Result: still wont cover it under warranty because tint count as a "EXTERNAL modification" to the car....bullcrap... i have to pay 1500 for parts + labor. MOxxer fuxers, how da F do i know I should not tint my window..The A5/s5 has been out for how long..1 year? they must have tons of this problem already and yet they refused to warn the customers about this or even cover it with warranty because of what?
Sucks dude, but yeah this issue has definitely been covered on this forum, Audizine, AudiWorld, and a bunch of other places. Somebody should find that thread and sticky it for people to see.
Although i am furious..there's nothing i can do..i cannot install aftermarket amp due to the complicated computer and fiber optics involved that only audi dealers can do it.
There are ways, but you shouldn't be forced to do it that way.
I want to let everyone know that although the tinting was the cause of all this, the tint shop owner Jeff of "pro-tint" on rosemead was very helpful throughout this time, he tried to fix it for free, and he's going to refund my $200 tint cost and give me extra $200 because he felt bad. Honestly, it's not his fault, it's the retarded S5 designer's fault. It's as if they purposedly put a water tunnel leading to the amp. In the end, i still recommend whoever reside in san gabriel go to that tint shop.
Jeff Lynn @ Pro Tint did my Mercedes several years ago and I was happy with his work, and many friends have had their cars done there. They're a good honest reputable place, but honestly,
it's their fault. Having worked in the automotive service industry, as a professional you are responsible for adapting to all of the different challenges that may be ahead of you, ESPECIALLY if you take it upon yourself to work on high end European cars which have notoriously oddball electrical configuration.
One time at an install bay, a guy was doing a custom audio install on a 90's Merc S500 and accidentally tapped a wire which set off the main airbag. The steering wheel, airbag computer, and other interior components had to be replaced -- did you think the shop could just shrug it off and blame Mercedes engineering? Hell no, it had to come out of the installer's pocket. You can't be a professional service provider and not take responsibility for the effects of your service, especially when there are plenty of tinters out there who don't damage things when they tint, regardless of how rediculous the amp placement may be.
For what it's worth, I have higher standards with my S5 than with my Mercedes, and I took a recommendation from someone who rarely lets anyone touch his cars (which include a $100k+ hotrod) and he recommended The Tint Pros in Huntington Beach (
http://thetintpros.com/) and I was blown away how much more detail oriented they are than Pro Tint. It's family-owned and operated; the labor is all done by the founder and his son (in comparison, ProTint has multiple bays with multiple workers of varying experience levels handling the cars). I started to mention the blown amp problem as a heads-up but before I could even say two words about it, they smiled and said, "We're aware of the problem and you're in good hands. Don't worry about it."
I probably won't ever take a car anywhere else.