times). Therefore i was thinking it was one of the passenger side wheel bearings that is the problem (am i right in thinking this?). But which one? Is there anyway i could test this?


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## maxamus007 (Mar 9, 2011)

I'd be inclined to pay Audi the £80 fee. Atleast they will test and check the car and may get to the bottom of the problem. Will save you alot of hassle trying to find out what the issue is.

Have you had a 4 wheel alignment done?


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## TootRS (Apr 21, 2009)

Two things I think are worth mentioning, firstly I believe the diagnostic fee is only payable if a fault is not found. If you are certain something is wrong then it won't be something you need to pay. Secondly, £80 seems reasonable, a friend of mine was quoted £115+vat for the same thing. Thankfully he didn't have to pay as point 1 applied


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Thanks for advice guys. I think i'll take your advice and bite the bullet and take it to Audi. I'll try and get the dealer i bought the car from to pay for it afterwards.

Thanks again.


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## Mack The Knife (Jun 14, 2007)

Any update yet Floydsters?


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## dantdi (Oct 29, 2009)

In are garage we have had a lot of tyre's worn un-evenly due to the road surfaces which sound just like a wheel bearing,
normally noisy from about 20/25 mph wheel bearings are norally noisy from about 50mph upwards carefully run the palm of hand over the tread & look for high spots like fins.


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Well I decided before taking the car to Audi that i would change the gear oil as this was suggested that it may be the cause of the problem. Unfortunately, this wasn't the answer either. The mechanic suggested that I should check for flat spots on the tyre, although I would have thought the tyre garage would have noticed this?!

Looking to book it with Audi, just got to find some time to book it in.

Will keep you updated, and thanks for the help and advice so far. I will get to the bottom of this!


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## Stefan Sobell (Sep 12, 2009)

You usually hear more noise going either left or right, depending on which side bearing is going.


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## Inny (Jan 3, 2010)

Tire wear on stiffly sprung performance oriented cars makes a huge difference in perceived ride quality and noise.
Do you know how many miles are on the tires? If they are original all-season, they are probably near replacement. If they are summer performance tires they are probably the second set and the other three may need replacement.
At 10k miles my OEM summer performance tires are over half worn and much noisier than when new, they do however grip better than ever so it's a compromise I'm willing to accept for now.


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Well, I've taken the car to Audi for a diagnostic and they have just informed that the cause of the problem is the tyres - 3 to be exact!!!

I then told them that i had replaced 2 of the tyres with part worn ones by a tyre garage to resolve the problem. They continued to say that it was the tyres and the front drivers tyre was feathered! (I'm not talking about a little road noise here - I am talking about a deep sounding droning noise (between 50 75mph) that comes more apparent when only bearing right on motorways, although it a little quieter when going in a straight line).

They have said they are going to charge me £60ish, so that's not too bad. But they have informed me that they will replace the 3 tyres for £600, and then if it's not the tyres they will take the tyres off and re-investigate.

So here's the dilemma, do i get the tyres changed by Audi for £600 or take my car to a garage and change the 3 tyres for cheaper and then take it back to Audi as the noise will still be prominent! Or do i shout and scream at the Audi garage until they take more notice at me!

Surely the Audi dealership have numerous parts so that they can test the car without the owner having to pay extortionate prices to see if it is the part! Just to note - I have a 6 month warranty with the independent dealer i bought the car from and the warranty does not cover tyres!

Please help. What do i do?


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## talk-torque (Apr 30, 2008)

I went through exactly the same hoops as you with my last Golf. Turns out they were right and feathered tyres can make an awful lot of noise. In the end, I had to bite the bullet and get them swapped, even though they had decent amounts of tread left. I got the impression that a 4-wheel re-alignment was necessary to ensure that the problem did not re-occur. Car went before the noise got too bad.

Of course, I cannot tell you that the tyres are the cause of your noise, just that it is a definite possibility.

Before I replaced the rears (Conti's) on my TT, they were beginning to make some noise. The new tyres went on the back, with the slightly noisey old rears moved to the front. They continued to be noisey, even getting a little worse, before quietening. Not a problem now and the new rears are also quiet.

The problem is said to be caused by current suspension setups with negative camber and wide, stiffly reinforced, tyres.

Not a lot of help, I know, but the dealer's offer is a fair one. Another way forward might be to borrow a set of wheels and tyres from someone. My 17" winter wheels and tyres are sitting in my garage, which is in Scarborough. Offer is there, if you're close enough! PM me if you are.


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Thanks for the offer and also the reply, but i live near Cardiff so swapping wheels idea would be impractical! lol.

