Turning left or right with signal on - clicking noise

[tekmo]

I don't think i noticed it in the last 2 weeks I've had the car.

Today i noticed clicking noise from steering when turning left or right with signal on. No clicking when signal is not on. It is not signal blinking noise.

Single click when just starting to turn the steering wheel and 2 clicks when the wheel is turned almost to the end.

Anyone else has this and is this normal? I don't recall having this before on other cars.

[dbuxton13]

If you didn't notice the sound before, it could be the clockspring. It's the gearing mechanism in steering wheel column that interacts with the turn signal. At least that has been the typical design in most cars.

[tekmo]

I took 3 clips - 2 showing the concern, and 1 without the concern. I am hoping some of the B9 owners here can share if they have the same. I don't know if this is something i need to bring up to the dealer or just put to rest as this is how these cars are designed. I typically drive with music/radio on (not too loud), so i may have not noticed it in the past. Yesterday i drove without music, and noticed it. It happens ONLY when turn signal is on, at the same spot of steering wheel turning, does not seem random.

Video 1 and 2 - turning left/right signal on and turning steering wheel. You can hear 1 click in the beginning and 2 clicks when the wheels are almost fully turned.
Video 3 - turning the steering wheel left and run without the turning signal on - no clicking noise.

Video 1 - clicking


Video 2 - clicking


Video 3 - no clicking

[zps123]

probably the mechanism that turns the signal off when steering centers

[tekmo]

probably the mechanism that turns the signal off when steering centers

Is it supposed to be that audible?

[NPuter]

Is it supposed to be that audible?

This first sounds normal to me. The second two don't...

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[zps123]

I think the best way to determine if it's normal is to go to a dealer and test a b9

[tekmo]

Dropped off the car for unrelated matter and confirmed with shop foreman this noise is not normal. We checked out other B9 A4 on the lot and it did not have this noise. They will be looking into it.

[fungke]

Happens to mine too.

[fungke]

Speaking of noises, anyone experience this? https://youtu.be/IGzl_BFKIJI
Had this noise since the 2nd or 3rd day of picking up the car.

[Top1105]

I had the same issue, just when to talk to the dealer about it. They said it was normal and let me test it on another car, it had the same clicks.

[tekmo]

Are there any more B9 owners out there that can comment on this and let us know if they have this?

I too tested 2 other B9s in the showroom. One was non-sline and did not have this, the other car was s-line, same as mine, and did have the same clicking noise.

[meyecul]

I have this on my 2017 Q7. I don't recall it happening until recently, either that or just never noticed w the music on etc. Something just seems off though. The click seems to be happening prematurely. With wheels and car straight, if my hand is at 12 o'clock and I start to turn the steering wheel to the right, this first click happens just after I barely even get past 1 o'clock. The wheels have not even begun to turn the car.

It's my understanding in any car, once you turn the steering wheel to a certain point, the audible click is an indicator that if you return to center the signal will shut off. However, this usually does not happen until you have at least made your way into or thru the turn. For me, its happening just after I start moving the steering wheel.

I just tested on my wife's car (new Mazda6) and there is no click as soon as you start to turn, only as one would expect, after nearly completing the turn of the steering wheel.

This all came about because we were driving in a park area yesterday with a lot of traffic and turns in a tight parking lot type situation. So I was turning right, then left, then right etc, indicating each turn with my signal. My wife was like "what is all that clicking"?? It was driving her nuts.

[Haro]

I also have this same problem. I took my car in last week and my service advisor said that this is not normal and that they need to change the whole turn signal mechanism. They said they ordered the part but it has to come from Germany so I will be taking it in to get it fixed once the part comes in

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[meyecul]

I also have this same problem. I took my car in last week and my service advisor said that this is not normal and that they need to change the whole turn signal mechanism. They said they ordered the part but it has to come from Germany so I will be taking it in to get it fixed once the part comes in

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Hmm.. Thanks for the update. I am not far from you in San Dimas. Do you go to Rusnak? I have a feeling this is going to be one of those things that will be dealer specific based on what others are saying. Some dealers will say its a problem and others saying its normal. Please come back and let us know after your fix and perhaps I should go and see your service adviser :-).

[tekmo]

I also have this same problem. I took my car in last week and my service advisor said that this is not normal and that they need to change the whole turn signal mechanism. They said they ordered the part but it has to come from Germany so I will be taking it in to get it fixed once the part comes in

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They've already done this for me and it did not resolve my issue. Please let us know how it goes for you.

[meyecul]

They've already done this for me and it did not resolve my issue. Please let us know how it goes for you.

Perhaps this is just a characteristic of the A4 and Q7 platform? I made post over in another forum thats more active on the new Q7 and did not get much response yet, but will bump it with anther inquiry and video of my own. If we could just get a handful of owners to all confirm theirs does this exact same thing then we can just put this to rest.

