Your Volkswagen is a piece of prime engineering. It’s a testament to the advances of the modern age made available to the general public. But as with all mechanical devices, even your VW will, at some point, inevitably develop a fault or two.
Strange noises come in all formats, from harmless suspension squeaks to the wince-worthy rattling of an engine with insufficient oil. Remember: you know your specific car better than anyone. If something doesn’t seem right, take no chances and visit a trusted garage.
This article walks you through some of the most common strange noises you might hear from your Volkswagen – and what to do about them.
Squealing from the brakes
Say you hear a squealing or screeching sound when you brake the car to reduce your speed. This most likely indicates a brake pad worn down to a dangerous level. You should get your brakes inspected and replaced immediately.
When you press the brake pedal, a calliper squeezes the brake pads onto the disc, slowing the wheel’s rotation. You should replace the brake pads when they wear down to a depth of 3mm to maintain stopping power. The legal minimum thickness is 1.6mm.
Manufacturers incorporate a metal plate into the brake pads at around 1.6mm. It makes a terrible sound as the metal scrapes against the metal of your brake disc. This is an audible signal to the driver that you must change your pads immediately – they’re dangerously worn down.
Vibration sounds at all speeds
You might encounter vibrations all through the car, no matter your speed. The most likely cause is an engine misfire. You’ll need a technician to diagnose the faulty component and replace it as soon as possible.
Internal combustion engines work through a mixture of fuel, air and a combustion trigger. Pistons rise up and down inside the cylinders in the engine block. When Volkswagen designed and built your car, they carefully timed each piston to ensure all the forces balanced out. This creates a relatively quiet, vibration-free running sound.
But a cylinder could stop consistently producing power, known as a misfire. A misfire involves problems with one or more of the air/fuel mixture delivery or spark plug (the latter being the most likely).
The misfire puts the entire engine block out of balance. This could be the vibration you’re feeling through the car.
Technicians may also check for a broken engine mount. The engine mounts suspend the engine in the engine bay, keeping it away from the chassis to further reduce vibrations.
Vibration sounds at 60 mph
The most likely cause of vibration sounds at about 60 mph and faster is unbalanced wheels. This will almost certainly be accompanied by physical vibrations through the steering wheel. You should take your Volkswagen for wheel balance checking and adjustments.
Your wheels are made of metal. Although manufacturers construct them to stringent standards, no wheel is perfectly circular and balanced. Once a mechanic fits a tyre, there’s even further potential reason for imbalance. In other words, as the wheel turns, it wobbles.
As such, technicians always ‘balance’ your wheels using a tyre balancer machine before fitting them to your car. They attach weights at the prescribed points to counter the imbalances until the wheel spins without any noticeable wobbling.
Over time, these weights naturally come loose, so you might need tyre rebalancing to get rid of that vibration feeling. A technician can do this for you using their specialist machines.
Whining while turning
If you hear a whining noise when turning your steering wheel, it’s almost certainly your power steering pump. A technician will need to remove the pump, assess it and replace it if necessary.
Without power steering, turning your steering wheel would be an extremely strenuous task. A power steering pump uses a clever hydraulic system to help you turn the wheels. If the pump starts whining, it’s a sign that it’s starting to fail.
These days, most cars have electric power steering instead of hydraulic. These have no pump and although the concept is similar, the system is quite different.
Banging sounds from under the bonnet
One of the most alarming sounds on this list, a banging sound from under the bonnet of your VW most likely means a broken engine or gearbox mount. Whatever the cause, you should take your car to a mechanic immediately. If you don’t feel safe driving, call a mobile technician or organise a tow truck to take your vehicle to your trusted garage.
Engine and gearbox mounts keep these mechanical components away from direct contact with your car’s chassis, making it a much quieter, more comfortable ride for you inside the cabin.
When one or more of these mounts break, the combined engine and gearbox assembly shifts. Even if it’s a slight shift, such a large metal object can make a significant thunk. On that note, you’re more likely to notice that banging sound when the engine experiences a substantial change in force, such as shifting in lower gears or suddenly accelerating.
Once a technician identifies the problem, they’ll simply replace the mount.
Sunset VW in Derby is here for you
As we mentioned at the top of this page, you should trust your gut. If something’s changed (like a new noise) or seems worse than it was before, head to a garage you trust. Sunset VW is just that.
Situated in Derby, our friendly team is delighted to help Volkswagen drivers of all backgrounds and experience levels. We’re committed to providing an experience you trust, ensuring we recommend only work that really needs doing and striving to keep the cost to a minimum. We’ll explain everything as simply as possible, always treating everyone with respect, courtesy, kindness and a big smile.
If you’re experiencing strange noises from your VW, don’t delay; bring your car in today for an honest assessment. We’ll make sure you stay safe on the roads.