Re: A4 skid plates

[Paul Holzworth <paul.holzworth@fnc.fujitsu.com>]

Yeah, tell me about it.  I ran up over the curb (apparently higher than most) when parking my A6.  The bumper caught on the curb warping the bottom bumper cover and bending some sheet metal in the fender well when I pulled off of it.  No indication anything was wrong until after backing up and seeing the two plastic cover plates for the fog lights sitting on the ground.  They pop bakc in but it will take a little work to fix the rest.  I would recommend not overhanging the curb with your bumper.  I didn't know about sump bashing but I will crawl over speed bumps in the future.  Definitely not a good design.  


>Yeah we need them,
>
>We replace 2-3 sumps a month.  All from people hiting curbs and speed
>bumps
>(sleeping policemen).   The casting is thin.  Sometimes you can't even
>see
>the crack but they leak. 
>
> Some people are on their 3rd sump!  
>
>I think the sump itself is only about $98 bucks (definently under $200)
>and
>an hour or so labor plus oil.
>
>  Also the new A6s owners pull off the front bumper covers on parking
>lot
>curbs and they do not snap back in like the earlier ones. Those cars go
>to
>the body shop and Audi doesn't want to pay for it.   And they bash sumps
>too.  
>
>So we need a skid plate, a heavier casting or a steel sump people can
>bend
>instead of crack.
>
>So A4 owners be careful please.  A while back, a few months ago sumps
>were
>backordered.  We had to plead and red order from germany for one, take
>one
>off a new car for the other.
>
>Neil