Leon front bumper/grill to bonnet gap adjustment...

[iammooks]

About seven years ago I was involved in a front end crash. After the repair, I noticed that the bumper and grill have never sat as flush with the bonnet as they used to. It was something that always bothered me, but I didn't know enough about cars then to be able to say anything or do anything about it.

The gap between the front wing and the bumper looks pretty consistent - it's just the great big gap you can see in the photo I'd like to get sorted.

Is it something to do with the bonnet? If you look at the grill, it looks like there's a space there that should be filled. It'd be great to finally get this sorted either way.

 

[Yellow fr]

You can try and turn the rubber stopper on both sides off the bonnet in a touch to see if it closes the gap some if not the actual bonnet catch on the front panel will need adjusting I think if you take the middle grill out you can get to the bolts to adjust it it’s a case off moving it down a bit till your happy with the gap and the bonnet opens and closes as it should


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[iammooks]

You can try and turn the rubber stopper on both sides off the bonnet in a touch to see if it closes the gap some if not the actual bonnet catch on the front panel will need adjusting I think if you take the middle grill out you can get to the bolts to adjust it it’s a case off moving it down a bit till your happy with the gap and the bonnet opens and closes as it should


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I had a little go with the rubber stoppers this morning, and it didn't seem to make any difference. I'll have to have a go through the grill. It'll be nice to have some feeling of accomplishment after looking at it and knowing it's wrong for so long.

I'll try and take some photos to make a how-to as well.

 

[Yellow fr]

I would forget about the going through the grill as you can get to them with the bonnet open


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[ross_cupra_290]

Hello. I have the exact same issue with my mk 3 Leon. Did you manage to resolve this as it’s also really doing my head in - thanks

 

[Battoussai]

View attachment 8731

About seven years ago I was involved in a front end crash. After the repair, I noticed that the bumper and grill have never sat as flush with the bonnet as they used to. It was something that always bothered me, but I didn't know enough about cars then to be able to say anything or do anything about it.

The gap between the front wing and the bumper looks pretty consistent - it's just the great big gap you can see in the photo I'd like to get sorted.

Is it something to do with the bonnet? If you look at the grill, it looks like there's a space there that should be filled. It'd be great to finally get this sorted either way.

Well, I thought I was the only one with that problem but it seems not. Mine also stays like that but there is a slight detail: my model is a standard Leon TDI. Not Cupra and not Cupra R. I just buyed all around Cupra R original SEAT kit and applied it. And it never settled as it should.

I have this piece attached behind the bumper (1ML853653A 79Y):

And this center grill (1ML853651 79Y):

And I think it is misaligned with the chassis which could cause that gap. Do you have one of this?

Fiddling with rubber stoppers won't fix the issue without spoiling the alignment with both side wings.

In my point of view, you should take the bumper off and check if it can be raised until it looks ok. That is what I will try to do to mine.

 

[iammooks]

Well, I thought I was the only one with that problem but it seems not. Mine also stays like that but there is a slight detail: my model is a standard Leon TDI. Not Cupra and not Cupra R. I just buyed all around Cupra R original SEAT kit and applied it. And it never settled as it should.

I have this piece attached behind the bumper (1ML853653A 79Y):

View attachment 50109

And this center grill (1ML853651 79Y):
View attachment 50110

And I think it is misaligned with the chassis which could cause that gap. Do you have one of this?

Fiddling with rubber stoppers won't fix the issue without spoiling the alignment with both side wings.

In my point of view, you should take the bumper off and check if it can be raised until it looks ok. That is what I will try to do to mine.

That's the fun part - I've taken off my front bumper at least twice since then and I've still got the same gap. I've even got a replacement bonnet since then too. The fixings are correct, everything's tight, and there doesn't seem to be anything else I can do to adjust anything.

So, Leon Life, I guess...


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[ross_cupra_290]

That’s mad. I was wondering if maybe the intake is too tight inside stopping it from closing as I’ve tried everything else. Mines the black car and the blue car is someone from work but you can see how mine has a gap above the lights and grill whereas the blue one sits flush!

 

[Battoussai]

What is this?

Your mate's blue car doesn't look to have it. Or it is below the bonnet?

That’s mad. I was wondering if maybe the intake is too tight inside stopping it from closing as I’ve tried everything else. Mines the black car and the blue car is someone from work but you can see how mine has a gap above the lights and grill whereas the blue one sits flush!

 

[ross_cupra_290]

View attachment 50121

What is this?

Your mate's blue car doesn't look to have it. Or it is below the bonnet?

It’s part of the internal trim but I don’t think you’re meant to see it when the bonnets closed - that’s why I know there’s definitely a gap there

 

[Battoussai]

It’s part of the internal trim but I don’t think you’re meant to see it when the bonnets closed - that’s why I know there’s definitely a gap there

There is something definitely wrong with that center grill. It isn't settled all back in. Is it OEM? You see it doesn't have the same shape on the upper side. Even the grill vent holes aren't equal.

