Hood weather-stripping?

[Old Dogg]

Today the Tig is getting its first weekly wash and is proving a bit more work than my recently traded A4. It’s a little more time consuming having to shift my little step stool along to be able to wash the roof/pano. Then when it came time to open the hood and wash under that, plus the top of the front grill, I was very surprised to see a wave of splashed grime over the right headlight that extended into the engine compartment. There were even traces of other splattering as far back as the battery and close to the firewall. Nothing major, but certainly something I never saw on the Audi.

Here is a pic of the Audi engine compartment where you can see a nice big weather-stripping that virtually encircles the entire compartment. It was easy to keep clean and how you see it in the pic is how I kept it looking over the three years I had it.



The first thing I looked for was a similar rubber strip, but all I could see is a small rubber strip that runs just behind each headlight. Then I noticed on the hood there are a series of 4 rectangular holes at the front left and right sides. I got to thinkin’, is there supposed to be some rubber gasket there to help keep out the elements? And this brings me to the reason for writing, “Is there any rubber weather-stripping on the hood of your Tigs?”

Well, I’m heading back into the garage. I still have the wheels to do. The Old Dogg was starting to pant and needed a break before going any further.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[shawng]

It is scary how we think alike. When i got to the shop in Montreal and opened the hood, i was shocked at how much crap was in the engine bay that was not there before the trip. It was snowing Thursday morning when we hit the big city and there was a lot of spray on the highway. I am not impressed what so ever. I wonder if they decided to leave it off to get more air under the hood for cooling. Or they cut corners to save $$$.

[Old Dogg]

Or they cut corners to save $$$.

I think you said it all right here.

[GolfGLSGirl]

I took the time to upload those pics, Old Dogg. It definitely appears as though a rubber gasket/sealshould be installed where those pill-shaped holes are possibly counter-attack the filth that gets up into the engine bay compartment, hmm..






Does anybody think something can be retrofitted, like an existing VAG weather strip?

[Old Dogg]

I took the time to upload those pics, Old Dogg. It definitely appears as though a rubber gasket/sealshould be installed where those pill-shaped holes are possibly counter-attack the filth that gets up into the engine bay compartment, hmm..

Does anybody think something can be retrofitted, like an existing VAG weather strip?

Thanks GolfGLSGirl .

[elabs75_VW]

I took the time to upload those pics, Old Dogg. It definitely appears as though a rubber gasket/sealshould be installed where those pill-shaped holes are possibly counter-attack the filth that gets up into the engine bay compartment, hmm..

and the source link: http://vw.partsestore.com/replacemen...layCatalogid=0

I guess VW left it open on purpose to draw additional air to cool the engine.

[shawng]

I have a funny feeling the location on the hood would close off the air intake to the engine. I have to go out to the garage and look.

[BsickPassat]

I have a funny feeling the location on the hood would close off the air intake to the engine. I have to go out to the garage and look.

the intake duct is fed though the grille (and under the radiator support)

[shawng]

Fresh day, sun out, had a better look. The spots where we thought weatherstripping should go are not an issue. There is a flap of rubber over the headlights that seals in this location. All the dirt is coming in through the center section above the rad. the spray pattern was pretty clear in the light. And as I thought, the right vent is directly in front of the air intake, so they can't be blocked off. I did find some universal weatherstripping here: http://www.metrommp.com/productimages/640/MW78348.jpg that may do the trick. For the $17 I might give it a try.

[Old Dogg]

Fresh day, sun out, had a better look. The spots where we thought weatherstripping should go are not an issue. There is a flap of rubber over the headlights that seals in this location. All the dirt is coming in through the center section above the rad. the spray pattern was pretty clear in the light. And as I thought, the right vent is directly in front of the air intake, so they can't be blocked off. I did find some universal weatherstripping here: http://www.metrommp.com/productimages/640/MW78348.jpg that may do the trick. For the $17 I might give it a try.

Shawn, would your plan be to put the weather stripping right along the front, and just below where I indicated with yellow dots in the following pic? Would this be held in place with clips and/or weather stripping type glue?

[shawng]

I was thinking of sticking it with glue or get self adhesive and put it on the hood, but to seal along the dots you indicate. There are two bumpers on the hood that need to be accounted for. Reason for doing on the hood, out of the way when i work on the car and will not obstruct the regulatory stickers, and easier to keep the lower part clean.

[Old Dogg]

I was thinking of sticking it with glue or get self adhesive and put it on the hood, but to seal along the dots you indicate. There are two bumpers on the hood that need to be accounted for. Reason for doing on the hood, out of the way when i work on the car and will not obstruct the regulatory stickers, and easier to keep the lower part clean.

Say Shawn, now I'm just thinkin' out loud here, but after pondering this for a bit, I think if I was to do this, I may just try my initial thought of placing it on the lower plastic section. My reasons for this location, which may change once I actually check-out this area above and below are: I would try to find a molding that could easily accept self-tapping screws in pre-drilled holes and washers so as to keep it firmly in place; the reason for self-tapping is ease of removal if for any reason it causes overheating, windnoise or is just not effective, etc. ADDED: The possibility of easy removal may be good in the summer to increase airflow for the hot humid days, then just re-install for those slushy winter days.

