Hi

One thing which is really bugging me about my new vrs is the front passenger grab handle.

It looks like some one with lots of rings has been holding it-there are what looks like lots of scrape marks as if the plastic cover/laquar has come off.

Is it easy to replace or will i be stuck with it.It does not look like it can be repaired.

Any one got any ideas

thanks

dave

Yes, the front edge (decorative piece) just pulls off. Not sure how much to replace but I'd guess about £15. If you look carefully at the front underside, you'll see a small hole where a screwdriver can be poked in to start levering it off.

Real easy job to do. Two screw covers that flip up and then two screws - thats it.

I have replaced various pieces of interior trim on mine as it was an ex-skoda car - and they had the cheek to use the car :P and even drill a hole in the dash for a Parrott!!!!

All sorted now though

Can they be replaced with damped grab handles to give the car the Passat feel I wonder? I'm guessing there's just a space somewhere to stick a rubber piece into the existing handle mechanism come to think of it, but I've no damped handles to compare those in my car to. It could be a very cheap way to make the car feel ever so slightly more expensive...

These are the part numbers for damped handles from VW in anthracite.

1K0 857 607 F 71N

1K0 857 607G 71N (with coathook)

They are about £19 each though so a cheaper option has got to be better!

I asked at my local dealer as to how much the handle was.

They want a few pennies short of £40

Does any one know of some where cheaper to get one.

Its not the roof mounted handle but the one ob the door.

Thanks

Dave

I'm (supposed to be) buying a new Octavia using the scrappage scheme and wondered if I could replace the Octavia's grab handles with the damped ones that are in my Passat. Although I rarely use them (and they're like new) so I'm not sure it will be worth the effort. I don't know how the colours compare (light grey in the Passat) but I would not be surprised if the hole centres and screw sizes are the same. Failing that it might also be possible to just simply fit the damping mechanism from the Passat in the Octavia's handles.

bump!!

Usually the damping is done by a rubber block that sits in the joint of the handle providing friction as the handle is moved. If the same moulds are used for damped and undamped there will be a space for the rubber piece to go that's empty in the undamped lever. If this is the case finding suitable rubber and cutting it to size will sort things out...

Can they be replaced with damped grab handles to give the car the Passat feel I wonder? I'm guessing there's just a space somewhere to stick a rubber piece into the existing handle mechanism come to think of it, but I've no damped handles to compare those in my car to. It could be a very cheap way to make the car feel ever so slightly more expensive...

I've just looked at the grab handles in my Passat which are damped but the damping device seems to be a plastic barrel on one side (the other side has the spring). Unfortunately the shaft is a pin that goes into a blind hole so there's no chance of removing it without drilling the pin out. I was thinking of swapping them with my new Octavia but they might not fit.

For what must be a very small cost I can't understand why they don't fit them to all Octavias but especially an Elegance. Even my wife's basic 2000 model year Polo has them.

I asked at my local dealer as to how much the handle was.

They want a few pennies short of £40

Does any one know of some where cheaper to get one.

Its not the roof mounted handle but the one ob the door.

Thanks

Dave

Did they confirm that was just for the front (pull-off) section? It seems very expensive to me. I replaced the exact equivalent part on my wife's Seat Leon and they were only £12 each. I wonder whether they were quoting for both the front and rear part together (the rear part is bolted into the door frame and you don't need to change that bit). Maybe worth a call to another dealer just to double-check..

cheers i'll try that