Information on upgrading a Golf R to a MK7.5 Bumper

[Jackathus]

TL: DR- Don't do it.

Here is a painful few months of my experience trying to upgrade the bumper, note the car had a smash at the front end which pretty much pushed me to get a new bumper, it wasnt just on a whim, but was poorly researched!!

So first off positives...
- The Golf MK 7.5 bumper fits the original mounts, with all fixings underneath the car as well.
-The stock headlights fit the bumper and wings (more on this though)
- The side wings fit on the top half of the wing to the headlights.
-Washer units all match up and work correctly to clean the headlights
- Parking sensors all match up and can be fitted correctly, no issues with these at all

The cons...
- You will NEED to get the bumper built up and resprayed professionally. There is a clear and obvious gap between the lower part of the bumper to the headlights, about 1 inch gap.
- The new bumper has the radar unit in the middle of the VW logo, not in the usual place a MK7 would have which is in the lower part of the bumper. This can cause real issues with allignment as its incorrect for the car. VW basically wipe their hands of it as its the incorrect bumper and wont help you!
- Wings slightly mismatch the bumper by the wheel arch, but is barely noticable


So far I havent bothered replacing the radar unit as the one I originally had was destroyed in the smash, but I am informed from other VW specialists they may struggle to allign the new radar unit/sensor due to the incorrect bumper.

A local garage thinks they can put the unit in the original position and cut a portion of the bumper out... who knows how that would look or issues!

So far it was £600 for the bumper. £520 for the build up and respray of the bumper.
New radar unit is looking to be £700 then fitting issues.

Pictures attached:
Professional bumper respray and build up. Note this is much closer to the headlight and is correct
2nd picture, not a great picture but gives you an indication of the small misallignment with wheel arch on either side. Havent bothered fixing
3rd picture, see underside of headlight, doesnt fit the bumper- clear gap all the way to the start of the wing (this was an issue as as soon as the bumper was fitted)
Final picture of car with issues sorted

 

[golfdave]

You have what looks like a MK7.5 bumper with MK7 headlights...

there are various threads on this on the UK & this forum. Basically don't even try unless you swap over the headlights & wings also..

 

[Acadia18]

You have what looks like a MK7.5 bumper with MK7 headlights...

there are various threads on this on the UK & this forum. Basically don't even try unless you swap over the headlights & wings also..

Based on his post, I assumed he had a MK7 R, got into an accident, and bit off more than he could chew thinking he could just easily swap on a MK7.5 R bumper.

He admits it was poorly researched, as like you said, it's pretty well documented that it's not a straight forward swap, despite looking similar at a quick glance.

Personally, I think the MK7 bumper looks better than the MK7.5, but to each their own.

 

[golfdave]

Based on his post, I assumed he had a MK7 R, got into an accident, and bit off more than he could chew thinking he could just easily swap on a MK7.5 R bumper.

He admits it was poorly researched, as like you said, it's pretty well documented that it's not a straight forward swap, despite looking similar at a quick glance.

Personally, I think the MK7 bumper looks better than the MK7.5, but to each their own.

I'd love to see all the fault codes in various control modules due to not having the radar unit fitted..!!........

 

[Jackathus]

I'd love to see all the fault codes in various control modules due to not having the radar unit fitted..!!........

So on this side, I also decided to check previously. Two fault codes re ACC unit but no real issue. You can deactivate the ACC in the settings and the car doesnt bitch about it being removed from then on!

Strangely enough the speed limiter still works fine, plus passive sensors on the parking side when moving.

You have what looks like a MK7.5 bumper with MK7 headlights...

there are various threads on this on the UK & this forum. Basically don't even try unless you swap over the headlights & wings also..

This I also tried out of sheer ignorance and spare money I had...! See picture attached, basically again more advice to people considering it....

I swapped the wings to MK 7.5 golf wings, swapped the headlights as well so basically put a new MK7.5 front end on the car. THE HEADLIGHT UNITS are different, no one could work out how to code them! I could only get the side lights working... so pointless. Lots of threads on here about this and after a lot of research I havent found anyone who has successfully managed to code them to a MK7 golf.

Put the old lights back in, massive gap between wings to the original lights (shock), the Mk 7.5 Golf lights are stretched a fair bit longer than the MK7...

Hence the original lights, new original wings back on and a modified bumper, which gave me the end result of a hybrid MK7.5 bumper, MK7 lights and MK7 Wings!

 

[golfdave]

I recon you could code the MK7.5 lights to work...

Firstly using the ERWIN wiring diagrams compare the MK7 wiring loom pin outs & function to the MK7.5 Headlight unit pin in...swap any of the pins in the cars wiring loom at the headlight connector..

Secondly go into the BCM using VCDS & cut/paste the whole "Leuchte" channel coding for the headlights as an Excel file & print out.

Basically every bulb & item/sensor has an "ID" code.....& the coding adaptions channels can tell any wire that the bulb is anything & then it has to do X or Y....

So you have to recode so that the wire that goes to the turn signal is codded as a turn signal & its function is programmed correctly.

Its a PITA, I recoded most of the front headlights on my car to move the parking light DRL function separate from the DRL driving side light function, so I have different power outputs now...I also made my front fogs the "flash" high beam when the xenon's are not on to save the xenon's.

 

[ASH7R]

You can deactivate the ACC in the settings and the car doesnt bitch about it being removed from then on!

Hi, did you have any info on the coding for deactivating the ACC please? I'm building a track car and have removed it but just wanted to code it out completely as no longer required!