I've always been a lurker, but now I need your help with a car situation.

I'm from Lancaster PA, go to college in Philly, and have a 98.5 A4 2.8qm that was involved in a fender bender, which was my fault. I hit the back end of an SUV because traffic stopped abruptly, and I was not able to stop in time. No big deal, accidents happen. There was no damage to the SUV, so I chose not to report it because of insurance reasons. In the middle of the hood, right above the grill where the hood bends to go back to the windshield, is a dent the size of a tennis ball. There is also a small section that crumpled in the middle of the hood, passenger side.

I drove like this for a little, putting off the repair because it wasnt a huge deal to me. However, my car started to have an issue that I had before with it. The car, when at idle, would stall unless I kept the rev's at around 1k until I needed to move. Once the car was moving, no problems. It threw a CEL, and I took it to a shop. The CEL was an o2 sensor, but it turns out the airboot came off. Easy $40 fix for labor. However, the car is doing this again but now I cannot get the hood open. I took the car to Audi to have them rectify the problem and fix whatever the problem is again (probably the airboot again, same symptoms, same o2 code).

Now, heres where the question comes in. They quoted me at $1930 to fix the hood. I can live with my hood for a little, its not a big deal to me, so I almost want to pass it up. Does it make sense to just have it opened so the problem can be fixed? I feel thats what I am leaning towards. I would also like to see if the hood can be done cheaper for elsewhere, or if buying a new hood would be cheaper as well (unless that is the cost of a new hood--he did not say). Today is Monday, and they promised me a turnaround time of Friday, because I need my car for the weekend.

Any advice on what to do would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

and sub it out.

 

the first thing, is to get the hood open and at least operating like a hood should. the dents are cosmetic.

i'd try to get the hood open, and hammer out what you need, to get the hood operating fine.

fix the engine problem...and when you want to fix the cosmetic hood problem you can, for much cheaper.

$1900 is WAAAAAY too high.

when my hood was trashed, it was pressing down on one of my headlights. i opened the hood and crudely hammered it just enough so it cleared the headlight.

then i was able to spend the next few months looking for a used hood at my leasure. i eventually found one for $250.

 

What ^^^ he said.

 

I popped the hood, which worked (it popped up). But from there, it wont open any further. I pulled on it and what not, but it got me no where.

And as far as the body shop, they may have one? I'm not entirely sure...he said it was "our bodyshop." So they either have one, or he meant it as the one they give their business to.

Should I just have it opened then and the car fixed to running status?

 

are you pulling on the tab that pops out in your rings on the front grill?

 

lol yep.. but its his first post thats well.. OnTopic and not about BOV's yo!

 

Since Autohaus said theyd have to send it to a bodyshop, chances are I wasnt doing anything wrong as far as trying to get it open.

 

I just had the front end of my car fixed. New hood, new driver side light housing, radiator support, plus paint (front bumper included) for just over $2,200.