Damaged the Undercar Shield

[dgarozzo]

Long story short, my daughter ran the car up on top of the curb while trying to park it. Looking under the car, I clearly need at least this part:

https://parts.audiusa.com/p/Audi_201...8K1863821.html

And probably most of the stuff here:

https://parts.audiusa.com/a/Audi_201...S/1399060.html


Any reason why I wouldn't buy this aftermarket part instead?

https://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts...-04165501.html

$425 versus $25!?!

More important, the support bar that holds the shield in place is bent in half. Looking around, I can't figure out what that part is. It's on the passenger side, and appears to only be there to hold up the shield. Can anybody help identify this part?

[Smac770]

How the hell did she fold that? Is that not the lower support bar for the lock carrier? 13 and 14 in https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../8/805-805000/
The front end of those rods sit in the bottom of the lock carrier, the rear end of those rods secure to the front subframe. So what's the subframe end of that look like? Is the pin that was on the rod sheared off?

https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../8/863-863025/
The front of the front cover secures to the lock carrier, the big rectangle that frames the radiator (part 8 in the first link).

PR-1VH is "6-cyl".
PR-1VG is "4-cyl".
PR-0F3 is diesel.
US spec must use 1SA / 1SJ, because the 8K1863821D for 6-cyl (1VH) for 1SB / 1SH is not acknowledged by parts.audiusa.com. My '09 A4 2.0T is 1SA.

Yeah, I wouldn't buy a new undershield for that kind of money. Used or third-party cheap. Though the super cheap stuff is pretty bad.

[LYKUNO]

As Smac770 mentions, that appears to be the lower support bar that sits under the radiator and holds it in place. That begs the question, what other damage has been incurred here? Is the radiator leaking? Are the electric fans still working or have they been pushed out of position or broken? If the front subframe has been bent, you're looking at a very expensive accident. Once the subframe is bent, the car will fail attempts at front-end alignment. The subframe part itself is currently $1954 at ECS tuning for a 2011 S4. I purchased one on a closeout sale for $750 from ECS back in 2016 when my car was involved in a front end accident and sustained a bent subframe (wasn't my fault and was covered by other driver's insurance). As I recall, the labor to install it was in the neighborhood of $900 at the dealer.

Hopefully you're lucky and the support bar pictured was the only structural component that was bent, and the attachment pin sheared off without bending the subframe. Those radiator support bars are generally in the $40-50 range. As ECS tuning states on their website regarding the lower support bars: "This is the support bar that sits under the radiator and holds it in place, without it your radiator has no support from below."

Out of curiosity, is the car drivable, driving normally, and not making weird noises, or was it towed? The plastic underbody cladding replacements should be relatively inexpensive -- people tear those off in driving in deep snow (frequently when backing up) or when hitting road debris (tire retreads, animal carcasses, etc). If after replacing those panels and the bent lower radiator support bar, it would be advisable to have the car aligned.

Keep us posted on where you go from here. Good luck!

EDIT: Added a picture from ECS Tuning the shows the right and left support bars (they each appear to have a couple of white zip ties on them in this picture). You can see where the bars are connected to the front radiator support. At the rear, the pins on the bars appear to go through ears on the front subframe, just above the swaybar mounts.

[Smac770]

The lock carrier is fully secured in place by the bumper support bolts. So the bars are not load bearing; I suspect they simply brace against twisting action. The torque spec on those bolts through the bars at the bottom of the lock carrier is only 1.5 Nm.

But LYKUNO's picture gives you a good view of the other end of the bars, where it has the pin that slots into the subframe and there's a securing nut. Again, not load bearing, but the torque spec is higher, at 23 Nm. But hopefully the tab on the subframe for that pin did not deform.

[dgarozzo]

You all are correct. It is exactly that support bar. It almost looks like the bar is designed to bend in that spot. The bar still pivots at the pin. I'm going to take a closer look at it this afternoon.

I did drive it home. And after I removed the shield (but not the support bar), I took it for an errand. It started out fine, but then made some rattling sounds. I think that's because things were "flapping in the wind" though.

Here's a pic I took quickly this morning.

Looks like this will be the one part I need:

https://www.amazon.com/Radiator-Supp.../dp/B089KBD51K

I still need to order the shield(s), too.

BTW - This is my first attempt at a DIY repair. I was hoping it was just the shields and that I could handle that myself. That bracket looks easy enough to replace, too, but as you all said - hopefully there isn't additional damage.

[Smac770]

You need to lift it and get the shield and bumper cover off. I think she broke the lock carrier.

If that bar is attached to the subframe still, and that bar is attached to the lock carrier still (where you see the bolt in your first pic), and the bar is still in one piece, ....

