MainelyA8

Can anyone point me in the direction (part # or link) of the plastic rivets or screws that attach the bottom of the front bumper to the underbelly cover? I noticed yesterday that a piece of my bumper is dragging on the ground. Dealership had no idea, O'Reilly's had even less of an idea, and I can't seem to find them on Audi USA. I can snap a picture if that would make it easier.

MP4.2+6.0

See here: https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-D3_A8...Exterior/Body/ The second item down in under the "Hardware" heading that they call a dowel pin. It uses about three of those across the bumper lower front area, and three more in the back. The "rubber washer" further down that list is used to hold them in place in general if they come loose so they don't fall on the road. The metal speed nut those dowel pins screw into is very well clipped to the car, so probably are all still there.

At the sides, you use two of the black plastic "hex bolts" they show at the front edge of each wheel well/fender liner, and they are retained by the whitish plastic "lock washer" also shown. On those, what usually actually goes is the square black plastic clip that locks into the belly pan. The hex bolts lock into those black plastic clips, and you find the hex bolts loose or not even connected if those locking clips are broken. In the (overpriced) hardware kit, you barely see four of them toward the upper/back left off the picture. I have part #'s for that if needed, since I have a bunch on hand. They break on Audi pans not infrequently. Things get rattles if those or the rear fasteners are not pretty well snugged. Front by the way works by pushing leading edge of belly pan into bumper and then lifting this foldable lip on the back of the bumper cover up to meet the belly pan and snugging the whole thing down. Pretty well locked in place if all the parts are there, and less likely to tear the bumper cover off if you back up off a high parking block or curve where there used to be a sharper lower edge to the bumper cover that could easily snag. Still happens, but less so than preceding design.

More generally, I have a coffee can full of this bit stuff, and periodically buy some extras from audiusaparts--their prices are usually better than ecs, though ecs has the nice web site w/ pics and such. The ecs listings have the Audi part #'s there too; local dealers probably have bins of these since they have been used back to at least my mid 90's 12 valve V6 A6Q.

Also not shown there, but under the fender tab if you click there are the push pins used for the fender liner (they call them "spreader rivets"). Call those "extra credit" and in this same consumable bit parts category. I always keep 5 or so of those on hand for any time I need to pull a fender liner. Very hard to re use the old ones, and a lot easier to get out if you know you will sacrifice them and just punch the center rivet through to get them loose. Lots of D3 work involves removing fender liners--upper control arms, suspension compressor and valve block access, headlight bulbs, getting one air box fully out (of W12/S8), windshield sprayer lines, etc. Easy and not scary once you have done it the first time, and those little plastic rivets are the key part for getting back together correctly, well fitting and really snug.

MainelyA8

Thanks! I bought three of them from the dealer today for about $10.

I also did end up buying some of the fender push pins as well. I remembered I was missing a few from when I replaced my headlight bulbs. I don't think I'm going to use them just yet though, in case I end up having to get to my strut in the near future.

MP4.2+6.0

You're welcome. FWIW, if you do strut pull the easy and typical way, you actually don't pull fender liner. You do pull it if you take the upper control arms out by themselves w/out the strut, but not when you take the overall unit. Has to do with those control arm bushing bolts being pretty hard up against the liner, but suddenly simple when the overall unit comes out. ...Been there, done both approaches. In pulling strut, from everyone's experience you will also want to replace at least the control arm pinch bolt (long one at steering knuckle/hub bolt up point. Again, typically dealer. I refresh all the bit nuts and bolts whenever I order ahead, but that one is one of just a couple of notorious ones on the whole car.

MainelyA8

MP4, can you tell me more about the metal speed nuts that you had mentioned earlier? The part of the front bumper keeps falling down, though thanks to the washers the screws don't get lost. They appear to be screwing in pretty well, but keep coming out after a few days. I believe I ordered some through ECS when I bought some extra small parts.

MP4.2+6.0

If the metal screws ones are backing out, it basically must be an issue w/ the speed nuts behind them, or the screws are too worn. Those speed nuts are robust and don't tend to break. But, once in a while I have had to replace one of them on prior Audis, often if someone else drives in one of the metal screws at the wrong angle and tweaks it. If they are in good shape, the screw should almost seem like it is locking in as you drive it home--some kind of detent built into it. If it doesn't feel that way (same on ones on back of belly pan and on the tranny pan further back), assume they are tweaked somehow and just replace them. Also be sure you aren't driving the screw into an area next to the speed nut rather than into the center of it. If it is like that, it won't be firm and would probably back out. There is a solid feel to when the parts engage correctly.

MainelyA8

Thank you! Does the speed nut clip onto the belly pan? I ordered two of them, so I at least have a few on hand. The bumper screws are all brand new, so those shouldn't be an issue. It sure is annoying driving in the snow and hearing the bumper dragging along. When I screwed them in, I gave that piece of the bumper a small tug, and it didn't budge. It seems like it's not actually screwing into anything though, since it came loose in the first place.

MP4.2+6.0

Speed nut--three across front I think--is clipped onto something under the bumper cover. A (hard plastic?) rail if I recall correctly. They grip really well, so it takes a decent flat screwdriver to force them off for replacement. The leading lip of the belly pan ends up covering the general area with the speed nuts, and then you fold the back edge of the bumper cover up over that into some pocketed areas in the belly pan and screw everything down by inserting the metal screws through the holes in those two parts into the speed nut. Those screws of course are retained from falling onto the road if they come loose by the rubber grommets, assuming that fold over part of the bumper cover wasn't stripped away and lost over time.

MainelyA8

Thanks again, MP. I picked up a few more of the speed nuts, so hopefully those will keep it in. Third time trying to get the fold-over part of the bumper stable and bolt down. At this point, simply cutting it off is more and more tempting..