Recently purchased a 2002 A4 Avant 3.0 6spd. Had it inspected prior to purchase and there were no problems found.

I've been driving it for about a week now, and a bad rumble/vibration has started - you can feel it throughout the entire car.

The rumble is present at all speeds when rpm is above about 1800. The frequency of the rumble varies with engine speed. If i'm cruising at speed and depress the clutch, let off the gas and coast, the rumble disappears. However, if i rev the engine while coasting, i can feel the rumble, but, it is not as noticeable as when the clutch is out. When stopped and in neutral, i can feel a slight rumble/vibration, and again, when i rev the engine i can notice it pick up, but not as much as when the clutch is engaged.

I took it to the local Audi dealership for diagnosis. They looked into, said that they found a few missfire codes and some worn vacuum hoses. They replaced the worn hoses and diagnosed the rumble/vibration problem to something in my clutch - they believe it is the bearing. Then they charged me $600.

I'm no mechanical whiz, but I'm a little skeptical as to their diagnosis of the clutch - when i disengage it i can still feel the problem.

Has anyone experienced a problem similar to this? Does this sound like the correct diagnosis?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Dave

 

dang...did this audi dealership do the inspection for you when you bought it?

 

No, it wasn't the dearlership that did the inspection for me.
I don't think it's something that anyone could see coming - just bad luck/timing i guess.

The dearlership quoted me $3000 to replace the clutch... still not sure if this is the problem, but does that sound like a reasonable price? Or should I find an independent garage?

Drove the car again - the vibration is quite noticeable at all speeds, even at idle (when reving the engine to ~2500rpm+). Also, when moving, there is a reverberating noise in the cabin caused by the vibration. If anyone can provide any insight into what the problem might be, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

how many miles u got on the car? it might be the maf sensor, dirty throttle body, bad spark plugs, maybe dirty fuel filter. could be alot of things but most of these that i've listed are cheap. most of these u can do by urself (unless ur extremely mechanically declined). jsut visit ur local car parts place like autozone or something and ask them a few questions. the reverberating noise in the cabin is most likely due to resonance on the trims. once u do what i've listed (i'm probably missing some but some1 will chime in), come back and tell us the results

 

I am willing to bet that there is nothing wrong with your clutch. You probably need new sparkplugs or a few coilpacks. The sound you are hearing is the engine misfiring. The cars power is cut significatly when the "vibrating" begins or no?

 

Yeah, the cars power is down. If the engine is misfiring, should i be getting a CEL? (i haven't had any)

Had the spark plugs replaced just recently, but i'll try your other suggestions - the car does have a lot of miles - 90k. Thanks.

 

yes you should throw a cel or it should at least blink several times while the car is misfiring bad (like if it starts to and you keep on the throttle). could be a coilpack. Does the car run any better when its not warmed up yet? coilpacks of will often work decently until hot if they are bad. i would scan it and see which cylinder is misfiring, then switch that cylinder's coilpack with one that doesnt have a misfire code... drive it and scan it again... if it comes up with the new cylinder misfiring... youve found your problem. hope it helps.