Wondering if you have a worn Audi driveshaft or center support bearing? This troubleshooting guide can help to determine the key symptoms if you have an Audi quattro driveshaft (a.k.a. Audi propeller shaft) or center support bearing problem and if it's in need of removal and replacement. There are also several key driveshaft parts that can fail. The parts needed to repair your Audi driveshaft or center support bearing are also described in this article.
How to Diagnose the Symptoms of a Worn Audi Driveshaft or Center Support Bearing
Symptom 1: A high pitch whining coming from the center underside of the car. The high pitch noise varies with vehicle speed. Lower pitched at slow speeds and higher pitched at fast speeds. It may even begin to make a screeching noise; especially when driven in cold conditions.
Repair Solution: To determine the cause of the noise put the vehicle up on a repair shop post lift with all four wheels off the ground. Driving the vehicle on lift and using a stethoscope, confirm that the noise is coming from the Audi center support bearing area (see image below). If it is, replace the Audi center support bearing.
Symptom 2: Quattro driveshaft vibration is felt from the center underside of the car, especially when straight line accelerating. Much of the shudder is felt through the shift lever upon acceleration. The shudder worsens when taking off from a stop sign and smoothes out somewhat when the car gains speed and/or when you let off the gas pedal.
Repair Solution: 1) Make sure the vehicle is turned off and in park. Inspect the Audi center support bearing. Has the rubber that surrounds the middle of the bearing separated from the bearing bracket? If the rubber has separated from the bracket, replacement of the center support bearing in needed. 2) At the driveshaft yoke in the middle of the driveshaft you'll see the universal joint. Grab the front half and the rear half of the driveshaft with your hands. Twisting from side to side, see if there is any play in the Audi universal joint. If there is, replacement of the Audi universal joint is necessary.
Symptom 3: Quattro driveshaft vibration is felt from the center underside of the car, especially when turning a corner from a stop sign. This shudder can also be felt through the shift lever when first taking off from the stop sign.
Repair Solution: Make sure the vehicle is turned off and in park. Inspect the front driveshaft CV joint (located on the end of the driveshaft where it connects to the tailshaft of the transmission - see picture below). Grab the driveshaft with one hand and the outer cage of the front CV joint in the other, twisting from side to side to see if there is any play. If you detect any play in the CV joint, replacement is necessary. Due to the close proximity of the front driveshaft CV joint to the catalytic converters, the grease in the CV joint cage hardens and looses its ability to lubricate. This lack of lubrication accelerates wear on the driveshaft CV joint. When lubrication is lacking, the joint will begin to bind during acceleration when engine torque flex occurs. This driveshaft torque flex is magnified when turning your Audi left or right.
Symptom 4: Quattro driveshaft clanks near the hand e-brake area. This occurs on acceleration or deceleration.
Repair Solution: Make sure the vehicle is turned off and in park. Inspect the Audi center support bearing. Has the rubber that surrounds the middle of the bearing separated from the bearing bracket? If the rubber has separated from the bracket, replacement of the center support bearing is needed.
Symptom 5: Quattro driveshaft has loose rattling noise coming from the underside of the car. This noise sounds like loose pocket change that would be jiggling around in your pockets. You'll hear this noise as you transverse the gears, upshifting between 1st and 3rd gear. This noise also occurs at deceleration when you let off the gas pedal and slow down.
Repair Solution: Make sure the vehicle is turned off and in park. Inspect the front driveshaft CV joint (located on the end of the driveshaft where it connects to the tailshaft of the transmission - see picture below). Grab the driveshaft with one hand and the outer cage of the front CV joint in the other, twisting from side to side to see if there is any play. If you detect any play in the CV joint, replacement is necessary. Due to the close proximity of the front driveshaft CV joint to the catalytic converters, the grease in the CV joint cage hardens and looses its ability to lubricate. This lack of lubrication accelerates wear on the driveshaft CV joint. When lubrication is lacking, the joint will begin to bind during acceleration when engine torque flex occurs. This driveshaft torque flex is magnified when turning your Audi left or right.
Audi Driveshaft Related Repair Parts
Repairing an Audi quattro driveshaft will save you 100's of dollars over installing the entire new Audi driveshaft assembly. In most cases the main driveshaft is in good structual condition. Its typically only the connecting parts that begine to wear and fail. The most important driveshaft parts needed to respair your driveshaft, are the Audi center support bearing, Audi driveshaft CV joints, driveshaft CV boots, clamps, hardware, and CV joint grease.
