So I posted about the car being in fail-safe mode about a month ago. It still drove fine, but now there's some sort of horrible squeaking noise that comes when I'm in the first two gears and it gets MUCH worse when I turn corners and such. No noise in reverse, but I don't know what the problem is. I'll be taking it in to have it looked at, but I wanted some opinions on possible problems and estimates on the cost to fix it. The car is a 2003 Audi A4 3.0 v6 quattro. A/T with tiptronic and such. The isn't ebing driven hard or anything, just day to day driving back and forth from school and work. The noise isn't as apparent when the car is cold if that helps. I was told the timing belt was changed and after a thorough test drive I could find no issues before I bought the car. I got stuck with a lemon, but at this point this car is my only option, it might be more expensive to get another at this point.

 

Sounds like your power steering rack might be on the way out. Have you checked your power steering fluid lately? Is there a large puddle of fluid on the ground under where you park the car?

 

Well I was under the car recently, but it's been snowing so as far as I know the only fluid leaking out of the car is melted snow. Also, I described the sound wrong. It isn't a squeaking noise, but a whining sound that starts around 30 mph when first driving the car. I gets louder and deeper when I decelerate, it goes away when the car is under load. As I said before the noise gets really loud when I'm turning. Any idea what it would cost for me to fix? I just want to know what kind of price I'll be looking at before I take it in and have someone pull it apart. I'd look into it myself, but I don't have the time or experience with audis as a whole.

 

You sir, have a failing wheel bearing. Time to take it into your mechanic. Unless you do your own repairs, of course. A wheel bearing replacement should be in the neighborhood of $300 at a shop.