front bumper Inspecting repairing front bumper support and securing front bumper to the bumper support rail.

[OctaviaVRS2]

This basically defines what I wish to do. Some idiot did a recovery on my car and put a hook around the bumper rail to tow it and pull the bumper rail out of shape and unable to fit the front bumper properly.

 

Does any member have access to drawings that show the structure underneath the front bumper. A garage did a good job of making it worse, seemingly unable to ensure the bumper is secure and the shut lines are right.

 

It is a bit of a nightmare trying to discuss parts with main dealer. They just aren't geared up to interface with a consumer who does his own repairs or maintenance. I think I may need to use skoda-parts but that attracts customs. I may be able to order through TPS account my fitter has with them. Obviously first I need to make sure I know as much about the front bumper  of the 1Z3 FL version and be able to identify the structure onto which the front bumper mounts.

 

Got to get the mess sorted out so I am waiting for a rather cool day as I suspect this is much more complicated than removing the rear bumper.

 

Have any of you had your Octavia stripped down to this level?

 

Rich

[Guest]

https://skoda.catalogs-parts.com/#{client:1;page:models;lang:en;region:cz}

Edited 16 June, 2023 by MicMac

[OctaviaVRS2]

2 hours ago, MicMac said:

https://skoda.catalogs-parts.com/#{client:1;page:models;lang:en;region:cz}

 

Amazingly helpful. Thanks very much Mic Mac.

 

Looks like they broke the largest part under bumper (the support rail) as the bumper support rail only comes as one rather large part.

[MikeTheThinker]

18 minutes ago, OctaviaVRS2 said:

the bumper support rail only comes as one rather large part.

Try a breaker.  Unless the front end has been stuffed the bumper bar should be fine.  You're looking for 1Z0 807 109 C I believe.  Piccy HERE.

 

Note that to remove and replace the M6x20 bumper bar mounting bolts (see HERE) you'll need an XZN or triple square bit which are used a lot on VAG cars.  I know the parts cat says they're Allen heads but the ones I've seen or removed have all been XZN.  The bolts are high tensile and should be replaced and properly torqued up.

 

NB the parts cat links I've used are no different than the ones MicMac gave you, just a different webhost.

Edited 16 June, 2023 by MikeTheThinker
more info

[Guest]

@OctaviaVRS2

YW

[J.R.]

Its called a crash beam and should have the towing eye attached to it, I got a very very cheap pattern part one for the Yeti when I got fed up straightening the old one on my 12 tonne press, it needed a bit of tweaking for the holes to line up but nothing major and IIRC I had to drill a hole for the outside temperature sensor.

 

Between the crash beam and the plastic bumper there is an expanded foam impact absorbing filler, these do a superb job and are practically indestructable, my vehicle had hot something hard enough to bend the crash beam and deploy the dashboard airbags and seatbelt pyrotechnics but was completely unmarked and the bumper only had minor scuffs and scratches, its still on the car 3 years later unrepaired other than a polishing of the scratches.

[J.R.]

3 hours ago, OctaviaVRS2 said:

seemingly unable to ensure the bumper is secure and the shut lines are right.

 

All the front shut lines between bonnet, headlights, wings and bumper rely on the correct alignment of the crash beam, that was why I finally accepted defeat and replaced mine, I just could not get them good enough.

 

Even with the new crash beam I had to slot the holes to get the gaps to my standards.

 

Its an easy job, you just need to make some temporary support for the cooling pack (radiator, intercooler, AC condensor and fans) so the hoses dont get strained while you remove the old crash beam and fit the new.

 

Alignment of all the panel gaps takes a lot of patience but thats what sorts the good mecanos from the lazy.

[OctaviaVRS2]

16 hours ago, MikeTheThinker said:

Try a breaker.  Unless the front end has been stuffed the bumper bar should be fine.  You're looking for 1Z0 807 109 C I believe.  Piccy HERE.

 

Note that to remove and replace the M6x20 bumper bar mounting bolts (see HERE) you'll need an XZN or triple square bit which are used a lot on VAG cars.  I know the parts cat says they're Allen heads but the ones I've seen or removed have all been XZN.  The bolts are high tensile and should be replaced and properly torqued up.

 

NB the parts cat links I've used are no different than the ones MicMac gave you, just a different webhost.

 

Thanks Mike! You're always there with the most useful information. We have to nominate you as a Prime destination for all things VAG :)

[OctaviaVRS2]

15 hours ago, J.R. said:

Its called a crash beam and should have the towing eye attached to it, I got a very very cheap pattern part one for the Yeti when I got fed up straightening the old one on my 12 tonne press, it needed a bit of tweaking for the holes to line up but nothing major and IIRC I had to drill a hole for the outside temperature sensor.

