1998 A4 2.8 Avant w/ Tiptronic - 120,000 miles

This has been a great car. I bought it coming off of lease in 2001 and we've had to deal with some minor stuff but overall it's been awesome. I think my luck may have just run out. Yesterday I started noticing a clicking coming from under the car whenever I take off from a light - then on the highway there is this high pitched chirping noise whenever i let off the gas - apply your foot back onto the accelerator and it goes away. Once I got where i was going, the clicking/knocking seemed to be less prevalant but it was still there.

Is my tranny on it's way out or am I just low on transmission / transaxel fluid (leak?).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Rob

 

clicking may be axles going bad.

 

Does it do it when you turn?
I agree with axles.

 

Actualy it's hard to tell - it kinda seems like it's worse when you turn but i just took it to the store and no noise at all this time. It's going to the shop tomorrow.

It seems like the noise is coming from the CENTER of the car - is that the transaxel or are you guys talking about the axels attached to each wheel? Would that mean one of them on one of the corners is taking a dump and just that sucker needs to be replaced? Am I going to get soaked if this is what it ends up being?

Thanks a lot for the input.

r

 

If it clicks around a corner (front only) the front CVs are going out
If it "clicks" under accel/decel, sounds like axles to me.

 

It comes from the center of the car and happens on acceleration only. A 'click click click clickclickclick' that gets faster and faster and eventualy goes away at speed.

I just took it out again and I heard nothing. Yesterday the car sounded like it was going to fall apart, today, nothing. I'll still bring it to the shop and ask him to check it out - maybe check the transaxel fluid while he's down there.

Thanks again for the help from everyone.

r

 

It was the drive shaft. Audi wanted 1200 for this part. My mechanic repacked the bastard and the noise is gone. Good as new. $180 total.

r