A4021242016453_4

40 Clacking noise from front upper suspension or the bushings are torn
40 21 24 2016453/4 April 21, 2021. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 40 number 10-08 dated July
15, 2010 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)
Year
VIN Range
Vehicle-Specific Equipment
All
2002 - 2016
All
Not Applicable
Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision
Date
Purpose
4
-
Revised header (Added Models/Model Years)
Revised Service (Updated information)
Revised Warranty (These models are out of warranty)
Revised Additional Information (Added reference)
3
07/15/2010
Revised header (Correcting TSB display in Elsa)
2
10/30/2008
Revised Title to include Repair Group
Customer states:
 Clacking or clunking noise coming from front suspension area.
Technical Background
The front upper link(s) bushing is worn or torn.
No vehicle stability issues are associated with this concern.
Production Solution
Not applicable.
Page 1 of 5
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Service
Inspect Front Upper Link Suspension
Visually inspect the front suspension upper link
rubber bushing (Figure 1) on all four upper links for
damaged bushings. Confirm wear as shown in
Figures 2-5:
Figure 1. Inner bushing (Position1).
1. The rubber is clearly cracked, as in Figure 2.
Figure 2. A bushing with cracked rubber.
Page 2 of 5
© 2021 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
2. The bushing insert is displaced due to a complete
rip in the bushing, as shown in Figures 3 - 4.
At any stage of deterioration the link is always
captured and will not result in reduced vehicle
stability.
Figure 3. A bushing with a displaced insert.
Figure 4. A bushing with a displaced insert, shown
installed in the vehicle.
Page 3 of 5
© 2021 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
3. The bushing insert has a hairline crack in the
surface, as shown between the green lines in
Figure 5.
Figure 5. A bushing with a hairline crack. This is an
acceptable amount of wear.
Note:
A hairline crack in the surface (Figure 5) does not require the bushing to be replaced.
If the rubber is clearly cracked (Figure 2) or the bushing insert is displaced (Figures 3 - 4), replace all four of
the rubber bushings according to Elsa at Repair Manual: Chassis >> Suspension, Wheels, Steering >> Front
Axle >> Suspension Strut and Control Arm.
Warranty
This TSB is informational only and not applicable to any Audi Warranty.
Required Parts and Tools
Always check with your Parts Department and/or ETKA for the latest information and parts bulletins.
Part Number
Part Description
Quantity
See ETKA
Fasteners, Bolts, Nuts, and Screws as needed per the
Repair Manual
See ETKA/ELSA
See ETKA
Rubber Mounting (bushing)
04
Page 4 of 5
© 2021 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Additional Information
More information on this system can be found in the following resources:
 Elsa: Chassis >> Suspension, Wheels, Steering >> Front Axle >> Suspension Strut and Control Arm.
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2016453) are subject to change and/or removal.
©2021 Audi of America, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained in this document is based on the
latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property
rights of Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes
at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may
these materials be modified or reposted to other sites without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Page 5 of 5
© 2021 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.