m1964

This morning decided to check coolant level after recent WP replacement - level was at Max., but coincidently I noted some dry leaves under the cowl, so I decided to remove those leaves.
In order to get them out I had to remove one part of the cowl -it consists of two parts-one sits under the windshield wipers, the other "inserts" into the first one, and also held by 4 clips by the rubber grommet running across the under hood.

First, undo the clips at the "front" of the cowl -closer to the engine, then just pull forward an up and the long plastic piece will come out.

I was surprised to see how much dried leaves was their -the area under the cowl had a lot of stuff -master cylinder, some wiring, AC? line, etc. -took a while to get it all out using my house vacuum cleaner.

In our Q5 the cowl does not sit flush with the rubber grommet running across the under hood area, and the small gap allows dirt/leaves to get in. I saw two drains there, but if the drains become clogged, the water may get under the dash...

We bought the Q 1 y.and 1 week ago, the amount of dirt/leaves was not enough to block the drains yet, but there are no big trees near the house.

HaveBullDogWillTravel

Good Post! This is an area that is neglected by MOST owners. Clogged drains can lead to all sorts of problems. THANKS!

DrV

Appreciate the information - I'll definitely do the same! I've removed leaves around the area, but never removed the cowl.