So, if any of you owners of the awesome new B9 A4/S4 could just take a second to confirm or deny that you have this same click when you use your turn signal, that would be great. Steering wheel straight, turn on signal and start to turn the wheel in either direction. Do you hear a prominent "click" just as you BEGIN your turn (like just after the 1 o clock position when turning right). Please just chime in with a yay or nay and I know all of the posters above would be very appreciative. Thanks!!

[tekmo]

My dealer @ Vaughan s looking into this further.

[meyecul]

My dealer @ Vaughan s looking into this further.

Cool. Let us know what they say. I have not yet been to my dealer with my 2017 Q7, but I still say something just seems wrong having the first click so soon. My wife has a new loaded Mazda 6 and I tested her signals, no clicks at all. I suppose different makers have different relay / ratchet designs in their steering column, but one would think if the technology exists to have it silent, Audi should be using it.

[tekmo]

I agree, no need for this clicking madness.

[SnifflyHealer]

I have the same noise. I've been meaning to listen for it, but I only drive on the weekends and I always have on music. It's definitely present though.

[meyecul]

My dealer @ Vaughan s looking into this further.

Any update on this from your dealer?

[tekmo]

Any update on this from your dealer?

Not yet :/

[dseag2]

I checked mine today with the sound system off and I don't have the clicking noise that your describe.

[Haro]

They changed the whole turn signal mechanism on my car last week, took them two days to do, and now the clicking noise is even worse.

[meyecul]

They changed the whole turn signal mechanism on my car last week, took them two days to do, and now the clicking noise is even worse.

omg... sorry to hear this. Have you confirmed with your own ears at the dealer that this sound does not exists in other vehicles on their lot.

[Haro]

omg... sorry to hear this. Have you confirmed with your own ears at the dealer that this sound does not exists in other vehicles on their lot.

I did not check on any new cars at the dealer, but the loaner they gave me was a 2017 a4 and it had the same clicking noises as my car. Im convinced that these new turn signals audi is using are all flawed, they need to step up and do a recall on all these cars. Its very annoying getting a brand new car that has stupid problems like this, and this is only one of the handful of problems im having with this car. I had a 2013 a4 before this car and i had zero problems in the 3 years I drove it, now i get the 2017 thats supposed to be improved in every way and in the 4 months ive had it ive had numerous problems. I wish i never traded up to the new model, im really missing my old problem free a4 now

[Fantasiamon]

I did not check on any new cars at the dealer, but the loaner they gave me was a 2017 a4 and it had the same clicking noises as my car. Im convinced that these new turn signals audi is using are all flawed, they need to step up and do a recall on all these cars. Its very annoying getting a brand new car that has stupid problems like this, and this is only one of the handful of problems im having with this car. I had a 2013 a4 before this car and i had zero problems in the 3 years I drove it, now i get the 2017 thats supposed to be improved in every way and in the 4 months ive had it ive had numerous problems. I wish i never traded up to the new model, im really missing my old problem free a4 now

What are the other issues you're seeing so we can keep an eye out on new vehicles/potential new vehicles?

[tekmo]

They have no solution for me at this time... shop foreman drove 2 other cars and both had this same noise.

I don't understand how/why some cars have this and some don't.

[meyecul]

They have no solution for me at this time... shop foreman drove 2 other cars and both had this same noise.

I don't understand how/why some cars have this and some don't.

Yeah. This whole thing is very odd for a luxury brand and disappointing there is not a fix. I checked 5 random newer non luxury cars from friends and family (Toyota, Mazda, volvo, dodge truck etc.). None of them have such a pronounced single click coming from the steering column like this, but all seem to mechanically work the same way (the click is definitely the turn signal ratchet mechanism that shuts the turn signal off after a turn). In other cars the sound is so surpressed its silent or near silent. Why this Audi signal clicks so loudly is beyond me and I am amazed we do not see more people complaining. I love love my Q7, but the this loud single click just after turning the steering wheel right or left at every signaled turn is really getting annoying, especially when making several turns one after another like in a parking lot etc.

[Haro]

What are the other issues you're seeing so we can keep an eye out on new vehicles/potential new vehicles?

Other than the steering wheel clicking, my car makes creaking noises from the front suspension every time i accelerate. Then there is the backup camera which is basically useless on my car because of how bad it lags when I initially start the car, service adviser said thats the way it is and i need to wait for the camera to initialize before using it. Well im not going to sit there every time i start the car and wait a minuter for the camera to initialize. The Bluetooth range is garbage, my old car would connect to my phone even if i had forgotten it inside my house, In my new car i have to have my phone in the cup holder or under the arm rest for it to work, wont work from inside my pocket, service advisor said it was my phone that was the problem so i got a new phone and it still doesn't work unless its right next to the radio. And lastly is the rear sub woofer shelf vibration, this was the only problem they were able to fix, they put some foam strip under it so it wont vibrate any more. Overall im very annoyed and disappointed with this car so far.