[dgarozzo]

If the front of that bar is supposed to be connected to the lock carrier, then yeah, the lock carrier is probably broken now.

It’s starting to sound like I might need to bring it to a shop and maybe run it through insurance. :(

[Smac770]

If we look at the front underside of the 8K (B8 A4/S4):

B8 A4 underside bolt holes.jpg

You see:
orange - the eight philips number 3 screws to remove the engine splash shield
yellow - the three captive (should be) philips number 3 screws and the two plugs (pull out the center, then the outer sleeve comes out) to remove the transmission splash shield
red - the three T25 screws (iirc) that secure the front bumper cover underside
green - the four T25 screws (iirc) that secure the lock carrier underside cover
blue - the two T30 bolts (iirc) that secure the support braces to the lock carrier

If you have ramps, I'd roll it up on those and remove all those screws (except the yellow ones) and drop the engine splash shield and the lock carrier under cover. Even without ramps, they can all be accessed. Just not as easy to get an overall view that way.

Your question at that point is "is the lock carrier bent, broke in two, etc". If something has happened to the lock carrier, you don't want to mess with it. Here's the lock carrier (don't follow any instructions this guy is giving, he's in left field regarding the process): https://youtu.be/Z64_GH0wSrM?t=738

[dgarozzo]

I appreciate all of the help. Most of those shields are gone. I was able to get the radiator support bar off. It appears to still be attached to the lock carrier (assuming that's what part that is). If the lock carrier is a plastic rectangular frame, it looks like the whole bottom part of the that frame broke off. See pics.

I'm clearly over my head on this. I don't think I have a choice anymore; I'm gonna have to bring it to the shop.

[Smac770]

Yeah, object 8 in https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../8/805-805000/



She's lucky the event didn't break the radiator or condenser (heh, no front mount intercooler on the 3.0T).

[frankkyA4]

Are you going to go through insurance?

[dgarozzo]

I am. My appointment at the repair shop isn't until Friday, December 3rd, though.

[frankkyA4]

I had the same damage, can you share your estimate when you get it. Also see if you can have them use the ECS Tuning Ultimate Audi B8 Facelift Street Shield Kit if you pay the difference.

[LYKUNO]

Interesting kit, and would likely provide much better protection than the flimsy plastic OEM underbody panels. $642 plus installation if you don't DIY it. Would probably fend off small critter corpses, chunks of shedded truck retreads and similar debris. Driving over concrete curbs and parking stops might test the limits of the ECS design, but clearly it would be better than the factory solution which is likely intended more for undercar aerodynamics than physical damage from road obstacles.

Anyway, here's the link for those interested: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part...03251ecs01akt/

[sepheroth86]

Interesting kit, and would likely provide much better protection than the flimsy plastic OEM underbody panels. $642 plus installation if you don't DIY it. Would probably fend off small critter corpses, chunks of shedded truck retreads and similar debris. Driving over concrete curbs and parking stops might test the limits of the ECS design, but clearly it would be better than the factory solution which is likely intended more for undercar aerodynamics than physical damage from road obstacles.

Anyway, here's the link for those interested: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part...03251ecs01akt/

I broke the crap out of my rear (transmission) cover on a hunk of ice/car booger last winter.

Unfortunately for the C7 folks such as myself, ECS only offers the front cover.

[frankkyA4]

What was on the quote from the shop?

[dgarozzo]

Finally got the quote today...

Parts needed are:

Lower plate, part 8K0807611B: $178.33
Opt OEM Radiator support, part 8K0805594L: $502.21
Front shield 3.0 Liter, part 8K1863821: $425.00
Rear shield 3.0 Liter, part 8K1863822S: $293.33
RT Support, part 8K0805528A: $50.00

and some other little things like shield pins, screws, u-nut... and an alignment.

Estimate Totals:

Parts: $1576.58
Parts Discount: -$106.86
Body Labor: $1036.80
Paint Labor: $189
Mechanical Labor: $52
Paint Supplies: $115.50

Subtotal: $2863.02
Tax: $171.78

Grand Total: $3034.80


It looks like if I opt for the ECS Tuning Ultimate Audi B8.5 Facelift Street Shield Kit I'd probably same some money, but I'm probably just going to go with the OEM stuff.

[LYKUNO]

Ouch! Thanks for the update.That's quite a list, but that's what insurance is for. It's going to be back to you in no time, and be just like new. And I'm sure your daughter now has a real appreciation for how expensive a simple accident can be. That kind of lesson can certainly help one to become a more conscientious and careful driver.

[frankkyA4]

Thanks for the update. I think I will get mine done too. Mine looks like the same damage.