fusQer

My 2013 A7 w/43k miles still in warranty just got a coolant leak and the dealership is telling me not covered by warranty b/c a rock hit it. I am outraged!

The dealership says a rock hit the Air Charge Cooler (is this the aux radiator from the TSB mentioned in this thread?) which resulted in the pink fluid leaking, and so it is not covered by warranty because it is not a manufacturer defect. I am outraged. There is no rock penetration on the front grill, there is a engine cover on the bottom and a hood on top, all with no rock penetrations. I don't see how a rock could have possibly penetrate the exterior of the car and then hit the radiator (air charge cooler as the dealership calls it).

Anyone have any experience with this? I've never heard of such a thing. I obviously do not want to pay out of pocket for something that I believe is covered by warranty. I'm going to the dealership tomorrow to look at the supposed rock puncture.

snagitseven

There have been several reports of the C7 3.0T intercooler radiator being punctured, including those in this very thread. The intercooler radiator is down low (below the main radiator) and under the right circumstances, a rock can be thrown up through the lower grill and penetrate it.

If punctured, as you can read from others, Audi does not cover this repair under the warranty. The TSB grill screen update is preventative but apparently to pinch pennies, Audi in its infinite wisdom has decided not to make it automatic. Basically a Catch-22. They have recognized the issue and have a preventative fix but it's not mandatory but if a puncture occurs, the repair is not covered under warranty.

Devil_Inside

I came across this thread a few days ago and I decided to do something about it before I become a victim as well. My buddy who was helping me called it "internet induced paranoia", but better be safe than sorry I guess.

I went to my local dealer (Herb Chambers) and they had the stock cover in stock, but they told me it costs $259!!!! I almost threw the piece at the guy working the counter. They also told me that if my car did not come with it, it is NOT recommended to install one. Yeah right.

ECS seem to have the best price for the original cover at $75, but the plastic clips are $3/ea and you need like 8 or 9. So over $100 not counting shipping.

I ended up stealing the idea from another member here and I went to Home Depot and grabbed a roll of 1/4" x 1/4" hardware cloth. It is galvanized and it costs whopping $8. I ended up making a custom screen from the bottom of the bumper up to the horizontal aluminum crash bar. I attached the screen with a couple of stainless steel screws to the plastic piece right underneath the radiators (in front of the belly pan) and I used a bunch of sticky squares and zip ties which I mounted on the crash bar.
The most difficult part of the entire process was trying to figure out how to remove the darn radiator shroud. There is absolutely no information about the A7, and even though the A6 is pretty close, the radiator shroud is different. I am kicking myself for not taking pictures to document this mod.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out and I will do my best to answer.

Tman007

A year ago I asked my local dealer shop (who I have a great relationship with) about this protective grill for intercooler, while I was getting some other warranty work done. I was succesful in getting a few other TSBs done but not this one. Here are my notes from the time:

Not covered by warranty unless the radiator is leaking. I asked what if there is a leak, they said would cover the radiator repair and the protective grill. They shared that it is more of an A6 problem (rather than an A7); originally Audi was not covering it blaming it on "outside influence", but after one A6 owner had three events (happened locally), then Audi decided to start covering it. Though not common on A7 and the design is slightly different, there is a similar protective grill part and the warranty coverage should be similar.

DSL_PWR

My '13 A6 was hit and my dealership covered it. Installed the new radiator and cover screen.

A7_TDI

Do the TDI have an auxiliary radiator in the same location, i.e. same intercooler design for the turbo?

tenspeed

The TDI does have a intercooler in the same location. It is air to air so if it does get damaged, you would be losing boost pressure, not coolant.

A7_TDI

Thanks tenspeed!

Aviator6

Used small diamond mesh from Customcargrills(had some left over from when my son did his custom grill on his Legacy GT). 12 in by 24 in covers the entire grill openings. Attached(drilled & installed stainless screws) the top of the mesh to the aluminum bar directly behind the grill & the bottom is retained by 3 plastic nipples that hold the nut plates for the under belly pan. The top shroud, in front of the radiator has 2 removable fasteners & several clips - easy removal. This mesh should catch a lot of the bugs, also, and be easy to spray out by just removing the top shroud.
Thanks OP & other posters for giving me the idea.