Swimming recovery

I took my Audi A4 for a swim lately in a fairly deep pond.
Got about 10" deep I guess, enough for dirty water to get into the cabin
so the comfort control unit that some teuton have "thoughtfully" has placed under the
driver's doormat is likely out of commission (it've pulled it, disassembled it and dried it.
Having no spirits handy I had to wipe the dirt off the circuitry with damp cloth,
i suppose that did not do it any good.
Showed to an automotive electrician, he says if he was me he won't stuff that unit back in.
Soooo, makes me wonder considering how much this thing costs and the cost
of drycleaning that ensued am I looking at other expenses?

I was stupid enough to get up to the top of the wheel wells into the water
but thankfully the engine seems fine. Any other problems to take care of
aside from carpet stench preventive drycleaning and the search
for the replacement of the control unit?

I'm sure after new orleans some folks have a very extensive experience in that area.

http://i67.tinypic.com/2ev3uis.jpg

the electrician says it did not get into this sorry state from a single swim

On Monday, September 19, 2016 at 8:41:23 PM UTC+8, wrote:
>
> the electrician says it did not get into this sorry state from a single swim

I don't know about A4, but some cars may have a problem where water gets into
ventilation in heavy rain and trickles out unseen and you end up with damp
carpet and other problems. Maybe somebody in an Audi forum has experience
with same thing.

On Monday, September 19, 2016 at 2:41:23 AM UTC-10, wrote:
> I took my Audi A4 for a swim lately in a fairly deep pond.
> Got about 10" deep I guess, enough for dirty water to get into the cabin
> so the comfort control unit that some teuton have "thoughtfully" has placed under the
> driver's doormat is likely out of commission (it've pulled it, disassembled it and dried it.
> Having no spirits handy I had to wipe the dirt off the circuitry with damp cloth,
> i suppose that did not do it any good.
> Showed to an automotive electrician, he says if he was me he won't stuff that unit back in.
> Soooo, makes me wonder considering how much this thing costs and the cost
> of drycleaning that ensued am I looking at other expenses?
>
> I was stupid enough to get up to the top of the wheel wells into the water
> but thankfully the engine seems fine. Any other problems to take care of
> aside from carpet stench preventive drycleaning and the search
> for the replacement of the control unit?
>
> I'm sure after new orleans some folks have a very extensive experience in that area.
>
> http://i67.tinypic.com/2ev3uis.jpg
>
> the electrician says it did not get into this sorry state from a single swim

My Passat has the common problem of getting water in the cabin caused by the drain holes in the engine compartment getting clogged up. If you have this problem, you first have to check for blockage by removing the panel by the firewall and look around. There may be a drain under the battery.

I had a problem with the transmission going crazy after a big rain. I took it to the transmission shop and they quoted me thirteen hundred dollars for a new transmission control module and the couldn't guarantee that it would work. I took it home and located the TCM under the passenger floor - it was in water. I
bought a used TCM on eBay for $135.00. Installing it solved the problem. The old TCM still worked once it dried out and I'm keeping that as a spare.

If your A4 is around 10 years old, you might expect that the plastic connectors for the coolant and emission hoses will start getting brittle and leaking. This is completely normal for these cars.

On Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 8:22:28 AM UTC+3, dsi1 wrote:
> On Monday, September 19, 2016 at 2:41:23 AM UTC-10, wrote:
> > I took my Audi A4 for a swim lately in a fairly deep pond.
> > Got about 10" deep I guess, enough for dirty water to get into the cabin
> > so the comfort control unit that some teuton have "thoughtfully" has placed under the
> > driver's doormat is likely out of commission (it've pulled it, disassembled it and dried it.
> > Having no spirits handy I had to wipe the dirt off the circuitry with damp cloth,
> > i suppose that did not do it any good.
> > Showed to an automotive electrician, he says if he was me he won't stuff that unit back in.
> > Soooo, makes me wonder considering how much this thing costs and the cost
> > of drycleaning that ensued am I looking at other expenses?
> >
> > I was stupid enough to get up to the top of the wheel wells into the water
> > but thankfully the engine seems fine. Any other problems to take care of
> > aside from carpet stench preventive drycleaning and the search
> > for the replacement of the control unit?
> >
> > I'm sure after new orleans some folks have a very extensive experience in that area.
> >
> > http://i67.tinypic.com/2ev3uis.jpg
> >
> > the electrician says it did not get into this sorry state from a single swim
>
> My Passat has the common problem of getting water in the cabin caused by the drain holes in the engine compartment getting clogged up. If you have this problem, you first have to check for blockage by removing the panel by the firewall and look around. There may be a drain under the battery.
>
> I had a problem with the transmission going crazy after a big rain. I took it to the transmission shop and they quoted me thirteen hundred dollars for a new transmission control module and the couldn't guarantee that it would work. I took it home and located the TCM under the passenger floor - it was in water. I
> bought a used TCM on eBay for $135.00. Installing it solved the problem. The old TCM still worked once it dried out and I'm keeping that as a spare.
>
> If your A4 is around 10 years old, you might expect that the plastic connectors for the coolant and emission hoses will start getting brittle and leaking. This is completely normal for these cars.

