You have the video set to Private. We cannot watch/listen to it.

 

Your video didn't work for me, but anyway, how about getting the wheels off the ground (jack stands) and then listening for it while the wheels turn in the air. You might need to remove the wheels, then disconnect the drive shafts (one at a time) until you find what stops the noise. Hopefully nothing wrong with the final drive ring gear!

 

Thanks for thinking along.

After replacing the tires, we tried rotating and jerking the wheels to see whether anything unusual in terms of the bearings could be identified - without any luck. Haven't tried removing the wheels/disconnecting the drive shafts, for which I would have to visit a garage. I presume a driveshaft would be able to cause a seemingly lateralized noise (and hopefully the final drive ring gear doesn't!)? Do the drive shafts rotate at the same speed as the tires, even when in neutral?

 

Sorry about that. Should be public now.

 

Hi All,

Just bought a 2002 Passat V6 (GLS 4motion, automatic and tiptronic transmission). This forum has already been extremely helpful to me, for replacing the PCV system for instance, so I thought I'd give it a try to see whether anyone can help me explain this weird sound I'm hearing. The sound is best described maybe as nagging, at the rate of wheel rotation. It seems to come from the passenger side, in the front (but that's maybe because it's relative to the driver's position). I have tried to record it:

https://youtu.be/Uxjzw2LfaWI

To be more specific:
- You will only hear it when driving forwards (not backwards);
- It is present when rolling forwards in neutral;
- Hitting the breaks will not make it go away;
- It is related to drive speed, and not engine speed (shifting gears won't change the sound's rate);
- The sound is likely not due to tire weariness as it remained after I replaced the tires.

Also, not sure whether the bearings are the culprit either. The wheels have little sidewards play. And the sound doesn't get worse/better when cornering or going uphill/downhill for instance. Moreover, it seems - I haven't driven the car that much yet - that the sound appears when the engine is warm. That is, usually won't hear it the first minutes after starting.

Best regards,
Arjen

Didn't hear a thing but jeez, do I ever enjoy watching a Passat wagon drive by.

 

Haha, now try with your eyes closed. You'll need to crank up the volume a bit to hear it.

 

The symptoms I'm experiencing are highly similar to those described here: http://www.passatworld.com/forums/v...b5-discussion/359388-roaring-whirring-sound-front-drivetrain-help-diagnose.html

"The sound is similar to what I recall a bad wheel bearing sounds like, it is a “roaring” or “whirring” sound that sometimes has a slight oscillating rhythm and is fully road speed dependent. The noise starts about 20mph and increases at highway speeds. It makes no difference if the clutch is engaged or dis-engaged, or if I put it in neutral while coasting, the sound remains the same. It is somewhat similar to tire noise but louder, there is no change when transitioning from rough surface to fresh new asphalt.

My transmission seems to shift very smooth, I don’t feel vibration in the gear-shift, I don’t notice much, if any, change in the noise intensity based on drivetrain load vs. coasting or turning. I suspected the transmission although when I stomp on the accelerator on the highway really stressing the gears it doesn’t seem to intensify significantly if any.

...

The reason I am second guessing the noise to be a wheel bearing(s) is because when I jacked it up and spun the wheel, it seemed to roll fairly smooth and quiet where as my previous experience with bad wheel bearings was that free spinning them like this felt like the bearings were packed with gravel."

With the difference being that my sound is definitely oscillatory, and maybe with a higher pitch. In that previous case, replacing the front wheel bearings did the trick. Maybe I should give that a try as well.

 

I have a similar car with a similar noise. It started spontaneously as I was driving down the road one evening. I have been unable to identify it, but have concluded that it is related to 1/brakes, maybe splash shield or rotor; 2/RS axel; or 3/wheel bearing. I suspect there is something not quite right with the axel. Another tiresome axel problem, most likely. It will be come more apparent, or not. I'm content to ignore it for now. The car is old and given to making the odd rude noise, just like me.

 

Thanks, Bill, for sharing. I've browsed the forum, but couldn't identify an identical issue, so this is comforting in a way. From what the previous owner mentioned, it seems this also comes and goes. I've noticed it consistently during the few times I've driven the car, and have the impression it starts after a couple of minutes usually, perhaps when the drive train / axle parts are at operating temperature (for unclear reason). Not sure if I'll ever be able to ignore it. :/ Was hoping someone at PW would have experienced the same issue, and found a solution or an idea where it could be coming from. I don't have the specific tools needed for this kind of maintenance (e.g. extracting the wheel bearings) and rather not walk into a garage without having a more clear idea (i.e. with the wallet wide-open).

 

Replacing the (rear) drive/propeller shaft seems to have solved it. Found a second hand online for $166. It's not clear to me what exactly about the original drive shaft was wrong, as it didn't show any play as one would be expect will a failed bearing.

Next challenge, an engine light with 2 fault codes:
16539 Oxygen (Lambda) Sensor B2 S1: Heating Circuit, P0155 - 35-10 - Malfunction - Intermittent
16805 Warm Up Catalyst: Bank 1, P0421 - 35-00 - Efficiency Below Threshold

Clearly, this is related to the catalytic converter and sensor circuit. Anyone an idea where and how to start disentangling the critical components? Perhaps, the drive shaft replacement, incl. taking off the exhaust system, might play a role here. The fault code, however, came on after an hour driving.