The Audi garage said it was due to the car having stiff suspension. The car is totally standard and there doesn't seem to many other tyre related problems on the internet linked to the TT Mk2?

I will probably take the car back to the tyre garage and get 3 new tyres fitted for about £400, then take it back to Audi once fitted.

I've just spent over 16k on the car and could without this hassle. Really disappointed with Audi at the moment and wish i never bought the car. Hope this problem won't keep repeating itself as the tyres wear each year. Otherwise the car will be going back to where i bought it!!!


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## Mack The Knife (Jun 14, 2007)

Floydsters1 said:


> could without this hassle.


Feeling for you.

Hope replacing the tyres does resolve the problem - do let us know.

Good luck.


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## sixdoublesix (Nov 3, 2009)

TYYYRREESS!!!

Yep, you will be amazed at how loud some tyres get, I had it on mine and it was if the car was in a bad shape, £600 and new tyres and its quieter!


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Replacing should help, but please take away the cause too: get a proper alignment done and drive the car at the correct tyre pressure or even a bit higher. Frequent rotation will help too. This seems a typical case where the rear tyres went bad. They were moved to the front, waiting for them to repair themselves (which they do if the damage isn't too bad) and then the former front tyres went bad on the rear too.


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## talk-torque (Apr 30, 2008)

^^^ +1. Good advice there. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Thanks for the advice guys!!

I will be replacing all 4 tyres on Saturday! The nice local tyre garage have agreed to swap all 4 and then if it isn't the problem then they will not charge me a penny and put my old ones back on, so i can take it to Audi for a second diagnostic.

Only 4 months left of warranty so time is ticking.


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Well four tyres replaced and the rear passenger wheel bearing replaced and the noise still PERSISTS!!!!

I've had enough now. This problem has really wasted my time and stressed me out. Unfortunately, i'm going to have to concede defeat and send this car back to the dealer. Hopefully he can sort it, or give me my money back. This car is what i have worked towards for the last 12 years and it's been a real disappointment.

I just want to say thanks to everyone who has tried to help me by giving me advice on this forum.

Thanks Guys


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

FINALLY.......

The issue has been solved by Audi - Bridgend!!! and replaced under warranty. The noise has gone and was one happy chappy

UNTIL.......

I drove the car from the dealership and low and behold my driver's electric window would not close all the way (1inch from the top and there was an awful crunching noise when operating the window up and down. I couldn't believe it!!! Who could write these things??? Anyway, i took the car straight back to Audi and told them that my window was fine before it went it the garage! They agreed to have a look at the problem.

The next day i called Audi to see what was wrong with the window. They told me it was a regulator and it would cost me nothing as they had arranged the payment with the warranty company, which i had when i bought the car. I did a bit of research into this and have found numerous other Audi TT owners with the same problem as myself. Is this a bad design flaw? Surely Audi would know about this problem??

ANYWAY.......

I picking my car up tonight, and hopefully it'll be all sorted. Well that's until i get on the motorway and expect to hear the wind noise coming from the window because the mechanics didn't install the new window regulator properly and the window will be a few mm's out from the top!!

I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO ASSIST ME DURING THIS AWFUL & FRUSTRATING PERIOD.


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## phillywilly (Feb 24, 2011)

Floydsters1 said:


> FINALLY.......
> 
> The issue has been solved by Audi - Bridgend!!! and replaced under warranty. The noise has gone and was one happy chappy
> 
> ...


glad the noise has gone ,but ...what caused the noise in the first place ? am i having a blond moment or have you not said what caused the noise that audi bridge end fixed ?


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## newt (May 12, 2002)

Yes what did cause the noise.


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

I must be missing something - faulty wheel bearings are usually easily diagnosed. Jack up the wheel just clear of the ground - grab the tyre firmly at top and bottom and wiggle the wheel back and forth. Any play due to worn bearings should be immediately obvious!


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## Stefan Sobell (Sep 12, 2009)

igotone said:


> I must be missing something - faulty wheel bearings are usually easily diagnosed. Jack up the wheel just clear of the ground - grab the tyre firmly at top and bottom and wiggle the wheel back and forth. Any play due to worn bearings should be immediately obvious!


Wheel bearings can get noisy long before you can feel play this way.

Like phillywilly, I too want to know what the problem turned out to be.


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## freeman (Jul 25, 2010)

Bump, I'm curious too of the cause.


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## mongrel04 (Dec 19, 2008)

Cmon already,
What was the problem, I'm going through the same thing at the moa


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## maxamus007 (Mar 9, 2011)

What was the problem?


