Droning noise from left front

_Kaiser_

Evening all,

So driving down the motorway this morning and I start hearing a low-pitched whine/droning noise from what sounds like the front left of the car (05 Audi A6).

Luckily I was almost at my destination, so thinking I must have gotten a puncture I pulled into the next garage and checked but everything seemed ok. Pressures were good and nothing obviously amiss. To double check I bought it to a nearby tyre place and they stuck it up on a lift and had a look but again everything seems OK.

Their thoughts were that maybe a bearing is going but there doesn't seem to be any other symptoms or effects save for this noise that gets progressively louder from about 30 km/h onwards - but not to the point of being deafening either.. You'd know something sounds off is probably the best description.

So, any thoughts as to what's going on and how much it's likely to cost me? I've to drive back tomorrow too so hopefully it's nothing too serious

Any thoughts appreciated.. Cheers!

corkgsxr

Leave the wife at home.







(Probably a bearing alright.)

_Kaiser_

corkgsxr wrote: »

Leave the wife at home.

Yep, I laughed.. Loud

(Probably a bearing alright.)

Expensive fix do you reckon? Safe to drive home on in the meantime if so?

dooroy

Probably a bearing and if it has just become noticeable should be fine for return journey . They can go on for quite a while .
If you can find a quiet stretch of straight road swing a bit from side to side - see if the noise changes . If its a bearing the noise will probably change as the weight is transferred from one side to the other .
You could also check your tyres - certain wear patterns can cause such noises . I know 2 people who had bearings changed and it turned out to be the tyres .
Not sure of the cost as I do my own repairs .

Waterson

If its a front wheel bearing, from memory they come mounted into a hub housing, negating the need for laborious hydraulic pressing and removal from the existing hub. A spurious bearing maybe set you back E100-E150 depending on brand. A couple of hours labour maximum.

Saruman

I once had a whining noise on a car. Turned out it was the turbo (diesel).
That ended in catastrophic failure and selling the car for scrap.

hamburg

Waterson wrote: »

If its a front wheel bearing, from memory they come mounted into a hub housing, negating the need for laborious hydraulic pressing and removal from the existing hub. A spurious bearing maybe set you back E100-E150 depending on brand. A couple of hours labour maximum.

you are correct,these are held into the hub housing by 4 spline head bolts,but the hub itself has to be pressed off the old bearing and pressed onto the new one. i done one about 3 months ago and when i got the 4 bolts out it was seized into the hub housing. loads of wd40 and swearing plus bateing fcuk out of it from behind(gearbox side of hub) and it eventually fell out. i put a smear of copper grease around the new bearing housing when i refitted it to stop a repeat of all that grief.:mad:

Moanin

dooroy wrote: »

You could also check your tyres - certain wear patterns can cause such noises . I know 2 people who had bearings changed and it turned out to be the tyres .
Not sure of the cost as I do my own repairs .

Ditto. I had this on my old Passat and when I replaced the tyres noise gone.

pablo128

Moanin wrote: »

Ditto. I had this on my old Passat and when I replaced the tyres noise gone.

My auld lad had it on a pair of tyres once. It took a lot of head scratching before I figured it out. It sounded exactly like a wheel bearing. It looked like each individual block on the tyre had worn at a different rate. Bizarre stuff.