# tilted artwork? (Grille Misalignment question)



## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*tilted artwork?*

We have enjoyed our Eos for about a month now despite some teething problems we expected with anything truly new.
I did notice something the other day that was a little sad. I have a great parking lot at work and look out a second story panoramic window into a valley and the parking lot below. My car is parked in such a way that it is always visible to me.
I have enjoyed parking it in different spots and directions to offer me various viewing angles, all of which are very attractive. The other day I had it parked so that when I would walk up to it after work, I could enjoy a long view coming at it from the front, slightly off to the passenger side. The large chrome bumper with black grill, and 18" Samarkands with their polished face and Anthracite accents looked perfect against the bright silver body. Beautiful.
However, what's this? With all that bright silver paint and chrome the black details also are highlighted including..... a MUCH larger gap between the hood and the chrome grill on the passenger side versus the driver side. No. This can't be. With all of today's computer build-laser accuracy, something as basic as this can't still be happening. This is, after all, a 2007 VW Eos which represents many highly technical features, not to mention, many complicated details made simple by those same computers and lasers.
Nobody else noticed this? Not on the assembly line or final quality control, or at the port or dealership? To make sure it wasn't something stupid I opened the hood and properly made sure it was closed. No slamming required. I did this a couple of times to make sure. I also checked to see if it had dual hood latches like some of my previous cars, but that was not the case. I also looked to see if the hood alignment adjusters were, perhaps, obviously out of adjustment, or if there was a cleaning rag, or anything stupid causing this gap. Nothing.
So here is my beautiful Eos. Less than a month old. 550 miles, with a tilted face. It's kinda like having the Mona Lisa hanging crooked on the wall of the MoMA. If you eyball the hood-versus-fender gaps, they appear even, left versus right. If that is the case, perhaps the hood is straight, but the grill is tilted, you know, that big chrome grill with the LARGE VW Corporate emplem in the middle?
So not only does my beautiful Eos have a large nose, now it's a crooked nose, too. I will add this to the items the dealer will have to remedy next week. Hopefully they will not make it worse. I hope they will fix it with a micrometer or it might still look crooked, only less, or maybe tilted to the other side. 
I guess this might help justify darker colors.... In the meanwhile, I'll approach it from the left rear quarter.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: tilted artwork? (notawagon)*

Hi Karter:
The Eos repair manual explains in very good detail how to adjust the panels and parts so as to remove such imbalances. It is not at all a difficult task. The repair manual also includes specifications for what the maximum and minimum panel gaps may be.
I am not familiar with how the grille fits onto the hood of the Eos, but if it is similar to how the grille fits onto the hood of a Phaeton, it will be very easy to fix the problem. There is a bit more information, and some photos showing how it is done, at this post: Retrofitting a different Grille to a Phaeton. If you like working on cars yourself, this is the type of project that you could easily undertake on your own. All you will need is a Torx screwdriver of the correct size. If you ask your service department to give you a printout of the instructions that explain how to make the adjustment, I am sure they would be happy to do this for you.
Like anything else, the trick is knowing exactly what fastener is used to accomplish the precision fit that you want to have. The maintenance manual will have this information in it, for sure. It has to be there to assist in body repair, if people have a collision and parts need to be replaced.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: tilted artwork? (notawagon)*

This may be the information you need, although I have not seen exactly what your problem is, so I am just guessing as to what information you need.
The grille attaches to the vehicle at two different points (top and bottom) with four fasteners. These fasteners are probably screws with Torx 20, 25, or 30 size heads. My guess is that you just loosen the fasteners and then wiggle the assembly until it is properly aligned, then tighten the fasteners. That's how Phaetons, Golfs and Jettas work, anyway.
The fasteners are identified as items 3 and 5 in the diagram below. Note that there may be alignment pins at the top of the grille, where the arrows are. Again, I have not seen the actual part, so I can't tell you for sure. But, it should not be rocket science to adjust it. Before you get into the adjustment process, have a close look to determine if someone (you, your partner, a driver involved in the pre-delivery process) has bumped up against an object with the grille and deformed any of the parts. If this is the case, you will have to determine a suitable course of action to get things straightened out.
Michael
*Grille Attachment Scheme*


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: tilted artwork? (PanEuropean)*

Thanks again, Michael.
I have called the dealer to have this added to my list for next Tuesday. Like I said (toungue in cheek), I was mostly surprised at how this was missed during assembly, final QC, etc...
The gap is surprisingly large (no exaggeration) and visible from far away. I am just surprised that something so obvious like a tilted painting, makes it past so many checks and balances. 
I am actually somewhat embarassed for them. Something so basic and obvious as this should not happen.
Thanks again and hopefully they'll fix it completely next Tuesday.


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## passat06boi (Feb 1, 2006)

The Mona Lisa hangs in the Musee Du Lovre in Paris. NOT in MoMA. 
-Just thought I'd fix that error...  Love to be an ass.
Sorry for your troubles. I got my Red on Black EOS the other week...LOVE IT...
BUT... I have the window gremlin... :-( Arghh...
Hope you get it taken care of...hopefully it is just a few screws and straightening...


