Mk 8 tree 🌲 leaves removal

[Andy Gibbs]

Good morning, can anyone tell me if there is a simple way to remove leaves that have got in past the lower grill and now lay against the radiator. All simple suggestions invited!!!!!

[Exonian]

Funnily enough I nearly put up a similar thread a couple weeks ago.

[Al1040]

Use a small litter picker, also would suggest some sort of mesh in front of grill as the AC condenser is an £800 repair job (had to get mine done a couple of months ago. As you can see from the pic it is a stone magnet and the holes on the Mk8 are bigger than on my Mk7.5

[SRGTD]

Use a small litter picker, also would suggest some sort of mesh in front of grill as the AC condenser is an £800 repair job (had to get mine done a couple of months ago. As you can see from the pic it is a stone magnet and the holes on the Mk8 are bigger than on my Mk7.5

Fitting some form of mesh would be a good idea, although it’d look better if it was fitted behind the lower grille (would that be a bumper-off job though?).

I’ve always felt that the a/c condenser on the mk8 GTI was extremely exposed and vulnerable to projectile stones and other road debris because of the large holes in the lower front grille. Not the best design decision by VW, unless they foresaw the potentially frequent replacement of damaged a/c condensers as a new revenue stream

[Al1040]

Yup, the very conversation I had with the service department when complaining about mine!!
There was apparently a stone mesh protector available for the Mk6 applicable to countries with poor roads that was discontinued..... I wonder why

I was looking to put the mesh on the inside but you are correct it is a bumper off job and I did not want to go that far so some 6mm black alloy diamond mesh from ebay on the outside and some ty raps and cheap and cheerful fix and you would not really notice unless you were looking for it.

[Dave1rs]

I’ve got some really long nosed pliers I use,the remnants I just blast with a pressure washer.

[Exonian]

I must admit I’ve been considering improvising some garden bamboo canes as impromptu chopsticks!

SR, the new new (2022) Polo GTI’s now have similarly huge lower holes in the honeycomb.

What baffles me is that although the honeycomb holes are big enough to get a wash mitt into (their bonus point) the openings are much smaller than the massive maple(?) leaves nestling up against my aircon rad. How the hell they fitted through there I have no idea.

Anyway, a bit like my genitalia after washing the car in the freezing cold early this morning, the leaves are shrivelling up and will hopefully disintegrate soon. 

[SRGTD]

I must admit I’ve been considering improvising some garden bamboo canes as impromptu chopsticks!

SR, the new new (2022) Polo GTI’s now have similarly huge lower holes in the honeycomb.

What baffles me is that although the honeycomb holes are big enough to get a wash mitt into (their bonus point) the openings are much smaller than the massive maple(?) leaves nestling up against my aircon rad. How the hell they fitted through there I have no idea.

Anyway, a bit like my genitalia after washing the car in the freezing cold early this morning, the leaves are shrivelling up and will hopefully disintegrate soon.

Yes, I’d noticed that the facelift Polo GTI had the same large honeycomb design to the lower grille.

Even with the very large honeycomb holes, it does seem strange that those extra large leaves can find their way through.

I remember mentioning last year (post #147 at the link below) components behind the GTI’s lower grille being vulnerable to damage, although at the time, I didn’t think of the annoyance with leaves finding their way through - that would annoy me and upset my car OCD, so I’d need to find a way to remove them .

https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=286090.msg2621951#msg2621951

[Garhan]

Extension on the vacuum hose works for me.

[Exonian]

Extension on the vacuum hose works for me.

For removing leaves or reviving frozen genitalia?