A4 TDI 1.9 Steering Groan!!

[bigwheels280]

Hi all, I have read past forums ref the steering issue, and mine is also doing the same as you try and park or revers under slow conditions. over 2-5 mph no noise! My car is new from Aug 06 and still under warranty, on the first service Audi said we havent had this problem yet! come back in a couple of months if it still there? It has been two months and no change. Where do i go from here? Is it a warranty issue or do i have to cough up some ££££.

Any help or advice is most gratefully recieved.

Cheers

[shaziman]

Tell them that your not happy and they'll put you on the evergrowing list of unhappy audi owners to get a new 'hand built' rack fitted...eventually!

[joenalex]

Hi,

This is a known problem I had the same noise and eventually got Audi to admit that they new all about it.

Take it back to the dealer and printouts from this forum.....there's even a part number for the new steering rack on one of the threads...thats exactly what i did and they then decided to do something about it!

The new hand built rack was fitted yesterday and I'm picking it up this morning so I'll let you know If it cures the problem.

[hoff]

Hi sorry to crash in on your topic, I too have the steering groan, have had a new rack fitted and its now worse. Going off topic have you got the 1.9 115bhp ? if so what sort of MPG do you get and how does it drive. Thinking of changing from 2.0 140 to 1.9 115

Cheers

[joenalex]

Hi,

Got this new rack fitted and It still has not totally cured the noise.

The dealer did say it was 50/50 that it would cure it.

As for the fuel economy it's very good...it's an A4 2.0 tdi s- line avant - 07

[david2243]

Hi - I had the same problem with my May 2007 1.9tdi that I bought just before Christmas 2007. Took it back to the dealer and had a new rack fitted after waiting a few weeks and it is fine now.

[bigwheels280]

Hi All, well spoke to dealer and they have ordered a new rack booked me a courtsey car , so lets see next week what the results are! I will keep you all posted on its return. cheers

:beerchug:

[warrenm14]

I had my rack fitted on Thursday gents and all seems well I haven't heard the god awful noise as of yet!!! :)

[bigwheels280]

Hi All, well an update for my A4 that went to the stelaers last week! the master tech said no graons were heard and no rack to be fitted until noise gets worse! Any way another story!! also complained of clutch noise when changing down 3rd to second. again techs took for road test and evidence of noise, master tech took for road test with all 3 techies and clutch failed completely ona roundabout!!

So Audi fitted new clutch, flywheel and slave cylinder!! so overall a good result from Portsmouth audi. so i will keep an eye out for more noise evidence for the steering.:beerchug:

[a8 tech]

Hi,

This is a known problem I had the same noise and eventually got Audi to admit that they new all about it.

Take it back to the dealer and printouts from this forum.....there's even a part number for the new steering rack on one of the threads...thats exactly what i did and they then decided to do something about it!

The new hand built rack was fitted yesterday and I'm picking it up this morning so I'll let you know If it cures the problem.
hope you erased my name from the printouts,allow a good 100miles for the oil to settle and also make sure the tread on the front tyres is equal as the turning angle and tyre grip also contribute to the groan:approve:

[JonW]

Just joined this forum to find out about my steering groan - seems a common issue then, mine is in tomorrow, still under warranty (A4 avant sline SE 170 - November 2007)
Groans when turned to left at low speed, and all sorts of other noises when manoevering at low speed especially reversing.
Took it in initially, couldn't hear anything, but they said "Let's have it for 2 days just in case" clearly they know what's up, why can't they just put their hand up and say yes we know the problem and will sort it.:argue:

Had similar issues on my TT a few years ago, numerous returns about noise and groaning, ended up replavcing all wheel bearings and then the haldex 4 wheel drive unit - but only realised it was a common issue by reading forum posts!

