A6 Rear Passenger Sunshade Installation - Lots-o-Pics & really wordy.

mamizana · 07-30-2003, 10:04 PM

Okay, in order to save my 15-day-old son from baths in 1,000 SPF sunscreen, I felt compelled to drop the $130.65 ($123.25 + 6% MI tax) for the Audi Accessory Rear Pass Sunshades. Are there other avenues you can take to save your little ones? Of course. There's a Babies-R-Us "money vacuum" in every city across our great country. However, I just couldn't continue to be the super cool guy that I am in my car with "Winnie the Pooh" plastered in the rear windows. It also gave me the chance to spend some quality time at my dealer inspecting the new A8 and Cayenne while waiting for the dealer's lethargic parts crew. And whaddya know, the A8 comes with rear pass shades already! Hmmph!

Well, to keep another $100 in my pocket to blow on more car stuff, uh, I mean stuff for the baby, I decided to undertake the project myself. Hopefully, by my experience, detailed instructions and fine digital pictures, you'll gain the confidence needed for this DIY project!

Audi has two (2) part numbers for the shades - Sedan vs. Avant. Be sure to confirm. My write-up would have been a week earlier if I had.

Sedan: #4B0064362
Avant: #4B9064362

DISCLAIMER: Don't go any further if you intend to send me hate mail. Don't blame me if you eff it up!

Now, let's take a look at the kit contents:

(2) side shades (L/R specific) (est. $10 each)
(4) shade post door inserts (est. $0.01 ea.)
(4) shade hook clips w/adhesive backing (est. $0.02 ea.)
(4) shade hook clip screws (est. $0.005 ea.)
(1) page of the ****tiest instructions I've ever seen. No words, just 2nd grade illustrations. (free with purchase)

Total estimated cost = $20.14 + $103.11 markup.

All kidding aside, the shades are actually very well constructed. The metal units are weighty and have a nice finish and definitely don't stand out as "add on", especially in a black interior.

Pay special attention to the two (2) small silver posts on the bottom of each unit. These posts slide (with some effort) fore/aft about 2-3". This helps greatly with the final positioning of the shade.

The first step is to adjust your lock/unlock pin in the door. You will notice on the underside of the shade units that there is a slight contour in the plastic end-caps. If your shade is placed correctly, it will match the contour of the door panel and actually end up covering the lock pin and its bezel.

With the pin in the unlock position (about 1/2" proud of the door), twist it 180 degrees (I used needle-nosed vice grips). Now lock the door and push the pin down into the bezel with needle-nose pliers. Now unlock the door. The pin should now be about 1/16" - 1/8" proud of the bezel. This way, when you unlock the door with the shade installed, the pin won't interfere with the underside of the shade.

Next, you need to mark the front and rear pin holes. My useless directions showed the coordinates for the front hole -- 95mm from window frame rearward & 37mm from ?? inboard. For the 37mm, they either want you to measure from the glass inboard, or from the edge of the door panel inboard. I opted for the latter. A small portion of the bezel still shows from underneath the installed shade. I probably could've come a little farther inboard.

The 95mm measurement isn't so critical. Again, the shades have moveable posts to allow fore/aft movement, so your distance from the window frame rearward doesn't have to be exact.

NOTE: DIMENSIONS ARE DIFFERENT FOR SEDAN!!!

The rear hole coordinate is 30mm inboard from the door trim edge (??) and roughly 650mm from the front hole. As with the front hole, the inboard measurement for the rear hole is tricky. The directions aren't clear where to measure from. Good eyeballs are a plus.

NOTE: DIMENSIONS ARE DIFFERENT FOR SEDAN!!!

With a 3mm bit, drill your front and rear starter holes. Only go 15mm deep. Who knows what you'll chew up if you go any deeper. Whatever it is, I'm sure warranty doesn't cover it.

Now follow the 3mm starting hole with an 8.5mm finishing hole. Again, no more than 15mm deep.

The skin on the door panel may look a little chewed up when you're done. No prob. You won't see it.

Next, pinch a shade post door insert and insert one in each 8.5mm hole. Push them as far down as they'll go. I gave each a little tap with a hammer until they were fully inserted. You should have a good, tight fit.