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: tilted artwork? (notawagon)*


_Quote, originally posted by *notawagon* »_The gap is surprisingly large (no exaggeration) and visible from far away. I am just surprised that something so obvious like a tilted painting, makes it past so many checks and balances...

Based on how you have described it, my guess is that the car left the factory - and possibly even the boat - in perfect shape, and somewhere along the line, someone bumped into the car (or bumped your car into something else), and that is what has knocked things out of alignment. I have spent a heck of a lot of time in VW assembly plants (I'm going up to Dresden, Germany to the Phaeton plant next Monday), and I know that the plants don't ship problems out the door, simply because warranty claims for manufacturing defects get charged right back to the assembly plant. Hence my suspicion that there was a 'fender bender' - or in your case, a 'grill-misaligner' - further down the line - much, much closer to the point of final delivery to you.
The USA port probably wouldn't let the car out of the port compound with such an obvious defect, and your dealer is obliged to very carefully inspect the vehicles that arrive at the dealership when they come off the truck. Once the employees at your dealership sign the delivery receipt for the vehicle (when it comes off the car carrier on the street in front of the dealership), they have no recourse against the car carrier for damage in transit. So, you can bet that they inspect the vehicles very, very carefully for any kind of damage, no matter how small, before they accept them.
Considering all that - do the math, and see if you come to the same conclusion as I do about where the car got damaged.








Michael


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: (passat06boi)*


_Quote, originally posted by *passat06boi* »_The Mona Lisa hangs in the Musee Du Lovre in Paris. NOT in MoMA. 
-Just thought I'd fix that error...  Love to be an ass.

I think what you mean is Musée du Louvre


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## passat06boi (Feb 1, 2006)

LMAO- Damn...in my haste I missed a U...damn. 
So much for being pretentious...lol...


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## swordfish1 (Jul 22, 2006)

*Re: (passat06boi)*

Not to be smug but.......mines fine


























_Modified by swordfish1 at 6:33 AM 11-22-2006_


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: (swordfish1)*

Thanks for your help and correction to the proper museum. That's my point. This should not be happening. Can anyone remember getting a new car in the past 10 years with a misaligned hood/fender/grill gap?
After really looking at this, it looks like the right fender/hood gap increases as you measure it toward the bumper which would result in a larger gap at the right front headlight/grill area which is how it appears.
Like I said. I'm just very surprised. It will be taken care of Tuesday along with my "hyper" windows.
In the meanwhile we have perfect top-down Eos weather here in Northern NJ. Overcast, upper-40s, no rain. With the windblockers in place, windows up, heated seats going, iPod CRANKING, perfect.
Happy Thanksgiving.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (notawagon)*


_Quote, originally posted by *notawagon* »_ Can anyone remember getting a new car in the past 10 years with a misaligned hood/fender/grill gap?

Honestly, I think that either your partner/spouse/significant other banged it up and didn't tell you, someone backed into you in a parking lot after you picked the car up from the dealer, or someone bumped the car once it arrived at the dealership, before you picked it up.
Did you look at the car when you took delivery of it? Was the defect present at that time? I can assure you that your dealer would have looked at the car very, very carefully when it came off the car carrier, and if the defect was present at that time, your dealership would have filed a claim.
Michael


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## swordfish1 (Jul 22, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_
Honestly, I think that either your partner/spouse/significant other banged it up and didn't tell you, someone backed into you in a parking lot after you picked the car up from the dealer, or someone bumped the car once it arrived at the dealership, before you picked it up.
Did you look at the car when you took delivery of it? Was the defect present at that time? I can assure you that your dealer would have looked at the car very, very carefully when it came off the car carrier, and if the defect was present at that time, your dealership would have filed a claim.
Michael

Just a comment about the dealerhip looking carefully. About 10 years ago I bought a brand new Vauxhall Cavalier (maybe Opel in USA). On delivery I immediately noticed that one of the wheel arches looked strange under the street lights. It turned out the car had been bumped, the panel knocked back into shape, and resprayed before the dealership received it. They hadn't noticed it, yet it took me seconds of just a quick inspection.


