# Water Damage to Bose Amplifier



## dj_adams18 (Nov 3, 2012)

I have just been told that I have no sound through my Bose sound system because I have water damage to the Bose 8J0 035 223 C HW:04 amplifier. Can anyone advise of there experience with this and how I can get this fixed at a reasonable cost? My TT is a 2008 2.0TFSI model and has only covered 29,000 miles!!

The thought of the cost of a 'NEW' Bose amp is quite a daunting one! I also have the integrated telephone system.

Any help would be gratefully received......!

Many Thanks

David


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## TondyRSuzuka (Dec 3, 2011)

Just had the Bose amp in mine replaced, 09Reg 29,000 miles. Fought with Audi to no avail... Went to an independent dealer who fitted the amp for £735. Standard price, and this apparently is a common issue with this amp, pisses you off that its a know weakness and you still have to fork out.

So thats your only answer, get it replaced and cough up the dosh! Only silver lining is you get 2 years warranty on the part. The Amp is located at the rear of the car so nothing to do with the head unit and bluetooth unit.


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

Tondy is right. You may find a breaker selling one at a cheaper price (I did), good luck.


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## dj_adams18 (Nov 3, 2012)

Thanks chaps. I have a company called Sextons looking at it for me. He said Range Rovers have a similar problem and Land Rovers solution was to wrap it in effectively a plastic bag to stop it reoccurring (Classy solution!). Have you guys done this? He is going to do this for me as a precaution to stop it happening again.

I am trying to source an amp now, but I guess my main concern about a second hand 1 is that is may also be partially water damaged!

Dave


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

Correct. I had four or five second hand amps from Germany. All shot. Lost a good few hundred quid in the end. 
As for waterproofing... I bought some Conformal Spray (acrylic spray basically) and some electrical gel to proof the board, but no-one on here knew if it would be ok. So never used either. I suppose a bag would work if it was a water dripping problem, but it would need to be sealed if it is a condensation type problem.

Keep us informed.


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

A bit of reading for you if you haven't already...

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=214973&p=2037926&hilit=Bose#p2037926

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=255030&p=2191760&hilit=+Bose#p2191760

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=297501&p=2395736&hilit=+Bose#p2395736


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## dj_adams18 (Nov 3, 2012)

Thanks fella, just read through the posts you sent. It looks like I will have to keep searching for an amp or bite the bullet!

Do you know if a different serial number will work? ie is I put in a different amp serial number is there a software problem you are aware of? I am assuming it is just plug and play.....?

Cheers


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

Suffix A's will probably be shot. They didn't make them for very long. 
Suffix B's & C's are more common and worked with my Pioneer. 
Suffix D's didn't work with my Pioneer and Audi said they need coding.

They do have the manufactured date on, so if you get chance, get the newest. 
Check for corrosion upon receipt though. Thoroughly.


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## dj_adams18 (Nov 3, 2012)

Heres a question for you.... do you know of a better alternative with better ouptput capacity that be used with this stereo system? ..... my Volvo premium sound system is in fact far superior to this system in the TT regardless of the Bose brand.


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

Sorry chap, can't answer that. A few have ripped them out totally.


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Go after market - the BOSE system in the TT is rubbish to be polite.


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## dj_adams18 (Nov 3, 2012)

I agree with this statement fella. But can I get a good after-market system for £750 complete? Has anyone done it and can they advise?

Thanks


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## svtservices (Jun 4, 2013)

Anyone need help with these units give me a shout - we specialise in repair of them. Repair is the best option as one from ebay will need coded to the car via Audi.

chris


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## Patrizio72 (Mar 22, 2011)

svtservices said:


> Anyone need help with these units give me a shout - we specialise in repair of them. Repair is the best option as one from ebay will need coded to the car via Audi.
> 
> chris


Can you also turn them into a lit up fish tank in the boot? that would really take the pee


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## RAGAL (Feb 17, 2013)

Add me to the list of recent Bose failures!

I persevered and managed to get one from a breakers for £100, worked a treat but took 3 weeks of searching, most breakers I called laughed when I told them what I was after, they are in such high demand you have to be both quick and lucky to get one!

The icing on the cake is the fact I know its going to go again at some point, I'm still keeping my eyes open as it seems wise idea to have a spare.

Good luck.


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

Was that the amp I found Ragal? Lucky chap :? 
SVT, why should a replacement amp need coding by Audi? I bought a new one popped it in took all of 10 minutes and it worked, was that the same for you Ragal?


