I only picked up my vRS on wednesday and i noticed the front bumper had been pulled from underneath.(Caught on something while reversing maybe)as i result there was a small gap between the top of the bumper and the wing. not ever having a Octy before i thought the bumper was fitted just like every other mk4 platform car i ever owned and thought it had not been fitted correctly. had it up on the ramp, removed bumper to find 2 bolts either side holding it on not the "slide and clip" fitment i thought it would be. After i sorted the underside fitment this did make the gap close up on 1 side. the other side is just stupid!

Question is, there is no damage to the car at all, all fixtures are there and the bumper is in place as it should be, i just have these annoying gaps. is there anyway i can get the bumper into shape again with some heat maybe? the car has been sat for a long time so im assuming its just because its been left to hang in the wrong place for so long its mis-shaped.

this is the worse side..

no amount of pushing, wiggling, manipulating the inner arch nothing will make this sit flush! it will go fluch if you gently push it but obviously i cant do that as a fix. anyone got any ideas other than a new bumper?

Edited 24 January, 201214 yr by Gee-man

Only just picked it up? I would have had it straight back to the dealer if it were me!

its a secondhand part ex trade in fella. I bought it like is as i thought it was just not cliped into its sliders properly. As mentioned, the Ocrys dont have sliders like i thought so my easy fix has just turned into a mare. I only paid £1500 for it with FSH, 1 owner from new, etc because it has a couple small nocks on the body work. i can live with it for that sort of money as all the other Rs estates i was looking at were 3k + (and most the other end of the world!) This was local, ticked all the right boxes just with a few small scuffs. Dealers not an option unfortunatly. I cant complain for the money i spent.

the wife was impressed as i spent less than half than i was planning to.

Hammer. Really really hard

I think there are clips on the wing, but the bumper will need to be removed first in order to allocate them correctly.

Would Tiger Seal hold it?

Not sure what's behind the bumper to "hold" it whist it dried...

there is a little plastic tab that hooks into the wing, this on both sides is there, the 2 bolts either side are there, the wing is in tact, the car its self is all as it should be which makes me think its gotta be the bumper is out of shape. Someone said to tip hot water over it to soften the plastic, push it into place and then tip cold water over it. Im unsure on the truth in this. Was hoping to play about today but the wife and kids dragged me out shopping. :'(

Im slightly baffed to say the least

Edited 22 January, 201214 yr by Gee-man

had a go at the hot water thing. Needless to say i felt a bit of a pratt but see for your self...

It only bloody works! Ill have a go at the other side tomorrow as thats the worse side.

Edited 22 January, 201214 yr by Gee-man

I would suggest that the reason your bumper is stuck out wards at the sides is because it was probably removed to fit that seat cupra lower bumper splitter, and whoever refitted the bumper did not locate the side correctly into the runners. These runners hold in the sides.

If i recall to get the bumper flush you can't just press it in, you have slide it into position to locate the runners correctly, This means you will have to remove the bumper first. To do this take out the front plastic grille's to expose screws. undo those screws. remove the 3 screws under the bonnet grill on top of bumper in the center. remove the screws holding the lower side of bumper to the wheel arch liners and you may have 2 screws underneath in the central area.

Get a small flat screwdriver and prise off the black plastic insert trim around each side of bumper to expose the 2 bolts. Undo these bolts and bumper should pull off from the front.

Then you can carefully with a helper refit bumper and make sure you engage both side into the locating rails. This is what will keep the side of bumper close to the wings.

hope this helps.

I fit the LCR, i put it up on a ramp and did not remove the bumper. However, i did remove the bumper to try and fix the first day i got it to work, as i to thought the bumper was not slid into place like a bora/mk4/a3. unless there just missing..?? There are no sliders on this car. there are simply 2 bolts either side of the bumper holding it to the wing, 1 in each lower side grill, 3 on top of bumper and the 4 or 5 in the arch. Hence this thread, i did not understand why it did not sit correctly. Nothing is bent, everything is how it should be. The bumper was simply out of shape due to an old knock before i owned it and it had been left.

Thanks for your input tho.

Edited 23 January, 201214 yr by Gee-man

I fit the LCR, i put it up on a ramp and did not remove the bumper. However, i did remove the bumper to try and fix the first day i got it to work, as i to thought the bumper was not slid into place like a bora/mk4/a3. unless there just missing..?? There are no sliders on this car. there are simply 2 bolts either side of the bumper holding it to the wing, 1 in each lower side grill, 3 on top of bumper and the 4 or 5 in the arch. Hence this thread, i did not understand why it did not sit correctly. Nothing is bent, everything is how it should be. The bumper was simply out of shape due to an old knock before i owned it and it had been left.

Thanks for your input tho.

Actually looking at the pics i took removing mine you are correct no runner appear to be there. Sorry about that. poor memory these days.

Ok so what could be your issue as you know it has had a slight knock is that the knock could of pushed the bumper to one side. This may indicate that the actual metal bracket is bent out wards that holds the 2 bolts. Therefore what ever you do will not pull it in tighter. Try to knock back in the wing bracket? might work.

I think someone has rebolted that on without the metal clip behind the bolt, unclip the black trim and see if it is all bolted in ok.

Its all straight under there tho.. Straighter than a straight thing. :wonder:

Edit to other reply: yeh all the bolts are there... everything is as it should be other than it fitting like poo. tried the hot water thing on the offside today and it didnt work. new bumper me thinks

Edited 23 January, 201214 yr by Gee-man

Well to me it looks like it is not clipped in or located correctly

I am surprised that you could get the wheel arch liner screws in to the side of the bumper. These screws would at least pull it in flusher I would of thought

yeh tried that too bowders, 3 of us at the garage i work at have all had a go. lol i might make a small bracket up and mount it inside the arch and attach it to the inner side of the bumper that follows the line of the arch. Its annoying as when i bought the car i thought.. "ahhhh someone has not clipped it into the sliders properly" How wrong was i!!

Mine was a bit like that, and I pulled it back in by using the torx screws in the wheel arch liner with some large washer to help grip it and not rip through the liner.

I win!! alot of manipulation, wing pulling, bumper pushing wriggling and i got it like this....

im now a happy bunny and can sleep at night lol

Done a few other bits today also. going to start a build thread me thinks.

Can you fix mine too please?

i will send your wing an Email

I win!! alot of manipulation, wing pulling, bumper pushing wriggling and i got it like this....

im now a happy bunny and can sleep at night lol

Done a few other bits today also. going to start a build thread me thinks.

Result....

i will send your wing an Email

haha, wanna do mine too

lol... im onto a winner here!

Perseverance pays!