severe water damage to 2002 allroad quattro
#1
severe water damage to 2002 allroad quattro
Posting to see if anyone has run into a similar situation...during a heavy rain storm while driving on the highway I had a "waterfall" of water come through the car from what it looked like from under the dashboard and flood the entire passenger floor. It was so extreme it flooded the rear passenger seat floors up to the seat. The car has 18,000 miles has had no modifications and dealer maintained. The engine light has been on almost constantly and the dealer after three attempts to 'fix' it has told us not to worry about it and that it was caused by improper seating of the gas cap. Each time they have said the engine light was corrected it has lasted less than 2 miles after picking the car up. We had Audi tow the car to the dealer (would not run after the water situation) they have now informed us that the water damage is due to pine needles getting into the battery box and has resulted in thousands of dollars of damage which they say they will not cover. To me this doesn't sound right. The service dept. told us they never checked for debris in that area during service, I haven't found anything in the manual saying we should check or clean this area. I find it hard to believe that pine needles could result in flooding the interior or the car. Can anyone out there help us? I know there's some class action suits regarding my
2001 Audi TT Roadster (which has it's own issues at the moement but that's another story), haven't heard of any regarding the Allroad. Thanks for any help you can offer, I'm really upset and frustrated!
2001 Audi TT Roadster (which has it's own issues at the moement but that's another story), haven't heard of any regarding the Allroad. Thanks for any help you can offer, I'm really upset and frustrated!
#2
Re: severe water damage to 2002 allroad quattro
What a load of crap.
The battery location is a sealed area, just in front of the windscreen. How the hell did pine needles get in their? Then ask them how the hell did the pine needle cause the water to get in?
Be persistent, don't let them fob you off. If that doesn't work, do the decent thing, cause a fight in the middle of the showroom, then start crying!!
The battery location is a sealed area, just in front of the windscreen. How the hell did pine needles get in their? Then ask them how the hell did the pine needle cause the water to get in?
Be persistent, don't let them fob you off. If that doesn't work, do the decent thing, cause a fight in the middle of the showroom, then start crying!!
#3
Re: severe water damage to 2002 allroad quattro
You say you had a WATERFALL IN THE CAR and they think it was caused by pine needles in the battery tray???? Thin. Reeeeeal thin. It was just rain, right? Not driving through any standing water?
If that was indeed the problem, I would expect that you would have had wet mats at some point in the past or something like that. That sounds like a lot of water to make it's way inside the car just from driving the rain. An inch of rain per hour is rain you have trouble seeing though on the highway and you've got several inches of water inside the car - that's either a monsoon or a minor flood.
Don't know what to tell you other than if Audi won't fix it (pine needles????) then I'd put a call in to your insurance agent. I'd be rubbing my temples about now.
I realize that's not much help, but I'm stuck on the pine needles thing.
If that was indeed the problem, I would expect that you would have had wet mats at some point in the past or something like that. That sounds like a lot of water to make it's way inside the car just from driving the rain. An inch of rain per hour is rain you have trouble seeing though on the highway and you've got several inches of water inside the car - that's either a monsoon or a minor flood.
Don't know what to tell you other than if Audi won't fix it (pine needles????) then I'd put a call in to your insurance agent. I'd be rubbing my temples about now.
I realize that's not much help, but I'm stuck on the pine needles thing.
#4
AudiWorld Super User
Hmmmm....Pine Needles? Not sure if this helps but...
...several years ago had water seeping into the interior driver's side footwell from under the instrument panel after washing my '98 A6. Turned out to be improperly mounted gasket used to seal off the opening for the hood release latch. If I had water dripping into the cabin from this location after only a car wash, then I can only imagine what driving at speed through a heavy rain storm would result in. I'd make sure the pine needles are cleaned out, and then run a water hose a full blast onto the windshield so it runs into the engine compartment where it meets the windshield cowl. It's worth a try.
#5
Re: severe water damage to 2002 allroad quattro
Just another thing to look for...
The washer line, going from the fluid reservoir to the rear wiper,
goes right by the drivers left foor area.
I had mine disconnect and flood the interior.
I hadn't used the back washer for a while and figured it just
took a little time to get the fluid back there so I hit the stalk
a few times. Doh.......
It took the dealer 2 tries to fix it!
The washer line, going from the fluid reservoir to the rear wiper,
goes right by the drivers left foor area.
I had mine disconnect and flood the interior.
I hadn't used the back washer for a while and figured it just
took a little time to get the fluid back there so I hit the stalk
a few times. Doh.......
It took the dealer 2 tries to fix it!
#6
Contact Audi directly on this issue.
Your dealer is full of crap when it comes to the flooding! This is their problem not yours. As to the light coming on, I had this issue happen a couple of times but the dealer fixed it and as of this date no more problems. Contact Audi relations @ 1-800-822-2834.
#7
Re: severe water damage to 2002 allroad quattro
There was a posting on this forum early on that said something to the fact that there was a problem with the windshields where the factory left the positioning blocks in place when the car left the factory. What this ended up doing was flood the driver's compartment when it rained. I know it's a long shot, but it sounds like something similar to your situation. (Take a garden hose to the bottom edge of your windshield and perform a quick and low cost verification test.)
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#9
I suspect that the dealers use of the term "battery box"
was to be informative and descriptive of the area, but it's misleading.
What appears to have happened was pine needles blocked the plenum chambers drainage valves.
If similarly setup to the A4, there is one located under the battery, and the other under the brake servo.
If blocked, water will build up and get into the cabin through the opening for the cabin filter and AC evaporator.
