intercooler or oil cooler fins access

[notaGolfR]

On the Golf R 7.5, to access the front fins on the intercooler or oil cooler, can the piano-black trims be simply pulled out from the front of the bumper without damage?

Any tips appreciated.

[notaGolfR]

I think I found the answer. In short, you can't on the "R", but can on some other models. You have to remove the bumper / bumper-cover. To my mind you SHOULD be able to pull out those trim bits e.g. to clean bugs/small birds etc off the fins. Ditto the plenum chamber in front of the windscreen.

Are both those finned things below the lights intercoolers or one a cooler for the transmission? If so, which is which?

[GolfRWag]

I think IIRC, that one is a DSG transmision oil radiator, the other is an accessory/extra engine coolant radiator.
Which is which I cant really remember, but tracing the engine coolant pipes should reveal the answer.

VWVortex.com - Rock hit my external heat exchanger this morning and broke my car..
Got it: auxiliary engine coolant is driver side, DSG is passenger side

The intercooler is dead centre front, behind would be the AC condenser and then main radiator i think.

[notaGolfR]

Thx GolfWag. So one is "an accessory/extra engine coolant radiator". That's a new one on me & that's what screwed with me when I tried tracing pipes. These hi performance chariots must generate a lot of heat to need an extra coolant radiator. All the spaghetti of pipes/hoses in these cars are bewildering.

Thx also for the link. That led me to what I am actually working on viz. mesh in front. I will study later.

[GolfRWag]

I've used cheap plastic gutter mesh from Bunnings before on other cars, come in 180mm wide 6 m roll for like $3. Easy cut and bend with heat gun, zip tie in place etc.
Auxilliary rads you can get to through the wheel arches with wheel off and peel back the liner. I'd prefer not to pull off the front bumper cover, soo much work.

[notaGolfR]

I've used cheap plastic gutter mesh from Bunnings before on other cars, come in 180mm wide 6 m roll for like $3. Easy cut and bend with heat gun, zip tie in place etc.
Auxilliary rads you can get to through the wheel arches with wheel off and peel back the liner. I'd prefer not to pull off the front bumper cover, soo much work.

BRILLIANT and THANKS!!! Lateral thinking eh! I have struggled to get access through the front and the edges of the black plastic trim are somewhat sharp. Luckily I have small hands so I have managed on one side but I have the other yet to do. I will check the Bunnings stuff but I have plenty of "pet mesh" left.

[GolfRWag]

Hokay - jacked the car up and had a look this afternoon - not as simple as I might have thought.

I thought you could peel back the wheel arch liner at the front and then drop the chin under-cover across the front of the car to get up inside the bumper from below/in front of the rads to attach mesh etc, but nope. The chin under-cover is too well attached - dam zose Chermans and zehr hengineehring!

I managed to get a couple of roughly triangular pieces of gutter guard -this stuff cut to size: Whites 1000mm Plastic StayMesh Gutter Strip | Bunnings Warehouse
in from the front, jamming the inner upper corner between the bumper cover and black ducting and then using a zip tie around the black central fin outer edge and it will stay and at least stop stones/bigger bugs and looks OK.

But not a complete job.

It really is a bumper off job, sadly.
This might help: YouTube

And this post - make sure you read to end: MK7.5 How to remove front grill and bumper???

[notaGolfR]

Yes. I had a look and from feeling about from the front I concluded the wheel arch access was not a goer too. Why the heck the trim can't be easily removed beats me.

I managed as I had done before with the other cooler. by trimming of a bit of my pet mesh, shoving it in, pulling out again for more trimming. I made a "supporting frame" from plastic trellis mesh (25mm square holes) and jammed it in. It is pressing on the black ducting and some is slipped between the plastic trim and bumper cover. The pet mesh is in front of it with the edges slipped under the shiny trim all around fairly neatly with the mesh smoothed out.

No zip ties (yet) & as long as it stays in place up for short bursts to 150km/h if I lose patience with a B-double in front, I will be happy.
Your mesh looks fine & would not need extra support but we already had the green stuff below.

Whites 1 x 30m Green Plastic Trellis Barrier Mesh


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