# Hollow rattle from the rear?



## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

I can't figure out what this is and looking for some ideas.
The best way I can describe it, is it sounds like what I would imagine those dangling balls from the rear hatch cover would sound like if they were knocking around. But it's not them because I drove around without that cover in the car and nothing changed. And it sounds a bit more muted as if it was coming from underneath the rear of the car or in the wheel wells. But I know sound sources can be deceiving in cars. The noise is definitely coming from the rear of the car because when i go over bumps it doesn't happen until the rear wheels hit it. Doesn't take much at all, just crawling over the cracked surface of my beat up old driveway does it. I checked the spare tire and that seems nice and secure. Could it be suspension related? It's driving me crazy... not the actual sound but the fact that I can't figure it out! My car is stock other than APR software.

Any ideas???


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

JustMike said:


> http://oooo-a3.blogspot.com/2006/03/cargo-cover-noise-fix.html


Did you actually read the guy's post, or just the title? He clearly stated that he took the cargo cover out of the car, drove around, and still heard the noise.

OP - I hear some rattling type noises when I go over bumps as well. Have you tried taking all of the stuff out of the spare tire area to see if it might be something moving around that isn't strapped down well?


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

if its not your cargo/parcel area- then, what you could be hearing is the rear suspension guards (black plastic aerodynamic covers). Check if they are loose or are rattling when u knock on them. They have been known to create subtle but otherwise noticeable rattle after time. Some have opted to remove them, I kept mine on, and found ways to muffle or otherwise eliminate the rattle and looseness of the guards- Duct-Tape and some innovation is your friend =)

Below is a pic of my rear susp guards as i wedge a hard plastic piece to eliminate the looseness (the pin that holds it apparently tends to loosen up after time hence the rattling) you can either try to replace them, or be innovative with some household materials (plastic pieces about thickness of a coin, foam sheets and duct-tape ) sounds crude but hey at least all i hear when i run over bumps is a solid thunk, not a rattle and boom! 









e


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## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

tiptronic said:


> if its not your cargo/parcel area- then, what you could be hearing is the rear suspension guards (black plastic aerodynamic covers).


OMG! The internet wins again!
If you were here right now I'd kiss you, all **** with tongue and everything. 
You have no idea how long i've had to listen to that!
Went out this morning into the garage after reading your post and sure enough, tapping those things with my fingers made them rattle like crazy. WTF! Those cheap plastic rivets should never have been expected to last very long. My car only has 32k miles on it and I bet i've been listening to it for at least half that.
So, i grabbed one of those wooden shims you buy in packs at home depot, cut off the first third and shoved the remaining two thirds behind the panels. One shim for each panel. I can't believe i'm driving an Audi with wooden shims. :facepalm: But it's QUIET!!! OMG it's freakin quiet. I don't know how long until the shims work their way out though.

So is there a permanent fix for this? Covered under warranty by any chance? Do we even need those things? I had half a mind to just rip them off.


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

^^^ that . . . remove and don't worry about it.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

tiptronic said:


> if its not your cargo/parcel area- then, what you could be hearing is the rear suspension guards (black plastic aerodynamic covers). Check if they are loose or are rattling when u knock on them. They have been known to create subtle but otherwise noticeable rattle after time. Some have opted to remove them, I kept mine on, and found ways to muffle or otherwise eliminate the rattle and looseness of the guards- Duct-Tape and some innovation is your friend =)
> 
> Below is a pic of my rear susp guards as i wedge a hard plastic piece to eliminate the looseness (the pin that holds it apparently tends to loosen up after time hence the rattling) you can either try to replace them, or be innovative with some household materials (plastic pieces about thickness of a coin, foam sheets and duct-tape ) sounds crude but hey at least all i hear when i run over bumps is a solid thunk, not a rattle and boom!
> 
> ...


I gotta try that tonight as well. It's been driving me crazy lately.