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*very nervous patient...*

My Eos will be one month old in a couple of days. We put about 750 miles on it which is low due to a one week vacation without it and a couple of trips to the Service Department.
It's been a great car and we have driven most days with the top down. Last night, for example, here in Northern NJ it was 60 degrees at 6pm which is perfect for Eos top-down motoring.
Today we are VERY nervous. I brought the Eos in for three problems:
The windows that jump down 5 inches (widely discussed here).
The hood that is crooked and has a bigger gap on the right side above the grill and headlight (measurable).
The skewed trunk seal protector which is a thin clear piece of adhesive plastic located at the front left tip of the trunk lid at the base of the rear window. It's sticky on one side and slick on the side that contacts the trunk seal. The passenger side is perfect, but the driver's side is all messed up and I'm sure will get worse, allow a leak, and possibly damage the seal.
These are exactly the types of problems that make me nervous. 
Although I begged the Service Manager to check the VW Techline previously to get the fix for the windows, he did not. He also has not seen this problem on the Eos yet, but was familiar with it from VW Beetles and A4 Cabriolets. When I expressed my concern over the possibility of "No Trouble Found" he remarked that if the problem didn't occur for them, they probably wouldn't/couldn't fix it. I explained (again) the symptoms and how it has happened three times on the right and twice on the left. He asked me if I was opening the door too quickly and not giving the window enough time to clear the seal. 
As you might guess, that made me really nervous since I explained how the window jumps down when you try to close the door. I explained how I have had other cars with the same anti-pinch feature and other frameless window cars and was experienced with that feature. I stressed how this problem was known by VW and that there were many other people having this problem.
He said they would check it. I can only hope it happens for them. I asked if he could at least measure the amount the window drops when you open the doors to see if it was enough or needed adjustment. I conveyed that I was very concerned that this would end up as an NTF and cause me to have to come back again if/when the windows decide to drop down in the pouring rain again.
When we went outside to look at the hood/grill gap, I did not get the sympathetic reaction I was hoping for. He said he would compare it to other Eos which I welcomed since I already have. I explained that without question, my hood obviously was skewed and was easily recognizable compared to other Eos. I told him I was not happy with his doubtful reactions about this because the gap was so obvious. Comparing it to other Eos on their lot, the gap was obvious and mine was the only one with it. He then warned me that trying to correct it might not get me perfect results. He was also concerned that trying to correct it might make things worse, ie, misalign other areas of the hood, fenders, etc... hood shudder. He said he would ask his Techs and possibly his recommended body shop to see what (if any) adjustments could be made.
Scary... He suggested that I might have to make a decision based on his findings that it might be better for me just to live with it.
Blood boiling yet? Just live with it? This is shameful.
For the last item, the trunk seal protector, he looked at it and touched it noting how it was mangled and protruding. I invited him to compare it to the good one on the passenger side so he could explain it to the tech. I also joked how that adhesive part would probably be on order for weeks to which he agreed.
These are the types of problems that are terrifying because they are not black and white clear. Although I invited him to measure the hood gap for confirmation, this was received with skepticsm. Numerous people have looked at the gap and agreed it was sad that it was there. Not many could remember the last time they saw that unless they saw it in a junkier car (I'm sure you can fill in your favorites).
Well let's hope we can celebrate our one month birthday with our Eos in a happier mood with all problems properly resolved.
I don't know about you but I feel an escalation looming..... Pray that is not the case.


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

I'm afraid I fared no better on my trip to the shop. Worse yet I was completely ignored by VWoA. This most certainly makes me question ever buying another VW, even though this is my third. The disdain combined with ignorance from service departments regarding a new model of car is just inexcusable. 


_Modified by gilesrulz at 8:18 AM 11-28-2006_


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: very nervous patient... (gilesrulz)*

I could actually read his expression and body language that made me feel horrible, almost guilty.
If I had noticed the hood gap before the sale, I would not have taken the car.
After seeing now how many unsold Eos are sitting on dealer lots, this will remind me to only pick a car from existing inventory.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*


_Quote, originally posted by *notawagon* »_The windows that jump down 5 inches (widely discussed here).

*Archival Note:* Here is a link to the primary discussion about windows rolling down a bit after reaching the top limit of their travel: Passenger door closing improperly.
Michael


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: very nervous patient... (PanEuropean)*

Wow, PanEuropean...... I am surprised at your response.
You are suggesting I or my family are somehow to blame for this? I am shocked.
I have worked at a BMW dealership and have been witness to countless damages caused before cars get to dealerships and after they arrive. Many times customers were given documents disclosing damage at a port that was repaired. They were not always given this nor was it always provided by BMW. It depended on the damage.
Further more, it was common for cars to be damaged at the dealership especially in the winter with all the jockeying around for snow removal. Cars were frequently damaged in Service and in the new car prep areas. I have seen it. Many times it was not reported for fear of employees losing their jobs. Other times it was not reported to the owners of the cars in hopes they would never catch it. 90% of the time it was not.
My car has been driven by me only for the past month (three weeks actually). 750 miles. It is parked in my own driveway at home by me. Period.
At work it is parked in my personal parking spot FAR away from anyone else and in full view constantly.
Forgive me for being emotionally blinded by the fun, excitement, and beauty of this car. I picked it up at night. It was cold. The car was sparkling. It was also parked on a somewhat steeply sloped driveway so you wouldn't have noticed the gap which is fully visible when viewed straight on.
When you are at the front of the car looking down at it, you don't notice the gap right away. All you have to do is back away from the front, and bend down a bit. You can easily see the gap if you are sitting in another car at that height. My other mistake is I should have taken a picture. I guaranty you, Swordfish's car is perfect compared to mine.
Finally, when I took the car, the odometer statement said the car was being delivered to me with 15 miles. My wife pointed out to them it was actually 35. Could it have been damaged during those miles? Why did it have those 35 miles? Nobody had any idea. Should I have backed out of the deal at that point? Today, knowing there are PLENTY of available Eos out there, I might have.
So, I do apologize for picking up the car at night and not fully inspecting it from every angle. I should have looked and measured all the gaps of the hood, trunk, and doors to inspect for possible damage or sloppy install on this brand new car. I am hoping it was not hit or bumped and is simply a matter of a sloppy hood install that was missed by Quality Control.
One basic question. Since it has been acknowledged that VW has problems with the windows, many of which had to be realigned in the first few weeks after delivery, isn't it possible they also simply misaligned a hood?
Some manufacturers take great pains to ensure gap alignment is kept constant and at a minimum. Some of them focus on it more than others. I just hope they fix it painlessly, ONCE, and properly.
I'm sorry for my outburst. I am the victim here, not the cause.


