Tech Tips

TT 10-07-71 Date: 2007

All Vehicles - Engine Noise Diagnosis Tips

When attempting to diagnose unusual engine noises, it is critical to obtain important information from
the customer who drives the vehicle and, when necessary road test the vehicle with the customer.
This required information includes, but is not limited to the following:

 What does the noise sound like?

 When did the noise first occur?
 How often does the noise occur?
 Does the noise occur when starting the vehicle?
 Does the noise occur at idle?
 Does the noise occur while driving?
 At what speed(s) does the noise occur?
 At what engine RPM does the noise occur?
 Does the noise vary with engine RPMs?
 At what outside temperature does the noise occur?
 At what vehicle temperature does the noise occur?

This is a condensed list that will help guide you to a general area in which to begin your diagnosis.
A valuable tool for diagnosing noise is a setGof chassis ears. As always, after diagnosis, if there are
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights
of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or
reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.
 Cautions & Warnings

Please read these WARNINGS and CAUTIONS before proceeding with maintenance
and repair work. You must answer that you have read and you understand these
WARNINGS and CAUTIONS before you will be allowed to view this information.

•= If you lack the skills, tools and equipment, or a suitable workshop for any procedure described in this manual, we
suggest you leave such repairs to an authorized Volkswagen retailer or other qualified shop. We especially urge
you to consult an authorized Volkswagen retailer before beginning repairs on any vehicle that may still be covered
wholly or in part by any of the extensive warranties issued by Volkswagen.

•= Disconnect the battery negative terminal (ground strap) whenever you work on the fuel system or the electrical
system. Do not smoke or work near heaters or other fire hazards. Keep an approved fire extinguisher handy.

•= Volkswagen is constantly improving its vehicles and sometimes these changes, both in parts and specifications,
are made applicable to earlier models. Therefore, part numbers listed in this manual are for reference only. Always
check with your authorized Volkswagen retailer parts department for the latest information.

•= Any time the battery has been disconnected on an automatic transmission vehicle, it will be necessary to
reestablish Transmission Control Module (TCM) basic settings using the VAG 1551 Scan Tool (ST).

•= Never work under a lifted vehicle unless it is solidly supported on stands designed for the purpose. Do not support
a vehicle on cinder blocks, hollow tiles or other props that may crumble under continuous load. Never work under a
vehicle that is supported solely by a jack. Never work under
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starting the vehicle while you are under it.

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•= Do not attempt to work on your vehicle if you do not feel well. You increase the danger of injury to yourself and
others if you are tired, upset or have taken medicine or any other substances that may impair you or keep you from spec
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being fully alert.

•= Never run the engine unless the work area is well ventilated. Carbon monoxide (CO) kills.
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•= Always observe good workshop practices. Wear goggles when you operate machine tools or work with acid. Wear
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goggles, gloves and other protective clothing whenever the job requires working with harmful substances.
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•= Tie long hair behind your head. Do not wear a necktie, a scarf, loose clothing, or a necklace when you work near
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machine tools or running engines. If your hair, clothing, or jewelry were to get caught in the machinery, severe
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•= Do not re-use any fasteners that are worn or deformed in normal use. Some fasteners are designed to be used
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only once and are unreliable and may fail if used a second time. This includes, but is not limited to, nuts, bolts,
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washers, circlips and cotter pins. Always follow the recommendations in this manual - replace these fasteners with
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© 2002 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without
the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.
Version 1.0
 Cautions & Warnings
•= Illuminate the work area adequately but safely. Use a portable safety light for working inside or under the vehicle.
Make sure the bulb is enclosed by a wire cage. The hot filament of an accidentally broken bulb can ignite spilled
fuel or oil.

•= Friction materials such as brake pads and clutch discs may contain asbestos fibers. Do not create dust by
grinding, sanding, or by cleaning with compressed air. Avoid breathing asbestos fibers and asbestos dust.
Breathing asbestos can cause serious diseases such as asbestosis or cancer, and may result in death.

•= Finger rings should be removed so that they cannot cause electrical shorts, get caught in running machinery, or be
crushed by heavy parts.

•= Before starting a job, make certain that you have all the necessary tools and parts on hand. Read all the
instructions thoroughly; do not attempt shortcuts. Use tools that are appropriate to the work and use only
replacement parts meeting Volkswagen specifications. Makeshift tools, parts and procedures will not make good
repairs.

•= Catch draining fuel, oil or brake fluid in suitable containers. Do not use empty food or beverage containers that
might mislead someone into drinking from them. Store flammable fluids away from fire hazards. Wipe up spills at
once, but do not store the oily rags, which can ignite and burn spontaneously.

•= Use pneumatic and electric tools only to loosen threaded parts and fasteners. Never use these tools to tighten
fasteners, especially on light nalloy
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•= Be mindful of the environment and ecology. Before you drain the crankcase, find out the proper way to dispose of
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the oil. Do not pour oil onto the ground, down a drain, or into a stream, pond, or lake. Consult local ordinances that
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govern the disposal of wastes.

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•= The air-conditioning (A/C) system is filled with a chemical refrigerant that is hazardous. The A/C system should be
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serviced only by trained automotive service technicians using approved refrigerant recovery/recycling equipment,
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trained in related safety precautions, and familiar with regulations governing the discharging and disposal of
automotive chemical refrigerants.
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•= Before doing any electrical welding on vehicles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), disconnect the battery
negative terminal (ground strap) and the ABS control module connector.
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•= Do not expose any part of the A/C system to high temperatures such as open flame. Excessive heat will increase
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system pressure and may cause the system to burst.

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•= When boost-charging the battery, first remove the fuses for the Engine Control Module (ECM), the Transmission
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Control Module (TCM), the ABS control module, and the trip computer. In cases where one or more of these
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•= Some of the vehicles covered by this manual are equipped with a supplemental restraint system (SRS), that
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automatically deploys an airbag in the event of a frontal impact. The airbag is operated by an explosive device.
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Handled improperly or without adequate safeguards, it can be accidentally activated and cause serious personal
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injury. To guard against personal injury or airbag system failure, only trained Volkswagen Service technicians
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Page 2 of 3
© 2002 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without
the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.
Version 1.0
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Cautions & Warnings
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Do not quick-charge the battery (for boost starting) for longer than one minute, and do not exceed 16.5 volts at the

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battery with the boosting cables attached. Wait at least one minute before boosting the battery a second time.

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•= Never use a test light to conduct electrical tests of the airbag system. The system must only be tested by trained

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•= Some aerosol tire inflators are highly flammable. Be extremely cautious when repairing a tire that may have been

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inflated using an aerosol tire inflator. Keep sparks, open flame or other sources of ignition away from the tire repair
area. Inflate and deflate the tire at least four times before breaking the bead from the rim. Completely remove the
tire from the rim before attempting any repair.

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•= When driving or riding in an airbag-equipped vehicle, never hold test equipment in your hands or lap while the
vehicle is in motion. Objects between you and the airbag can increase the risk of injury in an accident.

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Page 3 of 3
© 2002 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without
the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.
Version 1.0