Sill/Front arch rust issues '09 S5 (Also, new exhaust!)

vivalacoulter

vivalacoulter

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Evening everyone!

I was giving my car a quick jet wash the other day when I noticed a little something hanging down at the rear of the front arch on the sill.

I bent down to feel what it was and to my surprise a little patch of the stone chip protection paint fell off in my hand, revealing a little surface rust underneath. I checked the passenger side and there was also a patch of surface rust already missing some paint.

Luckily this is mostly not visible from looking straight on at the car but will bug me now that I know it's there. I've booked in to get a quote tomorrow afternoon at my local body shop. They sprayed my old S3's bumper and did the rust on the arches and I was extremely impressed with their work. Up To Scratch in Caerphilly if anyone wants to look them up...

I was just wondering if anyone has noticed this on their cars of a similar age? I would go through Audi but honestly, I simply can't be bothered with the hassle I can see myself having to go through to get anything worthwhile out of the corrosion warranty.

I've been advised by a friend that the B8.5 cars came with little stick on stone chip guards at the rear of the arches which Audi have quoted me around £28 for which I think will be a nice little added protection for when the work is complete.

However annoying this is, on to the good news! I'm not nearly as miffed by this paint issue as I would normally have been, as I simply cannot stop smiling at the brilliant V8 rumble my new exhaust makes!

Longlife Caerphilly made me a stainless half system from the resonator back and it sounds just awesome. It's bedding in nicely and seems much less boomy already. (It was extremely antisocial the first few days...) Very good tone off of it now. £450 all in and quad 3.5" rolled in tips.

Image2
 
Do you have a pic of the rust?

My 11 Sportback is fine so far. Hope it will be for years to come..
 
Do you have mudflaps at the front of your S5? Mine has it and without that it would be a disaster. The back is plastic luckily.
 
AJ91 said:
Do you have mudflaps at the front of your S5? Mine has it and without that it would be a disaster. The back is plastic luckily.
Click to expand...

No it hasn't got them, I've noticed it already had two black plastic strips at the back of the arch, but they don't extend around the side like the new ones to deflect stones from the sill.
 
vivalacoulter said:
No it hasn't got them, I've noticed it already had two black plastic strips at the back of the arch, but they don't extend around the side like the new ones to deflect stones from the sill.
Click to expand...

I bought my 2011 and it had them installed luckily. To be honest the first thing you should get installed to protect the lower front arches and also the front door/under s-line extended edge thingie which goes under the both doors.

Seen some horror rust examples from non mudflaps Audis especially a4 b8's that has been totally ruined there with rust.
 
AJ91 said:
I bought my 2011 and it had them installed luckily. To be honest the first thing you should get installed to protect the lower front arches and also the front door/under s-line extended edge thingie which goes under the both doors.

Seen some horror rust examples from non mudflaps Audis especially a4 b8's that has been totally ruined there with rust.
Click to expand...

It's so annoying, thought these were made from galvanised steel? My old mk4 golf didn't have a single spec of rust on it.
 
Audis especially b7/b8 are known for rust in arches. This is a 2009 A4 without the flaps. Just awful really this can happen.

IMG 0084
 
AJ91 said:
Audis especially b7/b8 are known for rust in arches. This is a 2009 A4 without the flaps. Just awful really this can happen.

View attachment 120463
Click to expand...
Ah no photo required now, luckily my arch seems fine, but my sill is just like that, however slightly more away from the sill trim that runs down the car.

I'm just waiting on a delivery today then I'm off to UpToScratch for a quote. Probably wont be too much.
 
Okay I've been for a quote and he said he's going to remove both sills (I didn't know you could actually do that), strip them back and re stone chip them. £280 all in. Also, said that if I supplied the new protectors that he'd fit them no problem.

Said he'd like to allow two days and I can have a courtesy car while he has it, which is a new Ford Fiesta.

So overall not bad! Oh and I finally got a couple of pictures, albeit a little out of focus.
ab30e3e5d9bc47546ff916a01195007e.jpg
77b902a407fa5610fc5516b56a203930.jpg


Hard to see it all because of the rain water in the second picture but you get the idea.
 
Not bad at all! Yeah make sure to get the protection installed once you replaced them. They are rather discrete on a black car so it won't ruin the sporty look of the s5. And you will avoid getting new stone chips there. Glad it's getting sorted. Wish to own a s5 one day!
 
Surely this is covered by the 12 year Audi paint warranty?

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
Not if it's caused by stone chips like that.
 
gregpot2000 said:
Surely this is covered by the 12 year Audi paint warranty?

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I may have been able to argue it's down to a design flaw but I think for what I've been quoted, it's not worth my time.

I had a 12 year old S3 before that had bubbling on the roof and they did spray it with no hassle. But the window regulators for my S5 was a massive pain and my local Audi is awful to deal with.
 
Last edited:
Did you get this sorted by audi themselves?

I just discovered 2 rust spots myself on my rear Wheel front fender but they can actually remove them easily and respray?
 
This is so damn annoying... what do I do with this? Cover up with paint myself and sell/trade or contact Audi? MY11.

IMG 0103
IMG 0104
 
Ah that is annoying but sadly inevitable. I've actually been to an Audi bodyshop for an inspection and I'm waiting on the results back now. Thought I may as well try to get it done through them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I fixed it this weekend when I detailed the car.

Sanded down to the steel so the rust was removed, it was only a bit on the top and used a rust converter/primer and then painted it. figured it will last until I sell the car this autum.

Love Audi but too much Money to worry about paint problems, galvanized paint bubbles etc.
 
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