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## [email protected] (Feb 14, 2005)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

I'll throw a wrench in the works here...
I had a customer order a 2.0T DSG Sport on 18''s in Island Gray with nav, and it was still a month or so out. He stopped by to chit chat, and saw an identical car in White, and he picked up the white one instead. 
Upon delivery, yup, you guessed it, the hood was not aligned right. If you put a finger in the body crease where the chrome front meets the body line in the hood, there is a different gap. I was







so say the least. 
I took the car to service, they played around with it for a little, and got the gap to just about even. 
Now, I looked at 3 other Eos we had in stock at the moment, and 2 of them had the hood issue, and 1 didn't. Needless to say, our service department has been on the horn with VW to rectify this issue. 
I'll be checking all of the Eos that come in to make sure that this isn't an ongoing issue, but hopefully a slight variance. 
So, in the end, nobody wrecked the OP's car, and he isn't alone. I recomend everyone here looking at the front of the car, and if you notice a variance in the hood gap, take it to your dealer and let them know the problem. Making VW aware that this is a multi car problem can lead to you guys getting your hoods fixed faster!
Good luck guys, you own some truely gorgeous cars.


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: very nervous patient... ([email protected])*

I assume I'll won't need to check mine when it arrives


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## [email protected] (Feb 14, 2005)

*Re: very nervous patient... (mark_d_drake)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mark_d_drake* »_I assume I'll won't need to check mine when it arrives









Don't worry Mark, I'll check yours before it get's PDI'ed.


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## qawsed (Sep 15, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

I think you are WAY overestimating the integrity and aptitude of VW dealers in the US. Even if someone at the dealer DID notice the defect, they wouldn't do a damn thing about it unless the customer noticed it. At least that's my experience at car dealerships.

_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_
I can assure you that your dealer would have looked at the car very, very carefully when it came off the car carrier, and if the defect was present at that time, your dealership would have filed a claim.
Michael


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: (qawsed)*

I don't think you can tar all dealers with the same brush. 
Brendan at Boardwalk has been very helpful in keeping me informed on the (oh slow slow) status of my EOS, even if the damned OEM IPOD adaptor and being on the wrong coast (How long does it take to ship from Portugal to San Diego anyway ?) has delayed it for ever







. Also, Turbo Paul has been helpful even though he's in NJ and I'm in CA. 
There may well be some dealers out there who may deserve your scorn but please don't over generalize...


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*


_Quote, originally posted by *notawagon* »_You are suggesting I or my family are somehow to blame for this? I am shocked... I am the victim here, not the cause.

Karter:
Please, let's take the drama out of the conversation. In your original posts at the very top of this thread, you posited that the defect may have arose during the manufacturing process, and wrote that you were surprised that it was not noticed during assembly, final QC, etc.
The gist of my subsequent replies was that I thought it was more likely that the event causing the misalignment took place after the vehicle arrived at the dealership, simply because when the dealer accepts delivery (translation = buys the vehicle) off the car carrier, they have one chance and one chance then and only then to check the vehicle over for damages - of any kind - before they sign the delivery receipt. It is clearly in the dealer's best interests to check the car very carefully for any problems before they sign the delivery receipt. This is why I suggested that it was more likely that the problem arose after the vehicle was delivered to the dealer.
At the time I wrote that, I asssumed that you had inspected the vehicle prior to taking delivery, and would have noted any deficiencies that were present at the time the vehicle was delivered to you. It wasn't until your more recent post that you noted you did not fully inspect the vehicle when you picked it up. For that reason, it is possible (I'm not saying probable, simply possible) that someone bumped the car after you accepted delivery of it. You know how thoughtless other people can be when it comes to causing door dings on a car - the same behaviour can extend to 'touch parking' as well. Sad, but true.
In any case - I really think this is a case of "much ado about nothing". There is a well documented and very clearly explained process for adjusting the hood so that the hood to fender gap is equal on either side of the car. The misaligned protective plastic strip you mention in your post of earlier today can be removed and a new strip installed locally - it's a non-event to solve that problem. The only item that could be a concern is the problem with the window going down (Passenger Window going down about 3 inches, unnattended, randomly), but it appears that we are starting to gather a fair bit of information about what causes that problem, and how to resolve it, so hopefully your dealer will be able to get it resolved for you when the car goes in for service later this week.
I'll attach a copy of the instructions for hood alignment later (due to Vortex server problems, I can't attach it at this moment). When I read your first post, I understood that the problem was with the grille not being aligned - hence the reason I posted the instructions and diagram that explains how the grille fits. Your most recent post indicates that the problem is with the hood, not the grille, hence the reason why I will attach the hood alignment instructions for your review. I hope that this information alleviates some of your concerns about this.
Michael
*Eos Body Panel Gap Specifications*
_(dimensions are metric)_


