42 Rattle noise from rear suspension
42 18 38 2038689/3 June 20, 2018. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 42 number 17-37 dated April
18, 2017 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

All

2015 - 2019

All

Not Applicable

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

3

-

Revised header data (Added model years)

2

04/18/2017

Revised header data (Added model years)

1

12/10/2014

Initial publication

Clunking or rattling noises are heard from rear suspension area when vehicle is driven over bumps.

Technical Background
These noises can be caused by an improperly seated rear bump stop (which occurs when the rear bump stop
was not fully inserted into the rear shock absorber mounting during PDI).

Production Solution
A bump stop installation tool (SET900) was
developed to aid with the installation of rear bump
stops on B8 and C7 vehicles during PDI (Figure 1).
This tool provides the necessary leverage to seat
the rear bump stop in the shock absorber
mounting.

Figure 1. The SET900 bump stop installation tool.

Page 1 of 3
© 2018 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.

Tip: One SET900 tool was sent to all Audi dealers in November 2014. Additional tools can be purchased
through the Audi Special Tools and Equipment Program.

Service
To ensure proper installation of rear bump stops (in
Audi models without air suspension):
1. Clean the top of the rear bump stops and coat
with tire mounting paste.
2. Use the SET900 special tool to fully press the
rear bump stops in to the upper shock mounts
(Figure 2).
 The purpose of the tool is to properly seat the
rear bump stops in the rear shock mounts
(Figure 3), which will prevent them from
dropping out of the rear upper shock mounts
and causing noise.

Figure 2. The SET900 tool being used to install a
rear bump stop.

Figure 3. Comparison between rear bump stop
installation without and with the SET900 tool.

Page 2 of 3
© 2018 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.

Note:
Always ensure that the dust boot does not get caught on the top of the shock once the vehicle is lowered.

Tip: A video demonstrating the use of this
tool is available at: https://audiexternal.kzoplatform.com:443/swf/player/286
(Figure 4).
See TSB 2039206: 00 Viewing TSB videos for
more information about viewing videos.

Figure 4. QR code for viewing the video with a QR
code reader on phones and tablets. Alternatively, the
video can be accessed through computer internet
browsers at the link provided in this bulletin.

Warranty
This TSB is informational only and not applicable to any Audi Warranty.

Additional Information
The following Technical Service Bulletin(s) will be necessary to complete this procedure:
 TSB 2039206, 00 Viewing TSB videos.
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2038689) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and/or ETKA for the latest information and parts bulletins. Please check the
Repair Manual for fasteners, bolts, nuts, and screws that require replacement during the repair.
©2018 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.

Page 3 of 3
© 2018 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.