If the dealer is maintaining this vehicle, checking & cleaning of the plenum chamber is/should be on their list of things to do. You may have some barginning power there.
This happened to me a few times with the 5KS.
A loose gas cap will throw a DTC code and light the MIL, but once you tighten it up, the light will go off and stay off after a few startups.
Good luck
Tom
99.5 A4 tqms
85 5KS Avant (hope to replace with an ar someday)
What appears to have happened was pine needles blocked the plenum chambers drainage valves.
If similarly setup to the A4, there is one located under the battery, and the other under the brake servo.
If blocked, water will build up and get into the cabin through the opening for the cabin filter and AC evaporator.
If the dealer is maintaining this vehicle, checking & cleaning of the plenum chamber is/should be on their list of things to do. You may have some barginning power there.
This happened to me a few times with the 5KS.
A loose gas cap will throw a DTC code and light the MIL, but once you tighten it up, the light will go off and stay off after a few startups.
Good luck
Tom
99.5 A4 tqms
85 5KS Avant (hope to replace with an ar someday)
#10
* DING *
I'm sure this is the correct explanation of what caused the interior flooding if it was really due to rain. Somehow the extreme that described just doesn't seem possible - water up to the back seat?!? Does that mean that he was literally driving with his feet under standing water?
Pinning this on Audi is probably not likely. To drive the car on and on until it stopped running due to standing water inside the car does not seem like something a reasonable person would do. Why would Audi pay for this unwise decision?
I doubt that 'cleaning plenum chamber' is on any service checklist even though plugged drains could cause flooding. I just don't think it is possible to have such an extreme amount of water come in due to this issue.
If you pull the cover off of the plenum area you can see exactly what is going on. Just pull the rubber gasket off and lift the cover away. I believe I had some pictures up of me replacing the pollen filter....let me look....
Ah yes, here it is:
This is a piece of cake procedure requiring no tools or mechanical ability.
1. Pop hood and locate what is know as the "plenum chamber cover". This is the black plastic cover over the area where the battery and brake fluid reservoir live.
2. Peel the thick rubber gasket away starting at the passenger side. You don't have to remove it all the way, just peel it perhaps 3/4 of the way across to give room to work.
3. As in the picture below, pull forward and up on the Plenum Chamber cover and it will easily come loose. Again, don't remove it all the way, just enouch to work under it.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/2.JPG">
4. The next picture is the same exact camera angle as the last except I am holding the Plenum Chamber cover up and out of the way. You can see the pollen filter in it's tray.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/3.JPG">
A closer look:
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/4.JPG">
5. That black tab that is holding the filter in place is easily unclamped by spreading the tabs on the bottom side of it until it flips easily off of the filer.
6. Just grab the filter and drag it out of its tray. Inspect. Mine has some junk in it, but I decided to clean and reinstall. The media is not plugged with pollen.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/5.JPG">
Another look at the dirty filer:
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/6.JPG">
This is what the air intake looks like after you remove the filter. I assume those flaps close when you select recirculate in the cabin.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/7.JPG">
7. Reinstall new filter in tray noting that air flow arrow is downward, flip and clamp the tab back over it, and reinstall the plenum chamber cover. Thats it.
If you need to buy one you could buy it at the dealer or any web source like vwparts.com that has access to vw/audi parts. The part number is <b>4BO 819 439 C</b>
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/Pollen_Filter_Part.jpg">
Pinning this on Audi is probably not likely. To drive the car on and on until it stopped running due to standing water inside the car does not seem like something a reasonable person would do. Why would Audi pay for this unwise decision?
I doubt that 'cleaning plenum chamber' is on any service checklist even though plugged drains could cause flooding. I just don't think it is possible to have such an extreme amount of water come in due to this issue.
If you pull the cover off of the plenum area you can see exactly what is going on. Just pull the rubber gasket off and lift the cover away. I believe I had some pictures up of me replacing the pollen filter....let me look....
Ah yes, here it is:
This is a piece of cake procedure requiring no tools or mechanical ability.
1. Pop hood and locate what is know as the "plenum chamber cover". This is the black plastic cover over the area where the battery and brake fluid reservoir live.
2. Peel the thick rubber gasket away starting at the passenger side. You don't have to remove it all the way, just peel it perhaps 3/4 of the way across to give room to work.
3. As in the picture below, pull forward and up on the Plenum Chamber cover and it will easily come loose. Again, don't remove it all the way, just enouch to work under it.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/2.JPG">
4. The next picture is the same exact camera angle as the last except I am holding the Plenum Chamber cover up and out of the way. You can see the pollen filter in it's tray.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/3.JPG">
A closer look:
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/4.JPG">
5. That black tab that is holding the filter in place is easily unclamped by spreading the tabs on the bottom side of it until it flips easily off of the filer.
6. Just grab the filter and drag it out of its tray. Inspect. Mine has some junk in it, but I decided to clean and reinstall. The media is not plugged with pollen.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/5.JPG">
Another look at the dirty filer:
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/6.JPG">
This is what the air intake looks like after you remove the filter. I assume those flaps close when you select recirculate in the cabin.
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/7.JPG">
7. Reinstall new filter in tray noting that air flow arrow is downward, flip and clamp the tab back over it, and reinstall the plenum chamber cover. Thats it.
If you need to buy one you could buy it at the dealer or any web source like vwparts.com that has access to vw/audi parts. The part number is <b>4BO 819 439 C</b>
<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/PollenFilter/Pollen_Filter_Part.jpg">