Mazinger

rbreeze

^ Mazinger, on my Q5 I'm not seeing what you describe. But then... I have a Petro-Canada "season" (90 day) touch-free "SuperWash" car wash pass, and my Q5 gets washed virtually every day. The touch-free wash (the one I go to) includes a high pressure under-carriage spray, front to rear.
Can you post photos of the problem you're seeing?

Wires

You can spray water under the hood with no issues.

Mazinger

Too bad, I just washed the car after I post this thread.

I sprayed the water to the salt deposit area for 2 minutes. Looks like they were gone.

I noticed the salt deposit when I tried to refilled the windshield fluid about 2 days ago.

I do not expect the salt / deicer on the road can go through behind the fenders. Our cars will rust easily if these salt are not removed.

Badger56

@OP If you have a chance to provide a photo, that would help. Wonder if there is any way provide supplemental protection, maybe with PlastiDip or something, but not sure how accessible the location is.

Mazinger

I just found an area that I missed cleaning under the hood that showed the salt deposit under the hood. It is located near the anti-freeze re-fill container under the hood.

As you can see, there is a large white dried salt deposit there:



If you guys have snow in your area, and have not washed the car after the snow, open the hood and check the areas near the windshield washer re-fill area and the opposite side.

Mazinger

We had snow in Canada in the last couple of days.

I opened the hood and found the dried white salt deposit went under the fenders and stick hard to the cloth lining area:













Anybody else has this problem?

plat27265

I had a similar problem but instead of salt, there was some dried mud/dirt. What I did was to hose off those dirty sections with low pressure water and use an old toothbrush with firm bristles to brush away the dirt. First do the brushing while it is dry to get a lot of the dirt (or salt in your case) off. Then, hose off with low pressure water. Then, brush again while hosing off or brush then final rinse.

Mazinger

I think my concern is will our vehicle easily get rust if we do not 100% clean out these area?

I never see salt deposits left at these area in any of my vehicles that I owned in my life.

This is my first Audi, I assume the designers of this vehicle should not make this simple mistake. I am not sure about the other Audi models but this is so ridiculous seeing this in the new Q5.

I have a 2003 Toyota Matrix but I never see any dried road salt deposits when I open the hood.

In other words, from now on, I have to open the hood and spray water to these area during the winter time or even when I drive to the muddy roads.

plat27265

I feel the same way as you. I have never owned a car that has this issue. In my previous cars, the wheel well is a solid piece of plastic or metal that separates the engine bay from the wheel well. Now, in my B8.5 S5 and in your Q, the noise insulation/wheel well cover has gaps that allow snow/salt/water to penetrate the engine compartment. I think the Audi engineers did not plan this to happen but it does and the car Owners now hae to diligently clean this part of the engine bay. It is bothersome but it is what it is.