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How to cover the big hole in the rear bumper of a Mk7 Golf Estate/Variant/S.W.

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Disclaimer:- This info is for community usage. I am NOT affiliated to, or sponsored by, any company/individual to promote them or their products. Companies/individuals may NOT use my name, photos, or threads/technical guides, for financial or personal gain (fraudulent misrepresentation).

Part 1 of 1

Vehicle used in this guide
UK spec, 2014yr model, Mk7 Golf Estate (GSW), GT (Highline) trim, 1.4lt TSI (140PS) CHPA petrol engine, MQ250 6speed manual gearbox, multilink rear suspension.

Vehicles that this guide is applicable to
All Mk7 Golf Estates (GSW), with the standard rear bumper.

Special thanks to
Forum member “HXP” for posting up the details on the smaller cover in this thread, "Woo58" for the photo, & also my dealer (Hawco's of Inverness) for providing the part free!

Introduction
So you have a nice Mk7 Golf Estate, & you look under your rear bumper & notice that there is a big slot/hole about 10 x 4 inches, in the top part of the diffuser which faces downwards towards the road! What is this for & shouldn’t there be a cover for it, if so what happened, missing part at the factory or did something fall off??

Research
This is designed for the optional factory fit retractable tow hitch to disappear into the bumper cavity. If you didn’t get that option why is there still a huge slot/hole open to collect grit, salt, snow, muck etc. into the bumper cavity? VW wrongly assumed that the majority of these cars would be ordered with the tow hitch fitted. This would have been acceptable, except that here in the UK that option was not available from the factory for the first 2yrs!

So why does the Mk7 Golf Hatch come with a solid rear diffuser, & if you order the tow hitch you get a “pre-cut out” diffuser” fitted instead, & can the solid one be retro-fitted to our cars? Again, VW thinking, is that more of the hatch versions will be sold without the tow hitch, so the solid version is fitted. Unfortunately, because the rear bumpers are different the diffuser part is not interchangeable, so we cannot use the solid diffuser from the hatch! So why do VW not make a solid version for our cars??....cost cutting!

So what is VW doing about it? NOTHING! “They all come like that Sir” is the reply. However VW (UK) have had loads of complaints from customers about this, even before I started this thread & they have had a part made to cover the hole!

In September 2013, VW (UK) commissioned RGM Ltd, the same people who make aftermarket rear guards & sill guards, to make a cover to fix this problem. I spoke to them & apparently VW UK wanted the initial cover to be a single solution to all "possibilities". Some aftermarket tow hitches which fit the Mk7 Golf require the slot to be cut out even bigger as it hits the bumper then it tries to fold out!

So they first made a long cover. Then the proverbial really hit the fan because of this thread etc. & they then decided to make a standard short cover to fit the exiting factory hole!

Unfortunately when I got mine there was only the longer cover made, which meant I had to cut my bumper hole bigger to fit it! However, this has the advantage of making access to the parking sensors wiring easier, instead of having to remove the bumper!

Parts required
RGM Ltd will not sell this item direct as it is made for their client (VW UK). These items are NOT VW items, & are NOT on the ELSA/ETKA data base. If you are in the UK tell your dealer to contact VW UK to get this part. If you are outside of the UK, there are people who are selling this item, just search the web!

Part No.ZGB5G9071568, Tow hitch cover short version, (for factory hole) £56 approx.
Part No.ZGB5G9071569, Tow hitch cover long version, (for enlarged hole for aftermarket tow bars) £56 approx.

As for cost, my dealer provided it free of charge (FOC) due to my relationship with said dealer (Hawco’s Inverness). I did however state to my dealer that VW UK should be back charging VW HQ (Germany) for solving their stupid problem!

Fitting
Very easy! Clean the area first, so as to not trap any dirt, then hold the cover so that the concave (inward curved) longest edge is facing towards the spare wheel well. This should mean that the spring catch is on your right & the “tongue” is on your left. Insert the tongue first & then put a finger in the spring catch & pull it towards the centre of the cover. This should retract the catch & allow you to push the cover upwards & flush, then release your finger from the catch & it should keep the cover in place. There is quite a bit of “movement”, i.e. you can slide the cover from side to side & end to end, this is meant to be!

Results
Well it covers that nice big hole in the bumper! It is also much better looking, & the car looks properly “finished” now, i.e. as it should have left the factory!

Conclusions
Yet another perfect example of stupidity from the bean counters at VAG by trying to save money, but ending up creating a problem, then having the cheek to deny that there is a problem!! All I can say is thank you VW UK for having the guts to at least commission a part to solve the problem!

Rear bumper cover mod.jpg
 
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Sootchucker

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Cheshire, UK
Car(s)
MK7.5 GTI (2018)
I've seen this as an optional rear diffuser for the MK7, and understood why the slot was there, but never understood why a cover was not available if you don't have a tow hitch ?
 