 

Between the crash beam and the plastic bumper there is an expanded foam impact absorbing filler, these do a superb job and are practically indestructable, my vehicle had hot something hard enough to bend the crash beam and deploy the dashboard airbags and seatbelt pyrotechnics but was completely unmarked and the bumper only had minor scuffs and scratches, its still on the car 3 years later unrepaired other than a polishing of the scratches.

 

Thanks JR. Useful information there. Now I have a measure of the situation, I'll not spend time trying to straighten the damage.

 

I find it shocking how badly informed or educated are some recovery outfits. One was going to pull my car back onto the truck by putting a rope around a beam under the rear seats on which there is a label that says 'Do not jack or load this bar', or something to that effect. If I hadn't known that and been standing there, maybe my car would have ended up at its destination with a pointy roof! As you can see, this was lovely and unrectifiable. What was the answer I got? "Well, its a twelve year old car. I wouldn't bother about it". There were a lot of fumes but I managed to keep them in my fume cylinder, until I walked away and talked to the grass.

[MikeTheThinker]

17 minutes ago, OctaviaVRS2 said:

We have to nominate you as a Prime destination for all things VAG

I appreciate the gesture but there are others on here who are far better informed than I.  My forte is finding information, which I do where I can and time permits.

 

I've had many occasions where this forum and it's members' wisdom have helped me out over my 12+ years of membership, so I give back where I can.

 

[J.R.]

What angle is that photograph taken from and what is it showing please?

 

I'm really not sure what I am looking at, is it the headlight above and the crash beam below with the bumper removed.

 

The rust there suggests that the damage was done long ago, knowing how tightly the pieces fit together I am surprised he was able to attach to it, was your towing eye perhaps missing from the boot? Without that he would have been between a rock and a hard place, using a hook (is what it looks like) on the crash beam that contains the threaded boss for the towing eye was probably the least worst choice.

[OctaviaVRS2]

20 hours ago, J.R. said:

What angle is that photograph taken from and what is it showing please?

 

I'm really not sure what I am looking at, is it the headlight above and the crash beam below with the bumper removed.

 

The rust there suggests that the damage was done long ago, knowing how tightly the pieces fit together I am surprised he was able to attach to it, was your towing eye perhaps missing from the boot? Without that he would have been between a rock and a hard place, using a hook (is what it looks like) on the crash beam that contains the threaded boss for the towing eye was probably the least worst choice.

 

That photo is taken from above, facing the front of the car, looking over the plastic top edge of the front bumper and back to see the metalwork beneath. That is what the person tried to hook onto.

 

As for the rust, it starts off bright when its new, so I know the damage was recent. I know the damage was recent because I am always over my car and this would be so obvious, as it was when I noticed it, shortly after my car was returned.

 

As rust gets older it goes darker. Fresh rust is never dark. This is the same no matter what surface it is on except aluminium in which case it is oxidation that gets whiter. Towing hook always in the inbuilt tool box in the polystyrene container, however, many Octavias do not have a toolkit at all, just a bottle of tyre inflator and an emergency kit.

[J.R.]

I hadn't realised that the barely painted crash bar was visible on later cars, pretty crappy design and one that would show rust eventually and clearly tempting for someone to hook onto.

 

I'm surprised the panel gap under the headlight would even let a little finger pass through let alone a tow hook, these vehicles must have become very agricultural, perhaps Skoda is returning to its roots?

[OctaviaVRS2]

Does anyone have a source for XZN or triple square screws. Accu don't do them and a search on the net only seems to yield the driver bit sets. This is a mystery. Is XZN proprietary or owned by a company that only produces them for its own applications? After all VAG vehicles have these XZN screws all over the place. Any tips, much appreciated, as always,Mike :)

[MikeTheThinker]

You could use Allen bolts but the torque needed is going to strain a hex socket head a little.  I used normal hexagonal head high tensile bolts, which worked fine.  As a hand assembler you don't need the millisecond time gains from having a self-centreing machine driven bolt.

 

Do use a good and unworn socket, though, as you may get slip and smear with a cheap or worn socket on a hex head at high torque values.

 

Edited 18 June, 2023 by MikeTheThinker

[OctaviaVRS2]

6 hours ago, J.R. said:

I hadn't realised that the barely painted crash bar was visible on later cars, pretty crappy design and one that would show rust eventually and clearly tempting for someone to hook onto.

 

I'm surprised the panel gap under the headlight would even let a little finger pass through let alone a tow hook, these vehicles must have become very agricultural, perhaps Skoda is returning to its roots?

