Replaced the AC condensor fan on my 01 A6 2.7T last night and in the process, realized that half my skid plate/pan "half-turn" screws were missing and the pan is all cracked up and falling apart. Not to mention I have had a repeated issue with this car overheating on hot days in heavy traffic.

So I left it off...

I apologize in advance if this has been covered once before... or a thousand times before. I tried searching, but couldn't find it talked about specifically.

While I know "they put it there for a reason"... is it okay to go commando with this? I figure it's going to let the engine breath a little better anyway...

Thoughts?

As for the reason it is there: I think it has something to do with aerodynamics at high speeds keeping your car shiny side up.

Hmm.... thanks, but it's going to have to be something a lot more convincing than that for me to put it back no. Knock on wood, but I doubt I be at a drastically increased danger of rolling or flipping my car due to the belly pan not being installed.

I keep my skid pad off. I have on both audis I've had.

If there is one way to make an oil change more difficult that it needs to be, its those stupid skid pads. If a 4000 lb car with the drag coefficient of a Z06 needs a front diffuser than something isn't right.

Yeah, i never had one! (okay, i got the car when it was nine years old)

Look at the engine of my 2000 A6 with 170k miles of MN weather on it and then look at the engine of a 2000 Taurus with 170k miles of MN weather. You will have your answer.

See all the gouges, scrapes, cracks, and dents in your belly pan? Would you rather those be on your oil pan and all of the rest of the hoses and stuff under the car? Bottom out just once and you are in for some sort of damage.

It isn't a skid pan, it's a plastic aero piece. It helps with CD, but only slightly. I haven't had mine on for years and have had no issues. removing it won't help any with your overheating problem in traffic but it will allow you to see all the oil drips from your engine.

Bob

"this car overheating on hot days in heavy traffic"

Could you be more specific?
(look a the thread "Fan redundancy" - you might find some answers there)

Thats funny actually. I did immediately notice that it is indeed a veritable "world map" of past and present fluid leaks. Looks like I have a leak on the passenger side, which alerted me to check the oil and find that I as about 3/4 qt down. This about 2k miles into an oil change. Don't even want to know what that's about.

What more would you like to know? On days of about 85F+ in slow or stop and go traffic when I have the AC around 74F, after a couple of stop-n-gos, it comes off it's dead center temp reading and slowly starts to push its way towards "3/4 hot" by the time it gets there I figure it's not just a blip and I kill the AC and try to light foot it and/or find an alternate (albeit longer) route that allows me some speed, hence airflow, and it usually comes back. Seems to only be in times of reduced airflow coupled with the load of the AC. As far as I can tell when it's hot, all the fans are working.