Help replacing radiator A4 B8

[Pooppot]

Looks like my radiator developed a leak at the bottom left corner, probably due to corrosion with leaves and crap collecting there. Do I have to remove the front bumper to remove the radiator? I’m at the stage where I removed all the splash shields, upper and lower radiator hoses are disconnected, overflow hose is disconnected, top rubber fittings are also gone. Does the fan assembly come out first or can the radiator be removed with it attached? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[Theiceman]

i think you are going to need service position for that one, so front bumper has to come off... not too bad though , first time is a little tricky.

[BradyBoi55]

Looks like my radiator developed a leak at the bottom left corner, probably due to corrosion with leaves and crap collecting there. Do I have to remove the front bumper to remove the radiator? I’m at the stage where I removed all the splash shields, upper and lower radiator hoses are disconnected, overflow hose is disconnected, top rubber fittings are also gone. Does the fan assembly come out first or can the radiator be removed with it attached? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

for the front bumper to come off there is a shield above the radiator that needs to come off. Then 2 30 torx screws holding the grill on. Next move to the wheel well and remove the front screws holding the fender liner in place. Then near the backside of the headlight through the wheel well you will see 2 (one on each side) 10mm bolts. Remove those and the bumper should come right off.
For service position you will need to disconnect 2 transmission lines, radiator hose, both charge pipes and to my memory that is it. Then a couple bolts up top holding the front fascia/core support. I think that is basically it. Its been a couple months since ive had mine in service position tho. Hope this helps.

[Smac770]

You should want the documentation for how to take your car apart and put it back together correctly if you're going to do such an operation.
erwin.audiusa.com, pay for a day and get all the PDFs for your car. Lock carrier service position is covered in the Body Exterior. Radiator removal is covered in the Engine Mechanical. First sentence in the radiator removal section: "The cooler and fan shroud can only be removed and installed together." Second step in the process: "Remove the front bumper cover and the bumper. Refer to ⇒ Body Exterior; Rep. Gr. 63 ; Removal and Installation". Etc.

[fastboatster]

might need to have a trip to a mechanic to discharge your ac system if your car is 2010+. on 2010+ cars, some brackets for some freaking air guide pieces get in a way of ac lines when you try to pull the condenser out of the retaining tabs on the radiator. The lines were updated in 2010 and you can't just pull the evaporator out anymore. Might be the case for b8.5 and $-line b8/b8.5 "A4 3.0T", though. Another option is to trim those brackets slightly.

[Theiceman]

You can do service position without removing rad hose... But in you case ... Lol.

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[fastboatster]

You can do service position without removing rad hose... But in you case ... Lol.

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are you referring to "my case", lol?

[Smac770]

The Jul '12 version of the 2.0T engine mechanical document does not elaborate on different refrigerant line versions. The Sep '16 document does.
"On more recent versions it is no longer possible to remove the condenser from the radiator with the refrigerant lines attached. This is described below under “version 2”.
But the document provides zero information on how to identify these changed lines and when to use the version 1 vs version 2 instructions. F'ing tech writers.

But for B8.0, it's all the same parts except the lower condenser line on the 3.0T, which changed Oct 4 '10. So if I had to guess, I'd say he will hopefully not have to mess with the refrigerant.

[Theiceman]

are you referring to "my case", lol?

Just refering to op.... He's doing it to replace rad so.......

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[Theiceman]

The Jul '12 version of the 2.0T engine mechanical document does not elaborate on different refrigerant line versions. The Sep '16 document does.
"On more recent versions it is no longer possible to remove the condenser from the radiator with the refrigerant lines attached. This is described below under “version 2”.
But the document provides zero information on how to identify these changed lines and when to use the version 1 vs version 2 instructions. F'ing tech writers.

But for B8.0, it's all the same parts except the lower condenser line on the 3.0T, which changed Oct 4 '10. So if I had to guess, I'd say he will hopefully not have to mess with the refrigerant.

It is, but you have to dremmel off a tiny piece of the rad housing...
Not exactly factory procedure...