Now you are ready to place your shade. Adjust the silver posts as necessary and push the shade into the post holes. It takes a little effort.

If you installed it right, your shade end caps should follow the contour of the door trim. My front one is a little off. I may make another front hole, move the silver shade pin about 1/2" fore/aft and reinstall. I haven't decided yet.

This one looks more like it.

One drawback in the design is this foam closeout. The flash on my camera really accentuates it. However, you can't really see it in normal light.

The last step is to install the shade hook clips at the top of the window frame. Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic and this one doesn't show it too well.

With the shade retracted, hook one clip to each side of the shade screen making sure the hook slot opening faces away from the window. Peel the adhesive backing off each hook and extend the shade. Stick the hooks on the top of the window frame. Eyeball the placement. Unhook the shade and install the teeny, tiny, itzy, bitzy phillips head screws to secure these hooks.

Ta-Da!!! Now, go get a beer, repeat for the other side, or call the dealer and schedule the install. Good luck!
NOTE: My shades tightened up today once the sun started beating down on them.

Ciao,

Matt

Keith · 07-30-2003, 10:10 PM

When the screen is extended, it looks a little baggy in your picture. Is that just the angle of the photo, or is it all puckered like that?

mamizana · 07-30-2003, 10:16 PM

2tu®bos1mission · 07-30-2003, 10:49 PM

I got your check this evening, I'm gonna try to ship it out tommorow!

im_cecil · 07-31-2003, 01:39 AM

About high thick/high is the shade -- up from the doorsill? In your last picture, it looks pretty noticable from the outside. Are they obtrusive at all to adult rear passengers?

I have a sedan and have been considering the rear shade, but have all but decided to pass on the side ones for this reason... thoughts? (if it weren't for the overriding need b/c of your son -- Congrats BTW!

I don't suppose they're intended to be removed as needed, are they? It sounds like once the posts are snapped into the receptacles/holders, they meant to stay there...

Thanks again for taking the time to post.

Audi you do · 07-31-2003, 07:15 AM

Drilling=scary, for me anyway!

AndyA6 · 07-31-2003, 07:46 AM

carbonLORD · 07-31-2003, 08:29 AM

allroad'Ed now · 07-31-2003, 08:46 AM

We only have one munchkin and she resides on the passenger side. so I really only want to do a shade on that side. If anyone wants just a driver's side let me know
BTW- for the allroad, so I'm looking for an allroad, avant volunteer.

.

mamizana · 07-31-2003, 08:53 AM

No. Definitely not. They are very compact. The perforated screen itself is very thin and sits about 1" or so away from the window.

As far as removal . . . no they are not meant to be taken on/off frequently. But they DON'T snap into the door. Its just a really tight fit between the silver pin and the pin holder. I imagine they'll come out without too much effort if you wanted to clean them or the door trim.

Thanks for the congrats! Yeah, he's a handful right now but WELL worth the effort!!!!

Take care.