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## Mack The Knife (Jun 14, 2007)

maxamus007 said:


> What was the problem?


+8!

Floydsters1 aka 'happy chappy', do spill the beans - we're all ears!


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## mongrel04 (Dec 19, 2008)

Well, the dealer who sold me mine has replaced one of the tyres but still the prob persists.
Plus the car went in with half a tank and the computer saying average 23 mpg and came out the day after nearly on empty and the computer reading 16 mpg. Now I know they have to road test it but bleeding ell.
Anyway took it to somewhere else and they are changing the 2 front bearings next week for 317 quid.
Don't think il bother with the seller anymore


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## MoreGooderTT (Aug 20, 2011)

Crap....
I love how the OP of this thread left us all in suspense. He was so greatful to have the noise issue solved without saying what the solution actually was.

*sigh*


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Guys afters 6 years of suspense...

It was the front passenger wheel bearing that's was causing the noise. We had replaced the rear passenger bearing beforehand which didn't solve it, but the front passengers bearing did!!

Sorry I hadn't replied. I didn't get any notifications of any of the posts asking what it turned out to be?

I had a private message from someone this morning and responded straight away.

I sold the car a few months later due to needing a family car.


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## Floydsters1 (May 10, 2011)

Sorry guys. I thought I had thanked everyone and gave an explanation of what it was 6 years ago. I've just re-read what I wrote and I failed to say that it was the front passenger wheel bearing!. What a plum I am.

Apologiesnand thank you all for your help!


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## Sodde (Jun 1, 2015)

Floydsters1 said:


> Sorry guys. I thought I had thanked everyone and gave an explanation of what it was 6 years ago. I've just re-read what I wrote and I failed to say that it was the front passenger wheel bearing!. What a plum I am.
> 
> Apologiesnand thank you all for your help!


Awesome! thanks for responding!


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## Kirklet (Feb 18, 2017)

Oooh, an interesting zombie thread for sure ! Think this has answered my problems ! [smiley=book2.gif]

My car exhibits exactly the same symptoms on dual carriageways and motorways at around 60mph +. If you're taking gentle left-handers it makes this cyclical noise which comes and goes every second along with a very minor noise/vibration, as soon as you take a right handed corner or change lanes to the fast lane it disappears. I can feel it but my missus (who's not very mechanically minded :roll: ) thinks it's all in my head ! This has hopefully proven I'm not imagining things after all !

I can live with it for now, I don't and won't be doing a great deal of miles over winter so will probably get this sorted when it's in for it's 12 month service in March. This forum really is a font of knowledge when it comes to problem solving, even if it did take the guy 6 years to reply ! :mrgreen:


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## Kirklet (Feb 18, 2017)

Oooh, an interesting zombie thread for sure ! Think this has answered my problems ! [smiley=book2.gif]

My car exhibits exactly the same symptoms on dual carriageways and motorways at around 60mph +. If you're taking gentle left-handers it makes this cyclical noise which comes and goes every second along with a very minor noise/vibration, as soon as you take a right handed corner or change lanes to the fast lane it disappears. I can feel it but my missus (who's not very mechanically minded :roll: ) thinks it's all in my head ! This has hopefully proven I'm not imagining things after all !

I can live with it for now, I don't and won't be doing a great deal of miles over winter so will probably get this sorted when it's in for it's 12 month service in March. This forum really is a font of knowledge when it comes to problem solving, even if it did take the guy 6 years to reply ! :mrgreen:


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## Sodde (Jun 1, 2015)

I've had this same problem for the last 3 months since I hit a large concrete slab with both right side wheels. it damaged both OEM rims and 1 tire but I replaced both tires anyway. The noise comes in at just over 60mph and is relative to speed and not gear or revs. I took it to an Audi stealer for alignment, balance and check over and I also asked them to road test the car and mentioned the noise.
Alignment was ok, wheels balanced, new rims/tires on the front and the wheels from the left side on the rear. They said they tested it but not above 55mph so I went back to get a test with their shop foreman who diagnosed it as a rear wheel bearing which they replaced for an extortionate fee. Noise was still there when I picked it up and the 'stealer' said it was "tire noise due to rear tire now running in reverse direction".
I've since swapped wheels around till I'm blue in face but it doesn't change the noise so I was glad to finally hear the OP's solution.
I've ordered a bearing and will fit it myself next week.


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## Sodde (Jun 1, 2015)

Just wanted to add that I Installed the new front wheel bearing today on my TTS and the noise is now gone. Another sobering condemnation of the quality of so-called 'Audi Specialists/Dealerships',


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