Disappearing lug bolt covers

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,409
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Doing the weekly check over on Mrs Seriously's ST, I notice that in the space of a few days, we've managed to lose 4 of the wheel bolt caps; they appear to be falling off quicker than the leaves off the trees. I know I can get them from SEAT for not much money, but I'm thinking that replacing like for like is pointless if they are all going to escape again. Has anyone found an alternative source of covers (including the security bolt) that don't go walkabout? TIA !
 

Woody_72

Active Member
May 10, 2020
502
253
Northwest England
To be honest, when I bought my car I was a bit confused at those plastic caps. I ended up junking the lot and buying a full set of black wheel bolts from Amazon and using those instead. Unfortunately I didn't keep the plastic caps or I could have chucked them in the post for you.
 
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slartibartfast

Active Member
Jan 25, 2015
95
13
Worcestershire
Doing the weekly check over on Mrs Seriously's ST, I notice that in the space of a few days, we've managed to lose 4 of the wheel bolt caps; they appear to be falling off quicker than the leaves off the trees. I know I can get them from SEAT for not much money, but I'm thinking that replacing like for like is pointless if they are all going to escape again. Has anyone found an alternative source of covers (including the security bolt) that don't go walkabout? TIA !

I got a full set including plastic removal key from Ebay last year for £3.59 delivered free from China, they look almost identical to the original ones, but are a slightly tighter fit, which is a good thing, I am very happy with them.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-16...040572?hash=item44151da57c:g:gL8AAOSwVLRaXu~Q
 

SuperV8

Active Member
May 30, 2019
1,769
851
Doing the weekly check over on Mrs Seriously's ST, I notice that in the space of a few days, we've managed to lose 4 of the wheel bolt caps; they appear to be falling off quicker than the leaves off the trees. I know I can get them from SEAT for not much money, but I'm thinking that replacing like for like is pointless if they are all going to escape again. Has anyone found an alternative source of covers (including the security bolt) that don't go walkabout? TIA !
I've had 1 missing since I brought my car, however the remaining ones are a good tight. Are you sure they were pushed in fully when previously removed?

Maybe some little 'thug' has pinched them? My kit car has had 1 wiper blade and a small Momo sticker from the gear knob pinched whilst parked at a car show, amazing what some low-life's will pinch!
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,682
1,530
I lost a couple on a VW Golf a few years ago. The VW bolt covers are a different design to those used by Seat, but I stuck some electrical insulating tape to the inside surface of the bolt cover so it fitted tighter over the wheel bolt.

A cheap remedy that seemed to cure the problem, and I didn’t lose any more bolt covers.
 
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Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,409
992
I've had 1 missing since I brought my car, however the remaining ones are a good tight. Are you sure they were pushed in fully when previously removed?
It's weird, but they are definitely working loose on their own. The car isn't doing a huge mileage at the moment either- no manic trips to Scotland - but even after a supermarket run, they've moved despite having previously stayed firmly in place for 2 and a bit years.
Thanks all for the input.(y)
 

TomsLeon

Active Member
Sep 26, 2020
67
5
I bought a set of those cheap Chinese ones for my Golf 2.5 years ago, none have fallen off in that time. The wheels haven't been off since though so I guess there's no 'removal wear' on them. Once they've come loose once, I doubt they'll fit snugly again without some sort of 'glue'.

I guess it could be the heat cycles moving yours now? Freezing overnight and then sitting in hot sun during the day?
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
8,069
1,103
South Scotland
These hex domed bolt covers have been used on VW Group products for many years and so are just generic but not marque specific, the individual part numbers will have a specific VW Group marque and platform number on them but that only denotes the first marque and platform that the latest update was fitted to in initial assembly at the factories.

I'm sure that VW has used that type in the past and currently on the T-Roc, I am saying that because when I first saw my mate's May 2018 VW T-Roc, I thought all the bolt covers were not fitted correctly as they were sticking out further than the ones on other VW Group cars, in my case, my Audi S4 - but that was not the case.
Soon after I bought my S4 slightly used, I found that it was quite difficult to pull these bolt covers off, possibly due to chemicals used previously to clean the wheels, so I applied some silicon grease to the inner surfaces to stop that happening in the future, though I always plan to swop Summer<>Winter wheels+tyres every 6 months roughly so these bolt covers should never end up being tricky to remove.

So, maybe it comes down to being a local supplier issue that mainly affects SEAT products, I've noticed in the past that the fuel cap retainer strap ages a lot quicker on SEAT products than VW or Audi, so again maybe just a local suppler issue.

I've forgotten how flush or sticking out these items are on at least the Cupra alloys, though I seem to have my daughter's wheels, bolts and bolt covers in my garage, so I could check to see if like the VW T-Roc, these bolts and their covers stick out beyond the surface of the alloys.

I'm sure that you can buy the lower profile round ones with the hole in the top that VW use on some cars - and the aftermarket ones on ebay don't look like they have VW branding moulded into the outer surface, if you resorted to doing that, I could hand over the OD of these round ones, just in case VW Group cars that use them have slightly bigger diameter counterbores, also anyone doing this would need to buy the hook tool for removing them easily, though I can hand over that part number as well - though some models have that hook and the other gripper tool as the hook is used for removing certain trim parts to enable bulb changing.
 

Yern

Active Member
Apr 25, 2019
678
340
I lost a couple on a VW Golf a few years ago. The VW bolt covers are a different design to those used by Seat, but I stuck some electrical insulating tape to the inside surface of the bolt cover so it fitted tighter over the wheel bolt.

A cheap remedy that seemed to cure the problem, and I didn’t lose any more bolt covers.
I also did this early on in ownership, saw someone on this forum had recommended it. No problems but lost a couple in Cardiff before lockdown, found one in the car park and it was cracked. Got a couple from the dealer in Wales.
 

Yern

Active Member
Apr 25, 2019
678
340
I've just checked fitment and discovered other than the locking wheel bolts, non of the other covers have tape behind them. Dealer must have pulled tape off on the service?...not done many miles since!!