What is this?

[KarlAudi]

Hi everyone!
I have an Audi A1 2012 1.4 TFSI 122hp

I have been doing my maintenance with an indy garage for years now.
While inspecting engine bay, I have noticed this strange “funnel” (next & under the coolant reservoir).
Is this crammed sponge supposed to be there?

thanks

 

[KarlAudi]

No ideas?

 

[rum4mo]

Hi, sorry for missing this thread, that is just a shrouded access up into the engine bay from underneath the car, ie allowing things like the EVAP pipe to get up into the engine bay and so the EVAP valve, and the low pressure petrol fuel pipe from the fuel tank/lift pump, the edging on it will be intended to prevent chaffing or hammering/knocking of pipes coming up through that opening.

Edit:- I'm sure that VW Group actually used to stuff a sealed ploy tube that had foam inside it down that opening on some cars, to dampen out any rubbing of pipes, well I seem to remember that my older daughter's late SEAT Ibiza had that - which initially I thought a bit strange, but it worked! I think later on they managed to work out how to manage pipes coming up through that slot a lot better, so now no need for these crude damper packs.

 

[KarlAudi]

Aha ok so as long as this is intended to be here and not some sponge that my mechanic forgot to remove
Cheers!!

 

[rum4mo]

Ah, I should have read your opening posting properly, so your car does have sponge in there, it was the "funnel" part that I focused on. My wife's late June built in South Africa VW Polo 1.2TSI 110PS does not have any sponge in there at all, so I guessed that better fixing of these pipes had allowed for that - or they had run out of sponges in South Africa!