# Noise from TTS Roadster



## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

I’ve noticed that when driving on a quiet stretch of road doing between 60-70 mph My roadster which is a 19 plate seems to make a quietish whining/droning noise from the back of the car. Has anyone any idea what this could be? I know it’s still under warranty but any views would be appreciated first.

Thanks


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## chelspeed (May 6, 2017)

Some makes of tyre are noisier than other makes. What tyres do you have? From memory pirelli pzero are among the quieter ones.

The rear tyres on some modern cars have a habit of developing saw tooth wear patterns over time which manifests as a whining noise. The high spots are about 100mm apart. Sorry I forget the reason the explanation for why this occurs. The accepted way of proving this is to swap front to rear and, if that cures the noise, replacing the unevenly worn ex-rear tyres. Not sure if that only happens on FWD cars or if AWD cars are also affected. Not ckear if your's is quattro or not.

Sorry no definitive answer but either or both worth considering.


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## Navrig (Aug 15, 2021)

I have had my TTS for a month now and I get that sound, I have the P Zeros and from the comments on here I understand the P Zeros NOT to be quiet.

My plan is to change to another tyre/brand when these are done.

Someone has suggested swapping front to back (to even the wear?) however mine are around the same age so the wear is still even.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

chelspeed said:


> Some makes of tyre are noisier than other makes. What tyres do you have? From memory pirelli pzero are among the quieter ones.
> 
> The rear tyres on some modern cars have a habit of developing saw tooth wear patterns over time which manifests as a whining noise. The high spots are about 100mm apart. Sorry I forget the reason the explanation for why this occurs. The accepted way of proving this is to swap front to rear and, if that cures the noise, replacing the unevenly worn ex-rear tyres. Not sure if that only happens on FWD cars or if AWD cars are also affected. Not ckear if your's is quattro or not.
> 
> Sorry no definitive answer but either or both worth considering.


The tyres fitted are Bridgestone and the wear on them looks pretty even


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## adaz4b4 (Mar 13, 2020)

Sorry for the late reply on this.
I too have the same problem with my 19 plate TT roadster. Came with Hankook tyres and I was told by the audi garage that the noise could be due to the tyres being out of round. As the tyres were still decent at the time I decided to stick with them until earlier this year when I changed to Pirrelli PZero AO. The noise was still there, only more noticeable as the tyres are quieter.
So, I took the car back into a different dealer only to be told this time that there is a known issue with the roadster quattro's and that at between 60-70mph it can make a sight droning noise.
Interested to know how you got on with yours when/if you took it back.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

adaz4b4 said:


> Sorry for the late reply on this.
> I too have the same problem with my 19 plate TT roadster. Came with Hankook tyres and I was told by the audi garage that the noise could be due to the tyres being out of round. As the tyres were still decent at the time I decided to stick with them until earlier this year when I changed to Pirrelli PZero AO. The noise was still there, only more noticeable as the tyres are quieter.
> So, I took the car back into a different dealer only to be told this time that there is a known issue with the roadster quattro's and that at between 60-70mph it can make a sight droning noise.
> Interested to know how you got on with yours when/if you took it back.


I haven’t taken my car back to the dealer yet but need to get it checked out soon. Did your dealer say what the known problem was.


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## adaz4b4 (Mar 13, 2020)

They said it was down to the Quattro drive system and the noise can get into the cabin of a roadster. It’s apparently a known problem within Audi.

Had the car from new and it has always been there.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

adaz4b4 said:


> They said it was down to the Quattro drive system and the noise can get into the cabin of a roadster. It’s apparently a known problem within Audi.
> 
> Had the car from new and it has always been there.


Did they offer a fix or just say “it’s the characteristics of the vehicle”? as they usually do.


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## adaz4b4 (Mar 13, 2020)

I got the standard reply that’s it’s a known “characteristic”. 
My reply was i wouldnt expect to hear a noise like this on an Audi. Got me nowhere though!
I can’t say the noise is that loud, I just know its there and sort of tune into it. 
Just come back from a 2000+ mile trip through Spain and I found myself either driving at 56mph like I was on an economy drive, or going 75+.
Apart from that the car was perfect.


