2019 Golf R (6MT)Transmission Clutch Noises - Normal?

[Ghulfer]

Hey guys, I purchased a new-to-me 2019 Golf R 6MT with around 7.5k miles recently. Fantastic car.

I have been driving it around a bit this past month or so, familiarizing myself with it much more. I am now realizing it makes some noises I am not used to. (Coming from an 2017 STi, this drivetrain is actually a lot more clickety and clackety than I thought it would be)

There seems to be significant clutch chatter in 1st gear, and 2nd gear. Here are some scenarios I hear these unfamiliar noises:

- while in first gear, if I blip the throttle and let off, I get an audible clunking noise from underneath the car while transitioning from accelerating to engine braking. It’s a “click clack” noise. Most noticeable when surrounded by objects that will bounce the sound off them
- Same situation in 2nd
- While disengaging 1st or 2nd gear I get an audible pop or clunk as I am shifting into neutral while slowly coming to a stop. This happens on engine braking or while on load
- On cold-start, I hear a rotating, inconsistent clacking (think of a dryer machine with clothes in it that is off balance) from underneath the car that goes away after the car warms up 30 secs to 1 minute later. Not loud, but noticeable
- Lastly, shifting from 1st to 2nd I get a rather loud clunk (relatively loud, more noticeable when next to a barrier or wall so sound can bounce off)

Is this your experience? Everything shifts like butter, and the transmission feels very happy, as well as the clutch. It is just a lot more noise than I think I am used to or have noticed compared to some other cars I have owned with a MT. (‘04 Accord, ‘13 WRX, ‘17 STi, ‘13 Accord)

What I have read online is that I have a DMF or clutch with tolerances that are wider than normal, possibly. I am not sure. The videos I see have much louder and consistent noises when it comes to a failing DMF or clutch.

Let me know what your experience is with the Golf R 6MT! Thanks.

 

[Pickleahoy]

Stock clutch never has any of those quirks, so either you have an aftermarket unit and the car was tuned or there’s something wrong with the stock clutch

 

[GTIfan99]

Stock clutch never has any of those quirks, so either you have an aftermarket unit and the car was tuned or there’s something wrong with the stock clutch

This.

 

[sterkrazzy]

You can hear a dmfw a bit in some of the situations he described, like his 1st and 3rd point if you're going slow enough you'll hear it. My first thoughts are the same though, it's either a smfw or there's maybe something wrong with the dmfw. A stock dmfw shouldn't be that noisy, I only hear it maybe a couple times each drive.

 

[Golfs everyday]

I would also check the engine mounts, dogbone, and pendulum mount.

 

[Ghulfer]

Not great news that this isn’t common to others - I did have a VW tech ride along with me after I discovered the noises and he said they seemed normal enough. They’re slight. Unless I really point them out to someone riding in the car, they are not noticeable.

I was planning on getting a stage 1 tune from a VW dealer nearby so maybe I will press to have them look it over and go for a ride with me again.

Thank you for the input.

 

[2018gti]

I’d bet you a lot of the clanking/clicking noises you’re getting is not to do with the clutch or transmission, but with the pendulum (“dogbone”) mount under the engine. Whenever I let off the gas or press in the clutch too quickly at a low speed, I can hear it clacking back and forth - VW decided it would be good to place two big air gaps in the mount so there is a lot of play.

I don’t know for sure if that’s the cause, but I’m thinking of getting a new mount or a poly insert to see if it helps. I have 41,000 miles now and it’s been doing that pretty much since I got the car (new).

 

[Ghulfer]

That’s a great starting point. I would think this is the best place to check first! Is there a good way to know for sure, prior to installing, that it is the dogbane mount?

 

[ECNMY R]

These things sound severe when bullet-pointed in a forum post, but if you were to just ask "are MQB front subframes clunky as fuck?" the answer is yes. My R with a stock clutch, my R with an aftermarket clutch, my RS3, all make a ton of low-speed noises as things load/unload.

It's possible someone absolutely thrashed that car in its first 7.5k miles of life, but all the things you describe sound normal. Like you said, it drives fine, so send it. Revel in the robust mechanical feel of your very silly AWD economy car.

 

[jimlloyd40]

That’s a great starting point. I would think this is the best place to check first! Is there a good way to know for sure, prior to installing, that it is the dogbane mount?

You can check the mounts but with your low mileage I doubt that any of them are causing what you described.

 

[2018gti]

That’s a great starting point. I would think this is the best place to check first! Is there a good way to know for sure, prior to installing, that it is the dogbane mount?

That’s the problem, I don’t think there is a way to tell before installing . Unless you mount a camera under to record it. I don’t know what else it could be, though. All I know is I’ve heard it since the car was basically new, once I noticed it.

 

[Ghulfer]

These things sound severe when bullet-pointed in a forum post, but if you were to just ask "are MQB front subframes clunky as fuck?" the answer is yes. My R with a stock clutch, my R with an aftermarket clutch, my RS3, all make a ton of low-speed noises as things load/unload.

It's possible someone absolutely thrashed that car in its first 7.5k miles of life, but all the things you describe sound normal. Like you said, it drives fine, so send it. Revel in the robust mechanical feel of your very silly AWD economy car.

You know, buying a used performance car is always a coin flip. I think it was well taken care of but there is always that question of what did the PO do to this car and why did they sell it. Some things you just never know until it slaps you in the face down the road.

I mostly am trying to be proactive with this car, as I am with all of my vehicles, in finding common failure points and getting them taken care of before it’s too late.

Honestly the car drives flawlessly and I am overly sensitive to noises. I am still going to have the car looked at but it hopefully is fine. The main issue I am trying to avoid is having issues down the road that could have been taken care of much earlier, like a bad flywheel or whatever else it may be (if anything is even wrong at all).

Performance cars always are noisier for good reason - extra clearances for high stress situations and hotter temperatures! But some noises are not good. I had a list of items replaced on my STi that were replaced under warranty and it was worth getting it fixed, even though the car was probably fine without those items being changed out.

 

[Ghulfer]

You can check the mounts but with your low mileage I doubt that any of them are causing what you described.

It is less likely, you are right. I still think that bushing (dogbone) could help with drivetrain slop - after doing a little research it’s cheap and easy to do.

 

[Ghulfer]

That’s the problem, I don’t think there is a way to tell before installing . Unless you mount a camera under to record it. I don’t know what else it could be, though. All I know is I’ve heard it since the car was basically new, once I noticed it.

Yea for a newer car, that should be relatively nice, it makes more driveline and drivetrain noise than I thought it would.

 

[Pickleahoy]

Find a local meet and see if anyone else can listen in for you if the dealer gives you the runaround. Online its really hard to gauge if you are overly sensitive or something’s not right