Rattle- Any ideas

[MaxRS6]

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Hello RS6 Brain Trust- I have recently had a rattle develop (in addition to the ongoing voices in my head). It is coming from the rear passenger side. It started shortly after the Milltek exhaust was put on (may just be coincidental). I've had the exhaust shop tighten down the pipes and up on the rack, and trying to move it around it does not hit anything (at first it had been bumping up against the rear sway bar).

The other odd thing is that it seems to develop most of the time after traveling the Interstate at about 70-80. Most often- right after exiting off the interstate and going onto the side roads and hitting some bumps the rattle comes to life. Again, may be coincidental but seems to do it more often after the car has been run at speed. Rarely does it happen when I just pull out of the residence or original driving around at city street speed (30 - 40).

TIA for any thoughts. Taking it to the dealer tomorrow.

[ben916]

me thinks it IS the MILLTEK....
wondering if the heat expansion unless it is ONE complete piece...

You had better just send me the entire thing with the RNS-E.... for testing... of course...

[MaxRS6]

Thanks for the kind offer Ben- Should I just send you the entire car? That would be much easier and I wouldn't have a rattle issue to resolve..

[ben916]

Nah, you better keep it...

so no other times there is rattles?
It would be interesting to get it up in the air and/or on one of those shock test bounce machines (yes a non-technical description)

what if the internals of the baffles of the muffler has become loose or the weld is broken and is only noticeable after heat expansion?
It would be interesting (but not possible?) to switch them (left for right) and take a run up the highway and listen for a rattle...

edit: ok I just listened to that, egads! that would drive me knuts!!!

[MaxRS6]

Thank you for the comments and thoughts Ben- I had not thought about the internals and will certainly mention it to the tech. I am also going to contact Stratmosphere tomorrow.

No other rattles. Traveling down the interstate- I don't hear it at all- I even have the seats folded down so the sound comes into the cabin easily. The moment I exit (almost everytime) and hit the bumps- F*CKING RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE- I've grown accustomed to the rattle in my head- but no way I'm going to put up with the car mocking me.

[V8weight]

Been there, heard that. It's the left muffler rattling against the fuel tank/heat shield, or some gal in a leprechaun costume trying to claw her way out of the trunk.

[MaxRS6]

Thank you Pat- I will have them check that..I assume when it heats up the pipes are expanding and then bumping up against the shield possibly??

[V8weight]

Yep, I've had the same problem with mine, although I have an Eisenmann exhaust, the mufflers are nearly identical. They are too big for the space and when they are rotated up in an attempt to properly fit the tips to the bumper, the top of the muffler ends up contacting the fuel tank after it expands. I just had to loosen up the rear most clamp and rotate the muffler down a touch.

[DHall1]

My money is right here.....fuel tank / heat shield. Not the green ladies.




Been there, heard that. It's the left muffler rattling against the fuel tank/heat shield, or some gal in a leprechaun costume trying to claw her way out of the trunk.

[MaxRS6]

Thank you again Pat! If Dhall and Pat say it- I'm taking it to the bank to cash!

[DHall1]

Better check with the 17,000 new IRS agents before you go to the bank.

10 Billion dollars on IRS agents.

Brilliant

Stimulus

[MaxRS6]

..., or some gal in a leprechaun costume trying to claw her way out of the trunk.

Pat: I missed your gal comment on my first read- LOL

However; more likely she was on the outside trying to crawl back in- Once they have been with my wife- it is like crack and they can't get enough!!!

[snoopra]

Sounds EXACTLY like mine did when first installed. I initially had the rattle after warm up, turns out the exhaust expansion was causing the oval tip clamp to come in contact with the lower rear frame/lip. Just take a look at the tip clamp position in relations to the frame. Repositioning the clamp should solve it. My exhaust expands as much as an inch!
(I'd take a pic for you but I'm out-a-town at the moment)

[V8weight]

Pat: I missed your gal comment on my first read- LOL

However; more likely she was on the outside trying to crawl back in- Once they have been with my wife- it is like crack and they can't get enough!!!
LOL. Do I make you Randy? Yeah baby
http://i722.photobucket.com/albums/ww228/Pellis833/austin20powers.jpg (http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww228/Pellis833/?action=view&current=austin20powers.jpg)

[skribe]

Sounds like a diagnosis. FWIW, back in the day I had a similar problem on my '91 GTI 16v ( miss that car! ) it drove me fuckin bananas, I adjusted and retorqued the techtonics pipes and borla mufller five times, clearanced the heat shield and rear impact beam... Still there. Eventually I swapped out the muffler to discover that it had an internal flaw in it's baffle system and rattled only when it hit a certain temp. So you never know. Good luck, that kind of thing will drive you batshit crazy.

