Auxiliary Heater Recall?
12-03-2017, 04:57 PM
#33
AudiWorld Super User
Raises hand...I did in fact get the notice Saturday.
12-03-2017, 05:02 PM
#34
AudiWorld Super User
vacuum tubes....
lmao I remember them back in the day. Had to deal with them whilst in the USAF repairing airborne nav radar sets on KC-135 and B-52C, D and G models. Yup I remember it like it was yesterday.
12-03-2017, 05:04 PM
#35
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Yep- to disable the aux heater, go into car settings via mmi and select the AC option (mines a 2014, could be slightly different for other years)
12-03-2017, 09:11 PM
#36
AudiWorld Super User
Here is the root cause of the issue......
The connector supplier replaced the tin/silver composition with tin only.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/201...7V622-6277.PDF
Here is the required disassembly of the dash sections. Looks like a nightmare for the techs to do a good job, lots of room for screw-ups! I can see quite a few dashes being ripped apart a second time to get the vent door motors, linkages, connectors, etc. functioning correctly again. There are 217K vehicles in the recall and I will let them practice on the first 200K before mine. This disassembly greatly affects anyone who installed the popular aftermarket rear view camera system posted in this forum.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/201...7V622-2176.pdf
In fact, I will most likely skip the recall, just permanetly turn off the AUX heater in the MMI at some point. My 2014 Q5 has only 12k miles of run time in 4.5 years so the heater grid should last another 4-5 more years before degradation. I will most likely not have my Q5 too much longer.
The connector supplier replaced the tin/silver composition with tin only.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/201...7V622-6277.PDF
Here is the required disassembly of the dash sections. Looks like a nightmare for the techs to do a good job, lots of room for screw-ups! I can see quite a few dashes being ripped apart a second time to get the vent door motors, linkages, connectors, etc. functioning correctly again. There are 217K vehicles in the recall and I will let them practice on the first 200K before mine. This disassembly greatly affects anyone who installed the popular aftermarket rear view camera system posted in this forum.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/201...7V622-2176.pdf
In fact, I will most likely skip the recall, just permanetly turn off the AUX heater in the MMI at some point. My 2014 Q5 has only 12k miles of run time in 4.5 years so the heater grid should last another 4-5 more years before degradation. I will most likely not have my Q5 too much longer.
Last edited by Bob Petruska; 12-03-2017 at 10:34 PM.
12-05-2017, 09:01 AM
#37
AudiWorld Super User
Got my letter yesterday. Kinda edited by the ransom note school of communication. It mentions there IS NO FIX at this time, and that owners should use the MMI functions to turn off the heater in the interim. And, oh, on the back of the second page it also tells AMI owners where to find a similar function. I had to look three times before I caught on to that one.
No fix...Gee, maybe I should show Fritz a Molex kit, and what a pigtail can do? Or a pin-replacement tool?
No.
Takata.
Airbags.
No fix...Gee, maybe I should show Fritz a Molex kit, and what a pigtail can do? Or a pin-replacement tool?
No.
Takata.
Airbags.
12-05-2017, 10:01 AM
#38
AudiWorld Super User
Got my letter yesterday. Kinda edited by the ransom note school of communication. It mentions there IS NO FIX at this time, and that owners should use the MMI functions to turn off the heater in the interim. And, oh, on the back of the second page it also tells AMI owners where to find a similar function. I had to look three times before I caught on to that one.
No fix...Gee, maybe I should show Fritz a Molex kit, and what a pigtail can do? Or a pin-replacement tool?
No.
Takata.
Airbags.
No fix...Gee, maybe I should show Fritz a Molex kit, and what a pigtail can do? Or a pin-replacement tool?
No.
Takata.
Airbags.
The problem is the connector that failed is part of the grid. This is soldered on. Would you want the tech to go all the way to the grid removal point and just try to do his best with corroded connectors to solder replacements. The chances of a good solder joint where there is obviously bad corrosion is nil. He really would need to remove the grid to perform a decent soldering attempt, so why not just replace the grid with a new one.
