Exhaust Heat Shield - how safe to remove for a short while?

[MouthBoy]

I have an Audi S5 2010 3ltr V6 Sportback. I noticed a rattle a few weeks ago from the rear of the car but couldn't place it, but now I have discovered that my nearside exhaust heat shield has come loose and it is only being held on by the exhaust hanger arm. The shield has broken around all the bolts that hold it in place, and it is currently just bouncing up and down on the top of the exhaust.

I will obviously get it replaced, but for the interim, how dangerous is it to remove this (it will have to be tin snipped off due to all the bolts not having ANY grip on them) and run for a few hundred miles without it?

When driving right now it sounds awful, properly awful and makes it sound like the car is a wreck!

Opinions?

 

[MouthBoy]

Current plan is to take it to the local garage and see if they can do anything to save it. Annoyingly, I find so many garages don't want to touch the car for some reason as it "can be complicated" to work on...

 

[MouthBoy]

I just use a large repair washer with a nyloc nut to hold them up again if it’s going to fail the MOT, which saves the customer a few quid and takes a couple of minutes.

I hope this can be the way I go. I did try and remove the existing nuts but they are just rounded off and the 10mm doesn't grip anything.

 

[MouthBoy]

I took it off the Mrs Fiesta years ago, it's not blown up or failed an MOT yet.

I genuinely don't know this, but wouldn't there be a potential difference in heat from mine and your Mrs car?

 

[MouthBoy]

It'll likely be fine to remove, but you might get away with using some big washers to reattach (I assume the fixings are still in the car and the shield has rotten around them).

Exactly this. Hoping the garage has some to do this with.

 

[MouthBoy]

Most people dont drive their cars hard enough for it to be an issue. Diesel with regen is where the most concern is on heatshields missing, melted carpet and blistered paint on the body are likely issues.

I generally drive sensible and just potter around, enjoying the car at slower speeds - but - I do get spirited on occasion of course.

I hope to get a call later today to bring the car in to the garage.

 

[MouthBoy]

This is garage speak for we don't really want to work on anything nice, people who come here bring their old bangers where we can bodge the job for cheap and people don't care. You've got a nice car that's not a skip, please take your business elsewhere.

If you do want it fixed for piece of mind - take it somewhere else. Either to a good VW Audi Group independent specialist that is comfortable working on nice Audis - or just take it to the main dealer. Yes it will cost more - but if you're paying money just for piece of mind - may as well just swallow the hard pill and pay whatever large bill they'll give you and enjoy the free coffee and book a courtesy car etc... to make it as smooth and nice an experience as possible.

Yea I'm getting this vibe a lot. Even Kwikfit didn't want to touch it a few months ago when I needed something with the suspension done.

 

[MouthBoy]

So I took it to Kwikfit today and 10mins later, free of charge, they have just bolted it up as a temp fix for now.

Plan will be to get a replacement when I get the exhaust sorted out.

 

[MouthBoy]

I'm likely going to replace both sides, and get both mid silencers changed at the same time.