[mmaturo]

agree on the exhaust, little too metallic in the clip to be what i immediately thought which is the DRC valves going as mine was a light rattle back there (passenger rear) that drove me nuts.

[MaxRS6]

^^Mark- LOL- I'm pretty sure it isn't the DRC as the valves and the entire system was yanked out of the car a couple years ago for the KW's...;0

[mmaturo]

It could be the DRC ghost...

[MaxRS6]

Update- Resolved!!- Thanks for the comments everyone.

It is amazing how much the pipes expand (almost a inch as Snoopra stated). Got the system hot- put it up on the rack, and the entire system had lenghtened by about an inch and it was coming into contact again with the rear sway bar. The exhaust shop did a little metal/welding work on the cross bar to provide even further clearance. No more rattle except the one between my ears- Phew- peace again.

On a funny note- another customer at the exhaust shop asked to ride with me when I went to test it. I said SURE (with a twinkle in my eye) as I told him I was going to get up some speed to make sure the system got hot. He said he was up to it. As we took a interstate four leaf onto another interstate at about 140, he was bug eyed and hangin on all the time giving out a "HOT Dam!". He had his new Transam at the exhaust shop and was making the comments "I can now see I don't really have nothing compared to this Audi!"- LOL He couldn't believe the car's acceleration and how it sticks to the road. I pulled over and actually let him drive it back to to the shop and he was so appreciative he was grinning ear to ear. Got back to the shop and he was just blabbering to everyone. Too much fun!

[mmaturo]

good story. I love taking people for rides. My nephew who has a newer Pontiac GTO I did the same and he is still in shock at what my car could do.

[ben916]

Update- Resolved!!- Thanks for the comments everyone.

It is amazing how much the pipes expand (almost a inch as Snoopra stated). Got the system hot- put it up on the rack, and the entire system had lenghtened by about an inch and it was coming into contact again with the rear sway bar. The exhaust shop did a little metal/welding work on the cross bar to provide even further clearance. No more rattle except the one between my ears- Phew- peace again.

On a funny note- another customer at the exhaust shop asked to ride with me when I went to test it. I said SURE (with a twinkle in my eye) as I told him I was going to get up some speed to make sure the system got hot. He said he was up to it. As we took a interstate four leaf onto another interstate at about 140, he was bug eyed and hangin on all the time giving out a "HOT Dam!". He had his new Transam at the exhaust shop and was making the comments "I can now see I don't really have nothing compared to this Audi!"- LOL He couldn't believe the car's acceleration and how it sticks to the road. I pulled over and actually let him drive it back to to the shop and he was so appreciative he was grinning ear to ear. Got back to the shop and he was just blabbering to everyone. Too much fun!

Good to hear you got it sorted out.

<scolding>
Now Max, you as the CPA, would have calculated the financial costs of taking a virgin non-audi owner (yes, the Trans Yam) and amortized the cost of wear of the tires and depreciation of the fossil fuel in relation to the $hit eating grin, twinkle in you eye, pucker factor of said virgin and the heat expansion of the Millteks...
</scolding>


You know what I always say for proof... Do you have a video of it? :)

[MaxRS6]

Ben- I got ya video right here <SMACK>- LOL- Actually- it is memory video, and it was well worth every $$$$ seeing the guy's grin and blabbering on like a kid about the carnival ride he just experienced...It also gives me a sense of satisfaction throwing all those greenhouse gases for all to enjoy and poking the greenies in the eye!

[4everRS]

Does anyone have a "fix" for interior panel noise?

There is a creaking coming from my glovebox area when I hit small (or large) bumps. Sounds like some panel-on-panel action going on. I have tried to remedy the situation by untorqueing and re-torqueing the small bolts over there. I am wondering if there is a recommended lubricant (besides ky) that I can use safely on the material.

[snoopra]

Good to hear everything's resolved Max!

[DHall1]

start a new thread.

female side of velcro. Stick it to the mounting points of the glovebox.

[V8weight]

Does anyone have a "fix" for interior panel noise?

There is a creaking coming from my glovebox area when I hit small (or large) bumps. Sounds like some panel-on-panel action going on. I have tried to remedy the situation by untorqueing and re-torqueing the small bolts over there. I am wondering if there is a recommended lubricant (besides ky) that I can use safely on the material.
You have to adjust the glove box striker (or catch if that's what you prefer to call it) to put more tension on the glove box door. Dave's suggestion is also a good idea, I've done both.

[4everRS]

Thanks guys. I'll start a new thread for a couple other noises I am getting.