IMPORTANT ALL READ. Rusting bottom of doors, when will it be yours?

Audi are prize prats tbh, does this mean that the body and paint warranty is void - is it worth a collective visit to a solicitors to see if the warranties are mis-sold?

Cheers Simon /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/soap.gif
 
I posted up my findings on the first page. Mine isn't as bad as yours, but some of the paint has come off of the loacting pins and I have a mark on each side at the back where the strip has rubbed over the years due to vibration.

There is no brown rust as of yet, just black ganvanic corrosion (galvanised process seems to be working so far).

Even so, if left it will turn into the same as yours. I've just cleaned and waxoyled it up at present. I'm not planning to contact Audi, I'm going to respray the door bottoms myself at some point this summer, but I thought I'd add to your list for the sake of numbers if thats cool.
 
Just an update for you all and another warning!

Removed the bottom door trim on the driver's side today to see that the rust was back, around the bolt-hole at the back end of the door. As before it was surface rust and very luckily had not crept up onto the door skin. Rubbed it all down, treated it with Jenolite and then repainted half the bottom edge with hammerite - fed up with water-based poster paints that cars use now!

Coated everything again with loads of waxoyl and re-attached the trim. I'll be taking it off to inspect more regularly now.

So, yet again, if you havn't already - take off the bottom door trim, treat/re-paint if needed and spray the bottom of the door/trim inside edge with Waxoyl The smal patch that already had waxoyl on was 100% rust free.
 
An update on mine.

I got fed up of waiting for Audi to anything about it as they were refusing to admit there was a fault. So I got my doors fixed while it was in the body shop.

I ended up getting the lower bump strips bonded to the doors then blended in. So now they can not move and rub. Also they cannot get water or dirt down the side. So not much chance of them rusting again!
 
ive noticed this happeneing a few months ago but havent checked it since......to me it looks like its where the screw to the rubbing strip has pierced the door and not been sealed properly mine seems to bubble around the screw area more than anywhere else

think i might pop to the local audi dealer and see ehat they say

anyone think stonechips on a bonnet might get looed at too as warranty work. i mean they got to mix the paint hehehehe /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Mine is an 02, with a mear 8400 miles on it and having spent the best part of an hour getting the strips off I found no rust but patches of bare metal that look as though the paint and primer have been rubbed off.... and its kept in a garage all the time.

This has to be a design error, we are not talking about very old vehicles here.

My dealer stated that the corrosion warranty is 'anti perforation' i.e. 12 years of not rusting through, not just a 'bit of surface stuff'.....

I am going to read my manual now (for the first time!)
 
Guys I have the same problem as typ81. Last night I tried to pull off my strips and they were not budging. Is there something else I need to do other than the one small screw? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Oh, how i wish I'd found this forum before buying my A3.. There's two screws holding the door trims on, both of these on mine have rusted. I'm unable to remove the screws without destroying them, which I'm going to have to do as I can see the paint starting to bubble above the trim on my drivers door /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Can some one please advise me on the size so I can replace the screws?

p.s VAGMAN1's post on how to treat has gone. Could some one repost the info.. Thanks
 
Just to follow up...I popped round to my local Audi franchise to pick up a tailgate wiper repair kit (another story...) today and mentioned the rust on my A3's doors, which is starting to become quite noticable. The warranties guy came out to have a look at it. He didn't pay any attention to the rust though - he was looking for signs of respraying....which he found /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif. Because he had no way of knowing if the paint work had been done to Audi standards, no warranty claim could be made. Even if it had, it would have been a "paint defect" claim.

He did recommend a local VAG-approved bodyshop though ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
I checked mine today (on one side) those side strips are a pain to remove, and they dont come off the way the guide on the 1st page says!

There was some rust there, and it looks like its come from behind, so going to see what Audi say. I also broke the white clip rail inside the side strip, so hoping they are sold seperatley, otherwise its a new strip :(
 
yeh same problem on my S3, i too phoned Audi about this and they gave the same story about the Anti perforation Warranty. this to me seems like a bit of a cop out. i'll try removing the strips for a better look at the damage
 
update, mine has been approved for warranty repair. word of warning though, the assessor wasnt too happy that i'd take the trim off. if it cant be seen with the trim in place, its doubtful that they will fix it, it sounds stupid, because obviously its best to catch it before it gets on the visible part of the door!
 
there was some corrosion about half way up the lower part of the door, looked like a stone chip but I was told it wasnt. He didnt reallt make his mind up about the corrosion behind the trims at the bottom. But he thought it was because of the way they are attached, that they can rub through the paint, but as the door was being done anyway, it would be repaired
 
Ive just come across this thread.....

