Problem Antrieb/Fahrwerk Golf3 | Beiträge 16+

Okay, I think we've found the problem.
The bushings/bearings at the rear of the control arm are completely worn out. This means the wheels can basically do whatever they want within a certain range.
We're going to replace them for now. The control arm bushings seem to be okay, the wheel bearings are okay, and the stabilizer links have very little play.
So, we'll replace these bearings first and then see if that fixes the problem.

Okay, the bushings and the right control arm have been replaced.

The driving behavior has improved significantly. Unfortunately, the noise was gone for a few days and is now back occasionally. However, it only occurs now with slight bumps in the road and when turning, producing the typical "knack" sound. Well, we'll check the sway bar bushings again.

I have another suspicion, namely that it's coming from the gearbox/clutch.

The clutch sometimes rattles when stationary, and during strong acceleration from a standstill, there's a strange smell in the car, as if something is burning. The clutch also seems to engage late.

Furthermore, the car is sometimes quite noisy when idling without a gear, but I can't hear anything in the engine compartment, only at the left front wheel.

Let's see, it's probably the clutch plate that's defective. (Now 201,000 km!)