Gotta check if any of the regulatory stickers you mention would be covered by the strip as well. Insofar as cleaning this area I think this would be ok with me. Since I wouldn't be working on the car per se possibly as much as yourself, this strip I don't think will bother me.

I'm sure each method has its +/-.

[MistaRhoi]

I think you said it all right here.

That was my guess right off the bat. The engine compartment in my A3 was so clean. I was amazed how clean it was every time I opened the hood. Owning the VW now though, I realize each day what they changed in order to get the price point lower. Sometimes I actually wonder how much they're actually saving with the decisions they made.

[shawng]

It's the 10 cents over a million vehicles thing. I still would not spend the cash on a Q5 over the Tiguan. So now I will purchase the weatherstripping and 3 weeks from now when it arrives install it and let you know how it goes.

[Old Dogg]

The engine compartment in my A3 was so clean. I was amazed how clean it was every time I opened the hood.

Ditto on my A4.

[Old Dogg]

So now I will purchase the weatherstripping and 3 weeks from now when it arrives install it and let you know how it goes.

Shawn, do you know what size, especially height, to get in the weatherstripping? The idea I had to get a rough estimate for the height required was to be put some type of putty, even play dough or modeling clay, at say four points along the front (similar to those yellow dots I did in the pic). I would have made 4 short pillars of dough, placed them in there, and closed the hood. The flattened pillars should give me the height I need.

It's a crude way to do it, but it's all I could think of aside from guessing.

I was in Cdn. Tire today with my wife for other things and just asked for the heck of it if they had any type of universal weatherstripping. Zippo. I'll see what I can find elsewhere. Now, depending on the width of the molding, I just might clear those stickers you mentioned.

Also checked out that black plastic piece on the front. It's a honeycomb type sub-structure and should accept some self-tapping screws. I could not see or feel any metal under it.

Oh well, going to bet back to putting together a desk we bought for my wife. I just took a short break.

Catch you later .

[shawng]

Just ordered the 3/4" high stuff off e-Bay. Yes, measuring would have been smart, but I don't have any play doh since the kids are all grown. If it is too short, some closed cell rectangular stuff from Home Depot can raise it up. Canadian Tire sells not much these days for the DIY fabricator. Gone are the days of creativity there.

[MistaRhoi]

It might be a good idea to look under the hood of a 2.0T Audi Q5 to see where they put the weather-stripping. But from the looks of the 3.2 Q5 (see the link below) it doesn't look like that car has stripping all the way around either; although it is an obscure view and I may be wrong. Check it out.

At 1:40 here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FCEn2CtS-Y

Or here for a picture of the 2.0 TSFI engine in there: http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/39762622.jpg

[Old Dogg]

It might be a good idea to look under the hood of a 2.0T Audi Q5 to see where they put the weather-stripping.

Good idea MistaRhoi. I spent about 15 minutes trying to find a good shot of a 2.0T, but kept getting pics of the V-6. Even here there did not appear to be any weather-stripping, unless it is on the underside of the hood. Hmmm, the plot thickens. If I have a chance tomorrow, I'll see what I can find out in person at my old Audi dealership.

Thanks for your input .

[shawng]

MistaRhoi, I think you missed a link.

[MistaRhoi]

MistaRhoi, I think you missed a link.

Oops. there it is above. Thanks for the catch.

[MistaRhoi]

unless it is on the underside of the hood.

Check the youtube link that was missing earlier. There's a shot of the underside of the hood that doesn't have any weather-stripping on the Q5.

And you're welcome. I been wondering everything you guys have been discussing ever since I got this car.

[Old Dogg]

Check the youtube link that was missing earlier. There's a shot of the underside of the hood that doesn't have any weather-stripping on the Q5.

And you're welcome. I been wondering everything you guys have been discussing ever since I got this car.

Yep, no weather-stripping. I was hoping to see a Tig in there, but it was not to be. Good Ol' Subaru came out on top.

[shawng]

Car sealed, CUV not sealed. Still makes no sense. After some thinking, I don't believe heat is the issue. At speed, airflow is not an issue and there are flaps on the back of the rad/fan cover to allow more air in. At stop, the fans will take care of things and no air would slip in anyway. So that leaves us back at cost cutting.

[MistaRhoi]

So that leaves us back at cost cutting.

I do have to say that after owning my A3 and then riding in my coworker's 3.2 Audi Q5, that they did A LOT of cost cutting on that Q5. It just didn't seem as solid as the A3 I had (the way the doors thudded shut, door weight, etc). And now comparing it to the Tiguan, it's definitely not worth the 10-20k premium. Although it is sleeker, the Q5 has more to do with image, especially with the 2.0T version that's out now.

