Greetings all,

I'll be taking the A4 to the shop this week- though perhaps some of you might like to take a shot at identifying the sound that is puzzling me. My 96 2.8 has 75,000 miles, and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the car.

Symptoms: noise/vibration at startup. It used to be only for the first minute that the car was driven, as the engine bay heated up it would dissappear- now it takes 10 minutes for the noise to go away. It matches revs with the engine, and is much more audible when gears are engaged. The sound is a bit like a hand blender (best I could think of, sorry).

Who wants to play name that noise? I'll post the mechanics conclusion later in the week.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Peter
96 2.8 12v QM

- Can you hear it with car parked and engine on and you are out of car blipping throttle by hand for under hood? (might be valve train - when was the timing belt /accessory belts changed)
- Does it change as you turn wheel? (might be PS pump)
- oil pressure/oil consumption OK (maybe crnk/rods bearings going)

Worse with gears engaged?
If you just depress clutch pedal slightly, does it change the noise? Then could be the clutch throwout bearing.

The timing belt is due for a change- a legitamate guess.
The turning of the wheel definitely increases the sound- though I'm not sure why this sound would subside after the engine bay is warm.
Oil consumption is checked and good (actually, very good, I have yet to need to add any between changes- of course I use 20W-50, which is consumed slower than Guiness at a beach party).

I don't think the clutch engage/disengage has effect.

Keep 'em coming.

Peter G

Something like this happened to me some time back. It turned out to be a leak in the power steering tube. They replaced the tube and refilled the fluid. Apparently it happened when the car was started in the morning, and it was a blender type noise. On turning the steering, there was another noise (faint screaming, or the noise when a car whizzes by you).

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Adil
'97 A4 2.8 QMS
'00 TT 1.8T 225hp (late summer 2000)

My 96 2.8QA started making the noise you describe at 45000 miles. By turning the steering wheel slightly, I could make the pitch of the noise change, so I concluded it was a steering problem. The dealer agreed and replaced the power steering pump under warranty.