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Low speed clunking/knocking sound

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
It’s a low frequency rumble/knock/clunk/thump, It think it’s coming from the front right. Happens over small bumps or rough/uneven pavement. Seems to only happen after the car has sat for a while and goes away after driving for a few minutes. Any ideas?

 
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Supermoto

Autocross Champion
Location
San Diego
Car(s)
2019 Autobahn DSG
I think I hear what you are referring to. Have you checked your components? Wheel bearings, brakes, cv joints and axle, suspension components?
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
I think I hear what you are referring to. Have you checked your components? Wheel bearings, brakes, cv joints and axle, suspension components?
Is there a basic guide on checking the components and what to check? Fairly new to this platform so haven’t had to yet. Visually everything looks fine I think and there’s no noise when I jack up the car and try to wiggle the wheel.
 

kevinkar

Drag Racing Champion
Location
United States
What time stamp in your video does it happen? It sounds to me like normal road noise so can't pinpoint what you hear.

Could be loose brake pads which were recently discussed.
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
What time stamp in your video does it happen? It sounds to me like normal road noise so can't pinpoint what you hear.

Could be loose brake pads which were recently discussed.
It happens repeatedly, dozens of times. It’s a low frequency thump that is only there sometimes. New. Not normal road noise. Prob need to turn up vol.

I’ll try riding the brakes lightly next time it happens.
 

Supermoto

Autocross Champion
Location
San Diego
Car(s)
2019 Autobahn DSG
You could get the front wheels off the ground and throw it in drive so the wheels are free spinning, then get out and listen closely to see if you hear anything in that situation. Its pretty hard to hear in the video but I think I am picking it up. I had a miata that was making a clanking sound under certain conditions, turned out a control arm was loose. Theres only so much it could be. I see from your description you have a 2015 with lots of goodies, but I dont see any suspension components in there (springs, struts). Usually by 7 years of age the car is due for a once over suspension-wise. Of course it depends on the miles and the way the car was driven, but I have seen people need new struts by 70k miles. Maybe a component is on its way out and after a bit of driving it gets lubricated/softened up so it stops making noise? Im just spitballin here, without checking it out in person its the best I can do.

If it were my car I would just check all the components and look for any worn bushings, worn CV joint boots, loose linkages, noisy wheel bearings, loose brake pads, nuts or bolts backing off. If I do all that and everything is okay, I would just keep driving it until the noise gets loud enough to be blatantly obvious whats going on.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
Do some quick, hard transitions, like you're slaloming. Does it still happen?
 

kevinkar

Drag Racing Champion
Location
United States
It happens repeatedly, dozens of times. It’s a low frequency thump that is only there sometimes. New. Not normal road noise. Prob need to turn up vol.

I’ll try riding the brakes lightly next time it happens.
Sorry. I'm old........ Probably can't hear it.
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
New data.
  • Tapping brakes doesn’t change or stop the noise
  • I can’t notice the noise doing a low speed slalom (although my neighbors were a little concerned)
  • If I sit still and rock the steering wheel back and forth quickly I can hear the noise a bit. Knock knock knock. It’s light but I can hear it.
Tie rod?
 
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GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
New data.
  • Tapping brakes doesn’t change or stop the noise
  • I can’t notice the noise doing a low speed slalom (although my neighbors were a little concerned)
  • If I sit still and rock the steering wheel back and forth quickly I can hear the noise a bit. Knock knock knock. It’s light but I can hear it.
Tie rod?
I had similar issue with a loose strut bushing. Make sure they aren't loose, tighten sway bar endlinks, see if it goes away, if not, aren't you CPO?
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
I had similar issue with a loose strut bushing. Make sure they aren't loose, tighten sway bar endlinks, see if it goes away, if not, aren't you CPO?
Will do, thanks!

And yes CPO. Would like to get an idea of what the issue might be first if I can. For example, since I was planning to do new struts before too long (basically as soon as I see a sale), if the issue was strut mounts I wouldn't worry about it since I'll swap those out with something for more camber when I do the struts anyways.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
Will do, thanks!

And yes CPO. Would like to get an idea of what the issue might be first if I can. For example, since I was planning to do new struts before too long (basically as soon as I see a sale), if the issue was strut mounts I wouldn't worry about it since I'll swap those out with something for more camber when I do the struts anyways.
Come by my house and I can listen at the front of the car and see if I can pinpoint where it's coming from.
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
Today I stuck a socket on any bolt I could that was attached to something suspension-ish, front and back, top to bottom. Checked brake component bolts too. Everything is tight. No obvious bushing issues. Sprayed some silicone lube on most every bushing for good measure.

Maybe it’s a motor mount thing or the strut mounts/bearings…not sure.

Since it’s not consistent (there’s no sound at all today) and I’ve noticed no obvious issues, at this point I’ll probably just go with the @Supermoto method of wait-for-it-to-get-worse-so-it’s-obvious-what’s-wrong. 🤷‍♂️

At the very least, when I put in new dampers I’ll have the shop check everything.

Things for the help and ideas, guys 👍
 
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GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
Today I stuck a socket on any bolt I could that was attached to something suspension-ish, front and back, top to bottom. Checked brake component bolts too. Everything is tight. No obvious bushing issues. Sprayed some silicone lube on most every bushing for good measure.

Maybe it’s a motor mount thing or the strut mounts/bearings…not sure.

Since it’s not consistent (there’s no sound at all today) and I’ve noticed no obvious issues, at this point I’ll probably just go with the @Supermoto method of wait-for-it-to-get-worse-so-it’s-obvious-what’s-wrong. 🤷‍♂️

At the very least, when I put in new dampers I’ll have the shop check everything.

Things for the help and ideas, guys 👍
Shop? Dude, we can do the dampeners.
 
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