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## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

I had to take a long lunch today just so i could drive around and enjoy the silence. :thumbup:


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

YlwNewBug said:


> I had to take a long lunch today just so i could drive around and enjoy the silence. :thumbup:


Yeay! makes me smile 

Now that you got rid of that noise-- now you will hear another one...let me know when that happens..lol i may have answers for you..:laugh:

Most folks opted to remove then, i kept them with same idea why I keep my lower engine cover- keep things clean and shielded from direct elements. yeah they're cheaply made, but serves a purpose.

e


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## theblue (Aug 16, 2001)

> Hollow rattle from the rear?


you forgot to let the hooker out of the trunk.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

tiptronic said:


> Yeay! makes me smile
> 
> Now that you got rid of that noise-- now you will hear another one...let me know when that happens..lol i may have answers for you..:laugh:
> 
> ...


You got any fixes for a door panel that rattles due to speaker vibration? And don't say turn down the music...or turn up the music


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## theblue (Aug 16, 2001)

TBomb said:


> You got any fixes for a door panel that rattles due to speaker vibration? And don't say turn down the music...or turn up the music


dynamat or similar... mass dampens vibration. you don't need to cover the inside of the panels or doors, but if you tap around and find the areas that make the money noise you'll know where there is an opportunity to add mass to quiet it.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

theblue said:


> dynamat or similar... mass dampens vibration. you don't need to cover the inside of the panels or doors, but if you tap around and find the areas that make the money noise you'll know where there is an opportunity to add mass to quiet it.


Yeah, I have found that if I press on the door panel to the rear of the pocket area it stops, so perhaps I should try adding some in that area of the panel? I dunno...


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## theblue (Aug 16, 2001)

you've answered you own question then. pull the door panel and then treat it like a drum.... whenever you hear a response, put a square on the back. you'd be surprised how little you really need and most people unscientifically just cover everything with it.


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

theblue said:


> you've answered you own question then. pull the door panel and then treat it like a drum.... whenever you hear a response, put a square on the back. you'd be surprised how little you really need and most people unscientifically just cover everything with it.


:thumbup:


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## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

FYI... Audi replaced my covers under warranty. 
The parts were labeled as STONEGUARD with part #'s 1KO-511-539-E and 1KO-511-540-C and three 8EO-825-267 RIVETS. 

The description on my work order said, "found rear trailing arm shields loose and rubbing on parking brake cable. Replace to new updated shields as per TSB #2020759/2." 

Hope that helps anyone else with the same problem.


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

Hmmmn "Updated Shields" eh. I wonder how much...


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## JOSER2K (Mar 11, 2006)

Just wondering if that might be what rattles when I put the bass up on the radio? 
It is from the bottom


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

JOSER2K said:


> Just wondering if that might be what rattles when I put the bass up on the radio?
> It is from the bottom


 Yeps - but yours could be the lic. plate vibrating


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## JOSER2K (Mar 11, 2006)

Oh cool I'm going to check it out also. 
Nah its under I already dynamat that n we're the spare wheel goes n I checked everything n it comes out from the bottom even the heatshield from the exhaust is removed cause we thought it was that. 
But will check it out thanks


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## schirmer (Feb 26, 2011)

*same problem with TT?*

I recently bought a used TT and have been noticing a similar rattling noise to what was described, I frist thought it was a loose rear door latch or something but after reading this I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this same loose suspension guard with their TT's? I crawlde under and tried rattling anything and everything but nothing seemed all that loose that it would be making the noise I was hearing..


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## carpinelli (May 29, 2011)

*on the money*

guys, just purchased a 2007 TT privately and after 3 days a rattle appeared .....oh boy :banghead:....started to get a sinking feeling in my gut....checked all the obvious things in the boot, took everything out and went around the block. then i got into the boot and got the wife to drive around the block. Nothing. 

then i poked around the rear wheels until i found a plastic guard directly in front of the tyre. when i tapped it it rattled like hell. the same thing on the other side was quite a bit firmer. i jammed/wedged a used sanding block (foam) into the gap and went for another spin.

yoo hoo - problem solved.

then i found this web site which confirmed my findings - ill get the thing repaired when i can....

the guy who posted the pictures deserves a beer

thanks all :laugh:


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## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

Yup, beer indeed.