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: very nervous patient... (PanEuropean)*

Okay, Michael. Please post the hood alignment instructions ASAP. 
Here's why. Many others may need them. The problem may be bigger than first discussed.
Would you say that if a dealer had 2 out of 5 (40%) new Eos on his lot with crooked hood gap alignments that there would be a problem?
My car is at the dealer recommended body shop today and has been at the dealership since 11/28.
The VWOA Quality Technical Inspector has also seen the car, confirmed the gap, and noted there is another car at the dealer (discovered by me) with the same problem.
What has been confirmed is that there are no other new cars on the lot (GTI, Passat, etc...) with this problem. The high ratio (2 out of 5) of cars delivered to the dealer at about the same time is a concern.
Now that we have another case, what appears to be happening after carefully comparing the cars (good versus bad) is the following: the previously thought raised passenger side of the hood appears and measures to be okay. However, the driver's side is too low at the front corner of the car above the driver's headlight. The clearance between the driver's side of the hood and the headlight and that side of the grill is much less than the passenger side. If you carefully eyeball and measure the driver's side hood-to-fender clearance, it diminishes as you get closer to the headlight.
Let me point this out... This fact was discovered and brought to their attention by me after slowly and methodically comparing all the new Eos on their lot and the white one in the showroom. The white one was my originally-ordered car. It was also very easy to see this gap problem on a white car in a showroom setting. No other cars were found with this problem, but 2 out of 5 Eos on the lot had the problem (40%) visible and measurable.
The VW Rep was very nice and professional and saddened by this discovery. We also confirmed that the front corner hood adjusters were turned completely in at the passenger side (full lowered adjustment) and fully extended at the driver's side (full raised adjustment) and yet the gap still existed. He also confirmed officially my car had not been damaged prior to delivery. Since we now had a 2nd case of the misaligned hood at the same dealer assembled approximately the same date, he knew this was a VW problem, not a "bump" problem.
Since the adjusters (which he stated were only for fine tuning and not intended to remedy a poor install) were at their fullest adjustments, this was a sad statement. The driver's side, in fact, was so extended, it was barely hanging on. Somebody knew there was a problem.
When the hood misalignments were discovered (and they were as per the extreme adjustment atempts), the cars should have been pulled from the line and sent back to have them properly corrected. It would have been relatively easy to do and little time would have been lost. The failed attempt to correct the misalignments with the fine tuning adjusters is unacceptable and should never have been done. The problem should have been properly reported and rectified at the source to avoid and eliminate them from happening. This is part of the QC process.
If 2 out of 5 cars at one dealership have this problem simultaneously , there are undoubtably others out there. Since the hood is a clamshell design and the hood gaps are somewhat below the sight line, there are surely more that haven't been caught yet.
All of you are enthusiasts and would be more sensitive to this. Many more are not and might never see it, or see it and simply accept it.
I can tell you this, the good news is that the dealer is no longer belittling "my" problem since I found the Eos on the showroom had the same problem. The better news is that the VW Field Rep agrees this is a problem that should never been allowed to happen. The even better news is that VWoA Customer Advocacy is 100% on top of this, agrees that 2 out of 5 cars at one dealership having the same manufacturing and QC problem must be addressed and has escalated this. They agreed that somebody allowed these 2 cars to get past QC and Final QC and it must be remedied. The person(s) who tried to fix it with the fine tuning adjusters should have alerted everyone properly. They should not have let the cars continue down the line without confirming they had been properly and completely fixed.
What scares me now is the proposed fix. The dealer sent the car to his "best" local body shop who believes they can set everything straight. The dealer Techs tried several adjustments themselves before they asked the VW Rep to come in and help. I'm guessing they tried what you were going to post.
As I said, the VWoA people so far have been great, apologetic, and very sympathetic. They agreed that something as basic as a hood install, which has been perfomed by manufacturers the past 100 years, should be perfect and not something a customer should ever have to inspect prior to delivery. They agreed, that would be ridiculous. They seem genuinely upset this Quality issue, visible so close to their VW grill ornament, ever happened and might still be happening. I explained that I was very concerned about the body shop attempting to fix this. I also explained that if I had known this was there at delivery, I would not have accepted the car. For example, if I was to consider the white Eos with the crooked hood as a replacement for mine, I would not take that one.
I further explained that I would never accept "good enough" if/when the body shop returns the car. I would not be bullied into accepting a poor repair of something that should have never been released by QC. Being forced to accept something less than perfect was like being forced to accept a "blem" or "Second". These are items, like tires, clothes, golf balls, etc... that are okay accept for cosmetic blemishes. They can only be sold as blemished with full disclosure and at drastically discounted prices. But the point here is the customer has a choice of purchasing them or not versus having them fixed later.
Also if the adjustments are all made and there is still a gap problem at that corner, it might be possible the clamshell shaped hoods themselves are not curved properly. I explained I would not accept any body shop painting of this brand new car for a factory problem that could have been prevented. So far all VW is asking is if I would at least let the body shop have the first attempt at fixing it. I reminded them I would not give them multiple attempts. This would amount to trial and error attempts which are unacceptable especially on this brand new car. Anyhting less than returning a car as good as the other good Eos's on their lot would be accepting a "blem".
They agreed and we will all discuss it whenever the body shop says they are done. For those of you who think this is being blown out of proportion, is your hood gap okay? In this year 2007 with computer controlled robots with laser guidance and measurement, this is unacceptable. If you think it's okay, what maximum gap difference whould you accept at such a prominent location? 1/32? 1/16? How about 1/8th or more? If this is allowed on something so basic, where else does it happen? These are metal cars, not fiberglass or plastic, and tolerances can and should be very precise.
I love my Eos, my family loves it and we are hoping for the best. We all fell in love with the concept and my family knew I was getting a leading edge car that we would not see coming and going. We will be happy to get this one back but will definitely not accept a blem. We ordered this car way back in the summer and accepting a blem was never on the table. I also hope and believe VW will do everything to fix it from the bottom up and top down. This is their currect flagship and they are happy to have responsible family members like me. They want us to brag about their Eos and answer all questions about it and VW with enthusiasm.
We sincerely hope we can with either this one or a perfect replacement.


