A6 Air Vent Surround

[PaulAFC84]

Morning Gents,

I just wondered if anybody on here could help me.I need to try and get a replacement brushed aluminium air vent surround as I broke mine whilst repairing the air regulator. I phoned Audi this morning, apparently you can’t just get the surround, you have to get the complete air vent housing which is over £100.

Any help would be really appreciated, thanks

[Magnet]

Hello Paul, 

I guess as things go these days, although around £100 is better off in your wallet, it’s not too unreasonable a price in terms of interior bits for cars. 

Obviously the only alternative is the secondhand supply chain. Might be worth Googling this route, and you should come up with something like Partsfinder and others on which you register your particular ‘want’, and this gets circulated to their subscribing breakers, who contact you directly if they have the part you want. It might be well worth considering the possible pitfalls of the secondhand market against the expected saving over new, to make sure it’s worth the saving.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[PaulAFC84]

Hi Gareth, that’s brilliant mate, thanks. The price isn’t really the issue, it’s more the fact of how much Audi will want to fit the complete air vent module when it’s only the brushed aluminium surround that I broke. Unless I pay the £100 and only replace the housing itself. Thanks for your reply

[Magnet]

Buying and just replacing the broken part, is an option worth keeping in mind Paul.

Other option? - how ‘clean’ are the breaks? If they still mate together well, then it might be possible to glue them back together. There would be little to lose apart from the cost of the glue! 

If going down this road, personally, I would not use any of the super glues or other American originating ones, but try Araldite (not the fast setting one - red? tubes) available (in the blue tubes) from the likes of the Range for £3.99. I have been using this glue since I had hair, and always found it great. Just mix equal quantities from both tubes. Does take about 24hours to cure, but I find the bond is worth the wait. 

Even if the breaks are not that ‘clean’ so the join is not really seen when glued, you could always apply a small amount of filler and silver spray it all over to get a good match to the original/ surrounding parts. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[PaulAFC84]

Gareth thanks a lot mate. Disappointed with myself really to be honest. Should have left it until I had more time to look at it. Might give the glue a try to be honest, if not I’ll have to bite the bullet at £100 to replace.

[Magnet]

Hello Paul,

No need to be disappointed in yourself. Plastic trims and the need to lever them off (as opposed to simply pressing them in during assembly) is always a wing and a pray job, particularly when doing so in cold weather when things are more brittle. 

My slant on such things is  ‘Show me a man who makes no mistakes, and I’ll show you a man who doesn’t do anything’.

I’m old enough and daft enough to have learned more by making mistakes than by doings things without problems! 

You are in a recoverable situation here Paul, with a chance of recovery with a >£4 expenditure on Araldite.

Good luck and kind regards,

Gareth.