Technical Service Bulletin
61 Water leak at front corners of convertible top
61 16 24 2024108/4 June 8, 2016. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 61 number 11-12 dated February
23, 2011 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

A5 Cabriolet

2010 - 2015

All

Not Applicable

A5 Cabriolet

2016

000001 - 009765

Not Applicable

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

4

-

Revised header data (Added model years)

3

2/23/2011

Revised header data (Modified VIN break)

2

11/23/2010

Revised Service, Warranty, and Required Parts and Tools

Water leak from the convertible top.

Technical Background
After heavy rain, water can migrate beyond the front convertible
top header seal in the area where the convertible top header
meets the windshield. The leak may not be immediately
noticeable, but after a period of time following strong rainfall,
the leaks can become evident in the front corners (Figure 1 and
Figure 2).

Figure 1. Location where a leak may occur.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin

Figure 2. Evidence of a leak.

Production Solution
A section of butyl cord is installed in the roof frame seal (header) to close the path of water migration.

Service
1. Open the convertible top just enough to access the header area.
In approximately 8 minutes, the hydraulic pressure for the convertible top operation is released.
Warning:
There is a risk of injury when the hydraulic pressure releases if caution is not exercised.

2.

Make sure that the convertible top is in such a position that the working area can remain accessible.

3.

Fold back the seal lip and loosen the bolts for the
retaining strip (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Folding back the seal bar.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
4.

Remove the bolts securing the retaining strip (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Lifting the corner.
5.

Lift the retaining strip and seal away from the top cover
(Figure 5).

Figure 5. Retaining strip and seal pulled back.
6.

Install a section of butyl cord (part number
AKL45000505) between the seal and the top cloth
across the front and into the corners. The section will be
approximately 135 cm long (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Butyl cord application.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
7.

Install a length of cord long enough to wrap around and
past the corners, and extend 40 mm past the roof line.
Make sure that the butyl cord is evenly spread between
both edges in the outer groove of the seal. Kneading the
cord may ease installation. Push any excess into the end
chambers (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Pushing excess butyl cord into the end
chambers.
8.

Press the seal on the cover and press firmly to ensure a
good seal. Make sure the seal is correctly positioned on
the cover (Figure 8).

Figure 8. The seal, correctly positioned.
9.

Carefully reinstall the removed parts, paying particular attention to the correct installation of the seal on the
retaining strip. An incorrectly-installed seal can create additional water leaks.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Warranty
Claim Type:

Use applicable claim type. If vehicle is outside any warranty, this Technical Service Bulletin
is informational only.

Service Number:

6139

Damage Code:

0050

Labor Operations:

Headliner remove+reinstall

7084 1902

30 TU

Convertible top end piece remove+reinstall

6139 1950

40 TU

Install butyl cord

6128 9999

20 TU

GFF

No allowance

0 TU

Road test prior to service procedure

No allowance

0 TU

Road test after service procedure

No allowance

0 TU

Diagnostic Time:

Technical diagnosis at dealer’s discretion
(Refer to Section 2.2.1.2 and Audi Warranty Online for DADP allowance details)
Claim Comment:

As per TSB #2024108/4

All warranty claims submitted for payment must be in accordance with the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures
Manual. Claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty.

Required Parts and Tools
Part Number

Part Description

Quantity

AKL45000505

Butyl adhesive / sealing cord

0.3

Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2024108) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.