 

Hi again,

 

No there is no panel gap under the headlamps. I suspect you aren't visualising the space we are talking about. It can only be seen with the bonnet open. Also the rust you see is a result of the damage from someone's hook on the barely painted crash bar. The part is not visible unless you stand right over the centre of the front bumper and look backwards because the frame is under the bumper. The recovery vehicle tried to put the hook over the crash bar having opened the bonnet to do so. Very sloppy. Indicates they had no knowledge of how to secure the vehicle. If you ever need to be recovered, always stand over the guy, male or female, to make sure they are not doing what you do not agree.

[MikeTheThinker]

Here's a view of our 2007 1.9tdi mk2 Octy with the plastic bumper removed.

 

Note the bucket is not an original factory fitment

 

[J.R.]

3 hours ago, OctaviaVRS2 said:

I suspect you aren't visualising the space we are talking about.

 

The photo was not at all clear which was why I asked the question:

 

I'm really not sure what I am looking at, is it the headlight above and the crash beam below with the bumper removed.

[OctaviaVRS2]

20 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

The photo was not at all clear which was why I asked the question:

 

I'm really not sure what I am looking at, is it the headlight above and the crash beam below with the bumper removed.

 

I'll take another photo and hopefully you will get your bearings. The headlight is not above the damage I am referring to. Let's see what I have come up with here.... Do these give you your bearings? What are you trying to do? I'm just going to take my bumper off to replace the crash beam. This nasty bit of damage you can see in the second photo ruined it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

[OctaviaVRS2]

On 16/06/2023 at 21:38, MikeTheThinker said:

Try a breaker.  Unless the front end has been stuffed the bumper bar should be fine.  You're looking for 1Z0 807 109 C I believe.  Piccy HERE.

 

Note that to remove and replace the M6x20 bumper bar mounting bolts (see HERE) you'll need an XZN or triple square bit which are used a lot on VAG cars.  I know the parts cat says they're Allen heads but the ones I've seen or removed have all been XZN.  The bolts are high tensile and should be replaced and properly torqued up.

 

NB the parts cat links I've used are no different than the ones MicMac gave you, just a different webhost.

 

Thanks Mike. I noticed there are two parts with similar numbers. The one you gave 1Z0 807 109 C and 1Z0 807 109 D. How do I know which one is right? The page appears to be for Octavia but the second item mentions Scout. Ne'er did so much mystery abound as in VAG part number suffixes

[Breezy_Pete]

The first one, suffix C suits standard and sports bumpers, whatever they are.

Suffix D one suits 'comfort bumpers', whatever they are!

 

If you're lucky, you may see one of the PR codes 2JB, 2JD, 2JK or 2JX on the build options sticker in the boot. Only the last of those requires the suffix D part.

[OctaviaVRS2]

14 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

The first one, suffix C suits standard and sports bumpers, whatever they are.

Suffix D one suits 'comfort bumpers', whatever they are!

 

If you're lucky, you may see one of the PR codes 2JB, 2JD, 2JK or 2JX on the build options sticker in the boot. Only the last of those requires the suffix D part.

 

Thanks Breezy_Pete. As my car is a VRS, I presume (I know I mustn't do that) it may have 'sports bumpers'. I do come across some very strange names for VAG parts, often not intuitive at all. Anyway will take a look at that sticker in the boot just to make sure my sports car doesn't have comfort bumpers @Breezy_Pete! Thanks for that guidance.

 

I now see that the long piece of plastic across the back of the slam panel that holds the air intake in place has also been broken by the mechanic. Can anyone imagine smoke coming from my location?

[MikeTheThinker]

3 minutes ago, OctaviaVRS2 said:

As my car is a VRS, I presume (I know I mustn't do that) it may have 'sports bumpers'.

The bumper differentiations are in the plastics and lighting.  The underlying metalwork is common to almost all mk2 Octys with only minor variations as per the parts catalogue.

 

You can see the bumper plastics variants below.  Note that there are minor variations by model year and PR codes so do check:

 

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB standard front bumper

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB RS front bumper

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB Tour front bumper

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB Scout front bumper

 

[OctaviaVRS2]

6 hours ago, MikeTheThinker said:

The bumper differentiations are in the plastics and lighting.  The underlying metalwork is common to almost all mk2 Octys with only minor variations as per the parts catalogue.

 

You can see the bumper plastics variants below.  Note that there are minor variations by model year and PR codes so do check:

 

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB standard front bumper

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB RS front bumper

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB Tour front bumper

2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB Scout front bumper

 

 

Thanks Mike,

 

My bumper has this honeycomb grille design so I think it is as you have identified above. I have looked for P codes to identify parts more specifically to my build of the Octy. I have reproduced my build sticker here and can't see a code there that corresponds with 2xx. How should I proceed at this point?

 

[Guest]

@OctaviaVRS2

 

Enter your VIN and save the full build PR codes for future reference: https://carinfo.kiev.ua/cars/vin/skoda

 

Try entering your VIN or search manually: https://nemigaparts.com/cat_spares/etka/skoda/oct/