Hi,

I have an Audi A3 8P 2011 1.4 tfsi (43k miles) and recently it just starting making a weird clicking sound when idle.

I've attached a video of the noise which can be heard from within the cabin (really sorry I made it at night!) but the noise seems to come from the left/back of the engine.

The only thing that I can think of which has changed was I had 1/4 of a tank and put in 1/2 a tank of super premium 97 previous was just premium which I think is 95!

do you think it could just be the change of petrol that is doing this or maybe it is something more malicious?

 

Thanks a lot :) 

Video.MOV

hows your oil level?

here's an article explaining more

https://gobdp.com/blog/engine-ticking/

Oil levels are all good, somehow though it might be the change of petrol type but that seems unlikely. 

Here is a YouTube link to the video I uploaded above.

https://youtu.be/Q02QHds2I4E

should add that as soon as I rev the engine a tiny bit the sounds goes totally away. There is no judering or movement of the engine, no miss firering or loss of power when pulling away.

Adding a higher octane fuel than is required can not possibly cause any such problems. In any case that sound is not pinking or pre-ignition, which is what you get from too low an octane fuel; nor does it quite rattle enough to be tappets. That still leaves plenty of alternative causes for the noise, some of which involve expensive repairs, so I suggest you get it examined professionally before permanent damage is done.

@cliffcoggin thanks for the reply. I'm really hoping it's not the cam chain. The odd thing is that I hear nothing from a cold start then after a 5-10 minute drive and if I sit at traffic lights on idle the noise just comes out!! I updated the video and made one during the day. Still finding it hard to locate the source of it though.

I'm going to have it looked at but feel gutted as I bought it 2 months ago and it only had 42k on the clock 

 

Are you sure it has a cam chain rather than a belt? I don't know the engine but I would have expected a toothed belt on something so modern.

Reporting back this turned out to be a rattly fuel lines!! I got a water pump replacement too as advise by certified audi garage in Leeds!! cheeeers.
But the noise came back few weeks later, did loads more research and found this video which was exactly what I had!!

 

So tell us what the thing is that is rattling because it doesn't look like a fuel line. How did you cure your problem?

On 03/03/2018 at 10:35 AM, cmdv said:

Reporting back this turned out to be a rattly fuel lines!! I got a water pump replacement too as advise by certified audi garage in Leeds!! cheeeers.
But the noise came back few weeks later, did loads more research and found this video which was exactly what I had!!

 

Your comment at the end is so funny 😂😂😂 . Glad you found what it was