Matt

07-30-2003, 10:04 PM	#1
mamizana Junior Member Account #: 45556 Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 588	A6 Rear Passenger Sunshade Installation - Lots-o-Pics & really wordy. Okay, in order to save my 15-day-old son from baths in 1,000 SPF sunscreen, I felt compelled to drop the $130.65 ($123.25 + 6% MI tax) for the Audi Accessory Rear Pass Sunshades. Are there other avenues you can take to save your little ones? Of course. There's a Babies-R-Us "money vacuum" in every city across our great country. However, I just couldn't continue to be the super cool guy that I am in my car with "Winnie the Pooh" plastered in the rear windows. It also gave me the chance to spend some quality time at my dealer inspecting the new A8 and Cayenne while waiting for the dealer's lethargic parts crew. And whaddya know, the A8 comes with rear pass shades already! Hmmph! Well, to keep another $100 in my pocket to blow on more car stuff, uh, I mean stuff for the baby, I decided to undertake the project myself. Hopefully, by my experience, detailed instructions and fine digital pictures, you'll gain the confidence needed for this DIY project! Audi has two (2) part numbers for the shades - Sedan vs. Avant. Be sure to confirm. My write-up would have been a week earlier if I had. Sedan: #4B0064362 Avant: #4B9064362 DISCLAIMER: Don't go any further if you intend to send me hate mail. Don't blame me if you eff it up! Now, let's take a look at the kit contents: (2) side shades (L/R specific) (est. $10 each) (4) shade post door inserts (est. $0.01 ea.) (4) shade hook clips w/adhesive backing (est. $0.02 ea.) (4) shade hook clip screws (est. $0.005 ea.) (1) page of the ****tiest instructions I've ever seen. No words, just 2nd grade illustrations. (free with purchase) Total estimated cost = $20.14 + $103.11 markup. All kidding aside, the shades are actually very well constructed. The metal units are weighty and have a nice finish and definitely don't stand out as "add on", especially in a black interior. Pay special attention to the two (2) small silver posts on the bottom of each unit. These posts slide (with some effort) fore/aft about 2-3". This helps greatly with the final positioning of the shade. The first step is to adjust your lock/unlock pin in the door. You will notice on the underside of the shade units that there is a slight contour in the plastic end-caps. If your shade is placed correctly, it will match the contour of the door panel and actually end up covering the lock pin and its bezel. With the pin in the unlock position (about 1/2" proud of the door), twist it 180 degrees (I used needle-nosed vice grips). Now lock the door and push the pin down into the bezel with needle-nose pliers. Now unlock the door. The pin should now be about 1/16" - 1/8" proud of the bezel. This way, when you unlock the door with the shade installed, the pin won't interfere with the underside of the shade. Next, you need to mark the front and rear pin holes. My useless directions showed the coordinates for the front hole -- 95mm from window frame rearward & 37mm from ?? inboard. For the 37mm, they either want you to measure from the glass inboard, or from the edge of the door panel inboard. I opted for the latter. A small portion of the bezel still shows from underneath the installed shade. I probably could've come a little farther inboard. The 95mm measurement isn't so critical. Again, the shades have moveable posts to allow fore/aft movement, so your distance from the window frame rearward doesn't have to be exact. NOTE: DIMENSIONS ARE DIFFERENT FOR SEDAN!!! The rear hole coordinate is 30mm inboard from the door trim edge (??) and roughly 650mm from the front hole. As with the front hole, the inboard measurement for the rear hole is tricky. The directions aren't clear where to measure from. Good eyeballs are a plus. NOTE: DIMENSIONS ARE DIFFERENT FOR SEDAN!!! With a 3mm bit, drill your front and rear starter holes. Only go 15mm deep. Who knows what you'll chew up if you go any deeper. Whatever it is, I'm sure warranty doesn't cover it. Now follow the 3mm starting hole with an 8.5mm finishing hole. Again, no more than 15mm deep. The skin on the door panel may look a little chewed up when you're done. No prob. You won't see it. Next, pinch a shade post door insert and insert one in each 8.5mm hole. Push them as far down as they'll go. I gave each a little tap with a hammer until they were fully inserted. You should have a good, tight fit. Now you are ready to place your shade. Adjust the silver posts as necessary and push the shade into the post holes. It takes a little effort. If you installed it right, your shade end caps should follow the contour of the door trim. My front one is a little off. I may make another front hole, move the silver shade pin about 1/2" fore/aft and reinstall. I haven't decided yet. This one looks more like it. One drawback in the design is this foam closeout. The flash on my camera really accentuates it. However, you can't really see it in normal light. The last step is to install the shade hook clips at the top of the window frame. Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic and this one doesn't show it too well. With the shade retracted, hook one clip to each side of the shade screen making sure the hook slot opening faces away from the window. Peel the adhesive backing off each hook and extend the shade. Stick the hooks on the top of the window frame. Eyeball the placement. Unhook the shade and install the teeny, tiny, itzy, bitzy phillips head screws to secure these hooks. Ta-Da!!! Now, go get a beer, repeat for the other side, or call the dealer and schedule the install. Good luck! NOTE: My shades tightened up today once the sun started beating down on them. Ciao, Matt __________________