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## RAGAL (Feb 17, 2013)

deeve said:


> Was that the amp I found Ragal? Lucky chap :?
> SVT, why should a replacement amp need coding by Audi? I bought a new one popped it in took all of 10 minutes and it worked, was that the same for you Ragal?


Hi Deeve, you'll be pleased to hear the one you found was faulty, I ordered and fitted it but only got sound to the rear speakers, the guy took it back and refunded my money so no biggey, it took another 2 weeks after that to track another one down! Thanks again for your help though mate, I got very close to ordering a new one like you did.

Re the coding, generally it's plug and play, the only recoding would be if it was set up for a coupe and you have a roadster or vice versa, there is also a coding option for leather vs cloth trim but in most cases it wouldn't be a big deal either way, I believe it's just fine tweaking of the dsp settings of the amp to match the car spec.


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## beepcake (May 17, 2002)

If the amp has logged errors you can't clear them using a normal "clear all codes" - you have to do some jiggery pokery to adapt the car to the amp, but I don't know if it's even possible with VCDS. Mine was replaced years ago under warranty by Audi and even they didn't clear the error, so I'm guessing it's not a "click the button" kind of thing.

Works fine though, just annoying having an error code


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

beepcake said:


> If the amp has logged errors you can't clear them using a normal "clear all codes" - you have to do some jiggery pokery to adapt the car to the amp, but I don't know if it's even possible with VCDS. Mine was replaced years ago under warranty by Audi and even they didn't clear the error, so I'm guessing it's not a "click the button" kind of thing.
> 
> Works fine though, just annoying having an error code


What! Isn't there one of those holes in the back where you can stick a paper clip and make it all better


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## discovolante (Jul 7, 2012)

just reluctantly ordered another bose amp from audi dealer to replace failing unit in 2010 coupe with under 20k miles (rear speakers no longer work/fronts well down on volume/random "popping" noises.)

had the amp out at the weekend to investigate. white powdery residue on the casing and immediately under the amp. on opening the case there was a mushed up mess on the circuit board also at the lower extent of the unit.

firm conclusion in this case is that the damage is entirely down to condensation. ie. no signs of water ingress anywhere in the boot whatsoever.

one question.after powering up the unit for less than a minute prior to re assembling / refitting it was noticed that it was too hot to touch. is this normal?

dealer denied that this failure was a known phenomenon but at least had the good grace to look embarassed (as well he should.)


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

Disco, contact Audi Customer service see what they say to it. Does your car not have a 3yr warranty? its more than just a coincidence that all these cars have done this. I just don't understand the reason. If I were you id have gone aftermarket, for what the cost from Audi will be.


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## discovolante (Jul 7, 2012)

the minty1 said:


> Disco, contact Audi Customer service see what they say to it. Does your car not have a 3yr warranty? its more than just a coincidence that all these cars have done this. I just don't understand the reason. If I were you id have gone aftermarket, for what the cost from Audi will be.


thanks minty1. from what the dealer said today and from hearing for some time the experiences of others i won't be holding my breath for audi CS response. 
however i fully intend to contact them if only to get my predicament on the record, for whatever that might be worth.
unlike some, aftermarket holds zero attractions for me. prior to this i had no complaints about the factory system. 
right now my main concern centres around the idea of paying (and through the nose) to resolve matters in this instance only to be facing the same issues in a couple of years.


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

thanks minty1. from what the dealer said today and from hearing for some time the experiences of others i won't be holding my breath for audi CS response. 
however i fully intend to contact them if only to get my predicament on the record, for whatever that might be worth.
unlike some, aftermarket holds zero attractions for me. prior to this i had no complaints about the factory system. 
right now my main concern centres around the idea of paying (and through the nose) to resolve matters in this instance _only to be facing the same issues in a couple of years.[/quote]_

And thats the point. Why should you. Your car is not old. A small 5channel amp would be miles in front of the Bose one. Speak to you local car hifi dealer, to point you in the right direction with minimum alteration to cabling.


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## discovolante (Jul 7, 2012)

thanks again will follow up on that minty1. 
does anyone have any recommendations for ICE specialists in the southeast? i am based in kent.


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## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

The Audi warranty is in ADDITION to your statutory rights. A non-wear and tear item like an amplifier should last longer than 3 years. I would push the point with the dealer. These amps are REALLY expensive. If it is a water ingress or moisture build-up issue then it's a defect from manufacture and it would be covered for up to 6 years.