[Spidey9999]

I took the time to upload those pics, Old Dogg. It definitely appears as though a rubber gasket/sealshould be installed where those pill-shaped holes are possibly counter-attack the filth that gets up into the engine bay compartment, hmm..






Does anybody think something can be retrofitted, like an existing VAG weather strip?

I was just looking through the 2009 Canadian Tiguan brochure. One of the sections is headed "The soul of an SUV, the heart of a GTI" and has a picture of a GTI and Tiguan with their hoods open and an engine on a hoist. I noticed a couple of things:
- the hood on the Tiguan has changed since 2009 as the one in the brochure does not have the pill-shaped holes shown in GolfGLSGirl's pic
- the GTI in the brochure HAS a rubber gasket attached to the hood that appears to span the distance between the inside edges of the headlights (i.e. the top edge of the grille)

So, I can't help but wonder if the gasket from the GTI and its mounting hardware will fit on the Tiguan.

Happy New Year folks

[shawng]

My 201 has the same holes as shown in the picture, but as I already said, those areas are not the issue. It is the section between the two bump stops that needs the sealing

[Old Dogg]

I was just looking through the 2009 Canadian Tiguan brochure. One of the sections is headed "The soul of an SUV, the heart of a GTI" and has a picture of a GTI and Tiguan with their hoods open and an engine on a hoist. I noticed a couple of things:
- the hood on the Tiguan has changed since 2009 as the one in the brochure does not have the pill-shaped holes shown in GolfGLSGirl's pic
- the GTI in the brochure HAS a rubber gasket attached to the hood that appears to span the distance between the inside edges of the headlights (i.e. the top edge of the grille)

So, I can't help but wonder if the gasket from the GTI and its mounting hardware will fit on the Tiguan.

Happy New Year folks

I remember seeing the same pic in the 2011 bochure, and sure enough, the GTI is shown with the rubber gaskets you describe Spidey9999, plus from what appears in the pic below is a rubber gasket running right down the passenger underside of the hood. It must be the same on the driver`s side as well. Strange, why not the Tig???



GolfGLSGirl, does your 2010 GTI have any rubber gasket, and if so, where exactly?

Added text: As shawng mentions, it is more the front we are concerned with, but one still has to wonder why the difference .


Thanks and Happy New Year to you too .

[shawng]

Weatherstripping arrived today. With a bit of luck I will be out in the garage over the weekend. Pictures to follow.

[ronin47]

Looking forward to them.

[shawng]

A bit of cleaner and it was on in minutes. I decide to split it at the bump stops due to the transition in height at that point. If too much dirt gets around the bump stops I will have to get creative.

[Old Dogg]

A bit of cleaner and it was on in minutes. I decide to split it at the bump stops due to the transition in height at that point. If too much dirt gets around the bump stops I will have to get creative.

Lookin' good there shawng. Good job! Now we'll have to wait and see the results of your road tests . Was the stripping pre-glued. If not, can you pass on what you used and the prep required? I'm going to wait for your feedback before I try it, but with a little twist as I previously mentioned. I am going to put it on that black plastic piece above the rad as my intention is to remove it in the spring to allow for max air circulation. My wife is always in bumper-to-bumper traffic on her way to work.

Thanks for posting the work you did that VW should have done in the first place IMO.

[shawng]

The stuff came pre glued with some serious adhesive. Removing in the summer will probably destroy it. I cleaned with first window cleaner and then methyl hydrate. Both dry quick.

[TipSters]

I've been following this interesting project you guys have got going here. Two things I'll add:

1. I was at the audi dealer the other day and took some time to look at all the various models and whether they had sealed hoods or not. It seems like almost all the newer models don't. My impression is that the "weatherstripping" is mostly used for sound attenuation and that the newer, more advanced designs use other methods of controlling engine sound. I don't think it was ever intended to keep out dirt, dust and water.
2. I wouldn't be worried about the effect of adding weatherstripping on summer engine cooling. You've got a giant radiator opening there PLUS cooling fans. I can't see that a little slot around the hood can have much of an effect.

Still, your idea of adding it to keep the engine cleaner is a great idea.

[MistaRhoi]

I don't think it was ever intended to keep out dirt, dust and water.
...
Still, your idea of adding it to keep the engine cleaner is a great idea.

Whatever the case, the engine compartments in our past Audis were always clean which we always enjoyed. After looking at shawng's installation pictures, my Tig's hood isn't nearly as dirty as that (no offense dude) but still dirty.

I've also been researching the engine compartments of the newer Audis and yes, you're right. It looks like they're doing away with the weather-stripping. I don't think this has to do so much with quieting the engine noise (maybe a little), but more so with cost. From what I've seen in the newer models, they're really cutting less noticeable corners to really maximize their profit (i.e. offering less powerful engines in entry level [A3, A4] cars). The same reason why there are drum brakes on the new Jetta. Audi goes down in quality, VW goes even lower in quality.

Although that may be the case, Audi/VW are trading that off with amazing designs.