[raehrlich]

I need assistance diagnosing a blower fan like noise on a 2004 VW Beetle 2.0 Liter Gas with 177k miles.

Here are some of the symptoms and things I have tried to isolate the problem.

1

. Its sounds like a blower fan that is starting to go out. It not loud, it just more annoying than anything…. But I don’t think it’s the blower fan.

2. The noise appears to be coming from inside the dashboard.

3. When the car is in park and the blower is turn on, there is no noise other than what one would expect from the blower fan.

4. When in park' changing the blower fan speed doesn’t seem to cause the noise.

5. If I rev the engine while in park, there is no noise.

6. When driving, with or without the blower fan running, you hear the noise.

7. The faster you drive the higher the pitch but it doesn’t get any louder.

8. While driving at any speed, if you put the car in neutral, the noise persists.

9. While in Drive but stopped (say at a stop light), there is no noise.

10. The speedometer appears to be working as expected and it does not jump around or anything.

11. The Odometer appears to be working correctly too.

12. There are no check engine lights or any indication that the car has sensed a problem.​

Kindly make suggestions or other troubleshooting steps I should try.

Thank you...

 

[billymade]

Sounds like a tough one to figure out; would you mind, making good a video with your portable device? Once you upload it; then, maybe we can help by hearing the noise you are describing?


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[raehrlich]

Audio/Video Upload

Here is a youtube link to the video/audio of the noise. The car is going about 55 miles hour at the start of the video and then slows down to make a right turn. You can hear the roar of
the noise I'm trying to diagnose. The pitch appears to go down as the car slows. Note: The audio actually makes the noise appear louder than it actually is.

http://youtu.be/Uy2UFE1oc_c

 

[billymade]

Well, it sounds specific; to the rotation of the drivetrain. Wheel bearings; are the first thing, that comes to mind. You might isolate the wheels; by jacking them up, put the car on jack stands and spin the wheels by hand or put the car in gear. Most of the time; this will make it pretty obvious, if a wheel bearing is failing. IF you take it to a shop; they can put it on a lift and try to isolate the sound, that way too. Wheel bearing failure; is pretty common on the Mark IV Volkswagens. At my brothers shop; we have replaced front and rear wheel bearings. At 177k; the wheel bearings would be past due to be replaced for what seems to be their typical life span and if they were originals, that would be impressive, they lasted that long!

If that is your problem; get high quality replacements, like oe *** or aftermarket high quality like Timken. You will need a special socket; I bought a Lisle 39510 - Axle Nut Socket 30mm 12 point and it did the job.

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...q=Lisle+39510+-+Axle+Nut+Socket+30mm+12+point

Diy: bearing replacement:

How to replace your MkIV's front wheel bearings - TDIClub Forums

Rear axle bearing re & re 'how to' - TDIClub Forums

 

[alg]

On my 2004 2.0 bugcar that was exactly the symptom for a bad front wheel bearing.

Have someone ride next to the car (in another car or motorcycle) while its moving at least 20 mph. One side of the car will have a lot of noise, and they should be able to tell you which wheel the sound is coming from.

In my case, the wheel sounded fine when it spun up on jackstands but by the time you hit 20 or more, it started to howl.

 

[raehrlich]

Well, I finally decided to take the vehicle to an Indy mechanic for their analysis. They indicated that the sound is the transmission bearings. It would be a very expensive job to correct. They test drove it and felt the transmission is working fine at the moment. I could get 10,000, 20,000, 40,000 more miles out of it, or it could fail tomorrow. We both agreed it would be best to drive it until it fails.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

 

[billymade]

Did they say; the differential bearings? I think; I might get a second opinion, at a shop that specializes in Volkswagens. What kind of shop; did the diagnosis?

IIt probably wouldn't hurt to change the transmission gear oil; you could see what it looks like and see if there are any metal shavings or pieces in it, when it comes out. This could help with the diagnosis of the transmission. When I had bearing issues with mine; I saw metal shavings (kinda looked like metallic paint) and when I opened up the trans, the bearings showed wear.

If its the wheel bearings; it isn't terribly expensive and it is a common problem, especially considering your miles.

 

[raehrlich]

A second opinion is always a good idea. I took it to a reputable Indy shop that works almost exclusively on German cars. I bring my BMW there and I've found them to be trustworthy. If they were really trying to BS me, they would have pushed me to replace the transmission now instead of telling me I could probably drive it for the next 10K, 20K, or 40K before it has real troubles.