Clicking noise

**Rusk** · 14-01-2010,05:49 PM

Hi all,

In the last few weeks I have started to get a clicking noise when I start the car from cold. It sounds like a electric switch click on and off. When it clicks the lights dim and come back up when it clicks back. It will click several times for a couple of minutes and then not do it any more on that trip.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Russ

**kite** · 14-01-2010,05:54 PM

Could it be a heater flap motor, a VCDS scan might help

**adam6900** · 14-01-2010,06:08 PM

glow plug relay, must be cold where you are!

**Rusk** · 14-01-2010,06:11 PM

I had a VCD scan when I saw a mate couple of weeks back and the only fault was with my mic which is a issue I know about.

I am in Reading so the snow has been bad but the temp has been arround the same as the rest of the UK. The car does really struggle to start some mornings. Turns over several times and then rattles into life just about.

**kite** · 14-01-2010,06:16 PM

Operate the glowplugs a couple of times to see if this helps with cold starts.

**Rusk** · 14-01-2010,06:17 PM

So ignition on and off a few times? I always wait for the yellow coil to go out before starting.

**kite** · 14-01-2010,06:21 PM

Yep.....cycle the plugs a couple of times..

**winnie070383** · 14-01-2010,08:05 PM

I get the same and it only happens when it is cold, i think it is some kind of heater, like you say it only happens for a couple of mins until you start driving but like i say its only when its very cold out.

**Audi Gav** · 14-01-2010,11:44 PM

I experienced exactly the same symptoms during the really cold spell the other week. After working out what was maybe different apart from the low temperature I realised I was putting the front window demister on the climate control to 'On' as soon as I started the car while I scraped the windows. If I switched it off the clicking stopped. Once the car had warmed up, if I switched it on again the clicking did not return. Next morning the same again.
Not had demister on again now that temperatures have risen slightly.

**Alan02** · 15-01-2010,10:52 AM

I have heard a similar noise too during the bad weather.On a cold start,a random click comes from r/h side of dash.I dont know if the ECU controls Alternator load on these models,or,it was associated to heater controls etc.