With the hot weather almost here, I began to worry that my 88 A4 would overheat in traffic. It was Ok when moving, but kept creeping up the longer I sat. I just knew there must be junk between the radiator and condenser from what I've read here, but dreaded tearing out the radiator to see. Everytime I take this car apart, something or things break, bolts strip or break off, plastic crumbles, I'm sure you know what I mean. Just replacing the thermostat, the housing cracked and I had to get a new one.
So I tried to see in from the small gap where the transmission lines exit with my maglight. I could almost see. I took my carbide disc and carefully cut away some of the shroud. Now I could see about 4-6 inches of brown crud in the bottom. It looked like a house after Katrina in there. I enlarged the opening til I had a hole 1 1/2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. Now I could really see. I made a long extention (4 feet)for my shop vac from 3/4 inch aluminum tubing, beaten flatter so it is only 1/2 inch wide, beveled and smoothed the end, and vacuumed all that crap out. There was so much it kept clogging the tube. After about 20 minutes it was clean as a whistle. I made a cover for the hole from aluminum flashing, bolted it in place an painted it semi flat black. Nobody would ever see it unless I pointed it out. I was going to take a couple of photos, but my wife hid the camera somewhere (don't ask).
So now my temp is much more stable, even in traffic on a hot day today it only got up to 206, and cools down to 185-190 when moving.
So now I can clean in there every few months in less than five minutes.
The junk in there was amazing, most of a map, plastic bags, leaves and twigs, wire, napkins, and lots of dirt. I'm changing her name from Christine to Hoover

 

wow great idea I would very much like to see picks of this

 

yeah pics...and we wanna know why she hid the camera

 

I agree... we need pics!
And, also, we will hound you forever until we hear why it was necessary to hide the camera!

 

About two years ago, I did the exact same thing only I use PVC pipe and cut the end at a 45 degree angle.

 

First, my wife actually just couldn't find the camera after our boat trip, she put it in "a safe place". It was in the bottom of one of her bags which I am forbidden to touch, might wrinkle her undies.

I'll have to post these one at a time since I only know how to copy one at a time. This is the hole I cut, notice how close the trans cooler tubes are, do not cut these!

This is the pretty cover I made for the ugly hole.

I was going to say something off color about this photo, but I'm sure you can make up your own comment. I will say that you need a long tube to reach all the way across, and should probe carefully!

All buttoned up.
I only went about twenty miles yesterday, and when I took my cover off for these photos, I was amazed to see several leaves and a cigarette filter already "Hoovered up" in there. I vacuumed them out. It took more time to take the photos than clean in there.
Yeah, I know this was more work than taking it apart, but I only had the do the hard part once, and now can get in there in no time. Plus I got to cut holes and make things

Thought I'd post a photo of the boat while I'm at it. We spent 4 days in the delta, mostly at Tower Park, big party. I think next time we will go someplace else more serene. I guess I don't like rowdy parties and drunken brawls as much as I used to. Must be getting older and wiser.

 

That's a pretty good idea. I just take the radiator cover off and clean it out.