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## owr084 (Nov 15, 2004)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

Notawagon - 
Which production week(s) were the 2 misaligned Eoses from? What about the three others? If they are all in the same group, it may be one QC stop is messing up, while another in parallel is doing it right...
Hopefully, VWoA is doing something about this at the Portugal plant right now. Or at least I hope so, my EOS is scheduled to be built next week...


_Modified by owr084 at 2:13 PM 12-1-2006_


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

I certainly don't think you were over-reacting, I would have had a similar reaction. 
I also think this is one of many symptoms of a much greater quality contol problem with that factory. I certainly hope VW feels the same way, and that they get their act together soon. Early adopters are really the wrong crowd to displease, both with initial quality, and later with customer service shortcomings. These people are your bread and butter, willing to pay top dollar for your product, and the people who will set the tone in customer satisfaction surveys.


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## owr084 (Nov 15, 2004)

*Re: very nervous patient... (gilesrulz)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gilesrulz* »_I also think this is one of many symptoms of a much greater quality contol problem with that factory. I certainly hope VW feels the same way, and that they get their act together soon. Early adopters are really the wrong crowd to displease, both with initial quality, and later with customer service shortcomings. These people are your bread and butter, willing to pay top dollar for your product, and the people who will set the tone in customer satisfaction surveys.

And what makes it even scarier is that VWoA is doing practically nothing to advertise the Eos, other than a few reviews. The biggest source of publicity for the Eos is US, the early adopters/owners...


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

Karter:
Here's the instructions for aligning the gaps on the hood. Now I am going to go light a votive candle to thank the Vortex server gods that I was able to upload a file tonight...








Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*


_Quote, originally posted by *notawagon* »_...We also confirmed that the front corner hood adjusters were turned completely in at the passenger side (full lowered adjustment) and fully extended at the driver's side (full raised adjustment) and yet the gap still existed. He also confirmed officially my car had not been damaged prior to delivery. ..he knew this was a VW problem, not a "bump" problem...

Hi Karter:
In many ways, I'm relieved to hear that it seems to be a production problem rather than the result of something that happened after the vehicle left the factory. This is because your local VW rep will now get the factory involved, and it will be the responsibility of the factory to find out *exactly *why the problem exists, and to come up with two solutions: First being a solution to make sure that the problem does not happen again during the new car production process (a 'production' solution), and second being a repair scheme to exactly and properly address the problem on cars that have already been shipped to market (a 'rectification' solution).
The good news is that because the factory now has the responsibility of coming up with the rectification solution (not the dealer, and not VW of America), you can be assured that the folks who write up the repair instructions will be automotive engineers who work full-time in production process control at the factory. The will be able to take an Eos apart as needed to determine exactly what needs to be tweaked to bring your vehicle (and any others with a similar problem) back to spec with the least possible intervention, and the least possible risk of screwing something else up. 
Each production facility (Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Dresden, Wolfsburg, Bratislava, etc.) functions as an independent business. If a production problem is discovered, then the importers (VW of America, in this case) charge the cost of the rectification directly back to the factory - they don't have to absorb it themselves. For this reason, you don't have to be concerned that your dealer or VW of A will try to fix the problem 'on the cheap'.
I have seen how this process works with the Phaeton, because I usually visit the factory about once every 4 months to discuss Phaeton forum matters with the production staff there. We have not had any body-related issues arise with the Phaeton, but we have had some other problems come up - one was electrical (the wiring harness to the trunk lid), another was software, another was mechanical. In each case, the factory developed a production solution, made sure that worked on the assembly line, then from that, wrote up a field rectification solution that was sent out worldwide.
The process is not fast. It might take a month or so before the solution is developed, tested on the production line, written up for field use, translated, sent to VW of America, then sent out to the dealers. But, you can be assured that when the solution does arrive, it will have been very carefully researched and fully tested (both on the assembly line and with in-service vehicles) before the work is carried out on your car.
Lastly - I am happy to hear that no-one hit you in the parking lot, and no-one at your dealership was guilty of bumping the car and not 'fessing up before it was delivered to you.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: very nervous patient... (PanEuropean)*

