Mechanical problem

[Bill1234]

Hello all, Currently, I have a small mechanical problem on my older audi. I hear small amounts of pieces clicking together when driving. I recently changed my oil and got my tires inflated for the winter. I dont hear it alot, but it happens at high speeds (about 35 mph) and some other times. I also sometimes hear the brakes squeak very little. Should I get new brakes (thinking about brembos ) or just take it in to a mechanic

[jvs1991]

Is it like a grinding noise? Can you tell where it's coming from on the car? Inside? Outside? Rear? Front?

[FUNX650]

So many causes for clicking-noises to be doing internet guess-work...

Since you take shop classes (woodworking)...
Does your school also offer a class on auto-repair?
Perhaps the instructor can lend a hand;
or, recommend a reputable mechanic in your area.



Bob

NOTE: I'm glad that you feel 35mph is a high speed.

[rider9195]

Is it like a grinding noise? Can you tell where it's coming from on the car? Inside? Outside? Rear? Front?

Easiest thing to check first is, is there something stuck in between the tire treads? I'll get little pebbles stuck in mine and you'll hear them every time the tire rotates.

Track down the noise first off. Does the noise get louder or any faster as you speed up? 35 mph is slow compared to 65 on the highway.

First off check your oil level, over filling your engine oil can cause rough idle and weird noises.

Brake squeal is normal, especially at lower speeds and light brake application. Check the brake pad thickness. Brembos will run you a couple grand, and will squeak if you use a higher performance compound for your brake pads.

[Bamafire]

Front wheel drive right? Check Cv joints. Does it make the clicking sound when you turn to the left or right at low speeds?

[Bill1234]

It sounds like its coming from the outside and get slightly louder as I hit speeds such as 40. I dont know if it is the engine itself or the parts near the wheels

[Bamafire]

Check the boots around the wheels are they torn? A bad cv joint will make this sound at lower and higher speeds. Just a thought.


Sent from my iPhone using AG Online

[4AudiQ]

I am just beginning top hear a light noise when I turn to the right, but not to the left. My speed is above 25-35 MPH. That tells me my left wheel bearing might be going out(since I load up the left bearing when I am turning right.)

[RoadRageDetail]

Wow there's a lot of factors here.

This could be
Axle (CV joint)
Bearing
Inner/outer tie rod
Upper/lower ball joint
Strut

Check axle, tie rod end and ball joint boots for tears or places where grease is leaking from, and if they look flat and deflated, but are serviceable, try greasing them then check if your problem is fixed. If the front of the vehicle is elevated, try turning the wheel in and out from the sides of the tire to check for excessive play in the rod ends.

To check your bearing, jack that wheel off the ground and try to move the wheel in and out from the top. If there is more than just a very tiny bit of movement, this could be your issue.

Inspect your strut and strut mounts, the strut mount should have a solid bushing you can inspect from the top of the tower in the engine bay, if there are cracks or noticeable signs of wear, it could allow the top of the strut to travel while the vehicle is in motion and contact other metal pieces. Check to see if the strut tube is "bleeding" any fluid down the body. If the lower body of the strut is wet and not from water, then the strut itself could be blown and cause noises, however this is most likely to happen over rough driving surfaces at lower speeds.

Hope this helps. This is a basic checklist I'd use given your description, however there are dozens of other issues that could be causing a "click."

[Chris's FX4]

^^^^ This.

Best thing you can do right now is get the wheels off the ground and listen for noise when you spin each wheel.