Popping sound... Dealer is blaming ME!!!!!

[the4siswickid]

So, I've had my cameras, tint and sub installed for 3k miles. About 500 miles ago, the car started making a popping sound 1x on each side of the car, each time the rear tires left the driveway. Literally - the second the tires touched the pavement, from the driveway decline, and then not 1x more after that on the drive unless it had been sitting for a while again.

I finally got tired of it and brought the car to the dealer. Dealer blames my install and refused to diagnose it. None of the panels have been visibly damaged, the shop that performed the work is the same shop to which they refer aftermarket/radio work to that's the #1 rated shop in the entire area and I feel like I'm getting the shaft... It's not like the shop doesn't know how to work on Audi's!!!!

So, my question is - if they removed the C pillars and the deck to get the factory sub out to do an aftermarket sub, does the reassembly have to be done in a particular order to avoid popping later???? I mean, they dynomatted the entire deck, everything appears solid - but I can't, for the life of me, figure out what could be popping!!!!

Anybody have any insight and assistance here? It's driving me nuts.....[headbang][headbang][headbang][headbang]

It could be the seats, the panels, the headliner - anything... not just what _I_ did....

[ojmcneill]

What's the place that did the install saying?

[Stubek]

I would take it back to the stereo shop and have them check it out.
I would also have someone back the car in and out of the drive way a bunch of times with you in the back seat to see if you can pinpoint the noise. Maybe even in and out of the driveway with you in the trunk (do this safely please) to see if you can find the noise.

Have you done any suspension or chassis stuff such as sway bars, alu kruez, coil overs, springs, etc?

[the4siswickid]

What's the place that did the install saying?

Taking it to them on the 18th. It's been 4k miles without an issue. That's what I don't get. I'll also have to try and drive with someone. I just don't get how easy Audi dismisses work. I thought this dealer was mod friendly, especially as I've been greasing the S.A. and foreman with Starbucks cards all year, and the whole shop with donuts and stuff...

[emoji22]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[the4siswickid]

I would take it back to the stereo shop and have them check it out.
I would also have someone back the car in and out of the drive way a bunch of times with you in the back seat to see if you can pinpoint the noise. Maybe even in and out of the driveway with you in the trunk (do this safely please) to see if you can find the noise.

Have you done any suspension or chassis stuff such as sway bars, alu kruez, coil overs, springs, etc?

Nothing to the suspension yet, that was my next plan though.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[BernanksBeard]

Do you have the B&O system, with the amp in cubby? If so, when the tint is applied to back window, all the water used drains on top of the amp in the cubby. Disregard if you don't have anything in that cubby.... Just a wild guess

[chaos2984]

honestly why in the world would a dealer be mod friendly. Its not their job to warranty issues with aftermarket stuff. And it also has to do with liability as well. You get lucky if a car is modded if the dealer will work on it. But usually the dealer will work on it to an extent to prove either your mod is to blame or not. Maybe that dealer is instructed to not work on any car that is modded by the higher ups. Maybe what you can do is bring it in stating that if its not a warrantable issue you will pay 1 or 2 hours of diag time. I can't see a dealer turning that down since your working with them. I know when i worked at a Chevy/mitsu dealer we would work on any car that had heavy mods unless the work had nothing to do with warrantable issues and such. We wouldn't work on modded cars for liability purposes.

But since you don't have any mods but a sub i dunno seems a little sketchy to me. do you have another dealer close to you. If your in CA I'm sure you have another one. I have 4 near me.

[MrFunk]

It is your doors auto locking?

[the4siswickid]

It is your doors auto locking?

No, that happens later and it's one side at a time...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[the4siswickid]

honestly why in the world would a dealer be mod friendly. Its not their job to warranty issues with aftermarket stuff. And it also has to do with liability as well. You get lucky if a car is modded if the dealer will work on it. But usually the dealer will work on it to an extent to prove either your mod is to blame or not. Maybe that dealer is instructed to not work on any car that is modded by the higher ups. Maybe what you can do is bring it in stating that if its not a warrantable issue you will pay 1 or 2 hours of diag time. I can't see a dealer turning that down since your working with them. I know when i worked at a Chevy/mitsu dealer we would work on any car that had heavy mods unless the work had nothing to do with warrantable issues and such. We wouldn't work on modded cars for liability purposes.

But since you don't have any mods but a sub i dunno seems a little sketchy to me. do you have another dealer close to you. If your in CA I'm sure you have another one. I have 4 near me.

Exactly what I was thinking. They haven't touched the car to determine if my mod caused the issues. The panels in question may not even be the problem...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[MrFunk]

Do you have aftermarket end links? Mine click a bit sometimes... medal components vs OEM plastic.

[MrFunk]

honestly why in the world would a dealer be mod friendly. Its not their job to warranty issues with aftermarket stuff. And it also has to do with liability as well. You get lucky if a car is modded if the dealer will work on it. But usually the dealer will work on it to an extent to prove either your mod is to blame or not. Maybe that dealer is instructed to not work on any car that is modded by the higher ups. Maybe what you can do is bring it in stating that if its not a warrantable issue you will pay 1 or 2 hours of diag time. I can't see a dealer turning that down since your working with them. I know when i worked at a Chevy/mitsu dealer we would work on any car that had heavy mods unless the work had nothing to do with warrantable issues and such. We wouldn't work on modded cars for liability purposes.

But since you don't have any mods but a sub i dunno seems a little sketchy to me. do you have another dealer close to you. If your in CA I'm sure you have another one. I have 4 near me.

