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I guess maybe it could be. But, the way an intercooler works is by having air forced through the fins. Even if the other 2/3rds of the IC is packed with snow I don't see how air can be forced through as the plastic cover would block any appreciable flow. If there was a fan behind the IC like the radiator has then I could see air being drawn through but there is no fan. If that piece is in fact a snow shield then I've lost all faith in Audi engineering. To reduce the efficiency of the IC by 30% all the time to address a winter event that may or may not happen doesn't seem like sound engineering.
Just got the 2018 A5 and was wondering the same thing. Most probably has to do with the fact that Audi uses the same intercooler for both the S4/S5 models, if your intercooler is too efficient you run the risk of condensation in the winter for colder climates, therefore instead of building and fitting a different intercooler for the 2.0T, they just put the plastic piece to the reduce the intercooler efficiency. When Ford introduced the new 3.5TT F150 they were having issues with condensation (https://www.bluespringsfordparts.com...oboost-shudder), eventually they fixed by covering up a part of the intercooler. I'd personally not remove the part, the likelihood of it happening is low, but not really worth the risk for a minor cosmetic improvement on something the dealership can deny you warranty on.
Just got the 2018 A5 and was wondering the same thing. Most probably has to do with the fact that Audi uses the same intercooler for both the S4/S5 models, if your intercooler is too efficient you run the risk of condensation in the winter for colder climates, therefore instead of building and fitting a different intercooler for the 2.0T, they just put the plastic piece to the reduce the intercooler efficiency. When Ford introduced the new 3.5TT F150 they were having issues with condensation (https://www.bluespringsfordparts.com...oboost-shudder), eventually they fixed by covering up a part of the intercooler. I'd personally not remove the part, the likelihood of it happening is low, but not really worth the risk for a minor cosmetic improvement on something the dealership can deny you warranty on.
Northern Europe is pretty cold as well. Can any member from that region confirm that your A4 has that plastic cover?
Ah, that's a plausible explanation. If that is in fact the case then I'll be removing mine. I live in a hot climate and I'm APR tuned and notice heat soak when temps climb above 80 degrees. I can use all the intercooler help I can get.
But then again if both A4's and A5's get the plastic piece then why not just spec a smaller IC. Certainly between the two models there's enough production to warrant a specific part not just a plastic piece to band-aid the issue. A smaller IC would cost less also.
Last edited by up-n-coming; 02-20-2018 at 10:12 AM.
Ah, that's a plausible explanation. If that is in fact the case then I'll be removing mine. I live in a hot climate and I'm APR tuned and notice heat soak when temps climb above 80 degrees. I can use all the intercooler help I can get.
But then again if both A4's and A5's get the plastic piece then why not just spec a smaller IC. Certainly between the two models there's enough production to warrant a specific part not just a plastic piece to band-aid the issue. A smaller IC would cost less also.
Yeah, Audi's just playing it safe, doubt it makes a difference in 99.99% of scenarios, but they have to account for all 100%. I don't think it's the cost of the material that really drives the decision, but more so the fitment of the intercooler, would cost more to modify the bay to fit a different intercooler between the different trims.
Assuming the 2017 Porsche Macan 2.0T which shares the same engine as a B9 A4 also shares the same intercooler; I don't see the cover on any vehicles in a Google image search, including a Canadian reviewer with close to the same cold winter temperatures as my location.
The part number of the cover is 8W0145563A for anyone interested.
Yeah, Audi's just playing it safe, doubt it makes a difference in 99.99% of scenarios, but they have to account for all 100%. I don't think it's the cost of the material that really drives the decision, but more so the fitment of the intercooler, would cost more to modify the bay to fit a different intercooler between the different trims.
This actually starts to make sense and recalls an explanation from my longtime VW/Audi independent mechanic who raced VWs for a number of years. He is completely committed to the cars but has no illusions about some of the craziness occasionally practiced by "German engineers."
I was particularly amused by an observation of his concerning the evolution of certain mods during a production run. It goes something like,
"These guys start by making a really good orange. Then, they run it for a while and decide it could be an even better orange. So they polish it a bit. It gets more complicated and starts to look more like an apple, but so what?
The problem is, they keep at it, trying to fix some perceived problem. Ultimately, it begins to look more and more complicated, more and more like an apple.
Fortunately, they eventually get to the end of a platform and can start over."
I think we can safely say @A5Newbie figured this one out.
Here's a vid explaining how Ford uses it (IC blanking plate) on a Focus RS. It seems humid conditions also cause problems if the IC is too efficient. Probably best not to remove it at least in my case because where I live it's very humid most of the year.
02-20-2018, 08:51 AM