Thanks.
So far I had to have interior disassembled and the carpets dry cleaned, starter rebuilt
after it started making noises and the drowned comfort module is on backorder
at the dealer's (there is a bunch of part number all differing in the last 2 letters,
i did not dare to put a used one in different only in those two).

Why on earth do they have to place electronic modules so low?
I could understand the starter being low for a car that is not designed to plow
through the mud, but the electornic module in such
a "smart" location is just bound to get wet eventually.

I understand the problem of poor starter and electronic component location is
not limited to passenger cars, jeeps have it. Pagero/Montero have it.

Somebody is buying that despite obviously poor engineering decisions on part
of Jeep/Cruysler and mitsubishi...

On Tuesday, October 4, 2016 at 3:24:13 AM UTC-10, wrote:
> On Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 8:22:28 AM UTC+3, dsi1 wrote:
> > On Monday, September 19, 2016 at 2:41:23 AM UTC-10, wrote:
> > > I took my Audi A4 for a swim lately in a fairly deep pond.
> > > Got about 10" deep I guess, enough for dirty water to get into the cabin
> > > so the comfort control unit that some teuton have "thoughtfully" has placed under the
> > > driver's doormat is likely out of commission (it've pulled it, disassembled it and dried it.
> > > Having no spirits handy I had to wipe the dirt off the circuitry with damp cloth,
> > > i suppose that did not do it any good.
> > > Showed to an automotive electrician, he says if he was me he won't stuff that unit back in.
> > > Soooo, makes me wonder considering how much this thing costs and the cost
> > > of drycleaning that ensued am I looking at other expenses?
> > >
> > > I was stupid enough to get up to the top of the wheel wells into the water
> > > but thankfully the engine seems fine. Any other problems to take care of
> > > aside from carpet stench preventive drycleaning and the search
> > > for the replacement of the control unit?
> > >
> > > I'm sure after new orleans some folks have a very extensive experience in that area.
> > >
> > > http://i67.tinypic.com/2ev3uis.jpg
> > >
> > > the electrician says it did not get into this sorry state from a single swim
> >
> > My Passat has the common problem of getting water in the cabin caused by the drain holes in the engine compartment getting clogged up. If you have this problem, you first have to check for blockage by removing the panel by the firewall and look around. There may be a drain under the battery.
> >
> > I had a problem with the transmission going crazy after a big rain. I took it to the transmission shop and they quoted me thirteen hundred dollars for a new transmission control module and the couldn't guarantee that it would work. I took it home and located the TCM under the passenger floor - it was in water. I
> > bought a used TCM on eBay for $135.00. Installing it solved the problem.. The old TCM still worked once it dried out and I'm keeping that as a spare.
> >
> > If your A4 is around 10 years old, you might expect that the plastic connectors for the coolant and emission hoses will start getting brittle and leaking. This is completely normal for these cars.
>
> Thanks.
> So far I had to have interior disassembled and the carpets dry cleaned, starter rebuilt
> after it started making noises and the drowned comfort module is on backorder
> at the dealer's (there is a bunch of part number all differing in the last 2 letters,
> i did not dare to put a used one in different only in those two).
>
> Why on earth do they have to place electronic modules so low?
> I could understand the starter being low for a car that is not designed to plow
> through the mud, but the electornic module in such
> a "smart" location is just bound to get wet eventually.
>
> I understand the problem of poor starter and electronic component location is
> not limited to passenger cars, jeeps have it. Pagero/Montero have it.
>
> Somebody is buying that despite obviously poor engineering decisions on part
> of Jeep/Cruysler and mitsubishi...