Karter:
I've attached an example of what a factory-developed solution for a problem is like. In this particular case, the problem had to do with the headlight washer squirter assembly for the Phaeton coming apart.
The document is in German, but here's the gist of it:
*Problem Description* _(Problembeschreibung)_: Headlight washer nozzle doesn't work, leaks, or is broken.
*Cause* _(Ursache)_: The pin holding the white plastic part breaks, as a result the water leaks out and the nozzle doesn't function properly. See the photo.
*Production Solution* _(Serien-Lösung)_: New nozzle assemblies constructed with a strengthened retention pin are used beginning at VIN WVWZZZ3DZ68003512.
*Customer Service Solution* _(KD-Lösung - KD means Kundendienst, which is customer service)_: Examine both nozzles to ensure that the pin is properly seated. If a defect is found, replace the nozzle.
I hope this provides a good overview of how the process works. It has worked quite well for all of us in the Phaeton forum, and we went through pretty much the same 'new car introduction process' that Eos owners are going through now.
Michael


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: very nervous patient... (PanEuropean)*

Hello to everyone and many thanks to those of you who have supported me and have been understanding and sympathetic.
Hopefully this will be my last entry on this subject and then I can spend all of my time on my window problem.
We got "the call" from the Service Manager late on Friday night, too late to go pick it up that night. This was actually good since it had been raining and was very windy. Plus I didn't really want to pick it up unless the conditions for inspecting were perfect. 
The SM was actually sheepish since I was the one who pointed out the other problem car right on his showroom floor. He told me the car was back from the body shop (I cringe at the idea of a brand new car at ANY body shop), and that he believed it was perfect. I thanked him for that and said we would be there first thing Saturday AM to inspect it. I reminded him that VWoA said it was totally my decision to accept the car or not. He argued that he believed it was perfect. I thankes him again and said I would be there in the AM. He said the car would be kept in the Service garage overnight for protection but moved out to their lot in the AM. He said he would not be there to inspect it with me. I told him that if there was a problem, he will find the car still there on Monday AM.
He further stated that my windows had been fixed (more on that later and separately).
My older son got up early and went with me to pick it up because he was nervous about its condition. When we pulled into the lot, the car was parked alone, but not in a safe area. Any other car pulling in for Service or Parts could easily park too close and ding it. It was parked in a busy area. Not smart.
The good news is we both could tell from 50 feet away that the gap was straightened. What a relief! However, I told my son this is where the detailed inspecion would begin. I brought digital cameras, measuring tools, and wooden straight edge rulers. 
The car looked good, was clean, with no apparent damage. All wheels and tires looked good. What we found after measuring and most importantly, performing side-by-side comparisons with other new Eos on the lot we deemed perfect was about 95% OK.
Although the hood-to-grill gap was no longer crooked, the entire hood, mostly at the front, was higher than the two Eos we parked next to. In other words, their hoods were tighter. They had less gap clearance than ours. Also, we could see by sighting straight down at the front corners near the headlights that our hood was slightly forward and toward the driver's front corner above the headlight. In other words, we have a slight overbite toward the front left corner. 
If you look straight down at that spot, you can't see any of the top of the fender. The hood sticks out over it. If you compare to the front passenger side, you can easily see the top of the fender. If you lean a straight edge wooden ruler against both corners, you can see the ruler is at more of an angle at the passenger side, and more straight up when held against the driver's corner.
The hood was otherwise tight and closed with a proper "thud". We're not sure if we should try performing a small adjustment by using the front corner hood fine tuning adjusters by turning them in perhaps a 1/4 or 1/2 turn. We're not sure if that will work or if it will induce hood shimmy. By the way, if you remember my previous posting about those adjusters, mine are now even on both sides, about 2 turns out, I'm guessing, but at least they're even.
So we guess we'll probably just keep it this way. We will drive around for awhile with the stereo not so loud because we will be listening for new squeeks and rattles. My son got an education with this process and perhaps learned a lesson in having pride in your work and what happens when others don't. I could tell he wanted me to take the car so I did. We listened a little to the stereo, but mostly we drove home quietly listening for new noises. That last time he dorve with me in the car from the dealer was a much happier time.
I spoke to VWofA about this and they pretty much closed the case. Not much in the way of apology or promises of fixing it right in the future. One last thing.... while we were getting ready to leave it was early saturday AM so there was nobody there in Sales. We took our time and I showed my son the white Eos on the floor we were originally supposed to get that also had the tilted hood. It was still tilted. My son then wandered over to another Eos sitting in the customer pending delivery area, all nice and shiny. This was the same tilted driveway where our car was at delivery. I saw him bend down, and then stand up and start laughing. He then looked at me, pointed, and smiles. The brand new, light blue Eos headed for delivery that day had tilted hood number 3. That meant there were 3 out of 7 Eos that day on their lot with tilted hoods for a grand total of 42.86%.
I told this to the dealer and VWoA. They had no reaction.
To all of you..... check your hoods, warn others, and buyer beware.