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## moro anis (May 27, 2010)

adaz4b4 said:


> I got the standard reply that’s it’s a known “characteristic”.
> My reply was i wouldnt expect to hear a noise like this on an Audi. Got me nowhere though!
> I can’t say the noise is that loud, I just know its there and sort of tune into it.
> Just come back from a 2000+ mile trip through Spain and I found myself either driving at 56mph like I was on an economy drive, or going 75+.
> Apart from that the car was perfect.


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## moro anis (May 27, 2010)

Hi,

I've had 2 TTS Roadsters, a M2 and a Mk3, now have an RS Roadster - spanning the last 10 years. I can't say I've noticed the droning noise at all. I know that may not help but I don't believe their explanation.

Re tyres, they will all wear evenly and usually wear out at the same time as it's a Quattro.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

adaz4b4 said:


> I got the standard reply that’s it’s a known “characteristic”.
> My reply was i wouldnt expect to hear a noise like this on an Audi. Got me nowhere though!
> I can’t say the noise is that loud, I just know its there and sort of tune into it.
> Just come back from a 2000+ mile trip through Spain and I found myself either driving at 56mph like I was on an economy drive, or going 75+.
> Apart from that the car was perfect.


Your description is exactly how I would also describe it.


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## danielvolt (Jul 11, 2020)

!00% wheel bearings. On the MQB platform they tend to have a lot of wear on them, mine made the same sounds. It has almost a special "sound" to it, replace both back wheel bearings and it'll disappear


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

danielvolt said:


> !00% wheel bearings. On the MQB platform they tend to have a lot of wear on them, mine made the same sounds. It has almost a special "sound" to it, replace both back wheel bearings and it'll disappear


Wheel bearings really? My TTS has only done 10k


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## mst3k (Oct 11, 2021)

Hey, I have the exact same problem with my '19 TT roadster quattro. My dealer already changed the whole haldex differential unit. Also new tyres have been installed, but nothing helped. I recently found out, that the whining noise almost completely disappears in "Efficiency"-mode (Drive Select). Maybe you can try that out?


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

mst3k said:


> Hey, I have the exact same problem with my '19 TT roadster quattro. My dealer already changed the whole haldex differential unit. Also new tyres have been installed, but nothing helped. I recently found out, that the whining noise almost completely disappears in "Efficiency"-mode (Drive Select). Maybe you can try that out?


I will give this a try and see what happens.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

Car booked in for mid Nov, so will see what they say.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

I have tried the TT in the efficiency mode and found the noise is still there


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## adaz4b4 (Mar 13, 2020)

Alan Sl said:


> Car booked in for mid Nov, so will see what they say.


How did you get on at the dealers?


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

adaz4b4 said:


> How did you get on at the dealers?


The dealer has said it’s down to the rear tyres being stepped (uneven wear). They have changed the wheels around and rebalanced them. I need to take the car on a quietish road to see if it makes a difference, haven’t had a chance yet. This does seem to be the standard dealer response though. They have said if it hasn’t made a difference after 500 miles get back in touch.


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## Denzle (May 1, 2021)

Alan Sl said:


> The dealer has said it’s down to the rear tyres being stepped (uneven wear). They have changed the wheels around and rebalanced them. I need to take the car on a quietish road to see if it makes a difference, haven’t had a chance yet. This does seem to be the standard dealer response though. They have said if it hasn’t made a difference after 500 miles get back in touch.


When I owned a VW EOS, it developed a slight grumbling noise at the back, along with uneven tyre wear, a bit like saw teeth. I changed the rear tyres and the noise disappeared, apparently it was a known issue and a characteristic of that car/platform. I don't know if the TT has a similar issue.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

Denzle said:


> When I owned a VW EOS, it developed a slight grumbling noise at the back, along with uneven tyre wear, a bit like saw teeth. I changed the rear tyres and the noise disappeared, apparently it was a known issue and a characteristic of that car/platform. I don't know if the TT has a similar issue.


Saw teeth is stepping - just a different name for it apparently. The technician called it stepping and the service manager called it saw teeth!


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