My dealership is extremely mod friendly. They have done just about all my mods... Tune, pulley kit, exhaust blah blah blah. It's a source of revenue for them - especially for owners of reliable cars that otherwise would not be coming in to the shop. Heck both Audi dealerships here are mod friendly.

[the4siswickid]

My dealership is extremely mod friendly. They have done just about all my mods... Tune, pulley kit, exhaust blah blah blah. It's a source of revenue for them - especially for owners of reliable cars that otherwise would not be coming in to the shop. Heck both Audi dealerships here are mod friendly.

Where are you located???? Lol. No suspension mods.... It's definitely interior noise, though.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[the4siswickid]

Here is the latest: All of the interior headliner panels are now making the same noise, a pillars, b pillars and the c pillars, as well as the headliner itself. The b pillar on the driver side was removed by the dealer, but none of the other panels or headliner have been touched by anyone except the two c pillars. The car makes these noises during body flex, sitting at a stop on a warm day, bumps, etc. Very annoying.

Thoughts?????


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[lexcruiser]

Are you able to take a video? Sounds like a strange issue..

[Brother Owl]

Ghost in the machine

[amz]

Check your bump stops

[Thurston]

Audi customer service sucks in a major way. I am never treated like a king when I go to service my car actually i'm disrespected every time and always have to ask for a loner. At another car manufacturer, they roll out the red carpet for me and always bring a loner around, no questions ask - it just never breaks so I'm never at the dealer but my S4 still has minor things crop up so I go for those.

I'm tired of Audi being so greedy and just rude. It visibly chapped their ass' when they covered my main seal leak for about 2500$. they tried their best to blame it on me and I was just flabbergasted and became very "righteously heated" they fixed it that day and said don't worry warranty will cover this - we are sorry we just haven't seen this before". "that's what I thought boys"

I just installed my sub yesterday a 10" alpine and wow it's amazing love the sound - especially considering how little bass the car comes with with b&o - shameful.

Hope you can figure out your issue. Maybe the sub rattled something loose but still for a dealer to just outright become adversarial and draw the line in the sand, it's like, what? over that? over a rattle? c'mon man screw. You literally have to make a psychological impression on the service rep that you're not playing around and you're not going to be manipulated or else you will get tossed about until you stop talking all that "warranty" talk.

Did you mention when you went in " I installed an aftermarket stereo and sub"? (albeit from a shop they rec.) w/e ... see that's what I mean.. you can't give them arsenal .. you have to not mention it and unconnect sub and just go in and say "hey i have a popping sound" i guarantee you they'd spend all day till it's fixed but you probably gave them and easy out and since it's Audi customer service they jumped on it and you. Keep pressing the issue and they will say "we have to call audi of america" that's when you know you are beginning to put the heat on them.

[the4siswickid]

I'll try and take a video, but it's so random I can't predict it.... As for bump stops, they've already replaced those. It's definitely an interior noise. I can press on the pillars and hear the creaking, I just cannot replicate the popping. It's like a random last kernel of popcorn finally popping in the microwave after a few minutes... Except, the microwave isn't on.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mr.Tan]

my car makes a ton of noise inside. A VERY annoying sound from the rear decklid/pillar areas...Its like a loud creaking flexing sound when i go over bumps, uneven road and i back out of my driveway it makes a popping sound (just like yours)..... it also makes some noise here and there from the dash and door panels, and i feel like everywhere else LOL... it is VERY annoying and loud when direct sunlight is shining down on it and heats the interior up a lot... i didnt notice half the sounds in the winter time (i got the car end of august 2014 so summer was just about over here).

dealership wont do anything about it, esp. since the car is CPO now and factory warranty stopped... I do have a 10" sub intalled in the trunk, dont think it made it worse than before it was in. It helps block the sound some, but i still hear it because i know its there.

[PitchS4]

Audi customer service sucks in a major way. I am never treated like a king when I go to service my car actually i'm disrespected every time and always have to ask for a loner. At another car manufacturer, they roll out the red carpet for me and always bring a loner around, no questions ask - it just never breaks so I'm never at the dealer but my S4 still has minor things crop up so I go for those.

I'm tired of Audi being so greedy and just rude. It visibly chapped their ass' when they covered my main seal leak for about 2500$. they tried their best to blame it on me and I was just flabbergasted and became very "righteously heated" they fixed it that day and said don't worry warranty will cover this - we are sorry we just haven't seen this before". "that's what I thought boys"

I just installed my sub yesterday a 10" alpine and wow it's amazing love the sound - especially considering how little bass the car comes with with b&o - shameful.

Hope you can figure out your issue. Maybe the sub rattled something loose but still for a dealer to just outright become adversarial and draw the line in the sand, it's like, what? over that? over a rattle? c'mon man screw. You literally have to make a psychological impression on the service rep that you're not playing around and you're not going to be manipulated or else you will get tossed about until you stop talking all that "warranty" talk.

Did you mention when you went in " I installed an aftermarket stereo and sub"? (albeit from a shop they rec.) w/e ... see that's what I mean.. you can't give them arsenal .. you have to not mention it and unconnect sub and just go in and say "hey i have a popping sound" i guarantee you they'd spend all day till it's fixed but you probably gave them and easy out and since it's Audi customer service they jumped on it and you. Keep pressing the issue and they will say "we have to call audi of america" that's when you know you are beginning to put the heat on them.

I am glad I am not your SA. You aren't a king because you bought an S4.