Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

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Gee40
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Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by Gee40 »

Just noticed a clear plastic bag containing foam stuffed into the inner wings on both sides close to where they meet the front cross member. Not sure if this is something that is used when the car is being delivered and should have been removed by the dealer during the Pre Deliver Inspection or whether its supposed to be there?

Has anyone else got/noticed these?
RUM4MO
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by RUM4MO »

I have not noticed that - yet, but my daughter's late 2009 Ibiza has that stuff down where the EVAP pipes appear up into the engine compartment.

VW group have a long history of using foam in areas under the wings, then discovering that it filled up with water and caused the wings to rot through, so maybe this is an evolution of that cheap and nasty idea?
derkie54
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by derkie54 »

I have the same plastic bag wedged in. It was also in my 2010 Polo but I pulled it out and threw it away on that car.
Should it be there, I'm not sure .........But I've left it there for the moment.
Any ideas anyone ?
derkie54
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by derkie54 »

Saw this explanation on another forum:

Hi, just covered 500miles in my new match and came back back from a 50mile trip i thought id check my levels. First time id openened the bonnet ever lol. I noticed a small plastic bag with what looks like foam in it wedged behind the drivers light assy against the inner wing. I tried to remove but its in tight. Went to my local dealer and they told me its there to prevent wind noise at speed. Not on passenger side though.
Thinking this is weird i asked them to check a new car and they showed me the demonstator with the same bag.but im thinking this car has not been prepped for sale yet .(pdi)

Has everyone else got this jammed in bag or is my dealer not got a clue???
Woukd appriciate a few people checking.
derkie54
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by derkie54 »

And this was a post on a Seat forum :

Checking under Bonnet and next to coolent bottle, on the inside of the wing is a metal 'pocket'. Inside that is a Plastic Bag with what looks like a Foam block inside. Gave it a bit of a tug, but seems well wedged in.

Any body else got one ?
Anybody know what its for ? (Techies chance to shine
joe6
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by joe6 »

This is standard VW practice. It was in my Scirocco, is in my Golf and in the Polo. Designed to reduce the noise you get with hollow panels, I believe.
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by Bodge »

Just found these in my car after removing both headlamp units. Pulled them out as they were full of water! Can't be good for corrosion.

Part number is 5N0864725. Described as "Noise insulation. Foam. Side member." fitted to LH and RH wings.

The plastic bags on mine had holes ripped in them, presumably made by someone on the assembly line to allow them to compress the foam to push it in properly. Unfortunately the holes allowed water into the bags and then it's just been sat there. I'd imagine the bags are there to stop the foam absorbing water. I might dry out the foam and then put them in new sealed bags, or just leave them off the car and see if I notice any noise increase.
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by SRGTD »

A bit off topic, but VW have used foam infils for many years.

Mk4 and mk5 Golf; a foam support block in the front wings above the top of the wheel arch. I believe it was also used on Passats as well. Don't know when it stopped being used.

Mk6 Golf; VW used a foam filler strip between the rear edge of the front wing and the lower half of the A pillar (where the front door hinges are). This was apparently to stop ice build up where the bottom of the wing joins the sill in some overseas markets where they experience sub-zero temperatures over a prolonged period. This strip wasn't fitted to the mk5 Golf, and ice build up in this area on the mk5 could cause the bottom front corner of the front doors to bend if they were opened against any ice build up. The 6c Polo (and presumably the 6r too) doesn't have a foam filler strip in this location. If you open the front doors, you'll see a black plastic strip running from top to bottom of the wing near the door hinges.

My mk6 Golf GTD has these foam filler strips. They did get wet when I washed the car and they retained water for quite a few days at the bottom end where they made contact with the sill, especially in the winter. I had the car for nearly 5 years from new and didn't have any corrosion issues, but maybe with galvanised panels this wouldn't be a problem within the first 5 years of the car's life? I see they still fit these foam inserts on the mk7 Golf.
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by joe6 »

I have read that some of the older MK5 golfs are now suffering from corrosion near the sills. Not sure if it is common or not.
RUM4MO
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by RUM4MO »

I once read on a SEAT forum, that the Ibizas should have been reworked at the dealership during normal service, to chop a section of the foam inside the front wings - to avoid corrosion issues, which was quoted as being the same as with the similarly ages 9N and maybe 9N3 Polo. As my wife's Polo was an import and I only used VW for MOTs I never ever got to find that out, but that car never ever suffered from too much corrosion round about the front wings area.

Typical VW group, if you are still in the service/dealership loop you will get some important but not life threatening rework carried out FOC, if you are servicing elsewhere you as a paying customer, are left in the dark and your car will suffer!
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by polodriver »

Mk6 Golf; VW used a foam filler strip between the rear edge of the front wing and the lower half of the A pillar (where the front door hinges are). This was apparently to stop ice build up where the bottom of the wing joins the sill in some overseas markets where they experience sub-zero temperatures over a prolonged period. This strip wasn't fitted to the mk5 Golf, and ice build up in this area on the mk5 could cause the bottom front corner of the front doors to bend if they were opened against any ice build up. The 6c Polo (and presumably the 6r too) doesn't have a foam filler strip in this location. If you open the front doors, you'll see a black plastic strip running from top to bottom of the wing near the door hinges.
So, just noticed my 6R BlueGT (2014) has foam – trying to ascertain if this is correct and to whether or not it has had some work (I have owned it 18 months!). Although the passenger side wing only seems to have foam halfway up it.

According to various online parts catalogues, there should be no foam and just a plastic ‘closing element’. (Part number 6 on the image with the wing in it and 1 in the figure inside the wing). Is number 5 the foam?) I really don’t know what it’s supposed to have and am now obsessively curious.
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SRGTD
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by SRGTD »

polodriver wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 3:34 pm
Mk6 Golf; VW used a foam filler strip between the rear edge of the front wing and the lower half of the A pillar (where the front door hinges are). This was apparently to stop ice build up where the bottom of the wing joins the sill in some overseas markets where they experience sub-zero temperatures over a prolonged period. This strip wasn't fitted to the mk5 Golf, and ice build up in this area on the mk5 could cause the bottom front corner of the front doors to bend if they were opened against any ice build up. The 6c Polo (and presumably the 6r too) doesn't have a foam filler strip in this location. If you open the front doors, you'll see a black plastic strip running from top to bottom of the wing near the door hinges.
So, just noticed my 6R BlueGT (2014) has foam – trying to ascertain if this is correct and to whether or not it has had some work (I have owned it 18 months!). Although the passenger side wing only seems to have foam halfway up it.

According to various online parts catalogues, there should be no foam and just a plastic ‘closing element’. (Part number 6 on the image with the wing in it and 1 in the figure inside the wing). Is number 5 the foam?) I really don’t know what it’s supposed to have and am now obsessively curious.
My 2016 6c Polo GTI had a plastic ‘closing element’ between the rear edge of the front wing and the lower half of the A pillar. I suppose it’s possible that VW switched from using foam to plastic for that part at some point during the life of the 6r/6c Polo; on the mk7 / mk7.5 Golf, these were made of foam on earlier model year cars but switched to plastic on later model year cars, so foam could be correct on your car.

Hopefully there’ll be forum members with 2014 and earlier 6r / 6c Polos who can check to see whether their cars have foam or plastic (closing element) strips and add to this discussion thread.
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Re: Plastic Bags Containing Foam in Inner Wings

Post by amer6R »

people often remove the foam inserts from the fenders because they cause rust over time.
Mine car also had those bags, and I couldn't believe that it came from the factory... little reading and it did.
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