I have an 03' A4 Cabriolet and it has started clicking -or- ticking (sounds kind of like baseball cards in a bicylce wheel or a rollar coaster going up hill). It only happens when under load (accelerating). The sound is constant, doesn't vary with speed but does get louder the harder I press the accelerator. I can't hear it unless I have the window down and at that it's not very loud...until I drive near a curb or wall on the passenger side, the noise gets amplified and sounds horrible. The car is running and driving just fine(for now). I have done multiple searches but can't seem to find anything on what I am experiencing. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Todd

 

i had a ticking noise myself, it might not be the same ticking noise as you but i finally fixed it after a couple months of trying to figure it out and it was the exhaust clamps they were broken, and the ticking noise was the sound of the pistons because it was broken and ****. i ended up taking it to the dealership and it was 6dollars for new clamps and they put them on for free for me

 

That kind of makes sense, I am planning on taking it to my local mechanic(I trust him more than and Audi dealership around here) and see if he can diagnose it. From the sound it makes I think it could be either what you discribed or it could be an exhaust leak. I don't drive the car much because it is a secondary weekend driver so its not high on my priority list, especially since it seems to be running and driving fine. The noise is really annoying though.

-Todd