[a8 tech]

Jon,this isnt a case of the dealers not knowing about the noise but a case of making sure its the rack noise as in my experiance the noise isnt always apparant to the technician who only drives your car for a brief amount of time.There is no issue in replacing defective componants but audi dont just replace things because you have been using a forum and belive me its one think for some one to offer advise on a forum and another to actually fix the issue.I posted in another thread the repair and i also fitted the first modified rack in the uk so i have some experiance in this matter.Again audi dealers are working harder than ever to offer customer satisfaction and there is no competition between some people who think they no about cars and people who do this for a living.NOT THAT THIS MATTERS BUT I HAVE WORKED FOR AUDI FOR 19 YEARS REGARDS A8 TECH

[JonW]

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it, but they called me this afternoon to say that they will keep the car a second day as they have a steering rack being delivered overnight. When they told me that I asked if this was the common steering rack issue - they sniggered; now that really is not the way to treat the customer is it.
I am not getting at Audi, I have great faith and am driving my 6th one now, all purchased from new - the only time I defected to the three pointed star was when I had so much trouble with my TT. I had that 11 months, it had upwards of a dozen visits to local dealer to sort things out, 2 dash pods, all new wheel bearings, new haldex... it goes on.
Let's be honest if I wanted poor service and pig headed receptionists, I'd go buy another Merc
Keep up, the good work, but just be honest with your customers

[a8 tech]

fair comment

[JonW]

Got car back today and guess what - the replacement rack has the same problem, spotted by service dept staff when they went to fetch car out of car park.
So did no one road test it or check it?
Replacement to arrive Monday and be fitted Thursday

[m6dtt]

I have had a steering grown on my 2007 A4 2.0TDI since new. The dealer said they never heard of it but after repeated complaints they replaced the rack. Still have the same groan.
After months of going back into the dealer they said they concluded it was NOT a FAULT but just a groan. They said the steering was safe to you BUT REPEATED IT WAS NOT A FAULT. They changed the racks under warrantly.

2 months ago they decided to send my A4 to Germany(!!) for a time frame of about 3 months!! I told them it was odd they wanted to send it to Germany for 3 months especially as they said it was not a fault in the car or the rack.

I told them I was not happy to be in a courtsey car for 3 months and said I will await a global solution to this deviation from normal steering perfromance.

It is funny how they say it is NOT A FAULT that it groans yet they are prepared to change the rack or send it to Germany.

Also it is funny how they say it is not a safety issue when they have no idea what causes the groaning.

My steering groans at slow manoeuvring and it is quite stiff and it also becomes very stiff in the last 2 turns to full lock (either way).

I keep asking telling Audi that when a part behaves differently from its required/designed function then that is a FAULT in the part. They insist it is not a fault.

I have been dealt by Audi Bedford (Vindis).

Next week it goes to Audi Milton Keynes (Wayside) for another rack change!

I have owned this A4 from new since June 2007 and I am fed up with going in and out of the dealer at great inconvenience.

Does anybody think this is not a fault?

[a8 tech]

The groaning is caused by aeriation of the oil.
This causes resination with in the return pipe and frothy oil entering the pump.
The modified rack part number which i have posted has rectified all my dealers complaints,however we found that a good 40 mile road test seem to be in order after the rack was replaced.
If the vehicle is going to tsc then i cant comment however there are also modified pipes avaliable with modified restrictor valves to prevent returning oil frothing.
Im sure tsc will sort this issue out as this fault is specific to right hand drive only.

[m6dtt]

Hi A8 TECH

I understand you have worked for Audi for 19 years ... if the steering groans and Audi is aware of a fix then why is it unfixable? My steering rack has been changed at least twice and in March 08 they wanted to send the car to the factory in Germany to resolve the groan.

Why is the groan not a fault?

It still groans.

I decided to switch dealers from Bedford to Milton Keynes. The latter immediately said the rack will be changed under warranty. I told them it had been changed a few times and they just said that they don't share dayabases with Audi dealers so they will do their own bit and change it.

The steering groans, it is a bit stiff to turn, it gets extremely stiff on the last two turns to full lock BUT Audi so far refuse to admit it is a fault ... they imply the work they are doing is more to satisfy the customer than actually fix the car.

