SOLVED! What is this Square sensor/antenna attached to my rear crash bar under the bumper skin?

[Jgilber0]

I am installing an Echohitch Stealth trailer hitch on my 2021 Golf GTI S MK 7.5.

After removing the bumper skin, I found a small square antenna/sensor bolted to the rear crash bar.

Does anybody know what this thing is?

There are no mounting bolts for it on the hitch, so I am using zip ties to attach it. (see upper left corner of attached image - it has a fuchsia-colored electrical connector)

I’d like to know what it does so that I can feel confident that it will work properly after I put the skin back on.

Please help. Thank you!

 

[gixxerfool]

I would have to guess it’s the antenna for when you open the hatch.

 

[Jgilber0]

I would have to guess it’s the antenna for when you open the hatch.

Good guess… Let’s see what else comes up. Thank you!

 

[gixxerfool]

Good guess… Let’s see what else comes up. Thank you!

If there is a part number you could just run it through Google

 

[Strange Mud]

I like the Fool's guess. Unplug it see what happens

 

[Jgilber0]

I like the Fool's guess. Unplug it see what happens

Ha! Too late to do that. Car is reassembled.

 

[Urlik]

Kessy antenna

 

[Jgilber0]

Ah, thank you! Interesting that it’s installed as I have an S model without keyless entry.

 

[gixxerfool]

Ah, thank you! Interesting that it’s installed as I have an S model without keyless entry.

You are from NJ?

 

[Jgilber0]

I am! You are reading my wall of plates I see…

I lived in Northern and Central NJ from 1988 to 2001 - Edison, New Brunswick, and then Hoboken. I still miss it and I’ve been here in FL for 20 years now. I love my wife, my native NJ wife loves it here, and that’s that.

FL is beautiful, but it’s just not my place if that makes any sense at all. I miss the intensity of NJ, real cities, northeastern woods, changeable weather, and hills. I’d like to have a place in Union or Essex County or maybe way up in Bergen County.

Seasonal would be great to get the best of both states but it’s difficult and expensive to make that work.

Which NJ are you from? North? Northwest? Central? South? Shore? They’re all really different places. NJ is way under-appreciated and mostly misunderstood by outsiders.

 

[gixxerfool]

I am! You are reading my wall of plates I see…

I lived in Northern and Central NJ from 1988 to 2001 - Edison, New Brunswick, and then Hoboken. I still miss it and I’ve been here in FL for 20 years now. I love my wife, my native NJ wife loves it here, and that’s that.

FL is beautiful, but it’s just not my place if that makes any sense at all. I miss the intensity of the place, real cities, northeastern woods, changeable weather, and hills. I’d like to have a place in Union or Essex County or maybe way up in Bergen County.

Seasonal would be great to get the best of both states but it’s difficult and expensive to make that work.

Which NJ are you from? North? Northwest? Central? South? Shore? They’re all really different places. NJ is way under-appreciated and mostly misunderstood by outsiders.

No way! I’m originally from MD, but moved here when I was 11. My parents were originally from NJ but settled in MD after my father got out of the Army. We were always in NJ visiting. I grew up in the Parlin section of Old Bridge until about 10 years ago. Bought a house in Woodbridge.

I am at the point that I love living here, I have having to pay to do so. The cost of living is getting crushing with what seems is more to come. Since Covid, this may be everywhere, but in NJ traffic is near unbearable. I like having options on the daily. We can go to the shore (after Labor Day/before Memorial Day) or the city (but who wants to do that again), or Philly (old town at least). There used to be many reasons to pay the premium for where we live, but we no longer really take advantage of it. We have access to 1&9, GSP, Turnpike, 18, 287 to get anywhere within an hour and really don’t. We are waiting for my daughter to graduate and then going to look for somewhere else.

My wife wants a house closer to water. Won’t happen in NJ, just for some sort of current reference, my house is 1200 square feet on a 70x72 lot and it’s from 1926 and our taxes are nearing $7k/year. It’s incredible. For what we spend on a mortgage here we could get something nearer water, she wants ocean, I would prefer large lake. Just financially not practical especially since we like to travel. I would like something closer to an airport, but I’m willing to compromise with an airport beater.

Like you said and we all know, there are many things that are great about living here, but the premium is getting very high.

 

[golfdave]

Blind spot monitor radar unit...

 

[Jgilber0]

Blind spot monitor radar unit...

Thanks Dave! If so, why isn’t there one on both sides? My car has blind spot monitoring on both sides but this antenna is only on the passenger side. Based on that, I don’t think it’s a blind spot thing.

 

[Jgilber0]

No way! I’m originally from MD, but moved here when I was 11. My parents were originally from NJ but settled in MD after my father got out of the Army. We were always in NJ visiting. I grew up in the Parlin section of Old Bridge until about 10 years ago. Bought a house in Woodbridge.

I am at the point that I love living here, I have having to pay to do so. The cost of living is getting crushing with what seems is more to come. Since Covid, this may be everywhere, but in NJ traffic is near unbearable. I like having options on the daily. We can go to the shore (after Labor Day/before Memorial Day) or the city (but who wants to do that again), or Philly (old town at least). There used to be many reasons to pay the premium for where we live, but we no longer really take advantage of it. We have access to 1&9, GSP, Turnpike, 18, 287 to get anywhere within an hour and really don’t. We are waiting for my daughter to graduate and then going to look for somewhere else.

My wife wants a house closer to water. Won’t happen in NJ, just for some sort of current reference, my house is 1200 square feet on a 70x72 lot and it’s from 1926 and our taxes are nearing $7k/year. It’s incredible. For what we spend on a mortgage here we could get something nearer water, she wants ocean, I would prefer large lake. Just financially not practical especially since we like to travel. I would like something closer to an airport, but I’m willing to compromise with an airport beater.

Like you said and we all know, there are many things that are great about living here, but the premium is getting very high.

Small world! I briefly dated a girl from Old Bridge.

I totally get what you’re saying. The cost of living is high and housing is crazy expensive up there. Traffic is terrible. It was bad 20 years ago and it is way worse now.

Places I like that are not NJ and not urban:

• DE or MD beach towns
• Somewhere on the Chesapeake Bay (wonderful!)
• Finger Lakes region in Upstate NY (but winters - ugh!)
• Adirondacks or Vermont (but winters - ugh!)
• Hudson River Valley ($$$)
• PA side of the Delaware River (basically NJ)

It’s hard to find a place that everyone likes and checks a lot of the boxes without costing a fortune. Keep looking!

 

[gixxerfool]

Small world! I briefly dated a girl from Old Bridge.

I totally get what you’re saying. The cost of living is high and housing is crazy expensive up there. Traffic is terrible. It was bad 20 years ago and it is way worse now.

Places I like that are not NJ and not urban:

• DE or MD beach towns
• Somewhere on the Chesapeake Bay (wonderful!)
• Finger Lakes region in Upstate NY (but winters - ugh!)
• Adirondacks or Vermont (but winters - ugh!)
• Hudson River Valley ($$$)
• PA side of the Delaware River (basically NJ)

It’s hard to find a place that everyone likes and checks a lot of the boxes without costing a fortune. Keep looking!

DE and MD are high on my list. I’m not from that area but love it there. Mild winters and still close to friends and family.

PA side of the Delaware is now western NJ. You need to go past Bethlehem in order to keep costs down. A little too Pennsultucky for me.

Yeah I don’t do winters well, and my wife doesn’t do summers well. We have actually considered Europe for the weather. We can deal with a little rain for a temperate zone.