Page 56 - Australasian Paint & Panel Magazine Sep-Oct 2018
P. 56

TECH TALK AUDI
performers, lovely to look at but eye-wateringly expensive to replace. “Of course the headlamps are a very important design feature, and we do look at how they perform in a crash. We have separate brackets which can bring down the cost of some repairs but if there is a bigger crash.” Martin Shultz shrugs his shoulders indicating that replacement is the only option.
As well as providing methods, Audi also has its own factory bodyshops which carry out all the test repairs and when these are established will run studies on how long it takes to fit parts and undertake the repair and create their
own manufacturer times.
I asked the team what car has been the most challenging so far in terms of repair methodology and the answer was the new A8.
“It was the first time we had carbon fibre
parts in a volume production car. The A8
also employs magnesium which presents its
own problems. While it is lighter than
aluminium it is even more susceptible to
corrosion and must be coated to avoid this,” Adou said.
GENUINELY CONCERNED
You won’t be surprised to hear that everyone in the room disapproves wholeheartedly of the use of non-genuine parts in the repair process.
“You have to be very careful with non-genuine parts. Everything in the car is designed to work together. For instance the air bags – all the sensors connect and ensure the airbags go off at the right time and with the right force. Sure you can save
56 PAINT&PANEL September / October 2018
a few dollars on a part but you could be putting a customer’s life at risk – that makes no sense to me,” Shultz said.
I also posed the question, do you really need the VAG-approved tools to safely repair an Audi, especially if you have the repair methods?
“Well that depends on the repair, as we have explained there are specific tools that we have developed for some repairs.
“We recommend equipment that we have tested. There are many makes that we tried and found were not good enough. If you don’t use a machine we recommend, for instance a riveter, then the
parameters could be wrong and therefore the repair will be incorrect and this could affect safety. Using tools that are not on our approved list – well we don’t know the capabilities of these tools and whether they will perform correctly
when you make the repair.”
The team points out that each part of
the car part is designed specifically for
that model and that bumpers are another example of where non-genuine parts can affect safety.
“The openings which allow the parking sensors to see have been machined exactly – where you have a cheap plastic non-original part these may not line up. Plus, it won’t deform in the same way as the original which will likely mean that there is more damage to the car even in a low speed bump, than there would have been if an original bumper was fitted. Take the lane depart sensor – you can’t guarantee it can see with a non-genuine part because the material of the bumper isn’t correct. The radar at the back of the car can only see through one layer of plastic and two layers of paint – any more and it can’t work.”
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“Magnesium presents its own problems. While it is lighter than aluminium it is even more susceptible to corrosion”
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