What do you think is going on?

Cheers

[a8 tech]

S line by any chance.
I wont disagree with audi but the racks i have replaced resolved the complaint that i witnessed before the repair.
Also the only one i have had to re road test with a customer (noise on full left hand lock)was rectified by replacing the worn front tyres.
I also wouldnt describe it s a fault (componant failure)but i also agree it needs addressing.
Ask if the wheels could be swapped (from another vehicle ie from se )to see if it makes a differance.
This is how i noticed the impact of worn tyres and also the larger wheels on the s line require a tad more effort.



Sorry i cant be of more help but i cant disagree with my employer and they tell me the approved repairs.

[m6dtt]

Hi
I can understand that you don't wish to disagree with Audi. Do you still work for Audi?

Anyways ... mine is a 2.0TDI 2007 , not sports line and not Quattro. Just an SE I believe.

The tyres were new when the problem was noted and now they are worn but the problem persists. The car has now done 10000 miles only!

Well I work for an engineering company and we make bearings. If a bearing I sell to a customer does not perform as it should, if it overheats under normal usage conditions, if it vibrates, if the grease leaks, if the bearing has a bad ball inside that causes the overall bearing to behave beyond prespecified tolerances then that bearing is rejected by the customer and it is deemed a faulty bearing.

Similary the A4 makes a groan, the steering is stiff, achieving full lock is hard work ... the component is at fault, the component is faulty. If the new component is causing the problem again then that component is faulty. I think it is reasonable to say the car has a fault with the steering.

I am not surprised Audi won't say it is a fault because saying so would mean I could reject the car for a replacement/money back.

[a8 tech]

Yes i still work for audi:buttkick:
I hope you find a resolution to this and im sorry if audi arent giving you the answer to this fault.
Regards A8

[m6dtt]

I am truly baffled by Audi's unwillingness to admit fault but they remain happy to inconvenience the customer by offering to replace the part or to send the car back to Germany for repairs etc etc.

Thanks for your feedback and I too hope that the car will be fixed before I change it. The point is that I end up driving a nice car for which I have paid dearly ... but I have had to put up with so much inconvenience of dozen dealer workshop stints as well as the horrid steetring performance which just puts me off the Audi experience.

Audi make great cars ... before my A4 I had a TT ... I think my next car may be a Skoda! If it goes wrong then at least I will be satisfied that I paid peanuts and got a peanut worth of a car. I know Skoda's are as good as Audi as my mates drive em! So I am not knocking the Skoda ...

Regards

[JonW]

Mine was replaced for the second time in a week today. Drove a lovely A5 as a courstesy car, but that's not for now. The workshop guru looked at my car VIN number and checked itr against a list and confirmed that it was in the range of those with racks to be replaced. I don't understand why they are giving ytou so much of a run around M6DTT.

Mine is an SLine SE and A8 suggests these may be more prone to the problem, let's wait to see how this one performs. They updated the software on my car, that's another story, I am just about to post a warning on this issue - software update on TDI 170

[m6dtt]

They said the same to me that they updated the software, they updated the rack twice, they changed the clutch plate and all related to the steering groan. They refuse to admit it is a fault. They say it is a minor problem.

Now they want to change the rack again.

I just don't want it to groan and I don't want the steering to be so stiff when I turn it and especially as I reach full lock I don't want to fight it to get to full lock.

Audi refused to admit that it is a known problem but just say it is a minor problem with the steering.

A groan is caused by a faulty product (rack or pump etc etc).

I will let you know what comes of it after next week when I have had the rack changed again.

Cheers.

[Dougster]

57 plate S-Line Avant with a groan..........

Car is going to dealers for a new GPS antenna so I will ask about it then.

[m6dtt]

Try to get Audi to admit the steering groan is a fault. They will not. That is very troublesome they don't admit it.

Mine is in Wayside Milton Keynes today for the 3rd rack change to fix that same groan ... they refuse to admit it is a fault.

