Give me some likely suspects for this annoying noise

[Ridebjj]

Symptoms:

There is a faint but definitely noticable high frequency "buzz" sound coming *seemingly* from somewhere in the vacinity of between the passenger side door handle and B pillar. Very insect like frequency sound.

It appears most strongly right at 3500 to 4500 rpm while accelerating. Cruising below that, no noise. Accelerating beyond 4500, drowned out by engine / exhaust.

Revving in neutral can also reproduce it but not as distinctly. Also if I guide the passenger tires over the raised reflective lane divider things, the high frequency bumping will also produce it.

My gut tells me it's plastic, like loose trim. But I've checked and everything seems completely tight over there.

It's hard to get a perfect fix on it while driving. I probably need a passenger to do it.

It's right on the line of too minor to care about, but the car is otherwise so tight and free of usual car "noises" that it kind of stands out. I'm also a spaz about these things.

Besides just keeping the radio up, ideas? Any known bits over there known to loosen?

I know that vibrations can also start in other places and come out as noise far away, but for now I'm focusing on where I can hear it.

Obrigado

 

[Diggs24]

Fuel lines.

 

[Ridebjj]

Fuel lines.

Explain, please.

 

[Diggs24]

They run under passenger side. Where they connect to car at the clips some people have found rattles. Crawl up under there and see if they are loose. Or just jamb a paper towel or something in some crevices or against car body if they are contacting and see what happens.

 

[Ridebjj]

They run under passenger side. Where they connect to car at the clips some people have found rattles. Crawl up under there and see if they are loose. Or just jamb a paper towel or something in some crevices or against car body if they are contacting and see what happens.

Oooh. That makes sense. Definitely could be something like that. Like a thin clip vibrating at very high freq.

I'll check it out.

 

[ReadTheBook]

Could be a number of things outside of fuel lines, too.

A-pillar buzz can sound like it's coming from all over the fucking place, as I learned, and fixed (see link in my sig). I thought it was in my door panel, glovebox, under the seat before I actually realized what it was and found it.

I would also check your window switches. Sometimes they are looser than they should be. I had to take my driver's side ones out and put Tesa tape around them to silence them.

Lastly, and this is maybe least common, could also be a bit of plastic under your passenger seat vibrating against wires or metal under the seat. I've seen a few points of contact under there between plastic and metal. I've inserted some material between those places to deaden anything that might happen.

 

[SRGTD]

The sun visor has been reported as a common source of vibration / buzzing on another forum by mk7/mk7.5 GTI owners; where it clips into the onboard clip in the headlining and the sliding cover over the vanity mirror. Quite often the noise sounds as if it’s coming from elsewhere in the car; door cards, B pillar, behind the dashboard / instrument cluster.

 

[Ridebjj]

Could be a number of things outside of fuel lines, too.

A-pillar buzz can sound like it's coming from all over the fucking place, as I learned, and fixed (see link in my sig). I thought it was in my door panel, glovebox, under the seat before I actually realized what it was and found it.

I would also check your window switches. Sometimes they are looser than they should be. I had to take my driver's side ones out and put Tesa tape around them to silence them.

Lastly, and this is maybe least common, could also be a bit of plastic under your passenger seat vibrating against wires or metal under the seat. I've seen a few points of contact under there between plastic and metal. I've inserted some material between those places to deaden anything that might happen.

Thanks. I listened to your yt recording. Kinda... Could be... Maybe the same noise? Not certain, but it's closeish. Mine is in direct sync with the rpms rising at 3500+. The roads here are too good to cause it on their own.

I really need a passenger in there to tell me exactly where they think it's coming from. I've been able to stick my head way over pretty far while driving (and not wreck) and if I had to pick an exact spot, I'd pick the door handle and surrounding one foot radius.

Probably need said passenger to try pressing on things over there too.

Now I have to go make a friend or hire a hobo or something to help me.

Edit: I looked at your pics on disassemble the a pillar. That's not bad at all. It's worth trying. Nice job.

 

[Ridebjj]

The sun visor has been reported as a common source of vibration / buzzing on another forum by mk7/mk7.5 GTI owners; where it clips into the onboard clip in the headlining and the sliding cover over the vanity mirror. Quite often the noise sounds as if it’s coming from elsewhere in the car; door cards, B pillar, behind the dashboard / instrument cluster.

I've tried grabbing all that and listening for changes while it's happening. I've tried that with everything I can reasonably reach while driving in 2nd at 3500rpm (it's worst there). Pressing, pushing, squeezing. The visor, trim, door handle, headrest, etc.

Havnt been able to make any change in it so far.

 

[sshlyk]

Wild guess, check your passenger seat. There are bunch of cables underneath that can rattle. Knock plastic side of your seat with the fist, and see if you can hear anything.
Another guess is exhaust shield. At least this is what I had.