Clicking noise from left front wheel !

[Ramee]

Yesterday early morning I did accelerate my car bit hard in sports mode and I heard a loud thud noise from the left hand side of the car. This happened as soon as I pressed the accelerator and it felt like my haldex suddenly engaged rear drive of the car. It also felt like car got a flat tire but when I checked it soon after it was all fine.

Same day afternoon I noticed car making a very noticeable ticking noise when turning full lock to both left and right and I thought my haldex diff or rear wheel bearing has gone for good and thought that could be the loud thud I heard in the morning. Then I asked a friend to check where sound is coming from and he said ticking noise coming from left front wheel not from the rear.

Any how today morning car appeared to be recover it self not making any ticking noises or thuds ( I tried hard to reproduce it by going full circles and accelerating) but I am very curious what could be the reason for those noises. Also VCDS scan shows all systems normal One of my friend say the thud noise could be ESP kicking in and breaking the wheel but I am not very sure about it.

[Ramee]

Update: Washed the car today afternoon and ticking noise reappeared soon after. But it lasted only at the car wash, drove back home ticking noise gone again! I think it only happens when car is wet.

[tigger73]

I've had a squeak appear when the car/road is wet and goes away when it's dry - sounds like a rubber squeak.

[Ramee]

Found same thing happens to GTI too.



There is a whole thread about it but no clear solution.
http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9964

[MGV]

Maybe completely unrelated, but i often wonder how many times you can use launch control before something goes 'bang'...

[Ramee]

Maybe completely unrelated, but i often wonder how many times you can use launch control before something goes 'bang'...

Lol.. I know the answer! But I can not tell you Top secret!

[tigger73]

Lol.. I know the answer! But I can not tell you Top secret!

Did you get a stick/branch caught up under your car?

[MGV]

Lol.. I know the answer! But I can not tell you Top secret!

Is it less than, or more than 10?

[Ramee]

Is it less than, or more than 10?

Ok I give you a hint it is more than twenty .. So you have 20 chances before "Bang" ..Choose them wisely

Seriously I don't think there is much affect if some one do launch control under stock power levels. Car transmission (DSG) will not let to do launches when it get overheated, I found this happens after two to three continuous launches.
But with tuned power and increase torque we never know.

[Ramee]

Did you get a stick/branch caught up under your car?

Nope.. I wish it was. But now car is fine and running perfectly. I checked the CV joint , wheel bearings they are all good. I noticed some rust around wheel bearing lock nut area and now it is cleaned and greased.

Ok I think I have a theory about thud noise under hard acceleration ( e.g. launches) .When I launch the car it makes wheel squealing( spin) about less than a second time. Also I noticed haldex system engage during this period but it is not synchronised with front wheel engagement. I think when haldex controller detects the front spinning it sends the command to engage the rear drive. I also think there is a sort of power transfer profile in haldex controller which probably calibrated for stock power and torques. But when we boost the power and torque there could be a mismatch creating erratic power transfer to rear and this may also not quick enough to handle torque spikes under tuned conditions.

So probably the answer could be install a performance haldex controller like from HPA.