Door Creaking (Resolved)

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

About Scott

I grew up near Houston, TX and served in the U. S. Coast Guard for over 30 years. I have an electronics background and continue to work in the electronics engineering field. I taught myself the basics about automotive systems as well as how to perform some of my own maintenance (cars and bicycles). I became involved with Amateur Radio and computers in 1995. The explosion of technology has made my job and several of my hobbies quite interesting. My hobbies include Volkswagens, bicycling, photography, electronics, amateur radio, web management, and reptiles. Visit my websites to learn more.
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2 Responses to Door Creaking (Resolved)

  1. David says:

    Why not just put a dab of loctite on the bolt if it’s continually coming loose instead of checking it every 10k miles?

    • Scott says:

      David – At the time of writing, I was not certain of whether the bolts came loose from their proper torque settings or if they were under-torqued from the factory. I wanted to see if working loose was an ongoing problem. Plus, I didn’t have Loctite on hand… I just wanted it fixed. I may apply Loctite someday, but it’s not a huge problem now that I’m aware of it. Thanks for visiting! -Scott

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