Boot trim plugs

[steve184]

You know those things that cover the access holes to remove the lights??

Anyone find these poor in design - the fact that once taken off they are pretty much useless to put back on again? One of mine is rattling around now (to bassy music) which is annoying - To sort have to replace whole side panel £92 quid!

Cheaper option is to leave these off altogether so just a hole showing - anyone else do this, or suggest any better alternatives? Shoyuldn't really have to do this on a £20+k car!

 

[Boydie]

Are you talking about inside the boot??

I am not totally sure what you are talking about....do you mean the plastic trim that covers the top of the light cluster on the outside of the car?

If that is what you are talking about, then yes, they are crap - both mine are broken but I just leave them as they do not bother me - somehow though I do not think these are what you are talking about as I do not see them costing £92 lol

 

[h5djr]

Those plugs do have an individual part number so should be available as an individual item. The part number is 8P0 863 905 B or C depending on the age of the car. There is also mention of a Parts Bulletin 8-169 in connection with them, so perhaps they have been modified in some way.

 

[steve184]

i'm talking about the little access covers inside the boot - you have to remove them to access the release nuts for the rear light clusters (to replace bulbs etc) but it seems they are so crap that you remove them once and you can't put them back in again - they either break and fall through or they rattle (in my case) only way to go back is replace the whole side panel (where the courtesy light is) - is this any clearer? Thats £92 ive checked.

 

[steve184]

yes i understand you can by them - and im sure they will be pennies. But the way they click to the panel means the panel itself can be damaged easily - then even new ones won't clip in - interesting if they have altered them though, perhaps they have realised that once removed they don't go back on properly - they are pretty tacky and cheap.

Poor design really given that you may have to access the lights a lot to replace bulbs etc. Should be a little screw plug or something, something designed to be removed/replaced a number of times before breaking.

 

[bacardi]

to design a car where someone with the most basic understanding of DIY is unable to change a bulb is a blatant attempt by Audi to milk the last few pennies from their customers -

those who try to replace a bulb and damage something (because the design is so poor) are then even more heavily penalised at having to buy a new piece of interior trim, or new rear light cluster


Absolutely superb, dontcha just love Audi

 

[adcooper]

They can be brought from audi for a grand total of £1.79 each i dropped one in mine too

 

[MarcQuinlivan]

i dropped mine in before, but they are actually tethered to the inside of the panel so you may be able to fish them out with a coat hanger or a rather bendy finger.

 

[steve184]

mine arnt tethered in any way - they are simply crap loose bits of plastic which once removed once don't go back in very snugly and rattle (or on the otherside won't go in at all now because the lugs on the main trim panel have broken off) - to fix this is (as mentioned above £92 for a whole new trim panel which wraps round the side of the boot)

 

[Teejay]

I broke one and dropped the other one through.

Haven't replaced them though - why bother. They'll only need to come off again for the next bulb change, and who's gonna see that they're missing anyway?

 

[steve184]

well thats what im askin - is it common place for people to just leave them off once removed for the first time - thats my only option for one side certainly (unless i spend 100 quid to replace the whole panel) and the other side rattles so i may as well leave this side as well.

cheers

 

[MarcQuinlivan]

...and who's gonna see that they're missing anyway?

I know what you mean.... I've certainly never had a live body in my boot.