I noted some creaking in my door or B-pillar during my 30,000-mile entry. I had read reports of a weld that might have failed in a number of Mk7s. I was hopeful that was not my case. I noticed the sound mostly during low-speed maneuvering, even when barely rolling down my uneven driveway, but not usually on the highway. My first speculation was that I needed to check the interior panels that I had removed while installing my subwoofer and ham radio wiring. The interior panels fit with VERY tight tolerances, so it seemed logical that a couple of pieces may have been rubbing as the body flexed. The creaking seemed to disappear for a bit, but my celebration was brief…

The noise was subtle and easy to ignore after the first few hundred feet of driving. I think I eventually learned to tune it out since it didn’t seem to bother me as much. Don’t get me wrong, little things that shouldn’t be tend to annoy me; I’m a perfectionist. But I’m also a realist who recognizes that sometimes things aren’t perfect. If something was really wrong with my car, then it would eventually get bad enough to find. It’s similar to having a leak. Early leaks can be difficult to find, but they do eventually get worse and easier to find. I figured a little patience would eventually make the source of my creaking easier to find. Sure enough, I think I found the culprit.

One night, I heard a terrible sound as I opened the driver’s door. It was similar to how my B5.5 Passat’s door stop springs would creak as they began to rust. I went straight to the hinge and where I thought I might see similar springs on my Mk7, but there was none to be found. I exercised the door to see what could be rubbing. Sure enough, it was the main bolt for the door stop. I had read online about how these bolts either work their way loose or are simply not tight enough from the factory. I’m not sure what the consensus was, but I was familiar with the issue and hadn’t imagined that it could cause the sounds that I had heard. I happened to have a 10mm triple square socket lying around (no, it’s not a torx fitting) and probably turned that bolt a full turn before being able to apply any torque. I didn’t want to overtighten it, so I just made it snug, maybe 50 lb-ft. The passenger door was a little loose, too, maybe needing 1/8-turn. The rear doors were fine.

I’ll starting checking these bolts every 10,000 miles. If I forget, at least now I know the symptoms when they start to loosen. [Edit: I have learned that the torque spec for these bolts is 30 Nm.]

Squeak-Free,

Scott