Why can't they just say it is a faulty part/design/engineering and they are fixing it?? Mind boggles.

Aye.

[JonW]

Now on second relacement rack, within last 14 days. Drove into Tesco car park tonight, slowly, turned left and guess what - yep it's there again, that groan on the steering. I'm going to leave it and wait until I get my third groan before I go back for the next round with Audi.

But Audi are so helpful, unlike M6DTT's experience, but we will wait and see on next visit

[m6dtt]

Don't get me wrong ... whilst Audi is very helpful, they will not admit the groan is due to a fault. They say it is due to something unknown but they think it is due to a steering rack.

Why won't they say it is a faulty part/component? Surely a part is replaced because it is faulty.

In reality the problem is a mystery to Audi and the dealers just change it to make it look as though they are trying to fix it. I have had 2 racks and no solution. My 3rd rack is done and I will collect the car tomorrow and update ya all!!

[warrenm14]

yeah mine is still making the groan... Audi A4 2.0 SLine Auto. Left side... mostly on reverse though!

[m6dtt]

AUDI A4 2007 2.0TDI:
Last week Audi replaced the steering rack for the 5th time and GUESS WHAT???? No more steering groan.

I took deliver of the car in June 2007. Since July 2007 and July 2008 the car had 5 steering rack changes for a groaning steering wheel and after a lot of visits to the Audi workshops, lot of aggravation and wasted time, various courtsey cars and most of all a COMPLETE LACK OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT by Audi that there was a fault ... it is now fixed.

Audi changed the rack 5 times for the same groan, each time they refused to say there was a fault with the components ... always said they were being told by high up Audi management that a new MODIFIED rack had to be installed.

I will never buy Audi again because this whole thing could have been easily solved ... they should have offered a replacement FULLSTOP.

Frankly I have been appalled by Audi.

If you got a groan on a 2007 2.0TDI then go to Audi Wayside Milton Keynes and ask them what part number steering rack was installed and check if they can give it to you too!! My car reg is MT07 PBX (ask for Emma Inskip).

Good luck!

[warrenm14]

I've just given up hope - I can't be bothered anymore. My groan is still there but it's really not affecting the drive or anything so I really just can't be assed with them. We need to replace this we need to replace that.................. No mate! Just fix it!!!!!

[drum_billet]

I've read this thread with interest, also being a 1.9tdi quattro owner. I've had a new power steering pump and steering rack replaced, countless leaning fluids and still couldnt resolve the problem.... however..... at the 12th hour, the replacement of a £5 non return valve on the steering seems to have cured the problem once and for all.... i dread to think how much money its cost me trying different things - for those of you are still suffering, it might be worth considering before you replace any major components.

[warrenm14]

Well. I had another replacement X and Y and all sorts of Zs... I had another rather nice A6 on loan for a day aswell.

This was about 2 weeks ago and it would seem no groan... for now. If it comes back again I will be SHOUTING.

[drum_billet]

i found that you got a weeks grace or so before the groan came back after replacement of each component - good luck, i know how annoying it can be!

[Audi_man]

drum_billet

After replacing the £5 non return valve on the steering, has it cured your steering groan problem?

Do you know the Part No?

My Audi A4 Tdi Auto has the same issue but its out of warranty... :mad:

[drum_billet]

yep, the non return valve has cured it, mind you, i've also got a new power sterring pump and rack. Its blissful at the moment (touch wood). Dont know the part number unfortunately, my independent dealer replaced it for me free of charge (having just spent >£900 trying to fix the problem!!).

[Audi_man]

I had a quote from Audi and it was £1600, to change the Power Steering Rack and return pipe, and some other smaller pipes, he said the power steering pump was ok. hmm...:confused::zx11:

[Audi_man]

drum_billet

Which independant dealer did you go to? contact number?

I tried my local audi dealer, and they kept trying to sell me the complete steering rack.:1zhelp:

Does the non return vavle fit onto the steering rack or the steering pump?

Thx