Audi likes to do things their way. They'll stick the engine pointing straight ahead instead of sideways, like God intended. They'll put 5 valves in a head instead of 4. Putting an electronic control box at the bottom of a well seems odd but that's Audi for you. To their credit, it's in a water tight box but submerging the car in water will cause most cars to have problems.

As it goes, when everything is going right, it's a nice ride but it really helps to be fully invested in the car i.e., it helps to know the car inside and out.

On Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 1:20:12 AM UTC+3, dsi1 wrote:
> On Tuesday, October 4, 2016 at 3:24:13 AM UTC-10, wrote:
> > On Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 8:22:28 AM UTC+3, dsi1 wrote:
> > > On Monday, September 19, 2016 at 2:41:23 AM UTC-10, wrote:
> > > > I took my Audi A4 for a swim lately in a fairly deep pond.
> > > > Got about 10" deep I guess, enough for dirty water to get into the cabin
> > > > so the comfort control unit that some teuton have "thoughtfully" has placed under the
> > > > driver's doormat is likely out of commission (it've pulled it, disassembled it and dried it.
> > > > Having no spirits handy I had to wipe the dirt off the circuitry with damp cloth,
> > > > i suppose that did not do it any good.
> > > > Showed to an automotive electrician, he says if he was me he won't stuff that unit back in.
> > > > Soooo, makes me wonder considering how much this thing costs and the cost
> > > > of drycleaning that ensued am I looking at other expenses?
> > > >
> > > > I was stupid enough to get up to the top of the wheel wells into the water
> > > > but thankfully the engine seems fine. Any other problems to take care of
> > > > aside from carpet stench preventive drycleaning and the search
> > > > for the replacement of the control unit?
> > > >
> > > > I'm sure after new orleans some folks have a very extensive experience in that area.
> > > >
> > > > http://i67.tinypic.com/2ev3uis.jpg
> > > >
> > > > the electrician says it did not get into this sorry state from a single swim
> > >
> > > My Passat has the common problem of getting water in the cabin caused by the drain holes in the engine compartment getting clogged up. If you have this problem, you first have to check for blockage by removing the panel by the firewall and look around. There may be a drain under the battery.
> > >
> > > I had a problem with the transmission going crazy after a big rain. I took it to the transmission shop and they quoted me thirteen hundred dollars for a new transmission control module and the couldn't guarantee that it would work. I took it home and located the TCM under the passenger floor - it was in water. I
> > > bought a used TCM on eBay for $135.00. Installing it solved the problem. The old TCM still worked once it dried out and I'm keeping that as a spare.
> > >
> > > If your A4 is around 10 years old, you might expect that the plastic connectors for the coolant and emission hoses will start getting brittle and leaking. This is completely normal for these cars.
> >
> > Thanks.
> > So far I had to have interior disassembled and the carpets dry cleaned, starter rebuilt
> > after it started making noises and the drowned comfort module is on backorder
> > at the dealer's (there is a bunch of part number all differing in the last 2 letters,
> > i did not dare to put a used one in different only in those two).
> >
> > Why on earth do they have to place electronic modules so low?
> > I could understand the starter being low for a car that is not designed to plow
> > through the mud, but the electornic module in such
> > a "smart" location is just bound to get wet eventually.
> >
> > I understand the problem of poor starter and electronic component location is
> > not limited to passenger cars, jeeps have it. Pagero/Montero have it.
> >
> > Somebody is buying that despite obviously poor engineering decisions on part
> > of Jeep/Cruysler and mitsubishi...
>
> Audi likes to do things their way. They'll stick the engine pointing straight ahead instead of sideways, like God intended. They'll put 5 valves in a head instead of 4. Putting an electronic control box at the bottom of a well seems odd but that's Audi for you. To their credit, it's in a water tight box but submerging the car in water will cause most cars to have problems.
>
> As it goes, when everything is going right, it's a nice ride but it really helps to be fully invested in the car i.e., it helps to know the car inside and out.

Right. And now i know where the comfort control block is. I wish I did not.
In all fairness even Jeeps which are supposed to be built to work in mud have starter
low that has to be rebuilt after seeing some water. Which it surely will if it's used
for its intended purposes rather than by poseurs (which have escalade that does the job
better anyhow).

Social posturing. Sigh.