 

[Nam-uk]

Mine not much different

 

[ross_cupra_290]

There is something definitely wrong with that center grill. It isn't settled all back in. Is it OEM? You see it doesn't have the same shape on the upper side. Even the grill vent holes aren't equal.

View attachment 50139

I think the grill bit around the copper S badge does stick out on mine as it’s 2019/2020 model which were different to the one in the other photo but there’s definitely something not right with how the bonnet is sitting. I’m wondering if the bonnet catch can be adjusted lower maybe to close the gap. What do you think??

 

[ross_cupra_290]

Mine not much different

There must be something we can do to adjust this … surely ?

 

[Nam-uk]

There must be something we can do to adjust this … surely ?

Thats how it is you cant go lower..

 

[SRGTD]

That’s mad. I was wondering if maybe the intake is too tight inside stopping it from closing as I’ve tried everything else. Mines the black car and the blue car is someone from work but you can see how mine has a gap above the lights and grill whereas the blue one sits flush! View attachment 50115

@ross_cupra_290 - it might just be the camera angle (or my eyesight!), but in the picture of the blue car you’ve attached for comparison purposes to your car, the blue car also appears to have some panel gap / alignment issues. If so, then it might not be the best car to compare yours to;

• the panel gap between the driver’s side front wing and bonnet on the blue car seems to get narrower towards the leading edge - just above the headlight (circled in red in the picture below).
• the leading edge of the bonnet above the headlight looks lower - or sits further forward - than the leading edge of the wing on the driver’s side (above the ‘stepped’ line I’ve drawn on the picture below) and that could (would?) affect the size of the gap between the bonnet and upper edge of the grille. Difficult to tell for certain, but I can’t see the same possible bonnet to wing ‘stepped’ misalignment issue on the passenger side.

As I’ve said, it might just be the camera angle that makes it appear that way. However, it might be worth comparing your car to a different Leon that doesn’t have the same potential panel gap issues.

 

[ross_cupra_290]

@ross_cupra_290 - it might just be the camera angle (or my eyesight!), but in the picture of the blue car you’ve attached for comparison purposes to your car, the blue car also appears to have some panel gap / alignment issues. If so, then it might not be the best car to compare yours to;

• the panel gap between the driver’s side front wing and bonnet on the blue car seems to get narrower towards the leading edge - just above the headlight (circled in red in the picture below).
• the leading edge of the bonnet above the headlight looks lower - or sits further forward - than the leading edge of the wing on the driver’s side (above the ‘stepped’ line I’ve drawn on the picture below) and that could (would?) affect the size of the gap between the bonnet and upper edge of the grille. Difficult to tell for certain, but I can’t see the same possible bonnet to wing ‘stepped’ misalignment issue on the passenger side.

As I’ve said, it might just be the camera angle that makes it appear that way. However, it might be worth comparing your car to a different Leon that doesn’t have the same potential panel gap issues.

View attachment 50234

Yeah I noticed that too actually, for me it’s the gap the whole way along it just looks like it isn’t shut properly. I’m wondering if it’s the actual bonnet catch is too high . I’m going to see if it can be lowered slightly

 

[SRGTD]

Yeah I noticed that too actually, for me it’s the gap the whole way along it just looks like it isn’t shut properly. I’m wondering if it’s the actual bonnet catch is too high . I’m going to see if it can be lowered slightly

Looking at post #9 in this discussion topic, the strip above the grille highlighted by @Battoussai seems to be the cause of the bonnet seemingly not closing fully and leaving the large gap.

The picture below is a Leon Cupra 290 with the same front grille as your car but it doesn’t have that visible strip along the upper edge. The bonnet closes perfectly and no large gap between the top of the headlights and leading edge of the bonnet.

If that exposed strip on your car is a piece of rubber weather stripping to prevent water ingress into the engine compartment while driving, it does seem that it should sit further back under the leading edge of the bonnet. Assuming it has moved from its fixing points and can be repositioned / re-attached then hopefully it’ll resolve your large gap issue.

 

[ross_cupra_290]

Yeah that white Leon in the photo looks absolutely perfect and that’s how mine should look. The plastic trim you can see poking through my gap is removable. I just removed it tonight to see if I could adjust the position of the boot catch but there was no movement in it unfortunately and I’ve literally tried everything I can think of. I even closed the boot with the plastic trim removed and the gap was still there there is 4 screw things and once you remove them, that trim comes off. So with that gone you no longer see that but the gap is still the same. It’s a weird one and really doing my OCD in I’ve attached a photo of that trim so you can see what I mean

 

[SRGTD]

@ross_cupra_290 - I’d be tempted to ask a decent bodyshop if they could adjust it. A good reputable bodyshop must’ve come across similar issues in the past so ought to know how to rectify it.