Bumper Gap

[BrenM]

Hi All,

Hope you're all keeping well and that your car's have survived the recent snowfall intact. Mine performed great - had to perform quite a few chauffeur duties ferrying stranded friends and family but didn't mind one bit. I was just looking at the front of the car the other day and noticed something and was curious whether any other RS4 owners encountered the same. Quite a significant gap has opened up (maybe over 1 cm) between the bonnet and the top of the front bumper - i.e. where the panels meet between the headlights and the front grill. The bonnet is closing fine and is tight and flush to all the other panels, but it looks like the front section has been 'dragged' downwards a few millimetres. All bolts seem tight enough. I'm not overly precious about the car, but this gap is all that I can see everytime I look at the car now! No doubt all the trucking through the snow has done something here. Has anybody any helpful suggestions? Cheers, Brendan

[Steve_C]

I have a similar gap which I thought was normal. Have you got a photo so we can see exactly what the gap looks like?

[sonny]

The bumper need to be adjusted, this will move the bumper a few mil (long torx/srew driver needed). If not the bumper will have to come off and put back on straight.

It should sit flush, but it a common occurrence on these cars. Has the bumper been off recently?

[neckarsulm]

should sit flush, but it a common occurrence on these cars. Has the bumper been off recently?

If you take it off, doesn't it just slot back in the same position?

Do you think it goes out of alignment by itself Sonny, over bumps etc?

[Steve_C]

Sonny, what size should the gap be? (so I can check mine).

[BrenM]

I will post a pic as soon as I get around to it. The bumper has not been off at all and there have been no knocks or anything. I'll try and have a tinker with adjusting and hope I don't make things worse!

[sonny]

Well....When I picked my car up from Bromley Audi (who I will never visit again) the bumper had been put back on incorrectly, you could easily see the top part of the chrome grill. The Tech then readjusted the bumper after much persuasion as I refused to take the car out off the forecourt until the problem was rectified. After much "faffing" around the problem was fixed. I do not believe the bumper shifts by it self.

[sonny]

Sonny, what size should the gap be? (so I can check mine).

If your gap is any larger than whats shown in the pic or you can see the top part of the grill then I would say you need to get it adjusted.

http://exoticcarspots.com/spots/audi_rs ... _front.jpg

http://forums.audiworld.com/picture.php ... eid=206913

[BrenM]

Sonny that's exactly it.....you can see the top part of the chrome grill and it's beginning to bug me. If I can't sort it myself I'll drop it into the local service centre - I dropped a packet on some new brake discs and pads not so long ago so maybe they'll oblige as a goodwill gesture!

[P_G]

The bumerps are notoriously difficult to allign, even with the OEM spacers involved. You can see part of the top of the grill on mine but it is as close as it is going to get And mine has been adjusted by an Audi bodyshop!

[Steve_C]

Thanks Sonny - I think mine needs adjusting!

[sonny]

The bumpers are notoriously difficult to allign, even with the OEM spacers involved. You can see part of the top of the grill on mine but it is as close as it is going to get And mine has been adjusted by an Audi bodyshop!

Your right, but when I took mine into a different place they adjusted it fine. So I would say it depends on who is fitting the bumber, if they have experience with the RS4 or not.

[almoRS]

I just had my front bumper and wings re-done from stone chips after 4 years and it came back with the massive gap. They fixed it immediately and it was caused by the clips being under rather than over the fitments at the front of the car IIRC.

[neckarsulm]

I just had my front bumper and wings re-done from stone chips after 4 years and it came back with the massive gap. They fixed it immediately and it was caused by the clips being under rather than over the fitments at the front of the car IIRC.

Yes the bumper slots into the bit on the iron which you wind up/down, easy to get it in the wrong slot as you can't see it when you slide the bumper on.
I spent 1/2 day trying to get an A4 lined up once before I worked out these adjusters, it was easy then and I got it perfect. Before you could see the back of the chrome grille surround, bonnet looked open!
Car had had a new bumper so didn't happen by itself.

[neckarsulm]

The bumper has not been off at all and there have been no knocks or anything

have you had it from new? (mind you some new cars get A LOT of post factory rectification paintwork)