Audi Quattro Driveshaft Shaft Repair Kits (a.k.a. Audi Propeller Shaft):
DEPENDS ON APPLICATION
Audi Quattro Driveshaft Center Support Bearing
Audi Driveshaft CV Joints (located on the end of the driveshaft)
Audi Driveshaft CV Joint Gaskets
Audi Driveshaft CV Joint Boots
Audi Driveshaft CV Joint Boot Clamps
Audi Driveshaft U-Joint
Audi Driveshaft U-Joint Grease Zerk (depending on model)
Audi High Performance Moly Grease
Audi Quattro Driveshaft Bolts
'We Care' Audi Center Support Bearing Installation Tips
Audi Driveshaft Center Support Bearing
Most times the quattro driveshaft can make it to beyond 200,000 miles and in most cases its only the center support bearing that needes to be replaced. All Audi quattro driveshafts are made up of 2 sections. Where the 2 sections joint together is the location of the Audi center support bearing. This Audi center support bearing allows for flex in the driveshaft. This Audi driveshaft flex occurs during acceleration and deceleration of a vehicle (a.k.a. driveshaft torque flex). By allowing the driveshaft to flex the Audi center support bearing greatly reduces stress on other related transmission and driveline components.
Repairing an Audi quattro driveshaft with our kit will save you 100's of dollars over installing the entire new Audi driveshaft assembly. Our Audi driveshaft (a.k.a. Audi propeller shaft) repair kits include all the driveshaft parts needed, such as the Audi center support bearing, Audi driveshaft CV joints, driveshaft CV boots, clamps, hardware, and grease. Wondering how to replace an Audi quattro driveshaft? When using the proper procedures and techniques, repairing an Audi driveshaft isn't as difficult as you think. When you purchase one of our center support bearings, Blauparts® is ready to share over 27 years of Audi quattro driveshaft repair service experience to help you out!
PRODUCT UPDATE RELEASE
June 19th, 2013
The Following Have All Been Discontinued Effectively Immediately: Audi Vw Center Driveshaft Repair Kits Audi Vw Center Support Bearings Audi Vw Center Driveshaft End Joints
Due to issues associated with supplier quality and the technical repair challenges experienced by customers Blauparts has discontinued the sale of all Audi and Vw center driveshaft repair kits, center support bearings, and driveshaft end joints effective immediately.
Supplier Quality Issues: Blauparts is a values based company. We care about our customers and desire complete customer satisfaction with the repair kits we offer. The decision to discontinue these products was primarily prompted by our former suppliers and manufacturers inability to supply us with consistent OEM quality components that meet our high standards. Our Quality Assurance Department consistently intercepted driveshaft components that were out of tolerance and the supply chain was no longer deemed reliable.
Technical Installation Issues: 1) Variables in center driveshafts within a particular model year. There are various u-joint designs within a specific model year and vehicle application, making it difficult for the customer to receive the correct u-joint on their first order. 2) The proper disassembly and reassembly procedures associated with Audi Vw 4motion quattro driveshaft repair is crucial and requires advanced mechanical skills and equipment. Customers were often unable to use the correct tools and techniques to install and reassemble the center drive shaft components correctly (e.g. the center u-joint and center support bearing). This led to driveshaft vibration after reinstallation. Please find the attached PDF document describing the proper disassembly and reassembly procedures.
Blauparts' Recommendation To Customers Experiencing Quattro Driveshaft Issues: We recommend paying the big money and purchasing a completely assembled genuine OE driveshaft for seamless repair. The Audi Vw driveshafts are complex in nature and the only reliable replacement option is the dealer. Completely assembled aftermarket driveshaft are available, however, they may have inferior quality components mounted on them similar to the quality issues we experienced with our former driveshaft component suppliers.
We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause our customers. As a goodwill offer, please contact our Sales or Customer Service Department and mention this Product Update to receive a special discount on a future order with us (offer valid on 1 order only).
As a long-time European car enthusiast, Huri has been raised in and worked around the automotive industry his entire life. His earliest childhood memories were spent after school sitting on a stool at the family shop (i.e., Blauparts, Blaufergnugen Inc.). There he'd spend his time watching and observing...
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