So I'm crusing(70) down the interstate yesterday morning when I suddenly hear alot of wind noise after I passed a semi. Checked doors, windows, trunk. Found nothing. When I got to my destination about 30 min later I decided to look under the car because I just began to hear the wind noise at low speeds(20) and thought I had picked up a paper bag or something. What I discovered was the undercarriage shield, or what was left of it), just sort of hanging there, bobbing by the few screws toward the rear. I was able to anchor what remained back in place and have ordered the replacement($260 from local dealer). Question. This car is new to me and just had the oil changed last week(normally do myself on past vehicles but not yet on this one). Is this removed or lowered to access the filter? If so, those monkeys are the likely culprits who failed to put it back into place properly. Of course complaining to them will do no financial good since it has been a week, but they will certainly get an earful. Convenience does not pay. My bad.

 

You live, you learn.


Yeah, that comes off to change the oil, and they probably didn't reinstall it correctly. As a matter of fact, they probably just grabbed a hold, and yanked until the thing came out from under the car when they removed it. I've watched them do exactly that the ONE time I took my A4 somewhere for an oil change. I was on the road 600 miles from home, or I would have done it myself.

Mine lasted about 2 weeks on the TT. By the looks of it, it had seen its share of oil change abuse (cracked/pieces missing). First time I got the car up to 80, the wind sucked it right off the bottom of the car, and the resulting road rash ate the front 2 inches of it pretty well.

Apparently, it does play an aerodynamic role, and I do intend to reinstall it, but I'm not paying a few hundred for a new one. I've taken whats left of it, and slowly been building it up with fiberglass as I get time. As much as I sanded and degreased, the resin won't stick to the stuff, so it looks like I'll just about be able to pop the original piece off, and have a completely rebuild fiberglass version. Hopefully it works.

 

same thing happened here. after the mechanic rebuilt my head he must have not done all the bolts for the belly pan and highway came up and the damn thing came halfway off and i drove it like that for 2 hrs dragging. got home and it was all messed up. called the dealer and told him what his mechanic did and i got a new one for FREE

 

I'd go back to the "service" and pitch a fit. Take it as high as needed. They still may not do anything, but at least they're gonna hear about it for a while.

My TT is new to me also, and the first oil change was last weekend. Easy. About 10 screws ( they're Torx screws, by the way) and the bellypan is off, then it's a normal oil change - from underneath.

I've used oil change places twice in all my years of driving, and both times (separated by many years) convinced me that the risk outweighs the convenience. One place had to be told to just keep putting oil in until it's full, (Thunderbird TurboCoupe - 7 qt.s of oil) and the other didn't check their work after changing the oil in my MINI and all of it pumped out in short order - thankfully we noticed the pool of oil under the car when we got home. And that one was from a local performance shop.

 

Same exact thing happened to me recently, but I (fortunately) went to an exhaust shop and had my car on a lift shortly afterwards... It was then that I noticed the undertray was not bolted on and I did it myself... Pitch a fit!