Hello!

My husband has a 2001 A4 and noticed this weekend that there are strange dried "streaks" on the cover of each rear airbag above the backseats. The streaks are in a pattern as if liquid had poured down and then dried, but it wasn't straight down vertically but rather diagonally.

Further, and more mysterious, on one of the covers in addition to the streaks, there is a strange powderly tan residue coming out as well. It is raised.

Did something happen to the airbags? There were no accidents on the Carfax (he bought it this year).

We'd love any insights/input. Thanks!
Cailean

 

Pics?

 

...we will post some tonight if that will help!
We only thought to post to the forum today and my husband's at work (with his Audi).

 

Oh good i got my screen name back... Yeah post some pics of it, it might be a sunroof leak is what im thinking, its common for soap to get in there from a car wash and have it leak down from the headliner if the drains are leaking/plugged.

 

Awesome - that would be such a nice cheaper fix! The one side that's not just streaks but raised dry powdery streaks makes me wonder...but we'll post pictures. Thanks!

 

Here are the pics of the streaking on our 2001 A4:

left side has minor streaking:


right side has residue:


right side zoomed in:


I'm not sure if the images are embedding correctly, so here is the
album

I do have the service manual, but if it's the air bags I'm going to take it to the local dealership.

Thanks for any insight into what this is.

-Nathan

 

If you pull the pillar trim, you might find a pinched or collapsed sunroof drain tube. Auditech79 also suggested a clogged sunroof drain. A quick test is to open the sunroof and pour water into the tray. It should come out somewhere in the rear wheel wells and the front door areas under the car.

 

Thanks!
I'm off to read about removing the interior.

 

To remove the D pillar trim, the service manual says I have to remove the rear seat back. The quick test suggested above sounds like a better plan. Other threads about the sunroof drain being clogged recommend clearing the drains with compressed air.

 

You can pull back the trim and peak without removing the seat, the bottom part of the panel won't come loose though.

I agree, thought. Test and clean the drains first.