There are 300 US dealerships, 217K affected vehicles, 700/800 per dealership, so it will take each dealership about 1 year to repair all cars if one tech works on it full time.
They really should hammer the stupid grid supplier that decided on his own to change the metal composition. That is a total no-no in the automotive world. I worked there.........
Last edited by Bob Petruska; 12-05-2017 at 10:19 AM.
12-05-2017, 10:16 AM
#39
AudiWorld Super User
Bob-
I read your post, I just didn't go exploring the PDFs. Because I prefer to keep a full version of Adobe Acrobat and not throw it out and pay monthly for the "new" subscription model, WIn10 locks PDFs out of my browser, so I have to dl them and then first fire up Acrobat to read them. And then clear out the dl files. All a PITA. So, no, I didn't go chase the whole procedure.
What you are saying would apply only to those vehicles where there already is corrosion. In that case, there in apparently indeed a simple fix, replace the damned grid. If that's "simple but costly" because Audi buried the part...hey, not my circus, not my monkey. (Old Polish proverb.) For those where there IS no corrosion, adding a pigtail would ensure it didn't come, and keep the cost down.
Or they could do it the easy way. You know, how much less would I have paid for a similar car without a heater? What's that, a VW that's 5K cheaper? OK, since bundling is fair game (can't get a nav system without a whole MMI upgrade, right? can't get a power liftgate without a Premium of better, right?) then let's play the bundling game. Disable the heater, permanently, and just pay me back the difference in models.(G)
Obviously that's ludicrous and not in the Tesla sports mode way. But there ARE fixes out there, apparently the only real big issue if that Audi's profit statement is hurting so badly from Dieselgate that they really really don't want to vote on one.
Whether it would be cost-effective (and legal) to take the old grids out, overnight them to a "remanufacturing center" in ShengZhou, and then use them as the bulk of the repair supply, is a whole other question. Again, "Not my circus, not my monkey". As the customer, I don't think there's anything terribly unfair about saying "Takee, fixee!" on this one.
I read your post, I just didn't go exploring the PDFs. Because I prefer to keep a full version of Adobe Acrobat and not throw it out and pay monthly for the "new" subscription model, WIn10 locks PDFs out of my browser, so I have to dl them and then first fire up Acrobat to read them. And then clear out the dl files. All a PITA. So, no, I didn't go chase the whole procedure.
What you are saying would apply only to those vehicles where there already is corrosion. In that case, there in apparently indeed a simple fix, replace the damned grid. If that's "simple but costly" because Audi buried the part...hey, not my circus, not my monkey. (Old Polish proverb.) For those where there IS no corrosion, adding a pigtail would ensure it didn't come, and keep the cost down.
Or they could do it the easy way. You know, how much less would I have paid for a similar car without a heater? What's that, a VW that's 5K cheaper? OK, since bundling is fair game (can't get a nav system without a whole MMI upgrade, right? can't get a power liftgate without a Premium of better, right?) then let's play the bundling game. Disable the heater, permanently, and just pay me back the difference in models.(G)
Obviously that's ludicrous and not in the Tesla sports mode way. But there ARE fixes out there, apparently the only real big issue if that Audi's profit statement is hurting so badly from Dieselgate that they really really don't want to vote on one.
Whether it would be cost-effective (and legal) to take the old grids out, overnight them to a "remanufacturing center" in ShengZhou, and then use them as the bulk of the repair supply, is a whole other question. Again, "Not my circus, not my monkey". As the customer, I don't think there's anything terribly unfair about saying "Takee, fixee!" on this one.
12-05-2017, 11:12 AM
#40
AudiWorld Super User
Bob-
I read your post, I just didn't go exploring the PDFs. Because I prefer to keep a full version of Adobe Acrobat and not throw it out and pay monthly for the "new" subscription model, WIn10 locks PDFs out of my browser, so I have to dl them and then first fire up Acrobat to read them. And then clear out the dl files. All a PITA. So, no, I didn't go chase the whole procedure.