My brother in law's mate works for Audi and I don't see very often but if I can I'l ask him to have a word and see if he knows anything about it. :)
 
Lovegroover said:
Guide doesn't seem to work for me? How exactly do you remove these??
Click to expand...

yeh the guide is for very early cars i think

- open door and remove 2 rubber grommets at bottom of inner door

- remove the 2 cross head screws that are hidden in the holes

- remove the cross head screw at the edge of the bottom of the door, nearest the rear of the car

- slide strip towards the back of the car about 1 inch (with door open!) and then it should pull off (it has a keyhole type fixing)

* remember though if it cant be seen with the stip on then it probably wont be covered, but its worth checking anyway!

* check to see if there are any stone chip type corrosion on the lower doors / rear 3/4's. These may not be stone chips, and may be warranty fixable corrosion, so worth asking about these
 
hello, haning just bought my 99S A3 and reading this im a bit concerned, however i cant view the pics on here and i couldnt see any rubber gromets on the bottom of my doors to take them off. I just have a screw at either end
HELP! Please

Thanks Paul
 
locker said:
hello, haning just bought my 99S A3 and reading this im a bit concerned, however i cant view the pics on here and i couldnt see any rubber gromets on the bottom of my doors to take them off. I just have a screw at either end
HELP! Please

Thanks Paul
Click to expand...

I think rubber grommets only apply to S3 doors? :detective2:
 
so confused! is it only me that cant see the pics on this post?
 
Well guys i checked mine out yesterday (drivers only), after reading this i thought i may have a problem. My S3 is Jan 02 & i ll glad to report no problems at all. I would like to point out if ya have an S3 your ll need to remove the door card unless you use a magnetic philips screw driver which probably wont help. The screws behind the grommets will get lost in the door hence door card removeal.
 
if you're careful you wont lose them, even if they do drop down, its nothing a magnetic pencil thingy wont find
 
Update

*Links for pictures updated on page 1.
*URL's still broken on page 1 (Looks like the threads may have been lost when the board was updated?)
 
i have a w plate a3 1.8 turbo 4 wheel drive,have the same fault on mine and also on the quarter panel and on the back edge of the roof above the rear window(common place too so i have been told)took car back to audi in worcester and got told to drop it over to south hereford garages in hereford,after having them inspect it and the audi claims chap,they have given the go ahead to have the work done under warranty:yes:
 
Had a look at the manual and it does say 12yrs rust my doors are really bad, heading to Audi Edinburgh at the weekend to see what i can get done,
 
had my doors done a couple of weeks ago by audi, along with a full respray while it was there :yum:
 
I got mine fixed.

Had the problem on both the roof and the doors. Had to replace the bump strips on the bottoms of my doors as the brass gromets had totally corroded. I have a 1.8t 1999. rather that fighting my case with Audi I went to Altered Image in bonnyrigg just outside edinburgh and only cost me 250 bucks including a machine polish but the finish wasnt great but they took it back and sorted it out and now I am very happy. better to get it done sooner rather than later.
 
jonS3 said:
had my doors done a couple of weeks ago by audi, along with a full respray while it was there :yum:
Click to expand...

A full respray eh??? How much they charge for that?? :faint:

I've had mine off today.. There's some bubbling rust, and where the sill has rubbed and caused the paint to flake off.

Sill1.jpg


_MG_0472.jpg


What's the procedure for filing a claim?

Cheers
Andy
 
Took my door trims off today, 1 small rust bubble on the drivers door, passenger door fine, i cleaned and polished behind the trims, put a thin smear of grease on the paint you can't see and re-fitted the trims, also lost the middle two screws in the door but got them out with a small magnet :o.k:

Car is a December 2002 52 reg
 
LaSarthe&Back said:
A full respray eh??? How much they charge for that?? :faint:

What's the procedure for filing a claim?

Cheers
Andy
Click to expand...

well the warranty repair for the doors, and roof channels only left the front and rear end, wasn't that cheap, but well worth it

procedure is to phone your local audi dealer and ask who the local audi approved body shop is, then go see them and they will do the rest.
 
LaSarthe&Back said:
A full respray eh??? How much they charge for that?? :faint:

I've had mine off today.. There's some bubbling rust, and where the sill has rubbed and caused the paint to flake off.





What's the procedure for filing a claim?

Cheers
Andy
Click to expand...

Just a quick question, how do you remove the trims so I can check my doors.:sly:
 
nickelvery said:
Just a quick question, how do you remove the trims so I can check my doors.:sly:
Click to expand...

Open the door, remove the screw closest to the hinge. Then pull on the end of the sill furthest from the hinge. It should slide back about 3-4inches, and then just pull it off.
 
Got my drivers door and the bit on the roof (where the roof rail meets the roof) fixed under the warranty (2001 1.8t with 52k onthe clock).
However, it took about 2 months before the approval. the pictures had been taken, then i had to bring the service book in for the delivery stamp, confirm the milege on the car and wait, wait and wait. Eventually they called me back with great new confirming that they will carry out the work under the warranty!
Advice - be persistent and have a bit of patience, but at the same time, don't let garrage to forget about your claim
 
where does it say it is a 12 year warranty, went to audi today bodyshop guy told me it's only a 3 year warranty? where do i find out how long the warranty is for
 
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