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15 July 2007

Debadged Rear - Completely

I did this mod a couple of weeks ago, but finally took pictures today.

The "2.0T" badge didn't make it home from the dealer. The "A3" badge got removed last December. I've been wanting to do the OOOO and finally decided to go for it. Every time I wash or wax the car it drove me nuts to have dirt/crud/wax in the crevices around the rings. It's not important to me to show off what I drive. Actually, being really low-key would make it less of a target for jealous people.

I let it heat up in the sun for a while, used a thin piece of plastic to get it started and just peeled it off. The glue residue left behind got cleaned off with Goo-Gone. I then claybar'd the panel and worked it over with Meguiars No. 7 Show Car Glaze and No. 26 Yellow Wax.

The result is exactly what I wanted. Next step on the way to extreme debadging: blank centre caps for the wheels.







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Mid-July Photos

The St. Georges Bridge over the Delaware (C&D) canal...








St. Augustine Beach, with the Delaware River estuary in the background....


















The Park Under the St. Georges Bridge...














There's a story behind this picture, but I'll tell it later...

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Tow-hook Cover Retention

I did this a while ago, but neglected to post it.

The rear tow-hook covers on the A3 tend to pop off randomly. Replacing them is expensive and a hassle since they come unpainted and have to be painted to match. It seems to happen more with the S-Line rear valence, but has been reported to happen with the standard valence as well. If only there was some way to keep it from getting lost....


Here's the panel I'm referring to. You press in at the bottom to pop it out of the bumper valence.


Here's the part number in case you need to order one (standard valence, not S-Line) 8P4 807 441:



Here's the panel open, and hey, what's this? Those holes are awfully convenient...



The universal fix-it part, a zip-tie, strategically applied...





One less thing to worry about. Just leave enough slack in the zip-tie to allow the panel to open and close normally.



Interestingly, the cover for the front one has an integrated retainer:

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03 July 2007

Cool again - Second New Compressor Installed

Friday I got the call that the new (again) compressor had arrived. We agreed that Monday would be the best time to come in, since they wouldn't do it 'til then anyway.

Dropped the car off Monday (one week after the most recent compressor failure) at about 10:15. No loaner, they gave me a ride. Got a call at 14:25 that it was done, they sent the shuttle to pick me up.

They claim to have flushed the system but it is NOT listed on the work order, neither is a part number for a flush kit.

They did NOT replace the receiver/dryer cartridge again as they should have.

The compressor has a note "Vendor Code is DENSO", part number is 1K0 820 859 E. At least this clarifies that it is in fact the latest model compressor. If it fails again, it can only be due to improper installation.

They did not replace the belt even though it had been stressed/smoked by the compressor breakage.

So far it is blowing colder than it did the last time I picked it up with the first 'new' compressor. I don't have any confidence in it, though.

They replaced the engine cover mounting peg that they broke the last time, but did NOT resolve the scratched bumper yet. Lastly, there was black grease handprints on the front bumper by the right foglamp. Yeah, I said 'do not wash', but that doesn't mean "don't clean up your grease stains from working".

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