What you are saying would apply only to those vehicles where there already is corrosion. In that case, there in apparently indeed a simple fix, replace the damned grid. If that's "simple but costly" because Audi buried the part...hey, not my circus, not my monkey. (Old Polish proverb.) For those where there IS no corrosion, adding a pigtail would ensure it didn't come, and keep the cost down.
Or they could do it the easy way. You know, how much less would I have paid for a similar car without a heater? What's that, a VW that's 5K cheaper? OK, since bundling is fair game (can't get a nav system without a whole MMI upgrade, right? can't get a power liftgate without a Premium of better, right?) then let's play the bundling game. Disable the heater, permanently, and just pay me back the difference in models.(G)
Obviously that's ludicrous and not in the Tesla sports mode way. But there ARE fixes out there, apparently the only real big issue if that Audi's profit statement is hurting so badly from Dieselgate that they really really don't want to vote on one.
Whether it would be cost-effective (and legal) to take the old grids out, overnight them to a "remanufacturing center" in ShengZhou, and then use them as the bulk of the repair supply, is a whole other question. Again, "Not my circus, not my monkey". As the customer, I don't think there's anything terribly unfair about saying "Takee, fixee!" on this one.
I read your post, I just didn't go exploring the PDFs. Because I prefer to keep a full version of Adobe Acrobat and not throw it out and pay monthly for the "new" subscription model, WIn10 locks PDFs out of my browser, so I have to dl them and then first fire up Acrobat to read them. And then clear out the dl files. All a PITA. So, no, I didn't go chase the whole procedure.
What you are saying would apply only to those vehicles where there already is corrosion. In that case, there in apparently indeed a simple fix, replace the damned grid. If that's "simple but costly" because Audi buried the part...hey, not my circus, not my monkey. (Old Polish proverb.) For those where there IS no corrosion, adding a pigtail would ensure it didn't come, and keep the cost down.
Or they could do it the easy way. You know, how much less would I have paid for a similar car without a heater? What's that, a VW that's 5K cheaper? OK, since bundling is fair game (can't get a nav system without a whole MMI upgrade, right? can't get a power liftgate without a Premium of better, right?) then let's play the bundling game. Disable the heater, permanently, and just pay me back the difference in models.(G)
Obviously that's ludicrous and not in the Tesla sports mode way. But there ARE fixes out there, apparently the only real big issue if that Audi's profit statement is hurting so badly from Dieselgate that they really really don't want to vote on one.
Whether it would be cost-effective (and legal) to take the old grids out, overnight them to a "remanufacturing center" in ShengZhou, and then use them as the bulk of the repair supply, is a whole other question. Again, "Not my circus, not my monkey". As the customer, I don't think there's anything terribly unfair about saying "Takee, fixee!" on this one.
2. All 217K vehicles will have "new" grids put in. They all have some sort of corrosion. Even without the corrosion problem these grids have been known to die many years ago in Audi/VW cars, they just degrade over time. Using repaired "used" grid panels would mean that you could get one that may have been used a few times a day in cold country and ready to die.
3. The Gen2 Q5's have no electrical heating grid that I know of. That electrical grid uses 50+ amps at times which loads down the alternator, which loads down the engine, which decreases fuel economy. Audi went to a new fast heat micro channel system where they heat water quickly from the hot spots in the engine, turbo, etc. and route it to the passenger compartment heater core This does the same as the electrical supplemental heater grid.
4. I run both the full version of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Acrobat Reader in Win 10. I set windows to launch the Acrobat Reader when a PDF link is selected, and you can configure the reader to launch as a stand alone app outside of the browser. When you close the Reader app it brings you back to the browser.
5. You should read the PDF where it states that the Q5 battery should be disconnected with the ignition in the ON position or you can blow certain modules. This is a new on for me and would have never done that when replacing a battery.