2016 S6 front suspension noise

[DGVR6]

So last week I purchased my S6 with 18 miles on the clock.. it's pretty much brand spanking new.
Just rolled over 200 miles and I'm starting to hear front end creaks on slow turns and bumps.

Is this normal with air suspension? - Granted I already did the 17mm drop via vcds
Anyone else experiencing this?
It's driving me nuts.

[subterFUSE]

On a cold start, it is common for the air suspension to make creaking/squeaking noises while going over bumps until the system warms up.
Happens to me every morning when I pull out of the driveway.

Do the noises go away when your car gets warm?

[bonafyd]

I'm having the same issue even though i'm not on air suspension.. i believe it''s the sway bar links which i'm gonna swap out anyway so i'm dealing with it for now.

[DGVR6]

Seems like it's there to stay even when it's fully warmed up.
I'll go for a ride later today and confirm

[Webtoker]

I have this happen in the morning during the spring / summer seasons. It has done this since I purchased the car.


Calvin

[schaNYC]

I had creaking and even a click (more serious than the creaking I think) heard and felt thru steering column only when making right turns onto a driveway ramp, cold and warmed up. I had this issue serviced last week and the SA said the tech had to do a lot of trial and error. Uninstall and reinstall various parts of the suspension and applying some special paste/putty in the suspension to rid of the noise.

[DGVR6]

SchaNYC, that's exactly what it sounds like... Like a click and creak. Did the dealer find out what was the problem?

[vwblackb5]

Shot in the dark, but did they fully remove all the suspension blocks from shipment? Also, have you tried reverting back to standard height (via VCDS) and see if the noise/frequency of noise changes?

[schaNYC]

SchaNYC, that's exactly what it sounds like... Like a click and creak. Did the dealer find out what was the problem?

I've taken the car in/out of the driveway a few times since and haven't noticed the creak/click so I guess it worked. It seemed more like a maintenance problem than a serious suspension problem, considering they were able to resolve with the application of some paste/putty that's made for suspension parts. It sounded like a simple application almost like adding grease to a creaking joint.

[DGVR6]

Ahh ok thanks.. Did they perform an alignment afterwards? If they did I'll live with it until I need a alignment lol.. Saves me 800$

[DGVR6]

Shot in the dark, but did they fully remove all the suspension blocks from shipment? Also, have you tried reverting back to standard height (via VCDS) and see if the noise/frequency of noise changes?

Actually I'm going to give that a shot first, yep all the blocks are out

[Sssssss5]

Any further noises? I'm experiencing the same thing! Any updates? Thx in advance

[DGVR6]

I still hear it. My SA told me wait to the car breaks in until I go in to investigate what's going on.
I'll update once I do

[audi12345678]

So last week I purchased my S6 with 18 miles on the clock.. it's pretty much brand spanking new.
Just rolled over 200 miles and I'm starting to hear front end creaks on slow turns and bumps.

Is this normal with air suspension? - Granted I already did the 17mm drop via vcds
Anyone else experiencing this?
It's driving me nuts.

I'm having the same problem from the rear in the morning, never had this problem with my a6 with kw coils on them.

[Sssssss5]

Can anyone else chime in? As far as waiting until break in as audi tech suggested...nonsense. I am a second owner of a 2015 s6 with 9k miles on the clock and still experiencing these creaks and clicks from suspension over small curbs. I have not taken car in as of yet...

[Sanjman]

Techs don't listen to people on the forum, you're better following their method of diagnosis

Maybe there's additional stress on the upper strut mount bushing and the struts are maligned?

[Sssssss5]

Techs don't listen to people on the forum, you're better following their method of diagnosis

Maybe there's additional stress on the upper strut mount bushing and the struts are maligned?

My point was that the tech isn't correct here since my car has 9k miles. Also, we have numerous people having the same issue

[Sanjman]

True true. I was answering the OP though. But you should consider taking the car in under warranty first. While the platform is maturing I think we will get our answer if the problem is common enough.

What's worked for me is loosening and retightening all bolts on strut towers and control arms while under load.

What else have you guys done to diagnose the problem? If you can hear the noise bouncing the car I would pull the tire and out that side of the wheel on a jack stand

[DGVR6]

Just to update this, when I did my downpipe install I noticed that one of the bolts from the bulkhead was loose. I literally was able to remove it by hand. When I reinstalled, I torqued everything to spec and the noise went away. Defect from factory ? Weird that it was loose with only 20 miles on the car. So retorque these bolts if you're having this issue

[MadMaxD]

Just to update this, when I did my downpipe install I noticed that one of the bolts from the bulkhead was loose. I literally was able to remove it by hand. When I reinstalled, I torqued everything to spec and the noise went away. Defect from factory ? Weird that it was loose with only 20 miles on the car. So retorque these bolts if you're having this issue

I was about to say this. Common problem for people who had downpipes installed.

[ryanlada]

I was about to say this. Common problem for people who had downpipes installed.

Bulkhead or strut tower brace? I have heard people say that their brace needed to be retightened.

[DGVR6]

Right, strut tower brace sorry