Front Bumper Flew off - Big Bumber Model

[Strev]

Had to slam on the anchors on Sunday and the entire front bumber flew off and landed on the road - the shame!
I have now put it back on by sliding it into place. Both sides slide onto clips and the top seems to wedge under the radiator grill. How is it supposed to be secured to stop this happening again? I can't find anything to hold the bottom of the unit into place.

[oakgreengolf]

Bumper is fixed to a metal bracket by clips. These have two bolts underneath either side, If the metal bracket is still on the car then the clips have bust off. You will have to fabricate the bumper back on.   

[Benrevs]

Just wrap a cable tie around one of the bumper fins and the bottom of the slam panel for now.  They are a sod to get back on as you need the skin off to remove the rest! Ben.

[Agreeable Slick]

take out the indicators, look through hole, there are two massive bolts that go through the chassis legs to bolt it to.

[DarnPB]

Fcuk me, if the bumper came off, did the engine drop too, or was it just the plastic bumper cover? If it was the complete bumper then that car is a death trap, as the main bolts that hold the bumper in place also secure the cross member which in turn, supports the front of the engine!

If it was just the cover, then all is not lost, except the plastic wedges that keep the cover in place. You will need to remove the rest of the bumper, (the metal chassis bit). Look in the haynes about that, because as I said, you would need to support the front of the engine to remove it. The plastic cover bit just clips into place onto the metal frame, but plastic wedges are forced into the clips from the other side to spread open the clips an prevent it from heading west under excessive braking, as yours did.

[rubjonny]

if the entire bumper did come off the engine would still be held in as long as the 2 smaller outer bolts held, but my guess its just the skin thats fallen off.  In that case whip it off and have a look behind, as said the VW bumper has clips all along the inner face, that go thru the skin then are held in by wedges tapped into place.  No VAG bumpers are just screwed to the skin, these can fall off if the bolt holes are worn, in this case refit the bolts with washers

[Strev]

Thanks folks. Yes indeed you guessed right. It was not the entire bumper but the plastic cosmetic bit. I have not spotted any clips at all. I do remember there being some slots in the metal bumper - is this where the clips go into?

[rubjonny]

yeah you got slots all along the bumper, the clips should pop into those, then you tap the wedges in with a hammer, again thats VW made ones, aftermarket ones are just screwed on
bumper iron is held onto car by 4 17mm head bolts.  Dispite what some say you do NOT have to support the engine or subframe, this is held onto car with 13mm head bolt either end.  You might want to check they're there before you start though.

However with the bumper off you should not drive the car as the subframe wont be able to take the forces with just the outer 2 bolts, the 4 main bumper bolts are also what hold the subframe to the chassis legs properly.

[Strev]

Thanks mate.