Vibration at high temps???

[mioStile]

Okay - so I drive 30 miles to school and thirty miles back with no problems (ambient temp around 65 degrees)

By the time I make it back to the SFV, temp began rising to about 95. When I turned the car on after being parked in the sun, each time I turn the wheel I feel a noticeable, smooth vibration whenever the wheel is turned. The best way I can describe it is as if the wheel is rubbing. What do you think?

[s6sputnik]

Tire preasure very high?

[nealRlett]

Steering Fluid? My S4 seems to burn it up.

[mioStile]

Neal - Does it only seem to happen to you when it's hot? How do you check your steering fluid. Thanks so much

[nealRlett]

I seem to have to top-off every 4-5 months or so. My serviceman says it normal with the S4s.
Not really sure if that's true but when its low on fluid I get a little noise and vibration with slow speeds.
It does not seem to be related with outside temperature though. Maybe it's the LA smog!

Hope this helps.

[fitzS4]

na it happends with my car too...just add some fluid here and there

[RAudi Driver]

never happened to me with my S4. Also, i forget, do you add fluid when the motor is on of off.

[mioStile]

Unfortunately, I checked the power steering fluid, and its definitely not low, maybe even a little too high (just slightly over the max line). Any other ideas??? :(

[nimski62]

AWD Binding noise? if so, its normal.

[nealRlett]

How long does the vibration last after you start the car?

[RAudi Driver]

Okay - so I drive 30 miles to school and thirty miles back with no problems (ambient temp around 65 degrees)

By the time I make it back to the SFV, temp began rising to about 95. When I turned the car on after being parked in the sun, each time I turn the wheel I feel a noticeable, smooth vibration whenever the wheel is turned. The best way I can describe it is as if the wheel is rubbing. What do you think?

Iggy, is the car moving or stationary? If it does it when it is moving, than it is normal.

[mioStile]

AWD Binding noise? if so, its normal.

What is this binding noise? I've never head about it before and am interested. What does it sound like?

How long does the vibration last after you start the car?

It seems to last for around 15 mins. But, it's hard to say because, as of yet, I haven't driven it for more than 15 or 20 mins with this noise occurring. The odd thing is, it doesn't make the noise after it has been sitting for awhile. Like, when I took it out in the morning after being parked the whole night, it didn't act up after driving it for around 20 mins. Then, when I parked it in the sun later in the day to test it out, it proceeded to make the sound.

Iggy, is the car moving or stationary? If it does it when it is moving, than it is normal.

It only makes the sound when it is moving. That makes me feel a bit better, but I am still worried. Has this sort of thing ever happened to you, Ed? If so, could you describe how it felt so we can see if it is the same sound?




P.S. Thanks so much for all of the replies, everybody.

[RAudi Driver]

Are you speaking of the vibration that you feel in the steering wheel and the car when the steering wheel is in a fully locked left or right position? If so then this is normal and is referred to as Quattro bind.

If it is something other then this, I would have to see the problem first hand to give a proper diagnosis.

[mioStile]

I dropped it by the neighborhood audi dealership and talked to the service director. He looked at the power steering fluid levels and consistency and said that everything was fine. He said, as we've been experiencing 103+ temps for about 3 days straight now (and this is when I started noticing), the heat could be thinning out the fluid slightly.

Ed, maybe at the next meet you can take it for a drive and see what I mean if that wouldn't be too much trouble.

[mioStile]

Oh, and the sound is not when the wheel is fully clocked - I know what you're talking about there and it definitely isn't that - not as noticeable as that. It feels as if the tires are rubbing (smooth, constant, purring vibration when moving) whenever the car is moving. However, it disappears after about 15 mins.

[nealRlett]

...maybe at the next meet

when is this?

[mioStile]

when is this?

Do not know. I am not aware of any yet, but I hope it's soon!

[DGS4]

just add some fluid here and there

odd.. my girlfriend said that to me the other night....