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Author Topic: 1 small clunk/knock when pulling away? A common lowered A3/MK5 Golf issue?  (Read 2000 times)

Offline TimG

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Firstly Hi, browse on here a bit, but never get round to posting much being on ASN most of the time!

I have had this issue before on my 2003 Polo, after installing coilovers and then doing a few thousand miles and now my A3 has developed it. As I'm pulling away from stationary (just as the clutch bites and the wheels start to pull the car along) I get a pop/ click noise which sounds like its coming from underneath the car somewhere, possibly footwell area or underneath the forward seating area. It is one click/clunk and thats it, until I stop and pull away again. It never happens at speed, just the initial load of pulling away and sometimes braking to a halt.

I've checked all the wheel nuts and they're fine, so its not that (although it kind sounds like it did when I had some loose ones of my previous car!).

I'm wondering if it is the chassis/subframe bolts not being tight enough and allowing some very slight movement when the chassis is placed under strain when pulling away... maybe?

Anyone else experienced this at all? I have heard the MK5 Golf lads complain of similar issue on lowered cars! Its definitely chassis/subframe suspension related I'm sure of that.

Offline alackofspeed

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Re: 1 small clunk/knock when pulling away? A common lowered A3/MK5 Golf issue?
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2011, 08:00:42 pm »
This maybe?


Offline GrayMK5GTI

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Re: 1 small clunk/knock when pulling away? A common lowered A3/MK5 Golf issue?
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2011, 08:22:55 pm »
Mine does this aswell, only when pulling away or driving slowly over a tiny bump :scared: vw couldn't diagnose anything, they said it was probably bottoming out  :grin:

I'm lowered on H&R springs
NOW: 2015 Golf R DSG 5 Door, Lapiz Blue, 19s, Discover Nav, Reversing Camera
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Offline TimG

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Re: 1 small clunk/knock when pulling away? A common lowered A3/MK5 Golf issue?
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2011, 08:24:34 pm »
This maybe?



I found a link to this on E38 a minute ago actually and the noise in the video is similar to what I get, so it might well be this. Gonna try and check my subframe bolts tomorrow see if they are loose at all!

Not sure why fitting coilovers/lowering would suddenly cause this issue though, unless the added stiffness to the chassis has an affect somehow.