TheSwede

Ready to race!
Location
Sweden, Halmstad
Car(s)
Golf7 Alltrack/Cupra
When the problem is solved could you please post a pic of it. Since I have the OEM "swirl" tow hitch I accept it as it is with the hole...:).

/Peter
 
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HXP

Ready to race!
Location
UK South West
Tow hitch cover & part number

It has a tongue at one end and a sliding catch at the other so clips straight in and takes about 10 seconds to fit to 2014 Golf estate assuming they all made with the same ' hole '.

PART NUMBER ZGB5G9071568 TOW HITCH COVER GOLF MK VII


see attched pic for details
 

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TheSwede

Ready to race!
Location
Sweden, Halmstad
Car(s)
Golf7 Alltrack/Cupra
It has a tongue at one end and a sliding catch at the other so clips straight in and takes about 10 seconds to fit to 2014 Golf estate assuming they all made with the same ' hole '.

PART NUMBER ZGB5G9071568 TOW HITCH COVER GOLF MK VII


see attched pic for details

Thanks for posting the pic. Good to hear it fitted directly into the standard hole.

A Volvo was in the way and caused a dent in the rear bumper on our Estate a couple of weeks ago (wasn't me). I got it back from the VW body shop and it looks good, new painted in Pacfic Blue met, no color difference. Perhaps I will add a new cover to fulfill the success :D.

/Peter
 

Woo58

New member
Location
Wiltshire
Took the plunge and bought the gold plated Tow Hook cover. (The price they charge it should be gold plated). No seriously the wife said she would buy is as a combined Birthday and Christmas present.

When fitting I found the panel was undersized. If the tongue was and engaged and the panel slid to left the sliding catch would not engage. If the panel was slid to the right the with the catch extended it caught on the edge of the hole. There was about 10mm of movement in the panel to the extent that the depending on the panel position in the hole the extended catch would not hold.

The solution was to put some silicon sealant on the Tongue insert the panel then slide to the panel to the right to engage the fully extended catch. Hopefully this will stop the panel from moving.

Hopefully I have attached is an attempt at a in situ photo.




 

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HXP

Ready to race!
Location
UK South West
Hi Woo58 - mine clipped straight in ( not sure why ) 2014 Estate would have guessed they were all standard. My aruguement is [1] They should be fitted as standard you can't send a car out with that dirt trap [2] If they make a cover then it must be to cover that hole so again should be fitted by VW at the factory - VW tout themselves as a premium barnd proud of their engineering standards - and leave this hole under the bumpber [3] Get your receipt & write to VW head office and request a refund - get your £55 back I would have ask the dealer to fit and let them sort it out as it is a genuine VW part. As I said mine clipped straight in so sorry yours didn't but no idea why different size holes in the bumper ?
 

HXP

Ready to race!
Location
UK South West
golfdave

Really P155ED OFF with VW NOW.............................:mad:


A small direct fit hatch was never mentioned or offered etc..................I think I'm going to have a real go at dealers & VW UK on Monday................bunch of barstewards..........:mad::mad:

Hi golfdave,

Happy for you to use my picture etc but prefer it if you don't use my details if you are going to go in to the dealer and have a row. Better to go in looking to broker a deal I reckon - as I don't think it is the dealers fault.

As I understand it all the UK Golfs come with the slot and the people to actually complain to are VW design / manufacturing for leaving holes in the bumper.
 

HXP

Ready to race!
Location
UK South West
I'm not using your name, just going to point out why the feck did VW UK send them the "large" tow hitch cover & say "that's all folks" when in fact there was available a small one which directly fits the factory hole.............would have saved me wasting hrs cutting the bumper bigger to fit the "large" cover!.......:mad:
yeah totally understand - just suspect the real issue lies with VW producing cars with holes in ... well engineered car let down by a £5 bit of plastic ( I know they charge £55 for it ) anyway I hope more VW Golf owners bring it to VW's attention.
 

Cinecymru

New member
Location
Cardiff, Wales.
Yes I reported the hole on mine to vw customer services when they called me to ask if I was satisfied with my new 1.4 tsi SE Estate which I had on 3rd October from DTD.
The result is that I'm having part fitted on Tuesday by The local dealer Sinclair VW. It was agreed as 50/50 cost deal so I will update you after it is fitted.
 

Cinecymru

New member
Location
Cardiff, Wales.
Cover now fitted at a cost of £29. On my first visit to Sinclairs in Cardiff, they also offered a free wash, which I accepted. Finally a picture of me and my motor taken on delivery day in October.
 

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HXP

Ready to race!
Location
UK South West
Hi Cinecymru

Glad you got the slot fitted and got a reduction from the dealer - I still cannot understand why VW don't fit these at the factory as it really does let them down in my mind. A superb car let down by a £1 part ( which is all it probably costs them ). Hopefully all the other new owners will feed back to VW so perhaps they will get the message that leaving this part off cars is shoddy. I see you have the 1.4 TSI so you may be interested in my MPG log http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6306 HXP
 
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