My latest project Audi TT has a lot of problems, but there are a few more-annoying issues that I had to address immediately. One of them was the incredibly loud noise that sounded like a jet engine whenever I started the car, but the other one was the constant and incessant clicking noise that was happening after I’d turn on the ignition. The clicking noise would keep going and wouldn’t stop. This is the same clicking noise you hear when you have the turn signal on or the hazard lights on.

There are two reasons why this constant clicking noise happens on the MK1 Audi TT. The first reason is a faulty hazard light switch, which is the easier of the two to address. The second reason is due to a faulty turn signal switch, which is a slightly more involved repair.

If you’re replacing the hazard light switch, you’ll need to access the switch from behind. That means you’ll need to remove the radio, which requires a set of radio removal hooks (and an additional hook tool). After you remove the radio, you can then unlock the switches in the dashboard in order to replace it.

If you are replacing the turn signal switch, you will have to remove the steering wheel, then the windshield wiper switch, and then the turn signal switch. Removing the steering wheel requires a specific spline bit (a size that you might not typically have).

Because you can’t really tell what is causing the incessant clicking noise, the first thing you should try is to replace the hazard light switch because it is easier than replacing the turn signal switch. I will mention that the switch itself is pretty pricey if you buy it new, but if you can find one at the junkyard, you can try this fix first for fairly cheap. If replacing the hazard light switch doesn’t fix the issue, then go on to replace the turn signal switch.

Parts & Tools Used for This Job For Replacing the Hazard Light Switch

Hazard Light Switch (Part #8N0941509B): Search on Ebay (somewhat pricey, best option is to find a used one off at an auto parts yard)
Audi Radio Removal Tools: ATLIN Radio Removal Tool Set
Rotation 4-Pc Hook and Pick Set (90-degree hook to help remove radio)

For Replacing the Turn Signal Switch

URO Parts 8L0953513J Turn Signal Switch, w/Cruise Control, Black
LEXIVON XZN Triple Square Spline Bit Socket Set, 10-Piece M4 – M18 Set (need M12 bit for steering wheel)

Other Miscellaneous Tools Used

Screwdriver Set: CRAFTSMAN Screwdriver Set, 8-pc
Mechanics Tool Set with Ratcheting Wrench: DEWALT Mechanics Tools Kit and Socket Set, 1/4″ & 3/8″ Drive, SAE, 108-Piece
Torx Bit Set: LEXIVON Torx Bit Socket Set, 13-Piece Star T8 – T60 Set 
3/8″ Torque Wrench: LEXIVON 3/8-Inch Torque Wrench 10~80 Ft-Lb/13.6~108.5 Nm
1/4″ Torque Wrench: LEXIVON Inch Pound Torque Wrench 1/4-Inch Drive | 20~200 in-lb/2.26~22.6 Nm

1st Repair: Replacing the Hazard Light Switch

In order to remove the radio, you’ll need these specific radio removal hooks that should have come with the vehicle (check your glove box if it’s still in there). However, if you don’t have these tools, you can buy them online, which I’ve linked to earlier in the Parts & Tools section.

The way you use these hooks is that you insert them both into the little slit right below the radio (hooks facing inward.) The hooks basically grab onto the radio and allow you to pull the whole radio out. From my experience (and the experience of countless other MK1 TT owners), these hooks usually are not sufficient enough to get the radio out, especially if the car is older where things are a little more “stuck” than if it were new. What tends to happen is when you try to pull it out with these hooks, the grip on the radio slips and you are not able to pull the radio out.

The way to get the radio out is to use a 90-degree hook tool. You start with the two original tools first and slightly pull the radio, but stop before it loses grip. Grab your 90-degree hook at this time and insert it into one side of the CD player. The hook should be turned to its side so that it fits through the CD player slot. Once the 90-degree hook tool is in, rotate it, and you now have the ability to pull the whole unit out with more force than with the two original hook tools.

Pull the radio out and set it down off to the side. You don’t need to disconnect the wires behind the radio. Now, look at the top of the opening where you just removed the radio. There is a horizontal latch, which will need to be pulled down to physically unlock the switches. The five switches that are on the center dash cannot be removed unless you unlock this latch which secures the switches in their place.

After you’ve pulled that horizontal locking latch down, the switches are unlocked and you can now push in the hazard light switch to remove it. It will fall into the dashboard and you can retrieve it out through the radio opening. Disconnect the hazard light switch from the electrical connector.

