# Steering Wheel Noise



## snobrdrdan (Sep 10, 2008)

Anybody else have a slight "whirring" or "scratching" sound when turning the steering wheel? 
Definitely inside the car. 

Took it to my dealer before and thought it was the clockspring (issue with the B6 Passats)....so they replaced it under warranty 

Well my car was still doing it. 

Took it back to them today and they said that they checked 3 other CC's on the lot and they all made the same noise. 
It's not the plastic rubbing either, on the wheel & the column trim. 

So they called VW's Tech Line, and they told the dealer that "*this is an unwanted characteristic of the vehicle*", AND that "no fix is available as of yet for this concern." 

VW: We know it's an issue, but we're not doing anything about it at this time. 

Really? :facepalm:


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## irongrey (Dec 16, 2009)

snobrdrdan said:


> Anybody else have a slight "whirring" or "scratching" sound when turning the steering wheel?


 Yes, I believe I have that. A kind of mechanical sound coming from the steering column. I always attributed it to the electromechanical steering. "Unwanted characteristic"? Not really. It is hardly ever quite enough for me to hear it. As long as it is "normal", it is fine.


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## lipprandt35 (Apr 28, 2008)

I have that noise too....dont know what it is. I can only hear it when I am making a sharp turn, or backing up.


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## dav1d (Mar 27, 2011)

I hear it too in my GTI. My '06 BMW started to make the same noise but not until later in its life


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## phaetonphanatic (Jun 12, 2008)

My dealer told me, the day I bought the car, "The sound you are hearing in the steering wheel is characteristic of the CC so don't bother bringing it back to be fixed because they all do it!"


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## snobrdrdan (Sep 10, 2008)

I only notice it in the morning & when it's cold, when I'm leaving work. 
If it's normal...yeah, I'm okay with it. 
It's not _that_ bad. 

I guess I'm just set off by the fact that it's "unwanted", but VW gladly supplies us with it


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## Boosted2003! (Mar 10, 2009)

Its the clockspring. The problem is replacing the clockspring with a new one doesn't always help the issue. It started to be more noticeable on 2009+ cars. 

My buddy and I took a clock spring out and put the steering wheel back on. No more noise. We put the new clock spring in and started to make noise again. Use to work at VW.  Wish I could help ya more. Sometimes after abit of wear they stop noise.


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## DavidPaul (Nov 28, 2009)

After 32,000 miles it is still doing it. 

The sound is the same now as it was when new. I'm not worried.


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## CC'ed (Dec 1, 2009)

The whirring noise is the toothed-belt drive belt between the electric power steering motor and the rack. Normal for this design.


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## rich! (Feb 18, 1999)

*FV-QR*

when it goes out - you'll know. it will make a grinding noise and will occasionally lock the steering wheel upon vehicle start-up. (had the entire rack replaced)


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## Boosted2003! (Mar 10, 2009)

rich! said:


> when it goes out - you'll know. it will make a grinding noise and will occasionally lock the steering wheel upon vehicle start-up. (had the entire rack replaced)


Yea, I have only seen one rack replaced myself. 

I guess also to remind him in case it fails during driving it won't lock up but will feel like power steering pump has gone out. 





snobrdrdan:

As I said most of the time its the clock spring. Before I jump out on the limb does the noise come from the steering column near cruise control and turn signal stalks or at the base of the steering column near the firewall?


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## DavidPaul (Nov 28, 2009)

Boosted2003! said:


> Yea, I have only seen one rack replaced myself.
> 
> I guess also to remind him in case it fails during driving it won't lock up but will feel like power steering pump has gone out.
> 
> ...


The noise that is being referred to on this post is coming from the steering wheel near the control stalk.

Most, if not all CCs, have this sound.

Like I said with mine, it's the same now, 32,000 miles later, as it was when the car was brand new.

No big deal.


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## Boosted2003! (Mar 10, 2009)

DavidPaul said:


> The noise that is being referred to on this post is coming from the steering wheel near the control stalk.
> 
> Most, if not all CCs, have this sound.
> 
> ...


Yea, almost every CC I drove when I worked at a dealership I recall hearing this noise as well. 2010 B6 Passat did it as well.


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## snobrdrdan (Sep 10, 2008)

It's near the steering wheel/stalk that it does it

I'm not too worried about it anymore....since it's just a little noise & everyone else has it too


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## VWFSIB6 (Jun 12, 2007)

is this the noise you guys are experiencing?? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT7B8E3_N6c&feature=plcp


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## Xklusiv (Jul 17, 2012)

Mine does this as well. Sounds like rubber rubbing together or something.


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## sfccryder (Nov 25, 2009)

VWFSIB6 said:


> is this the noise you guys are experiencing??
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT7B8E3_N6c&feature=plcp


 that is not normal, my cc makes no sound at all. that would drive me crazy. 
i'd take it in and have them fix it.


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## GeoVDub (Oct 17, 2011)

All of these 2013 'car died' and 'steering wheel' issue threads actually made me go inquire with my SA if they'd seen/heard anything from other CC owners in the area. Nothing yet, hope it's just a fluke that a few folks here had them... :what:


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## mrsteve7 (Jul 3, 2012)

Xklusiv said:


> Mine does this as well. Sounds like rubber rubbing together or something.


