Does anybody know where this noise is coming from? (Video)

Reposting here since I’ve had no luck anywhere else (video in Reddit post)
https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfGTI/co...is_noise_is_or_where/?st=JDBRTCIN&sh=96680515

Does anybody know where this noise is coming from?

For over a year now, every single time I accelerate from a stop, a metal on metal slide then click noise occurs under the drivers seat which appears to be coming from the track area of the left side (manual seats). I always thought it was that darn penny stuck under the track until one day I finally got it out and the noise still occurred. I’ve stuck everything you can imagine up, in, and under the track and nothing came out. Today I finally removed the entire seat out of the car. To my surprise when I would tilt the seat, NOTHING! I then stuck my hands under the carpet cut outs where the rail goes and nothing is there! Where the heck is the noise coming from? After reinstalling the seat, the noise still occurrs.

The noise is absolutely 100% in the cabin near the left seat rail. Sometimes you can even feel the little ping sound it makes vibrate through the seat. It’s also not coming from the door.

You can hear the noise occur at around **34 seconds** and again at **48 seconds** in this clip I just recorded.

Does anybody have a clue as to what the heck this sound is? It’s driving me nuts. Even the lightest accelerations cause it to click. I’m thinking when the dealer replaced my headliner a year ago, they dropped a screw and now it’s sitting in a small metal void just sliding up and down every time I accelerate. The question is, where is this void?

Any insight is appreciated. Been trying to solve this for a year. It drives me absolutely nuts having to hear it every time I accelerate.

It’s a long shot but there are some plastic panels on either side under the car held on by 10mm captive nuts, they’re easy to remove, take the left one off as it could be a stone or something trapped in there, I had a similar issue that caused a rattle/clunk noise, also have you tried tapping/wiggling/shaking everything to try and reproduce the noise? Also try ratcheting the seat up or down to a different height to see if it changes the noise, or maybe (I’ve just remembered) having a very similar noise that was the seat back hinge area clicking which was solved with some spray grease applied to the hinge/adjuster area accessed from the rear footwell, I then wound the seat back back and forth using the knob on the side, it cured it completely! It happened on acceleration due to being pushed into the seat back! Failing that maybe get someone else to drive while you listen closely from the back to pinpoint the location.


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This thread may also help! I’ve not looked through it for a mention of a similar noise though,
The GTI Rattle and solution thread
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...om/forums/showthread.php?t=27122&share_type=t


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when you removed the seat, were the screws that mounted the rails to the frame of the floor tight?

uglybastard said:

when you removed the seat, were the screws that mounted the rails to the frame of the floor tight?

Click to expand...

Yup. It’s not those. It’s something metal rolling on metal. 100% in the car. Starting to pull back the carpeting and still can’t find the source even when shoving my hands under the carpeting.

flygti98 said:

Yup. It’s not those. It’s something metal rolling on metal. 100% in the car. Starting to pull back the carpeting and still can’t find the source even when shoving my hands under the carpeting.

Click to expand...

Use a telescopic magnet! I found a second locking wheel nut key/adapter in mine under the carpet after I bought it, i think the previous owner stashed it there.


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Maybe something in the rear footwell vent outlet?


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flygti98 said:

Yup. It’s not those. It’s something metal rolling on metal. 100% in the car. Starting to pull back the carpeting and still can’t find the source even when shoving my hands under the carpeting.

Click to expand...

What position are the seats in here? Full up or down (making you tall or shorter...) ? Wonder if you have a bused support bracket there? Really werid. I'd look in the door panel too. Pretty easy to do, just be patient with the door clips

Due to having a strange knocking at low speed on uneven surfaces I’ve also been chasing noises in my gti, I thought the knocking/tapping was the front sway bar links (it matched that noise exactly) or top mounts, in fact I was convinced it was the top mounts once I changed the end links without resolution as the noise 100% seemed to be coming from the base of the A pillar, I finally 2 days ago realised it was the seat, I partially removed the seat without unplugging the air bag and tightened the couple of torx screws underneath, I sprayed a little lithium grease on every moving joint then removed the plastic panel behind the ratchet handle, several of the screws behind it were rather loose! I tightened them all, sprayed more grease on every last moving part then re installed the seat whilst prying the seat runners towards each other so as to “tighten them” while I did the floor bolts up, the seat no longer makes any noise and is as solid as it must have been when new! I’ve chased all the noises squeaks and rattles out of my car and it is now super quiet! I can confirm though that not one of the noises was coming from where it sounded like it was, hope you find it soon as I know just how much these noise can bug you if you can’t locate it.


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uglybastard said:

What position are the seats in here? Full up or down (making you tall or shorter...) ? Wonder if you have a bused support bracket there? Really werid. I'd look in the door panel too. Pretty easy to do, just be patient with the door clips

Click to expand...

2 pumps away from being all the way down. Still hear the noise no matter the position. Starting to think it's not the seat hence I removed it and everything is tight. Could be the door panel. Might check there soon.

Carlosfandango said:

Due to having a strange knocking at low speed on uneven surfaces I’ve also been chasing noises in my gti, I thought the knocking/tapping was the front sway bar links (it matched that noise exactly) or top mounts, in fact I was convinced it was the top mounts once I changed the end links without resolution as the noise 100% seemed to be coming from the base of the A pillar, I finally 2 days ago realised it was the seat, I partially removed the seat without unplugging the air bag and tightened the couple of torx screws underneath, I sprayed a little lithium grease on every moving joint then removed the plastic panel behind the ratchet handle, several of the screws behind it were rather loose! I tightened them all, sprayed more grease on every last moving part then re installed the seat whilst prying the seat runners towards each other so as to “tighten them” while I did the floor bolts up, the seat no longer makes any noise and is as solid as it must have been when new! I’ve chased all the noises squeaks and rattles out of my car and it is now super quiet! I can confirm though that not one of the noises was coming from where it sounded like it was, hope you find it soon as I know just how much these noise can bug you if you can’t locate it.


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Click to expand...

Yeah it really sucks. It's either in the door (which I don't think), the seat, or below the carpeting. I'm getting ready to pay the dealer to locate it because it's driving me absolutely nuts.