Neither my shop nor Ihave been able to find the source of the following problem. I started noticing it the day after a 650 mile roadtrip and two days after mounting new Velocity rims and Conti tires. I also had not driven the car for almost two weeks before the trip - but my wife had driven it a couple times <groan>.

It started asa very faint clanking, like two metal rods knocking together, when I made a left turn from a stop and was shifting from 1st to 2nd. It did not seem to happen, or happened infrequently, when starting and going straight. Over the course of a few days, it seemed to get more frequent but not louder, and happened both on accelerating from a stop and turning left or going straight. There is no vibration and the car performs perfectly.

About the same time my replace brake pads icon went on (O). My shop test drove it and could barely hear the clanking. They did replace the rear rotors, turned the fronts, replaced the pads with ceramics, and replaced a broken retention clip (which they thought was the source of the noise). When I picked it up it still made the clanking. I immediately had them put it on the lift and their mechanic and I both looked at the bottom of the vehicle and jiggled everything we could think of (heat shields, exhaust, suspension, etc.) to try and find the noise. Nothing.

I'm wondering if it is a) the Velocity rims flexing and makingthe noise, b) something in the shift linkage, like rods,or c) a CV joint or somesuch. I kind of doubtc since they tend to rumble and vibrate rather than clank.b is just a WAG since I've never seen the inside of the tranny.

Anyone out there with a similar experience? I hate to wait until something breaks in order to find the problem, but that's my current plan.

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2003 Audi A6 2.7T MT6
Premium Package-Cold Weather Package-Bose
GIAC-Bailey DVs-Samco TBB
AWE Stage 2 Clutch+Lightweight Flywheel
235/45 R17 Pirelli P6 All-season; OEMs
235/40 ZR18 ContiExtremeContact;
Velocity RS4 Replica Rims