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## Patrizio72 (Mar 22, 2011)

I've had issues before with another manufacturer stating my car was not covered for water leak issues under warranty after the first year, really f***ed me off as I really couldn't understand why a manufacturing fault wasn't covered for something as crucial as water leaks, we all know how many parts in a car are dependant on staying dry... and the car was just over a year old!


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## Suzuka (Oct 15, 2012)

dj_adams18 said:


> Thanks chaps. I have a company called Sextons looking at it for me. He said Range Rovers have a similar problem and Land Rovers solution was to wrap it in effectively a plastic bag to stop it reoccurring (Classy solution!). Have you guys done this? He is going to do this for me as a precaution to stop it happening again.
> 
> I am trying to source an amp now, but I guess my main concern about a second hand 1 is that is may also be partially water damaged!
> 
> Dave


Hi Dave,

Sextons are good. You must be local to Southampton then?

I had errors with my Bose Amp. Audi replaced mine 2 months ago FOC under warranty. If your in Southampton anyway it may be worth visiting Chandlers ford Audi and seeing if they can replace it under warrenty.


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## moro anis (May 27, 2010)

I'd have thought that although a plastic bag would stop the water getting in, it would cause condensation inside it and be even worse.


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

3 years old! Press the dealer for a replacement. They know its a problem and at least mine had the grace to look suitably embarrassed when confronted.
Wrapping in a plastic bag would only compound the problem as it is a condensation problem not a leak. Would also probably cause the amp to overheat.
Only solution I can think of to prevent it is an active cooling fan to prevent condensation collecting around the chips.
Now I have a shiny new amp I will keep an eye on it and the first sign of ANY deterioration around the chips it will be straight back to Audi.


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## burns (Jun 2, 2009)

SVT, are you the company in Edinburgh? Just had a quick look on tinterweb as I think I may need your services - I have the volume problem, although it seems to reset to normal behaviour if I toggle between CD and radio and back again. Do you do a full mail order repair service? What type of cost, turnaround time, etc? And is it difficult to remove/reinstall the amp?


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## discovolante (Jul 7, 2012)

dealer says audi are now quoting two part numbers for the bose amp. one is for the actual amp and the second part number is for what is described as "foil" (A4G5 907 577) and priced at £3.42. 
anybody able to shed some light on this? is it some kind of workaround audi have come up with? 
dealer said the amp was available but the foil was on back order.


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## Dayer2910 (Apr 29, 2012)

Foil ?? wtf.....german engineering at it's finest,


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

German engineering? Hardly, new amps designed in USA made in Mexico.
Did you order the foil. Intrigued as to its technical abilities


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## discovolante (Jul 7, 2012)

deeve said:


> German engineering? Hardly, new amps designed in USA made in Mexico.
> Did you order the foil. Intrigued as to its technical abilities


i did order the foil. worth a punt at that price. i am similarly intrigued/sceptical. unusually dealer did not seem to have a clue.


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## beepcake (May 17, 2002)

Maybe it's this type of foil to help you "persuade" the dealer to change it FOC when it fails again?


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

I wonder if the 'foil' is similar to the cover retrofitted to A5 B&O amps that I've been rattling on for years?

Mind you, not for £3:40. :?


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## Dayer2910 (Apr 29, 2012)

deeve said:


> German engineering? Hardly, new amps designed in USA made in Mexico.
> Did you order the foil. Intrigued as to its technical abilities


if it's in my car then i class it as german my friend, after spending hundreds on a second hand amp somehow my faith in a 3 quid bit of foil to solve the issue isnt great.


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## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

Dayer2910 said:


> deeve said:
> 
> 
> > German engineering? Hardly, new amps designed in USA made in Mexico.
> ...


Fixed that for geographical accuracy.


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

:lol: He's right, you know!


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## Mrcoolguy (Dec 10, 2013)

This might be useful guys. I think the guy who runs this company is a TT member......a lot better than £700.00
Any info on Audi "foil" mentioned earlier?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOSE-CAN-TT-A ... 1163171241


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## moro anis (May 27, 2010)

That looks like a good find. Well done. Could be very useful to lots of owners.


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## SiiT (Jul 30, 2012)

had mine replaced recently, Audi wondered cover under the warranty but had them replace as i'd just bought the car and it should have been picked up via the points check scheme. shameful i'd say!


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## LaztSWE (Nov 20, 2013)

Looking at all the pic of corroded solder joints on pcb, i think that a standard conformal coat (like humiseal or even a simpler product) should solve all corrosion problems. I think its just not coated for the enviroment its supposed to work in.

the fix would be as easy(?) as remove heatsink, clean pcb, add coat with brush (not on transistors touching sink etc) add thermal paste where needed, put back headsink. Done!


