best place to buy the open air fog light grills???

[jaydubveedub]

Don't bother with them!  The will make the cooling to the front brakes worse, and they will also affect the airflow through the intercooler, and the engine air intake - bad sh!t - why do you think that VW never actually fitted them!

how come vw sell them then if they are that bad?

Also, VW will have had to pay the supplier a significant sum of money to make the moulding tool. (a few thousand euros I would guess).

Bearing in mind that these parts probably cost a couple of euros to make, they will happily take your £55 for them and put it towards recouping the investment costs for the moulds.

The price increase may have been due to the fact that they had to order up a second production run of these parts from the supplier.

[ub7rm]

I have a very early model that has some of the 'holes' open.  Whats the story with this?

[bacillus]

I have a very early model that has some of the 'holes' open.  Whats the story with this?

Pics please...

[ub7rm]

I have a very early model that has some of the 'holes' open.  Whats the story with this?

Pics please...

As you wish sir ...

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Don't bother with them!  The will make the cooling to the front brakes worse, and they will also affect the airflow through the intercooler, and the engine air intake - bad sh!t - why do you think that VW never actually fitted them!

how come vw sell them then if they are that bad?

Also, VW will have had to pay the supplier a significant sum of money to make the moulding tool. (a few thousand euros I would guess).

Bearing in mind that these parts probably cost a couple of euros to make, they will happily take your £55 for them and put it towards recouping the investment costs for the moulds.

The price increase may have been due to the fact that they had to order up a second production run of these parts from the supplier.

Exactly. 

I was gonna add sommat about adding having to pay the supplier.  But I didn't, because I get slated from a very tiny minority on here (and a larger majority on a certain other forum).

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I have a very early model that has some of the 'holes' open.  Whats the story with this?

Pics please...

As you wish sir ...

Yup, those were fitted on the very early models, but got superceeded shortly after (don't ask me when, because I don't know exactly), and even if you got the part number off the reverse, you wouldn't be able to order them.

But the simple reason for them being changed to solid 'filled in' grilles is simply down to aerodynamics, and specifically, getting an adequate flow of air to the front brake cooling ducts.  Look directly below where those holes are, and that is where the lower 'lip' ends.  The purpose of that lower lip is to 'collect' air from a wide frontal area, and then 'spill' it out directly above the brake ducts.  Look carefully where the lip ends, particuarly the 'angle' on the black part of the lower front bumper, and you will see that it will cause the air to 'turn' underneath the bumper, rather than flowing upwards over the top or round the sides.  Now get on your hands and knees (ooo errr), and look underneath that area, and that is exactly where the 'naca' ducts are for the brakes.

But if you believe others, they would say I am talking BS.  But did anyone see 'Bang Goes the Theory' last week?  Watch it on the iPlayer, and they specifically had a wind tunnel test on the importance of getting air to the front brakes.  They also showed the brakes on fire - again, sommat I have been 'belittled' over by a 'few' on this forum.  But brakes CAN catch fire - my last Audi S4 regularly had self combusting brakes, and this was caught on video on a track day.  I've had RS6s with brakes on fire, Vectras, Astras and Chavaliers with firey brakes.  And when I have a mooch around Snetterton, I regularly see road cars with fire-damaged front and REAR brakes.

[Saint Steve]

Had mine for 9 months, no cooling issues or Braking issue in our climate to worry about.

But you don't exactly stress your brakes - you still got the red paint on your discs? 

Yes they are still Red Shaun  .

Reading your post on brakes overheating, surely if these open mouthed versions are letting cold airflow in, wouldnt that do the opposite and allow the brakes to run cooler in heavy breaking/Race track outings?

 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Had mine for 9 months, no cooling issues or Braking issue in our climate to worry about.

But you don't exactly stress your brakes - you still got the red paint on your discs? 

Yes they are still Red Shaun  .

Reading your post on brakes overheating, surely if these open mouthed versions are letting cold airflow in, wouldnt that do the opposite and allow the brakes to run cooler in heavy breaking/Race track outings?

 

No, the open fog lamp grilles don't actually direct the air anywhere near the brakes.  The actually let air into the engine compartment, but in a way where it isn't actually useful.  Next time you lift your bonnet, look down behind the passenger side headlamp, in the area where the fog lamp grille is, and you will see that the wheel arch liner is totally sealed from the engine compartment.  Those open fog grilles just 'waste' air, rather than using it constructively.

I think RedRobin has some pics from a while back, which show the ducts in the front undertray, on how they feed the front brakes.

[AlanD]

They must have changed them early early early as my GTI is a MY05 and has the holes filled in.

[ub7rm]

I think mine is MY04 ... do you have the bee sting aerial or the integrated one?