Driver's side front suspension issue.

tagscuderia

Member
Bought an A2 a couple of weeks back, serviced and MOT'd and also had the Audi dealer "complimentary health check." Only flags are rear tyres with 2.2mm tread and 80% worn front bake pads. Everything else (apart from my other thread regards a creaking dash)... big thumbs up!
Well, almost; I'm pretty sure that there's a fault with the driver's side front suspension:
when it goes over a speed-bump/pot-hole it makes a loud knock. It's the only corner to do so -- took going over some split speed-bumps to realise. I think that it's the spring running out of travel but why only that one? Any ideas/help appreciated because I did report it to the garage that I bought her from and I still have the warranty.
Cheers, much appreciated.

P.S, it's not every hole in the road and going slowly over speed-bumps helps but there's definitely something amiss.
 
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To me it sounds like the ARB bushes as on the earlier models they had a plastic collar that slides out of the bush and then allows the bar to knock.

Phil
 
Googled rather than searched this forum and came across an almost identical post (on here), their issue was the drop-link. However, I then found post after post regards the roll-bar itself and the bushes (with identical symptoms) so it looks like I'll be contacting the garage -- should be fun because they weren't too pleased when I asked them to re-aling the door that was hanging off! Service with a smile as they say.
Regards,
Tom.
 
Phoned my local Audi dealer this morning that had carried out a 'complimentary health check' and low and behold... they'd failed to tell me that the ARB and bushes "require urgent attention!" That is disgraceful in my mind, instead they focussed on the tread depth -- when I picked the car up.
Also worrying is that the car was serviced and MOT'd as part of the purchase agreement with the garage, quite how they missed it also? Had a tough first 2 months of A2 ownership...

N.B, Audi's computer system was having issues when I picked the car up so they couldn't print the results out. Instead they had the script that the technician had used and read that out. They were meant to have emailed it but that didn't happen, hence my follow-up call this morning.
 
nice dodge of them wasnt it?

ARB and drop links are the soft spots on the chassis.

what miles are on it?

Should I look to get the drop links replaced also? No stone left unturned and all that. Very disappointed by the dealer, they did at least give her a good clean...
48352 miles, 53 plate. Had quite a few owners, some more careful than others it seems. Wasn't looking for a color.storm having only seen them in red/yellow but I've really come around, blue with 17s plus OpenSky, looks good!
 
Well I put the car in under warranty and she's fixed... albeit the garage replaced the OSF shock and the mounting -- they feel that it was probably the mounting.
I've complained to Audi regards the lax customer service and they've agreed to take another 'complimentary' look at the ARB. I'm wondering if Audi have marked it "requires urgent attention" simply because it's the old/defective ARB?
The garage that I bought her from checked the ARB and drop-links so it'll be interesting to see what Audi come back!
 
its like having one new leg.
Ones worn out and one is brand new.
They should and I would always replace in pairs
 
Audi dealers really have not improved - same old shoddy service !

I refuse to go near one (except for the odd part).

I too have this issue with the passenger side - and have been planning on taking a look and fixing it myself. Can anyone post any pictures of where / what I should be look at (drop links and bushes)

Cheers
Jon
 
Audi dealers really have not improved - same old shoddy service !

I refuse to go near one (except for the odd part).

I've since had Audi take another look (different team supposedly) and they're adamant that the ARB needs replacing! Only thing is that they missed the broken/damaged suspension mount 1st time around so how much faith do I put in them?
When I had the mount changed I was sure from threads on here that it was the ARB so the garage checked it, they think that it's fine -- add to that the fact that it was serviced and MOTd by an independent garage before I picked her up... but then they missed the damaged mount, man I hate garages, I'm between a rock and a hard place now! Indecision.
 
You could go visit Mike (Skipton01), he is a little east of Manchester so quite close to you. He would be able to give you a second (or should that be third?) opinion.
 
I was going to say the same thing. With regauards the ARB why would this need to be replaced ? is it damaged ?? as this would only need the bushes replacing. I replaced the hole bar and bushes when i did my Koni FSD's a couple of years back and yes the new bar is different to the old bar but it only has ow got collars that sit next to the bushes but i wouldn't have replaced the bar if i didn't get such a fab deal through work on the ARB

Drop Mike a PM to see how his work load is as i know he was very busy over the Olympics, it will be worth the trip i traveled over from Cleethorpes to Mike to do a couple of jobs for me his work is second to none

Phil
 
Reeper - I have a 52 plate 1.4 petrol, I had a service and a new spring put on front a few months ago, Ever since i had the knocking. would putting a spring on cause the ARB plastic bush problem as ill be getting another service soon and ill mention it. Also would it cost much to rectify ? Cheers
 
the ARB bushes can be seen if it is not in the right place, causing a knock. Otherwise, the aged rubber bushes in the drop links can cause a knock and it is not uncommon to replace them on many cars. I had a front knock before although I was defeated by a stubborn nut on the droplink, I tightened everything up and ready to go to a garage. Only to find the knocking never came back and I'm still with a pair of brand new drop links!
 
Sounds to me like the two might be related then, if this only started when you had a spring replaced? Did they do that work properly?


Reeper - I have a 52 plate 1.4 petrol, I had a service and a new spring put on front a few months ago, Ever since i had the knocking. would putting a spring on cause the ARB plastic bush problem as ill be getting another service soon and ill mention it. Also would it cost much to rectify ? Cheers
 
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