Hello. 
 

I have a 2015 A4 s line. I noticed a metallic rattle which is getting progressively worse and appears to come from the front driver side. I have looked under the car and can’t find anything loose. Someone mentioned it might be a heat shield so my question is does anyone know of a common issue I can investigate please.

 

thanks 

Peter.

See this topic:

https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/26979-rattle-when-engine-under-load/

 

Thank you, I’m not sure that’s the issue. I haven’t done 59k yet from new. This is the first problem I have had in all that time. It’s a very tinny noise almost as if something metallic has been left in the bay or wheel. 

When you say you "have looked under the car", do you mean you peered under the bumper from the front, or you put the car over a pit and rattled every component you could grasp?

I jacked it up and took off what I could giving everything I could a shake, but no, not been on a ramp yet. I was told it is common that heat shields come loose, and I did find one panel at the rear where the heat shield was loose because the aluminium had corroded where the steel screws connected. But this isn’t the source of the rattle, but it’s possible it’s another. 

Clearly nothing should rattle, so the first step should be to secure any loose parts you can find. That includes exhaust mountings, air ducts around the brake discs, heat shields around the exhaust, etc. If you still have a rattle after securing every source of the noise that is external to the engine, it must be from within the engine or gearbox.

Thank you. I will get it up on a ramp but I think what I am asking is there something common on this model. When you say air ducts do you mean the plastic inlets? 

On 8/13/2024 at 10:39 PM, Pete26 said:

 When you say air ducts do you mean the plastic inlets? 

I have no idea what they are made of, or if air ducts even exist on your car. I was itemising a few examples of the sort of things that commonly develop rattles. There may well be others that you will have find yourself.

Thanks.