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[Pooppot]

Thank you all I’ll dig into it today. Hopefully I won’t have to vacuum and recover r123a although I do have a machine

[Zuzuwu]

might need to have a trip to a mechanic to discharge your ac system if your car is 2010+. on 2010+ cars, some brackets for some freaking air guide pieces get in a way of ac lines when you try to pull the condenser out of the retaining tabs on the radiator. The lines were updated in 2010 and you can't just pull the evaporator out anymore. Might be the case for b8.5 and $-line b8/b8.5 "A4 3.0T", though. Another option is to trim those brackets slightly.

If you cut one of the tabs on the left side you can take the condenser in and out. That’s how i did mine.


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[Theiceman]

If you cut one of the tabs on the left side you can take the condenser in and out. That’s how i did mine.


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yup me too

ill get a pic soon as i have to take the front off for my intercooler anyway

[fastboatster]

If you cut one of the tabs on the left side you can take the condenser in and out. That’s how i did mine.


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I'm well aware of this "technique". Didn't cut mine because of a) OCD and not being able to tolerate "mangling" brand-new hardware pieces b) not being able to return it if it doesn't fit right. I had to return CSF radiator I got first because the trans lines wouldn’t fit, had to get Behr radiator.
Anyways, offtopic, somebody was complaining (not in this thread) how much bs is that that you have to undo and swivel the intake manifold on the n20 to get the oil filter housing gasket done, I wonder how cool would it be to them to discharge the ac system to replace the radiator or cut into it. But oh well.

[Theiceman]

okay for anyone wondering what we are talking about here and for future reference: the condenser is dropped into the rad bracket by the way of metal tabs dropping into slot. then they put on the AC line on but the hard line is trapped under a plastic socket so it cant be lifted .. idiots.

the socket is one of 4 of another piece that slips on the fron so you go to three instead of 4 , no big deal. you just Dremel a small piece of it away so the ac line can now be lifted with the whole assembly and move to one side ...

the "OCD" guys out there , make sure you tell the tech you have "OCD" so he makes sure to charge you an extra G on your bill if he ever does this work for you to disconnect the AC line after discharging and recovering the refrigerant , then drying the system , then replacing the dryer and recharging it for you .

the rest of you just Dremel off that small piece and you're golden.

[Smac770]

It's curious that the manual refers to two different coolant line versions then. My Aug '08 build is exactly like that picture. The hard line passes right under that clip. And I figure I have about as early a US 8K as anyone here. Oddly, I find no preceding or superseding revision to the 8K0 260 701 D used on the B8.0 A4 2.0T. B8.5 A4 2.0T use 8T0 260 701 N, which only seems to differ by the bolt hole on the compressor end.

I'd cut that clip hole for the air guide in a heartbeat before messing with the refrigerant. As you can see, there's another clip for it right above anyway. Thanks for the pic, Ice.

[fastboatster]

okay for anyone wondering what we are talking about here and for future reference: the condenser is dropped into the rad bracket by the way of metal tabs dropping into slot. then they put on the AC line on but the hard line is trapped under a plastic socket so it cant be lifted .. idiots.

the socket is one of 4 of another piece that slips on the fron so you go to three instead of 4 , no big deal. you just Dremel a small piece of it away so the ac line can now be lifted with the whole assembly and move to one side ...

the "OCD" guys out there , make sure you tell the tech you have "OCD" so he makes sure to charge you an extra G on your bill if he ever does this work for you to disconnect the AC line after discharging and recovering the refrigerant , then drying the system , then replacing the dryer and recharging it for you .

the rest of you just Dremel off that small piece and you're golden.

Pretty sure the "tech guy" will just go by the book and discharge the AC and charge for it anyway, lol) pretty sure you don't need to replace the drier if you open the system for less than 2 hrs, btw. it will be more like discharge, undo the lines, remove the condenser and shove it onto the new rad, install the lines and recharge. Anyways, the design is very "speshful" and alternatively talented.