My 2009 RRS TDV8 has an aluminium cooler / radiator located under the front bumper bar on RHS. It has a front mounted air intake and a plastic louvered grille at the rear to allow air to exit onto the front RHS tyre.

This device is not found on any 2.7L TDV6 RRS nor D3s I have seen.

I have unsuccessfully tried searching this forum to answer my query, and request advice from a TDV8 expert.

Can anyone please advise me on purpose of this cooler & any details on why it is located in this vulnerable position.

Cheers

air con rad? RRS gone
Audi SQ5...Gone Audi Q7 S-Line 240 3.0TDI Gone
Audi A6 Allroad Sport 270 3.0TDI

I *think* it's the transmission cooler. In the V6 the tranmission coolant is routed through a cooler built in to the end of the radiator (nearside on UK vehicles). At a guess, the bigger engine in the TDV8 requires all of the radiator's cooling capacity for its own needs.

Looking at the main stack of rads in the nose I think it is (from the front) air con - intercooler - engine cooling radiator. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Not a TDV8 expert but could it be the auxiliary engine coolant cooler? Malaysia Boleh!
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As Bobby says, aux. coolant radiator. Probably not needed in the UK, but would be for hot climate countries

Ditto above.

"Due to package constraints an auxiliary radiator is required to maintain acceptable coolant temperatures under arduous driving conditions such as high-load and high ambient temperatures. This radiator is located in the in the RH wheel arch area, with cooling airflow supplied by a dedicated aperture in the front bumper. The auxiliary radiator is connected in parallel with the main radiator, with the coolant flow being controlled by the main engine thermostat."

Click image to enlarge

Thanks Bob, also to Bobby & Mikey, the Photo & explanation are great.

I tow a heavy off road camper and drive on rough tracks etc, sometimes at over 40 degrees C. This cooler hangs down in an area where it cops mud off the front tyre 75mm away & also dust and I worry that it may be damaged one day.

If it breaks & leaks on an off road trip, I should be able to bypass this auxiliary cooler and continue at a reduced pace.

I have already fitted a bullbar & removed the OEM bumper bar cross and cowling that blocked of a huge area of the grille mounted radiators.

Maybe fitting of a higher performance radiator could allow me to remove it.

Cheers