BoostLE

I don't know when I started doing this but I tend to open the hood when I get home to let the heat out more quickly. I guess my thinking is all that heat build-up can't be a good thing.

Am I preserving my car or just wearing out my hood latch prematurely?

Audifourme

Opening the hood is something that I would do on my air cooled Porsche if I run it hard at the track. For a water cooled car, that is being used as a daily driver, you are not really doing anything by opening the hood. Save yourself the trouble and the extra wear on the poor hood.

DrGP

Only reason is if you want to heat the garage. BTW these cars don't run hot.

snagitseven

If Audi had wanted you to open your hood in the garage, they would have provided an MMI setting to do so automatically.

GoNavy

i think the engine bay is designed to resist rapid cool downs in order to actually PREVENT from damage to engine components. if the components cool down too quickly, they can develop cracks from the thermal shock.

BoostLE

Haha that's funny. I guess I'll keep it closed for now

Toecutter

I've heard that explanation too but I find it hard to believe that an open hood in a warm garage would lead to more rapid cooling than a closed hood in frigid winter temps, or the rapid temp change that happens after your car has been parked to normal running temperature. My guess is that it doesn't make any difference one way or the other, and opening the hood is just unnecessary.

JohnEnglish

Yeah, unless you're dumping buckets of ice water on the block after running an endurance race in the desert, you don't need to worry about damaging the block due to thermal shock.

Best case scenario is that opening the hood isn't doing anything for the car and the worst case scenario is that you prematurely wear out the hood latch.

texasDFWS4

I think that if it fells right do it. That said, I say do it and in five or so years report back and let us know if:
A. The latch broke
B. The engine never felt better. (no cold or flu)
C. No difference

BobbyJim

I think the most important thing to do is to drive reasonably gently for the last 5-10min of your journey - temperatures will then be settled and simply switching off is not an issue.