 Mine too, but only when the car is stationary, and I assume when power assist is at it's highest.


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## snobrdrdan (Sep 10, 2008)

The noise that I had on my '11 when I started this thread.....still there on my '13 

:facepalm:


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## Davidovsky (Jan 25, 2014)

I'm glad I found this tread and that I'm not going crazy. My 2012 Golf TDI started doing this exact noise about 3 months ago, right around 30 000 miles. The car is at the dealership for the 3rd time. First they changed the clock spring (noise still there), then they replaced the lower steering switch?? Noise still there. I forwarded this tread to them. We'll see what happens. I'm one of those persons who's super annoyed by it. I want it fixed.


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## Xklusiv (Jul 17, 2012)

VWFSIB6 said:


> is this the noise you guys are experiencing??
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT7B8E3_N6c&feature=plcp


Mine doesn't do this noise....its more of a "whirring" noise. It only does it when I quickly turn the wheel. 

That clicking noise would bug the crap out of me.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## av_audi (Apr 5, 2001)

Boosted2003! said:


> Its the clockspring. The problem is replacing the clockspring with a new one doesn't always help the issue. It started to be more noticeable on 2009+ cars.
> 
> My buddy and I took a clock spring out and put the steering wheel back on. No more noise. We put the new clock spring in and started to make noise again. Use to work at VW.  Wish I could help ya more. Sometimes after abit of wear they stop noise.


I am confused. How does the spring of the clock, which is in the middle of the dash, responds to steering wheel turns??? are we talking about something else?


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## GeoVDub (Oct 17, 2011)

av_audi said:


> I am confused. How does the spring of the clock, which is in the middle of the dash, responds to steering wheel turns??? are we talking about something else?


http://youtu.be/4jv2DW39drA


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## dcbc (Sep 14, 2011)

I have had Fords with noisy power steering pumps, and my wife's 2002 Avalon makes a really weird steering wheel noise that I mimic to her annoyance.

But my 2010 CC is whisper quiet in this regard.


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## av_audi (Apr 5, 2001)

GeoVDub said:


> http://youtu.be/4jv2DW39drA


Thanks a bunch. I knew this could not have been about the analog clock, but I had no clue what you folks were talking about. Now I know


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## GeoVDub (Oct 17, 2011)

av_audi said:


> Thanks a bunch. I knew this could not have been about the analog clock, but I had no clue what you folks were talking about. Now I know


:laugh: I didn't know until I searched for the answer. Learn something new every day! :wave:


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## Mantvis (Jan 1, 2010)

Not normal, at least what i saw in the video.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk


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## BanamexDF (Jul 31, 2005)

Bumping this to see if anyone has any updates. My dealer supposedly replaced mine with a new one, but it's still making the same faint clicking noise when I slowly turn the steering wheel.

Mine isn't as loud as the one in the video posted earlier, but it's still a nuisance nonetheless.


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## CedarburgTDI (Jul 14, 2014)

I'm pretty sure that sound that is inherent to nearly all CC's in the steering wheel can be best described as a subdued whirring sound not unlike the sound effect that is used when robots are moving their limbs in film or tv. Its sort of a electo-hydraulic "verrrrrrrrr" sound,

something more inline with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85zOPbPzkpQ

but lower frequency and much quieter and mostly noticeable when turning the wheel lock to lock while standing still.

I noticed that this is actually called out in a review of the CC on CNET.com

here is the quote: "At lower speeds it became more apparent that the CC uses electric power steering, which produces a whirring sound when you turn the wheel. But Volkswagen did a good job of programming the steering unit for more road-feel and heaviness as the car's speed increased."

from this article: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/auto/2009-volkswagen-cc/review/ 

In addition to that, if you hear a single creak or pop near the end of your steering wheel travel while standing still but turning the wheel, it may be the subframe slightly shifting or creaking. The steering rack is attached to the subframe and the subframe attached to the car in pretty wonky way. 

It uses 6 bolts but the hole diameters in the subframe are much larger than the bolt diameter. Because of the that, the subframe is held stationary with respect the car only by the friction provided in the mating surfaces between the subframe and the unibody. Add to that those 6 bolts can routinely work their way loose or stretch and you have a situation where the subframe can shift anywhere up to say 1/2" fore/aft and side to side. That shifting usually occurs under hard acceleration, braking or steering while standing still. Under launching it sounds like a pop-pop-pop-pop. 

I am tackling an upgrade this weekend that should put that issue to bed on my VR6 4Motion: 

https://store.034motorsport.com/034...etta-gti-gli-r32-passat-8j-8p-audi-a3-tt.html

Those rigid collars locate and hold the subframe stationary with respect to the unibody. This arrangement allows for the (6) subframe bolts to only provide the force to hold the subframe to the unibody. The collars prevent all lateral motion my filling up the annular space inside the subframe holes that are sized much larger than their respective bolts.


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