Squeaky noises

[Spurian]

My car had very few squeaks initially but it has recently developed some more and it is really annoying. Initially, only the back seat arm rest squeaked when it was open. I didn't worry about that. Now there are some more noises. I am not certain of the source but it seems like the seat belt or some other place on the sides. I cannot pin point it. Are these common? Are there any tips on identifying and fixing these noises? Thanks

[MarkFank]

Anyone else have this? Only on the drivers side. It sounds like there is plastic under the leather making the noise.

[loder]

[GotRS?]

[greatwhiteshark]

Some fixed with the help of this board, some due to hours spent in random Lowe's and Home Depot parking lots with random pieces of foam, felt, and the like. Hope it helps!


Location: A-piller headliner material creaking at driver/passenger grab handle.
Cause: Bolts under handle torqued too tight.
Solution: Loosened bolts under grab handle.

Location: Seats at shoulder height.
Cause: Headrest rubbing against inner shoulder section of seat.
Solution: Raised headrests two notches.

Location: Seatbelt rubbing/squeaking on leather seats and side of center console:
Cause: Seat design wider than normal
Solution: Audi/VW parts department "noise" or "quiet" kit comes with wraparound felt sticky pads that stick to the seat belt retainer and stops the rubbing/squeaking.

Location: Center console squeak at e-brake lever, plastic trim piece underneath it, and area around the accessory plug.
Cause: US-spec "cupholder design" instead of start button was a complete afterthought. Cheap plastic fitting tightly causes cheap-sounding creaking depending on temp, front passengers, and other variables.
Solution: Drench the parts with Gummi Pflege and then wipe off with a damp towel 1/2 hour later. This stuff lubricates the plastic pieces and quiets them for about 6 months at a time.

Location: Back part of armrest creaks.
Cause: Cheap plastic, bad design for manual transmissions.
Solution: Move armrest up and back out of the way.

Those are the ones I've encountered. You can use the Gummi Pflege on the door and sunroof seals if they're making creaking noises too. The stuff is pretty amazing.

Some people have reported a dashboard squeak between the steering console and instrument cluster. I haven't encountered that one...yet. Touch wood.

Hope this helps!

-Matt

[Spurian]