Hey,

Last summer we went through some considerable problems with my TT. Towards the beginning of the summer the car started making this awful creaking sound up front, usually when you went over a bump or rough spot. Well, I figured it was something with the suspension, obviously. So I took it to the dealership in Greensboro and they said the bushings just needed to be lubricated. So they do that and I head home. Mid-way on the ride back it starts doing it again. I bring it back the next day and they just lubricate the bushings again. Right after I drive it out of the repair garage, it still does it, so I turn around and I tell them that lubricating the bushings is obviously not fixing the problem. So the head engineer says they'll just replace the whole sway bar. That fixes it.

All of this eventually totals up to a a couple thousand of dollars. I was pretty irritated, but we went along and dealt with it.

Well, the other day I was getting my TT inspected and a guy in a VW was pulling out but turned around when he saw me. He pulled up to me and wanted to know about how I liked the TT, since he used to have two, and somewhere along the lines we got on the subject of repairs that we'd went through, and I mentioned him the sway bar situation above. He tells me I shouldn't have had to pay anything, because Audi had a recall or something on something to do with the sway bar in some relation...I'm sorry that is so vague, but he talked rather fast.

If Audi had a recall on something that could have saved me two grand in this case, we're getting our money back. Can any of you guys shed some light on this?

It's a 2000 1.8T 180hp manual, for the record.

edit: Also, the car has about 114,000 miles on it now...at the time we had all this going on, I'd say it was at 112,500 or so.

 

Yes. the early model 2000 TT had very very tight (but considered dangerous by audi) control arms. Many Current TT owners to this day search the world to find a set of these recaled control arms because of how incredibly superior in handling they are to the replacement control arms. Here's a link to more of the story...

http://www.modshack.info/defcon.htm

Read the paragraph in the center of the page. btw... this site (Modshack, makers of many custom TT parts) developed bushings to emulate the ever saught after original control arms.

Hope This helps,

-Chris

 

Hello
I'd be interested too, because I have the same problem. It started recently. everytime I go over som bump it squeeks like old bed. it must be something wrong with sway bar o bushings .
if anyone knows more details pls let us know
thanks

 

i believe the front swar bar issue is just a TSB and not a recall....meaning if you have a warranty they will fix it free of charge....sorry to hear you paid over a grand to fix it since it takes 45min and 45 bucks to replace yourself.

 

i have a 2001 with creaky sway bushings...
i had it checked out recently and they are apparently dryrotted-....my mechanic sprayed them with silicone and the problem went away...
theres an internal audi technical bulletin i saw somewhere out there where it says "problem- customer experiences creaking noise from sway bar" and the "solution" is to replace the whole bar....maybe if the car is under warranty you should do that, but as for me my solution will be to get a set of new bushings from the aftermarket and replace those only...why bother paying for a new bar if its only the bushings that have a problem?

 

Two totally different issues though.

He's looking for details on the recall that he thinks he may have ended up paying out of pocket for.

But you pitrman, unless you have a 2000 model TT that has never been to a dealership for service... you dont have the old control arms. (or if you DId have it serviced and refused the recall replacement. You'd know though)
pitrman, it sounds like you have one of two things wrong... either you have the front sway bar bushings worn/non-lubricated... OR you have worn control arm bushings. Both are cheap fixes if you want to do it yourself.
Here's how....
Buy these http://www.ttstuff.com/Merchant2/mer...de=FMPFF350319
... buy these http://www.ttstuff.com/Merchant2/mer...ode=FMPFF85201
... and these http://www.ttstuff.com/Merchant2/mer...ode=FMPFF85410

Pull the front control arms... replace the wishbone bushings (control arm bushings), then pull the front sway bar and replace the bushings for IT. (could put an upgraded sway in if you wanted at this time)

Put it all back together and get it professionally aligned.

Done. No more squeaking. be sure to use lube

 

The sway bar bushings though.... are hardly even bushings... they are more like rubber stand-offs. The control arm bushings by nature should squeak a helluva lot more. (actual to and fro rotating movement)

 

Thanks guys for tips and advices. seems to be ez fix.

 

yeah but chris he is talking about the sway bar and not the control arm bushings

 

Yea, I realized that after I posted it. (once you responded about the sways and that bulletin. I have seen that bulletin posted on here once before too) Since he mentioned it being a recall, I kind of assumed he meant control arms. lol