Bonnet gap problem

**stevemr** · 11-01-2011,08:33 PM

Washing my passat the other day and noticed that the bonnet gap on the drivers side is bigger than the passenger side. Never noticed this before and I would have, car has never been in any kind of accident its a 2006 and I have had it since 07. I can only think the hinge bolts have come loose and the strut which is on that side is forcing it up.
It looks like you have to remove some plastic to get to the bolts whic I assume allow some adjustement.

Any one else had this?

Any tips before I get the socket set out?

**Zeb** · 11-01-2011,09:11 PM

Me too!

**stevemr** · 12-01-2011,10:56 AM

Hi Zeb, has yours allways been like it, or has it appeared, like mine?

Have you tried looking at it yet?

**Zeb** · 12-01-2011,01:28 PM

I noticed a few weeks after when I bought the car. You can instantly see the gap, I tried tightening both of the bolts but still the gap is there. I think I will have to take it to a garage and get them to deal with it

**rapport25** · 12-01-2011,01:42 PM

I would say accident repair damage and not realigned correctly when repaired.

Hopefully you can sort it Zeb.

As for Stevemr. No idea. I would not imagine it would move unless the fixings had come loose. Or have you replaced the gas strut? Or its been shut and something has got trapped and bent the fixings?

Hth's

Rappy.

**stevemr** · 12-01-2011,05:12 PM

Zeb, looking at it the bolts you can see just hold the bonnet to the hinge, I think its the lower bolts that hold the hinge to the car inner wing that will need adjusting. But there is he usual plastic in the way, I will look at mine over the weekend and let you know.

Rappy, all the suggestions as to cause are very sensible, but I know its not any of them! Never been in any kind of accident, def. not trapped anything, and I think bonnet would have bent and I havent touched he gas strut, very strange! and annoying! I definatly do not think the build quality of the B6 is anything like as good as the B5!

**rapport25** · 12-01-2011,06:09 PM

Originally Posted by stevemr

Zeb, looking at it the bolts you can see just hold the bonnet to the hinge, I think its the lower bolts that hold the hinge to the car inner wing that will need adjusting. But there is he usual plastic in the way, I will look at mine over the weekend and let you know.

Rappy, all the suggestions as to cause are very sensible, but I know its not any of them! Never been in any kind of accident, def. not trapped anything, and I think bonnet would have bent and I havent touched he gas strut, very strange! and annoying! I definatly do not think the build quality of the B6 is anything like as good as the B5!

Hi Stevemr, I know dsg4me was saying that the build quality is not as good on the B6. I know a while ago he had said poor aligniment on some panels but I dont recall him mentioning the bonnet.

As this is my first VW I dont think build quality is bad. But I'm comparing it to a 10 yr old peugeot 406 that I had previous. Apart the occasional creak on the dash I think the VW it is pretty well put together.

The only thing that scares me on mine is injectors failing/steering module failure/rear brake calpier failure/electronic handbrake & dsg gearbox problems

.

Apart from that I love mine

. I was considering keeping mine for a few years. But I think it may be going sooner rather than later.

**stevemr** · 12-01-2011,09:43 PM

Mines the 1.9s so very basic, but I am very glad I didnt buy a 2.0 litre with all the engine problems they seem to be having with injectors and oil pumps.
Its the 6th passat I have had and to be honest I think the first one was the most solidly built. Having said that I am on 67000 miles and apart from the usual creaky dash eventually mostly sorted under warrenty i have not had any problems,. Got out of it after 970 miles in 22 hours to Austria last summer with no aches or pains as well!

I might look at a jetta next as they do seem to be better made even though I think they are made in Mexaco!

**Stuart W** · 12-01-2011,11:05 PM

Originally Posted by stevemr

Washing my passat the other day and noticed that the bonnet gap on the drivers side is bigger than the passenger side. Never noticed this before and I would have, car has never been in any kind of accident its a 2006 and I have had it since 07. I can only think the hinge bolts have come loose and the strut which is on that side is forcing it up.
It looks like you have to remove some plastic to get to the bolts whic I assume allow some adjustement.

Mine was like this from new, should have really taken it back, but kind of forgot about it, although I still notice it occassionaly.

Funny, because there's no obvious problems with other panels, but that's quite a noticeable one.

**stevemr** · 08-03-2011,04:04 PM

Well, bit of an update. I undid the top of the gas strut and had daughter hold bonnet open. Managed just to get spanner down onto bolts holding drivers side bracket on loosened them off and managed to push it down a bit, and after some playing around got an improvement, although still not as good as I would like.
However, its moved again to such an extent that its nearly touching the wing on the front passenger side. Getting annoying now.

On the hinge on the right hand side does any one have a parts diagram or photo of one, there seems to be some thing in the middle of it and I am wondering if it is some sort of adjuster? I can not see it properly on the car without taking a load of plastic off!