[tekmo]

response i received today from service manager.

We have tested 4 other cars, including my shop foreman’s car and they all make the sound, if you put your left or right signal on and then turn the wheel in that direction 1 more turn then a clicking noise is heard at the cancel spot but it is going against the cancel direction. It is something that the new a4 does. All the ones we tested do it , You only here it if you have the signal on and then turn the wheel another full turn so you would have to be doing an almost full lock turn.

Unfortunately it is normal operation and no adjustment can be made.

[meyecul]

response i received today from service manager.

Is he saying only should be heard after a full rotation of the steering wheel? The second portion of his description above illudes to that. Mine happens as soon as I start to turn the steering wheel then again with double clicks after it reaches 1 full rotation.

[Haro]

Mine was doing the clicking after a full rotation of the steering wheel, basically when i was making a u-turn. After they replaced the turn signal it now does it right after the first reset click, so basically on every turn I do I hear 3 clicks. Also a friend of mine just picked up a 2017 a4 and i checked his car out and it only has one click when it resets, no clicks after that.

[bengtc]

I hear 2 clicks, they are not as loud as in the video though

[meyecul]

Haro....Yeah, I think we are in a similar boat. Mine does it at every turn no matter how slight as long as I am using the turn signal. First single click as soon as I begin to turn, then 2 clicks after a full or near full rotation. I am going to make my own video so we can compare.

[pingumarsh]

Yep another A4 B9 checking in. Mine is non-sline. I hadn't noticed until I read this thread so thanks for that. Now I hear the clicking every time I use the signals.

[meyecul]

Yep another A4 B9 checking in. Mine is non-sline. I hadn't noticed until I read this thread so thanks for that. Now I hear the clicking every time I use the signals.

My guess is if you are just noticing now, then possibly yours is not as loud as some others are reporting and I believe this is the case with most owners, thus a nonissue overall (or more would be reporting). It would be impossible to not notice it in my Q7 even with the radio on at decent volume. Its very annoying particularly in a Uturn situation as there are 3 loud single clicks popping off from start to completion of the turn.

I have an appointment at my dealer on Wed for some software related recalls on my Q7. I will be bringing this up with my guy there and finally hopefully get some answers once and for all. The conclusion I am coming to so far is that "technically" there is nothing wrong with our cars. All cars have this mechanism. The question is why is the audible level of the "click" so loud (is a ratchet gear making too much contact etc.?). My wife's new Mazda 6 has a very very subtle click sound in the same situation of turning the steering wheel as we are discussing but you have to put your ear near the steering wheel with a dead silence in the car to barely even make it out. Again, all cars do it, just one would think it should not be hearing it so obviously as the handful of owners on this thread are reporting.

On the other side of the coin and based on what others are saying above about their dealers answers, it's quite possible that it is just how the ratchet is in this particular mechanism Audi is using and maybe just some are louder then others. If thats the case, poor choice by Audi. I read somewhere online about an older model (non Audi) vehicle owners reporting a similar problem and apparently the clicking gear is greased at time of manufacture and perhaps some not greased enough. Service applied some grease and problem was solved. I have no idea what the mechanics are like inside our cars of if anything remotely similar could help us, but I am going to ask. I will definitely report back anything I learn.

[meyecul]

Okay. Here is my follow up this. I have a very good relationship with my dealer, just took a while to finally get there as they are a ways away and was also waiting for a couple of recall letters on my Q7. Both the tech and foreman and SA, spent some time on this issue for me. End result in a nutshell, indeed as others have speculated, the click sound is considered normal and found on both the B9 A4 and the 2017 Q7. We tested multiple A4s and a 2 Q7s. It's the clock spring that cancels the signal. We did determine some can be a bit louder then others (unfortunately, mine was the loudest of the bunch). This is likely due to a combo of things such as slight tolerance variance in manufacture of the clock spring and IMO possibly (I believe in my case), something that could get louder after ownership / use for a while vs. new. All car turn signals have this mechanism, and on most brands, its very quiet to virtually silent. Why Audi uses this particular one that is so audible, is a bad choice. Perhaps, a push with an Audi rep above the heads of the dealership could yield a future fix, but like the member above that had his replaced, right now, replacing will not change the outcome since this is the only part Audi has to replace it with. Overall At this point, I will let it go for now, although one would think the part could be "greased" to help hush it a little. I did not push that this time around, but maybe bring up again at my 10k service.