IntheQ5

I don’t have any pics from my car but the blue mark is where I clamped it. You can use more if needed but 2 on each works for mine.

mhoran89

did you remove them from the car to get to them and "clamp" them or were you able to do this while the exhaust was fully installed on the vehicle? thanks.

IntheQ5

i did it while off the car. But even when on the car, it is very accessible with a lot of space. You get them on the pipe at the bottom and just slide it up to the flex section and tighten it.

MP

2019 with 85k.

I notice a rumble or vibration when I take my foot off the accelerator < 40mph. Slightly more noticeable at 20mph and lower. Searching brought me here and to another thread that references the TSB.

What are the consequences of ignoring this? What I'm noticing isn't horrible, at least not yet. I can't quite figure out how the rumble develops - exactly what is wearing over time/use that leads to this?

I've also read in the other thread that tightening/changing clamps didn't solve the issue - for some, the solution was replacing the pipes.

Did the pipe clamp solution fully resolve the issue?

TIA.

Northerner3051

I had my downpipes replaced and the noise is gone..for now at least. Some other posts have suggested it will return 🙈. If you can live with it I think that is likely the prudent thing to do. Doubt very much that it will hurt anything - that’s assuming of course that the noise is in fact coming from the exhaust system!

MP

Yeah, that's the $ question...

I'll get it looked at for peace of mind. On one hand, symptoms point to the flex pipe, on the other hand I would not have guessed that was the source of the sound or the vibration. If this is a design issue, I'd think that either Audi or the aftermarket exhaust guys would have a solution - but I haven't spotted anything like that yet.

mhoran89

I wouldn't have either and thought it was an engine mount or suspension issue but my dealer confirmed it was the downpipes. It has gotten progressively worse over the last 5000 miles I have put on the car. the car had a strange downpipe rattle at startup with only 7500 miles so I knew I was in for this sooner or rather than later. I actually just got a new car though, so it's not my problem any more...

bottles63

I'm having the same problem, and the noise seems to be coming from the flex. can I buy this Flex and find a welder?

richsurf

I had the same thought. I could weld it myself. I wonder what the material is. Some variety of stainless I would assume. For my work I actually have a few suppliers that make bellows for aerospace on a much smaller scale but I’ll see if they can make something bigger.
Is it just the mesh that rattles or is it the flex itself that has cracks?