And since Audi replaced my covers, I've been rattle free. :thumbup:


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

Too early for beer- but what the hey :beer: :thumbup:



carpinelli said:


> guys, just purchased a 2007 TT privately and after 3 days a rattle appeared .....oh boy :banghead:....started to get a sinking feeling in my gut....checked all the obvious things in the boot, took everything out and went around the block. then i got into the boot and got the wife to drive around the block. Nothing.
> 
> then i poked around the rear wheels until i found a plastic guard directly in front of the tyre. when i tapped it it rattled like hell. the same thing on the other side was quite a bit firmer. i jammed/wedged a used sanding block (foam) into the gap and went for another spin.
> 
> ...


Oh snap! I didnt notice Im at 4010 posts!


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## 604a3 (Apr 28, 2010)

Man I thought I also had this problem, been having an on and off rattle like something is hitting against something else.

Had my mechanic check all things under the car and nothing was loose, didn't have a rear suspension shield either!

Driving me nuts! I pretty much checked everywhere! Guess its time to start taking the car apart to find the culprit.. Running out of places to look though.


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

604a3 said:


> Man I thought I also had this problem, been having an on and off rattle like something is hitting against something else.
> 
> Had my mechanic check all things under the car and nothing was loose, didn't have a rear suspension shield either!
> 
> Driving me nuts! I pretty much checked everywhere! Guess its time to start taking the car apart to find the culprit.. Running out of places to look though.


welcome to the puzzles of an Audi!


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

604a3 said:


> Man I thought I also had this problem, been having an on and off rattle like something is hitting against something else.
> 
> Had my mechanic check all things under the car and nothing was loose, didn't have a rear suspension shield either!
> 
> Driving me nuts! I pretty much checked everywhere! Guess its time to start taking the car apart to find the culprit.. Running out of places to look though.


Where do you reckon the sound is coming from? underneath upfront, or from the rear? what does it sound like and when do you hear it?


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## 604a3 (Apr 28, 2010)

tiptronic said:


> Where do you reckon the sound is coming from? underneath upfront, or from the rear? what does it sound like and when do you hear it?


sounds like the rear right passenger seat area, im going to take the panel trim in that area today to have it look. it sounds like something tapping against stomping else over small bumps in the road, its fine over speed bumps.

weather is a factor too, hot days you hear it much more than cold and never ever hear it during the rain. definitely related to a plastic piece.


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## dandrop (Dec 12, 2007)

Thank goodness for this thread and all the posters. This rattle drove me nuts for almost a year. I had the stone guards replaced today under warranty. The service rep mentioned that there is a service advisory for this.

The rattle is gone, woohoo!


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

dandrop said:


> Thank goodness for this thread and all the posters. This rattle drove me nuts for almost a year. I had the stone guards replaced today under warranty. The service rep mentioned that there is a service advisory for this.
> 
> The rattle is gone, woohoo!


"sounds" nice doesnt it? :thumbup:


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## mattA3 (Feb 24, 2010)

How do these stone guards attach? Is there a way to tighten them up without wedging something to take out the slop? I keep jamming stuff in there only to find 2-3 days later its fallen out.


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## lageorge23 (Oct 27, 2011)

Was this work covered under warranty? Or did you have to pay? About how much?

Thanks


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## mattA3 (Feb 24, 2010)

lageorge23 said:


> Was this work covered under warranty? Or did you have to pay? About how much?
> 
> Thanks


Dealer replaced under warranty. I have heard that the replament is designed bettter to eliminate this problem.


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