07-30-2003, 10:10 PM	#2
Keith New Member Account #: 3277 Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 341	Thanks! When the screen is extended, it looks a little baggy in your picture. Is that just the angle of the photo, or is it all puckered like that? __________________ 2000 2.7T Quattro Eibach pro-kit PSK Rear Sway Bar 2002 Bumper cover Magnaflow exhaust and tips 18x8 Momo Quasar 2 235/40ZR18 Nitto NT555 Relay 605 on/off switch mod Front & rear fog mods Passport 8500

07-30-2003, 10:16 PM	#3
mamizana Junior Member Account #: 45556 Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 588	The flash accentuates it. It tightened up for me in the sun today. __________________

07-31-2003, 01:39 AM	#5
im_cecil Senior Member Account #: 30439 Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 9,499	Great writeup! Thanks for the effort... About high thick/high is the shade -- up from the doorsill? In your last picture, it looks pretty noticable from the outside. Are they obtrusive at all to adult rear passengers? I have a sedan and have been considering the rear shade, but have all but decided to pass on the side ones for this reason... thoughts? (if it weren't for the overriding need b/c of your son -- Congrats BTW! I don't suppose they're intended to be removed as needed, are they? It sounds like once the posts are snapped into the receptacles/holders, they meant to stay there... Thanks again for taking the time to post.

07-31-2003, 07:15 AM	#6
Audi you do New Member Account #: 32896 Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 70	Thanks for your contribution! Looks good! Drilling=scary, for me anyway!

07-30-2003, 10:49 PM	#4
2tu®bos1mission Elder Member Account #: 40304 Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 14,543	nice write up, I don't have the guts to hack up interior doing an install. I got your check this evening, I'm gonna try to ship it out tommorow! __________________ 2002 Subaru WRX 2002 A4 3.0 6spd 2004 Allroad Tip

07-31-2003, 07:46 AM	#7
AndyA6 Audiworld Junior Member Account #: 11834 Join Date: Oct 2000 Posts: 776	This belongs to the A6 links!! Thanks! __________________ AndyA6 '04 Treg V8 '03 Silver/black A4 1.8T Quattro 5-speed with KO4 and other goodies Make snowtires mandatory! Stay right except to pass! What's the confusing part?

07-31-2003, 08:29 AM	#8
carbonLORD AudiWorld Uber User Account #: 33185 Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 42,983	I nominate for Stoney's FAQ. __________________ "Change is inevitable" \| RS 6 Stuff \| www.carbonLORD.com \| 08 TT 2.0

07-31-2003, 08:46 AM	#9
allroad'Ed now Senior Member Account #: 8639 Join Date: Aug 2000 Posts: 7,170	Well done! Anyone want to split a set with me? I just want passenger's side shade... We only have one munchkin and she resides on the passenger side. so I really only want to do a shade on that side. If anyone wants just a driver's side let me know BTW- for the allroad, so I'm looking for an allroad, avant volunteer. . __________________ formerly known as: Ed's A6Q now allroad '02 allroad Light Silver/Platinum- gone but not forgotten H-Sport (stealth black) RS6 Exhaust 20% Tint Bluetoothed for Razr Sym II with XM Summer street- 18x8 BBS RX 245/45-18 Toyo T1R 20mm H&R spacers Per my wife:"A station wagon shouldn't be this damn fast!" Other current toys: '04 BMW X5 4.4 Tow vehicle '97 BMW 528I, 95K miles, dead stock '86 911 track toy, 190,000K miles and just a few mods Previously: 98 A6Q 93 100CS 86 5000 CSQ

07-31-2003, 08:53 AM	#10
mamizana Junior Member Account #: 45556 Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 588	If I understand your question, you want to know if the shades interfere with rear passenger space? No. Definitely not. They are very compact. The perforated screen itself is very thin and sits about 1" or so away from the window. As far as removal . . . no they are not meant to be taken on/off frequently. But they DON'T snap into the door. Its just a really tight fit between the silver pin and the pin holder. I imagine they'll come out without too much effort if you wanted to clean them or the door trim. Thanks for the congrats! Yeah, he's a handful right now but WELL worth the effort!!!! Take care. Matt __________________

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