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

That 'fix' won't repair corrosion though will it...? It'll only keep a good amp from going bad. 
I did that to mine a while back. Been ok since - but not had a look recently. 
Very easy to do. Shame it's not done at manufacturers though. Would've saved a lot of aggro for Audi.


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## LaztSWE (Nov 20, 2013)

Very true, if its already corroded and and acting up it needs a renovation before coating. Sorry about the confusion.


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## -:[KM]:- (May 16, 2010)

Yeah. My conformal was a spray. So at least I've coated the front face of the legs. The rear may still may be open to corrosion - though I did flood it!
All helps others I suppose. 
Lesson is - do it now, otherwise be wary of the peril that looms.

Anyone wants to travel here, I'll be happy to help.


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## datamonkey (Jan 23, 2012)

Mrcoolguy said:


> This might be useful guys. I think the guy who runs this company is a TT member......a lot better than £700.00
> Any info on Audi "foil" mentioned earlier?
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOSE-CAN-TT-A ... 1163171241


Nice find.

Has anyone here used this guys services? Would appreciate feedback if you have...

Edit - checked his ebay feedback and he seems decent!


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## datamonkey (Jan 23, 2012)

Mrcoolguy said:


> This might be useful guys. I think the guy who runs this company is a TT member......a lot better than £700.00
> Any info on Audi "foil" mentioned earlier?
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOSE-CAN-TT-A ... 1163171241


I bought this listing from ebay and sent my Bose amp off last Thursday. That means SVT (the company behind the ebay listing - http://www.svtservices.co.uk/) would have got it Friday.

It's now Tuesday the following week and Citylink just returned my amp. I dug the boot out of my TT, plugged it in and hey presto - working audio!

I would recommend this guy for any repairs as it has saved me about £500 over buying a new Bose amp and he obvisouly doesn't hang around getting your stuff back to you.

For £180 +postage (£26) it's money well spent if you're like me and can't be without music while driving.


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## 2Slick (May 20, 2011)

datamonkey said:


> Mrcoolguy said:
> 
> 
> > This might be useful guys. I think the guy who runs this company is a TT member......a lot better than £700.00
> ...


I'm another that has just had his water damaged amp repaired by Chris at SVT based in Scotland. Just refitted it and it sounds better than ever! They replaced the amp chips, sealed the board and also provided a waterproof shield/cover to put on to help prevent any issues. They only offer a 6 month warranty on the repair work, but as Chris said, as long as it's kept dry it won't go bad again! A fantastic service and seriously recommended!

I'm chuffed and have saved over £500 on a new Bose amp. PS: Chris also stated that he's had a number of those aftermarket cheap replacement amps from eBay for c£200 - he stated that they have very poor quality components...


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## spike (Dec 26, 2013)

I took my amp out last week, and gave to my brother who is an Aircraft electronic assembler.

he tested the board under a light, which checks for waterproofing lacquer, and said was a very poor job.

Mine has now been fully lacquered, paying attention to those chips, with new heat sink applied.


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## 2Slick (May 20, 2011)

spike said:


> I took my amp out last week, and gave to my brother who is an Aircraft electronic assembler.
> 
> he tested the board under a light, which checks for waterproofing lacquer, and said was a very poor job.
> 
> Mine has now been fully lacquered, paying attention to those chips, with new heat sink applied.


Good job you did the work in time - should be perfect now for years to come! I stupidly waited until my rear speakers and sub stopped working before getting the key things done, therefore had to have chips replaced! [smiley=bigcry.gif] At least its all sorted now though.


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## texasgooner (Dec 14, 2009)

Hello All,

I received my reconditioned amp back from the Edinburgh repairer, very happy it's working now.

I my haste when I removed it i did not quite take note of a few things:

Am I right in thinking there are 2 very thin cables which should BOTH be clipped onto the metal housing that the amp is assembled on?

I ask because I cannot seem to have the slack on the cable on the lower side of the amp case to get its clip anywhere on it's housing (what is this cable, it disappears through a small hole in the back of car, it is thin but has a cloth type material for cable)

I am pretty sure I remember the other black cable at top of amp clips on the housing, right? Indeed, what is that for?

Is is paramount that they are clipped back where ever they should be or are they just clipped to make things tidy? (wondered if it as for some earth, off of the amp metal case)

Thank you


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## auditt (May 10, 2012)

*INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PHYSICALLY REMOVE YOUR BOSE AMP*

Here is a video on how to properly remove the side panel and Bose amp.


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