Aluminium Fatigue

I am not worried about the corrosion of our A2 Aluminium.
There are three different types of Alu on the A2:
-sheet matal. (doors, roof)
-casting (A and B-section; the mirror part, images)
-extruded aluminium sheath (sillboard ...)

And until now only the cast (not coated) shows the corrosion and it will take a hundred years until it becomes a problem, i think.

But what I wantet to say is, that the corrosion is not oxide, as most people would think. It is hydroxyde and apparently will not end up in oxide. But in the end thats no difference. It is corrosion. But still not worried about even scince one German wrote, that after his accident a lot of white powder was found in the sillboard. I am not shure if that is true.

@ Mark Brigg: You are right. Even painting the Mirror part would have been enough for let them live forever.
And the weight will rise up, if you keep all fallen off oxides. So measuring the wheight is not so easy, for that you have to calculate the weight of added Oxygen. But ok, on Aluminuim you could wash out every powder and measure the weight in the end.
I think the metallic lattice/structure is different (causes the corrosion) on casting aluminium. But other people mean the one small damage on the paint will bring wholes in the sheet metal soon.
I don't beleve.
 
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Erstens you are correct. The body panels will not corrode through, the normal surface oxide will protect it. Not sure if it is the grain structure that causes the castings to produce more white powder or just the roughness of the surface that presents a bigger area. Either way it will be long after we are gone that there will be any issues.
 
So what does one do if cracking is found??,
I can see something that looks like a small amount of cracking on the top hinge or the drivers door.
 
andyman said:
So what does one do if cracking is found??,
I can see something that looks like a small amount of cracking on the top hinge or the drivers door.
Click to expand...

I'll be getting in touch with my dealer next week.

They'll almost certainly brush it off with disdain, but they also know that I know a lot more about the A2 than the average owner and so I'll probably get a message along the lines of 'We'll keep it in mind in case anything further happens, or Audi release a bulletin'.

I suggest you do the same, and tell them that this is not an isolated problem.

Cheers,

Mike
 
I havent used the Audi dealer yet and was intending to go to my local garage instead for servicing etc, would this made any difference to any claim or complaint??.
 
Brand new news is, that the first car had been weldet!! Audi dealer did that without any order to do so or diskussion.
But I don't know anything more, I am in touch with my "undercover insider" ;)
http://forum.a2-freun.de/thread.php?postid=197636#post197636

I can't beleave the dealer didi this on a 2003 third hand car on his cost. Maybe there is aorder from Audi out now!?


And: Yes, andyman, there could be a problem (at this time). Same with my car and the dealer did not yet notoced my datas and send the problem to Audi becaus it has not the Audi-service anymore. He did so with two other cars the day I've been there together with the two other A2 from our forummembers.
 
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This is crazy. It should be more on the driverside!
The german left hand models have it mostly the left (driver) side but some, as mine, also other side.
 
erstens said:
This is crazy. It should be more on the driverside!
The german left hand models have it mostly the left (driver) side but some, as mine, also other side.
Click to expand...

Perhaps there is a very small design difference between the two front doors - this would account for why the left door seems more prone to cracking, rather than the right one, regardless of where the driver sits.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Having reported this matter to Stockport Audi, my local dealer, I was contacted by the service department today.

They had been asked by Audi Technical for photos of the cracking/fatigue, so I have sent these off, mostly from the photos posted by others. This in turn has been forwarded to Audi Technical, who will see what the problem is, liaise with Germany and see if a solution can be applied.

I have said that I trust that ALL A2s will be dealt with, regardless of warranty status, as this seems to be a design defect, rather than a warranty issue. Also, thinking about it now, it is actually covered by the 12 year anti-perforation corrosion warranty anyway!

The cracks/fatigue spots are coming from the INNER side of the door skin, as it is from the inside that the door panel is being stressed by the hinge.

As the oldest A2 is only 8, then there should be no reason why this fault cannot be dealt with on ALL affected cars, now exhibiting signs or i the future.

When I know more, I'll let you know.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Nice one Mike, Ollie has the problem too so I for one appreciate you thinking about the rest of us too!!.:)
 
andyman said:
Nice one Mike, Ollie has the problem too so I for one appreciate you thinking about the rest of us too!!.:)
Click to expand...

It actually strengthens the argument by including all affected A2s - a single case is easy to brush off, whereas hundreds if not thousands is a different matter altogether and since I became aware of the problem, every A2 I've come across is affected.

Cheers,

Mike
 
OK, update on the UK situation:

I was asked to take my car into the local Audi bodyshop, who are aluminium specialists.

The assessor there acknowledged the problem and that 2 new doors would be needed to solve the problem, but that it would only be a short term fix unless a modification was made to the skin of the door, or the check strap was shortened.

I told him of the scale of the problem which made him realise that he could have a lot of warranty work on its way!

So:

IF YOU HAVE CRACKS APPEARING ON THE FRONT DOOR HINGE AREA, TAKE YOUR A2 TO YOUR LOCAL DEALER ASAP.

YOUR WARRANTY STATUS IS IRRELEVANT, AS IT IS COVERED BY THE 12 YEAR ANTI-PERFORATION CORROSION WARRANTY.

TAKE IT IN, MAKE A FUSS, TELL THEM THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, IN GERMANY AND NOW IN THIS COUNTRY TOO.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Yeap I got the crack on the drivers door. The passenger door seems okay but it is dark outside when I was taking these pictures. I shall take it into audi tomorrow and request two new front doors :D

The rear doors are not affected nor the boot?
 
richard- said:
Yeap I got the crack on the drivers door. The passenger door seems okay but it is dark outside when I was taking these pictures. I shall take it into audi tomorrow and request two new front doors :D

The rear doors are not affected nor the boot?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't immediately ask for new doors!

Point out the cracking and ask what they're going to do about it. When they come back with "Nothing 'cos your warranty's up" point out that the cracking of the paint is caused by corrosion, in turn caused by the door plate splitting FROM THE INSIDE! That last bit about the corrosion being caused from the inside is important, as that is the wording of the 12 year anti-perforation corrosion warranty.

Cheers,

Mike
 
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