If your replacement hazard light switch doesn’t have this little metal clip, transfer it from your old one over to your new one. Then, reconnect your new hazard light switch back into the electrical connector. You can probably turn your ignition on now and check if replacing the hazard light switch has resolved the constant clicking noise issue.

Proceed to reinstall everything in reverse of removal. You’ll need to fish that hazard light switch back through the radio opening, up back through the dashboard into its final place, and push up on the locking mechanism to lock and secure all the dashboard switches again.

Replacing the hazard light switch has fixed the constant clicking issue for some MK1 TT owners, however there are a lot of us where this does not resolve the issue. The next step is to move onto replacing the turn signal switch, which is pretty likely to fix the problem if replacing the hazard light switch doesn’t work.

2nd Repair: Replacing the Turn Signal Switch

Replacing the turn signal switch initially involves removing the steering wheel and the trim around the steering column. Before starting anything, I recommend disconnecting your car battery as a precaution because you will be disconnecting and removing the airbag.

Use a smaller Phillips head screwdriver to remove these (3 qty) Phillips head screws from the bottom of the steering column trim. This will allow you to separate the top of the steering column trim and pull it off.

This next part involves removing these (2 qty) Phillips head screws for the bottom trim of the steering column. Access to these screws is difficult and can be accomplished at this step by turning the steering wheel until you can access these holes for the screws. However, you can also wait until later when the steering wheel is removed to get these screws out.

The next step requires the use of a spline bit to remove the steering wheel. The bolts that secure the airbag to the steering wheel is accessed from behind the steering wheel. There are (2 qty) M12 spline bolts that will need to be removed from both sides on the back of the steering wheel.

The airbag can now be removed, but there is an electrical connector on the back that needs to be removed too. I’ve mentioned that the car battery should be disconnected when doing this work. You want to be extra careful dealing with the airbag because if it inadvertently goes off, it can cause serious damage to yourself or others. Remove the cap and pull the connector off; set the airbag aside in a safe place away from others.

Use the M12 spline bit on a socket wrench and remove the main spline bolt for the steering wheel.

After you remove the main bolt holding the steering wheel in place, take note of the notch marking on both the steering wheel and on the inner spline (at the 12 o’ clock position). This is how you will re-align the steering wheel when you reinstall it so that it is installed in the correct position.

You will also need to remove this connection by pulling it straight off of the male pin. Your steering wheel can now be fully removed from the steering column.

Remove these Torx screws underneath the steering column for the telescoping release as shown.

If you didn’t remove the (2 qty) Phillips head screws on the front of the steering column, you can do so now since the steering wheel is fully removed. Now, the bottom trim of the steering column can be taken out as well.

Using a flat head screwdriver, gentlymodule can be removed. Also note that there are two spacers that will fall out, which are located in the holes in the module where the front mounting screws went through. Let the module hang off to the side.

Annoyingly, you have to remove the windshield wiper switch before you can remove the turn signal switch. So use a flat head screwdriver to pull on this tab in order to release the windshield wiper switch and pull it off to the side.

Now you can finally remove and replace the turn signal switch. There are some people who have used electrical contact cleaner and sprayed the contacts of this switch to fix the clicking noise issue.

Personally, I think it makes much more sense to just replace the switch since you have everything opened up. The turn signal switch doesn’t cost a lot and you can avoid having to worry if just cleaning the contacts does not completely fix the issue.

Use a Torx bit and loosen the turn signal switch and remove it.

Take your new replacement turn signal switch and replace it, plugging it back in place, and tightening up the Torx screw.

Go back and replace everything back in reverse of removal, making sure that when the steering wheel goes back on, the alignment marks are lined up.

Using a torque wrench, torque the center steering wheel mount bolt with the T12 spline bit to 37 ft-lbs torque.

The (2 qty) air bag mounting bolts on the back of the steering wheel should be torqued down to 63 in-lbs torque. You may need a smaller torque wrench that can adjust down to inch-pounds for this.

And with those two repairs, the constant clicking noise on your MK1 Audi TT should be fixed. When I researched the problem online, I’ve noticed that most people suggest the hazard light switch, and barely graze the topic of the turn signal switch. However, since I had to go through both in order to fix my problem, I wanted to fully show how to do both. I hope this post was of help to you if you’re experiencing the same thing as I did.