mikeh

If there is enough interest maybe we can start a "group buy" opportunity. Please give feedback on this.

gordeux

OK...those screws that I had put on to "fix" the issue with my A4 are useless now. After this weekends snowfall here in Calgary the whole plastic bottom is totaled. going to just rip it off all together and start shopping for a more durable replacement.

Just_G

Hey, they also protect the aluminum oil pans that are kinda weak (light, but weak)....What i did is bought some sheet aluminum, took the plate off and riveted the sheet aluminum onto the plastic. This pretty much made the 250 dollar overpriced piece of plastic real sturdy. Hope you can still salvage what you ripped off.

gordeux

^ ah that would have been a great idea. Mine is completely gone now...Although I feel like I need to replace it asap (just nervous I guess) I wonder how the OP is doing with his.
I'll probably be putting in an order for one of those skidplates some time soon.

vgorous

iTrader: (1)

i took mine out, and didnt bother putting it back in (cant anyways cuz the hanger has bent).

The belly pan doesnt do much justice. If your car bogs down and hits a curb or something, the plastic belly pan would just break and damage whatever its hiding anyway.. Some say it would also scoop up snow into the belly pan during winter and stays in there until its warm enough to melt.

gordeux

I would agree that it doesn't really provide any protection in the circumstances you are talking about and I can vouch for the stories of snow on the belly pan. That is the whole reason I ended up having to take it off, It had packed so much snow in there that it was making a scraping noise every time I drove it.

However I think if you are talking about random road debry (rocks and other things) that come flying at your car at any given time it might provide some protection. Though that in itself is a stretch as well.

Just_G

For those interested I took a picture the last oil change...this is what it ended up looking like. its not very pretty, but it does the job. the aluminum is facing up so it cant be seen from the bottom of the car.

Batman

I'm looking to buy a skid plate.

I just realized I don't have one and have several scratches on the swaybar and the oil pan from winter driving. I also lost some of the screws from the wheel wells where it meets the bumper when it scrapped on a curb.

LR Audi

As mentioned previously, the bellypan is there primarily for protection of the vehicle's undercarriage. Without it there is a great possibility of having something go up and possibly damage the lower engine components. Many people drive without it at all. On my A4 I still have it completely intact. My A6 is missing it all together. When I have a chance I will be building one on my own out of 20 gauge stainless steel for my A6. The bottom of my oil pan and my sway bar have been dinged and scratched due to hitting things. There has been a lawsuit against Audi in the United States for this but nothing up here in Canada. Overall it's your choice whether to replace your bellypan or not. Personally I recommend having it there just for protection. If you do a search on Audi oil pans you'll see they're made out of 4mm thick aluminum and are prone to damage. I'd sooner replace a belly pan than be stuck on the side of the road with oil pissing out of my oil pan.

I agree. The bottom of my A4's engine compartment is in mint shape due to being protected by the bellypan. I can't say the same about my A6.

swsherif

i am interested in buying one, but actually there are two covers un the engine and another one attached to it, are these kits come in two pieces? ther are very important for engine protection, but they are alomst 16.5 lb,