grille port?

[Robin_Cox]

My BHC-engined car is now equipped with a DEFA coolant heater, plumbed in as instructed next to the oil cooler. The mechanic decided to make the wiring as neat as possible by running the power cable and socket to the plastic panel behind the "grille" - initially the wrong side of the bonnet-removal catch. Then we noticed that there is a flat / square surface around 2 inches square immediately to the right of the dipstick handle, with nothing behind it - the bonnet release cable runs along the upper edge of this space without the socket and wiring behind interfering with it. So the socket is located there. This corresponds exactly to the right hand of the 4 rings of the front Audi emblem, slightly above centre. If possible I don't want to have the grille open when the car is plugged in to stop rain / snow getting into this area.

So my question is : how easy would it be to dremel the moulded part inside the right-hand chrome ring, and then (with some tinkering) modify (hinge, magnet, retainer strip similar to the jacking point covers etc.) this piece so that it can be moved out of the way to be able to plug in the power cable without the grille being open (and the alarm switch being permanently 'open') when the car is plugged in. I have noted other threads here suggesting the chrome rings can be released from the surface which should make accessing the bit that would need to be modified somewhat easier, but the grille itself seems to have front and rear faces possibly made up of two joined mouldings with a space between them - any ideas or thoughts - or experience - on how to work with this?

 

[audifan]

A while ago I drilled a small hole in one of the Audi rings to make an emergency release for the service flap for a friend that had broken the release cable. I understand the issue of leaving the flap down and agree it is not ideal. Have you considered lowering the connector so it is located behind one of the fog light surround panels as they unclip and hinge forward until removed. Quick and easy to do but obviously much lower down on the car.
Failing that I would remove the centre out of the corresponding Audi ring with a hole saw and find a plastic blank that is a tight fit and glue the cut out centre on top of the blank, you could use a cable tie to retain the blank when using the power socket.

 

[Robin_Cox]

A while ago I drilled a small hole in one of the Audi rings to make an emergency release for the service flap for a friend that had broken the release cable. I understand the issue of leaving the flap down and agree it is not ideal. Have you considered lowering the connector so it is located behind one of the fog light surround panels as they unclip and hinge forward until removed. Quick and easy to do but obviously much lower down on the car.
Failing that I would remove the centre out of the corresponding Audi ring with a hole saw and find a plastic blank that is a tight fit and glue the cut out centre on top of the blank, you could use a cable tie to retain the blank when using the power socket.

My original plan was to install the socket in the trim that surrounds the fog-light or the lower central grille, or through the bumper skin adjacent to where headlamp washers would be if so equipped. However, Bert's view was that these locations are prone to being peppered with spray, salt, grit, and so on, especially at the time of year that one would be in and out of the socket, and risks the thing freezing shut overnight, and the socket had already been fitted by the time I got back to his workshop - a noisy rear bearing replacement and fitting of the entire heater and associated wiring in less than an hour. It is such a tidy installation that I reconsidered my original plan - and that is not something I do lightly - hence my now perhaps slightly OTT desire to create the most elegant solution to the new situation. At some point I will realise this is idiocy and return to my 'Eff- it, that'll do' default, but the planning is most of the fun!

Thinking about the suggestion above - it just struck me that those black silicone-rubber grommets that are used for a children's pottery banky would probably work if I get the right size and cut the hole with the appropriate hole-saw blade, although what I don't want is something that can get blown out by aerodynamics of motorway driving and so on. Will keep thinking about this until the weekend when I will have a chance to have a go during daylight.

 

[dj_efk]

My Calix heater plug is in the same place I think Robin, as the car would be plugged in when in the garage I didn’t mind leaving the flap open, even though I assume that means the alarm is compromised in some way when the car is locked. Perhaps @timmus could advise there however.

 

[bretti_kivi]

My original plan was to install the socket in the trim that surrounds the fog-light or the lower central grille, or through the bumper skin adjacent to where headlamp washers would be if so equipped.

^^ this is the way.

However, Bert's view was that these locations are prone to being peppered with spray, salt, grit, and so on, especially at the time of year that one would be in and out of the socket, and risks the thing freezing shut overnight,

Not had this problem in 17 years up here. Ever. If the plug lid doesn't clip properly shut... that's why it has a spring on the DEFA system. The car's always plugged in overnight, there shouldn't be an issue here. Even after driving ice rain, I've always been able to open the lid and put the connector in place.
I've never seen any car have anything open to have it plugged in. My socket is currently hanging loose in the lower front grille. 307 was in the bumper, most A2s here are in the bumper. Swift was through the grille, S-Cross is in the strip between bottom and top bumper sections.

It's important that the connector is straight for the time you drive off after forgetting the car is plugged in. I normally also leave a long extension plugged in with an IP68 connector box on it, so the green cable goes in there and the plug gets pushed into the timer when we need to. The green cable is then hung up near to the car, so you don't drive over it and there's a convenient place that's not going to get buried under the next snowfall.