Very hard suspension on FR with 17’s

[Jim45]

Just had my 2018 FR for a few days but I’m somewhat alarmed at the hard suspension which appears much harder and more crashy than the demo car I tried. The slightest bump unsettles the car and a deafening crash over larger pot holes with sleeping policeman taken at more than about 10-15 mph totally unsettling the car.

Being an FR I expected it to be reasonably firm but in all honesty my lowered MX5 is more comfortable. The front of the car seems to bounce up and down on the slightest undulations even on the Motorway. As a poor analogy it behaves like a washing machine with the transit bolts left in.

Ride height looks odd with the front end looking like a 4x4 and the rear being much lower giving the car a back down, front up stance, hopefully the photos will show you what I mean, I have also attached a photo of the spring colour code if anyone can confirm this is correct for a 150TSI FR?

FRONT

REAR

FRONT SPRING CODE

Any comments much appreciated

Jim

 

[Seriously?]

It hasn't still got the transit blocks in place has it?
Wouldn't be the first time they got missed on PDI

 

[KXL]

Ride height should be lower on a FR not higher...from experience the rears tended to be a bit higher wheelarch gap than the fronts, and oh...you lost a wheel nut cover already!

 

[Jim45]

It hasn't still got the transit blocks in place has it?
Wouldn't be the first time they got missed on PDI

That’s what I thought hence my analogy with the washing machine transit bolts, where do I look for them front & rear please?

 

[Jim45]

Ride height should be lower on a FR not higher...from experience the rears tended to be a bit higher wheelarch gap than the fronts, and oh...you lost a wheel nut cover already!

Does mine look to high? Yes, 2 missing on delivery, will hassle dealer for them.

 

[SRGTD]

It hasn't still got the transit blocks in place has it?
Wouldn't be the first time they got missed on PDI

That was my initial thought. No excuse for the dealer forgetting to remove these, if they are still in place, I’d be taking this up with the dealer, and letting them know I’m extremely annoyed. The dealer must’ve PDI’d hundreds of mk3 Leons, so it’s not as if it’s something new that they weren’t aware of.

That’s what I thought hence my analogy with the washing machine transit bolts, where do I look for them front & rear please?

If they’ve been left in place, they’ll be under the rubber concertina sleeve on the upper section of the suspension strut (inside the spring).

Link to another forum showing where they are and how to remove them on a mk7 Golf.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6978296-Quick-Guide-to-Remove-Strut-Pucks

 

[Jim45]

Well my analogy and your diagnosis were spot on, unbelievable! Sincere thanks to all, what a great forum. Just think many people wouldn’t have noticed and could have been driving around with these in for years.

 

[Seriously?]

Woops!
So when do you pay your dealer a visit brandishing the offending items.....?

 

[Jim45]

It’s a lease car but supplied through a SEAT dealer who is about 90 miles away from me, I have been in touch with the leasing company and they are not happy at all. They are talking to the Service Manager at the dealership on Monday to “try and resolve the situation”, whatever that means.

So far since Monday I have complained about the folllowing issues:

Service book completely blank
Car arrived very dirty
Rear number plate fell off
2 wheel bolt covers missing
Transit pucks in front suspension

I suspect and so does the leasing company that the car has not been PDI’d.

On a less pessimistic note, the car now rides and drives as I expected it to, but nonetheless the ‘new car experience’ has been somewhat spoiled.

 

[Curtly]

Probably hasn't been pdi'd or was done very quickly/half arsed.
Was going to call the transport block aswell lol. It's and industry wide thing where they get left in sometimes not just seat/vw.

 

[Curtly]

I'm gutted you had to remove them yourself

 

[Jim45]

I'm gutted you had to remove them yourself

I cheated, my local independent garage is a friend and he got it up on the ramp and removed them whilst I had a cuppa.

The front end must be about 75mm lower now!

 

[kevster184]

Wow, as I started reading I was thinking transport blocks too...

I've seen it before!

Glad you are sorted and can enjoy the new car properly now.

 

[spaceboy]

I cant believe they left them in.

 

[DEAN0]

They did that to mine in 2015 and I was running 18's

Was ready to hand the car back assuming the 18's I ordered were causing it compared to the 17's on the demo car.

 

[Walone]

Are these blocks only fitted on the front suspension?

 

[Jim45]

Are these blocks only fitted on the front suspension?

Yes they are.

 

[Jim45]

Just an update on this, the dealer offered me some financial compensation for ‘dropping the ball’ as they put it. As the car is now as it should be, I decided to accept it and move on.

 

[KXL]

Out of curiosity, did they deliver the car to you (on the back of a transport eg..van / car transporter) or somebody drove it to you (with the transit blocks inside?).

 

[Jim45]

Out of curiosity, did they deliver the car to you (on the back of a transport eg..van / car transporter) or somebody drove it to you (with the transit blocks inside?).

It was driven for about 90 miles from the dealer to my home