The inner glass (of the dual-pane security glass) is broken but the tint is holding it together. Yesterday my wife noticed the glass was cracked, during a trip! Must've happened while she was driving because she would have noticed it while backing around the drive to get out. There is absolutely no "trauma" to the tint on the inside, or to the glass outside, like when a rock hits the windshield and there's a tiny pockmark with dust 1-2mm around it. Hard to get a clear pic but there is a crack about 5mm above the rubber where the window meets the door at the bottom of the glass, more or less horizontal, all the way along the bottom. The most likely cause IMHO is the mounting where the glass attaches to the regulator. I can fix it but I'm worried the tint may not match the other windows. Anybody with experience, either tint or glass replacement related, please respond!
Update: three years later, I found the cause... early '04s had a protrusion that needed to be filed down... it's better covered in the TSB on Bentley, but here's a link (pg.2) til I can get that PDF posted.
Printed it and took it to Audi Nashville; of course, they won't cover it... time to call AoA...

Ciao for now,
Tom

PIC # 1 is from inside the door, if you look close you can see at the bottom right there is a convergence of the spider-webbing cracks.
PIC # 2 is from outside, the same area can be seen more clearly.
PIC # 3 shows the crack which goes along the bottom of the glass. I hope this is the cause, an old fault where the pane attaches to the regulator.

 

Could have easily been a micro crack and cracked further either with the change in temperature or hitting a pothole further expanding it. Could even happen from something as little as a bird hitting the outside window, flexing it and causing the inner pane to expand and crack, either small or full blown like you have it. It's a matter of time in a process, I've seen it many times mainly in windshields but also from micro cracks in rear windows right around where the bolts are in the rear window on a SUV for the handles to raise the glass. Woke up one morning and it was much more cracked than it was the previous day.

Good luck, nothing to do but get it replaced :/
As for the tint simply just find out what film was used and have it reapplied on your new window.

 

a) I've only got 20 years experience, so not sure,
b) Can't really see from your pics where on the window it is, and
c) Looks like a 'slim jim' went of the edge of the glass and stressed it to me. Before we start the whole cops/slim jims/side windows/airbags routine, I have the scars to prove it.

K9

maybe I'll change my handle to 'Top Cop', then I can sign them T/C...

 

I agree.. the location of the break is suspicious (near the bottom of the window). Precisely where I would put the slim jim.

Correct me if I am wrong guys, can our cars be open with a slim jim?? I didn't think so but I never tried.

 

Yeah Mav, Me too, but...
as Poirot might say, the evidence, she does not addup!

The car was thoroughly dusted for prints by mother nature that morning (pollen). I cleaned the glass carefully that AM as I do every morning when the car sleeps outside, before I drove my precious cargo to school. So it was OK in the AM.
The car was not locked. I do this in case someone wants to break into my garage and steal my 35 years' accumulation of crap, they can. Sadly, no takers thus far. I, and my 12 gauge, remain hopeful. I keep it loaded with Coast guard-approved distress fusees, so the perpetrators will not trip/fall/sue as they beat feet out my uneven yard, the phosphorus/sodium parting gift embedded in their bellies lighting their way. Also, this will help the local constabulary find the bodies faster and wrap up bidness and get to the "donut" shop quicker, so I continue to receive my Christmas card from the Sheriff's dep't. Plus, no one was ever killed by an errant flare.

We live in a relatively rural area where there are - really - absolutely no children/teens/ criminals! (I do admit, though, the crims have to start somewhere, but I really know every neighbor within a half hour walk and there are no kids between 10-25 years old, and the adults are smart (?) enough to try the friggin' door first!)

The first thought I had is, the seat belt buckle was closed in the door. There are no marks whatsoever to confirm this, and if you look at the frame you'll see there is really not much chance of this happening unnoticed, if at all. The window frame of the A8 has got to be one of the most rigid in all automobiliadom! Also, although it DOES look like a stress crack, the car was not locked between the time I drove it and the time my wife picked up the kids in the carpool.

Anyway, I have decided that it was an eight year old stress crack, like Brozee said. It lay in wait, until my life was pretty farkin' good, to manifest itself so as not to cause a facial twitch on me gorgeous mug. Below I'll attach a pic of another eight year old stressor in my life. And if anyone has tinted just ONE glass, please tell me if it matched!
-Tom

 

"Anyway, I have decided that it was an eight year old stress crack, like Brozee said. Below I'll attach a pic of another eight year old stressor in my life."

Well, go ahead then Brozee...

hello?

helloooo?

Anybody home?

Coo eee???

Hellooooooah?

Alright, alright, I'll do it then:

Thread closed.

K9

p.s. Hey Tom, I guess little one gets the good looks from mum then... Right! Bidness wrapped up, I'm off for a Boston Creme..

 

Info in the first post...

Oh, and the kid has grown up a bit... and has excellent taste in cars and baseball...

 

I agree with his taste in both...cars and baseball.

 

Cars, yes. Yankees; not this season nor last.