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## darien (Oct 28, 2006)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

I am glad there's a happy ending on your issue. At last, they finally fix your hood!


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## TURBO PAUL (Mar 20, 2002)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

Wow, just found this thread, I'm really sorry to hear about all this, knowing how excited you were to get your new Eos.









_Quote, originally posted by *notawagon* »_Hello to everyone and many thanks to those of you who have supported me and have been understanding and sympathetic.
Hopefully this will be my last entry on this subject and then I can spend all of my time on my window problem.
The good news is we both could tell from 50 feet away that the gap was straightened. What a relief! However, I told my son this is where the detailed inspecion would begin. I brought digital cameras, measuring tools, and wooden straight edge rulers. 
The car looked good, was clean, with no apparent damage. All wheels and tires looked good. What we found after measuring and most importantly, performing side-by-side comparisons with other new Eos on the lot we deemed perfect was about 95% OK.
So we guess we'll probably just keep it this way. We will drive around for awhile with the stereo not so loud because we will be listening for new squeeks and rattles. My son got an education with this process and perhaps learned a lesson in having pride in your work and what happens when others don't. I could tell he wanted me to take the car so I did. We listened a little to the stereo, but mostly we drove home quietly listening for new noises. That last time he dorve with me in the car from the dealer was a much happier time.
The brand new, light blue Eos headed for delivery that day had tilted hood number 3. That meant there were 3 out of 7 Eos that day on their lot with tilted hoods for a grand total of 42.86%.









I hope that you are happy with the hood now, hey the Mona Lisa is famous for her crooked smile....
Of course I went right out in the cold to check the three Eos' that we have here, but *fwew*, no crooked one's here....but now I'll be watching, though I hope VW is watching first now. 
I hope you hear no creaks, and that you can get back to enjoying that beautiful car of yours!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*


_Quote, originally posted by *notawagon* »_Hello to everyone...

So, what's the executive summary of that story? Is the hood fixed (within the published specs) or is it not fixed?
Michael


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## cb391 (Mar 12, 2006)

*Re: very nervous patient... (notawagon)*

Just curious. How is the distance from the base of the windshield to the rear edge of the hood?


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## notawagon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: very nervous patient... (cb391)*

Hello, Michael.
Executive summary? Is it fixed to within specs? I have no idea. 
All they did was sublet the hood realignment to a local body shop. 
That's all the paperwork says. When I asked if they compared it to the other good ones, they were embarrassed and said no.
I mentioned how I had your alignment document and they looked at me like they didn't understand what I had. 
The car is super clean today. My sons and I cleaned it (again) Sunday. The air today is crisp with temps heading up into the upper 40s. 
If you're in North Eastern NJ, you'll see me driving home from work, top down, windows up, fleece-lined bomber jacket, heated seats on, wind blocker and deflector deployed, iPod CRANKING, BIG smile.
Look at it this way, now at least my hood gap almost matches my trunk gap for a fully symmetrical appearance.


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## Speedster356 (Aug 7, 2006)

Well, guess what! Jack lives here!
I visited my dealership to inspect my EOS (that I waited 5.5 months for).
I had the chance to see a showroom EOS as well as the EOS of another customer that was there for the same reason as me.
All 3 cars had a misaligned hood!!!
The showroom one had the most visible problem of all!
All 3 were 1.6 FSI versions.
There was a fourth car (2.0T version) around but I did not get the chance to inspect the hood. (So, probably a problem on 75% of the cars inspected)
I notified the salesman and he agreed with me that there is a visible problem. He offered to have the mechanics check it but I said that I would not want that at this point! I think I can live with the problem.
The other thing that was disappointed it the fact that the factory left out the under-seat drawers that I ordered. They were included in the order, and probably invoiced also, but were never installed. They did not offer me a solution (except for the refund of the drawers) but I was not willing to accept any retrofitting anyway. The chromed front grilles were a pleasant surprise, not that I would really care if they were black plastic. All other factory options seemed to be in place. I will know by Thursday, when I will receive the car!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Speedster356)*

I'm a bit perplexed about this 'misaligned hood' issue, perhaps because I don't fully understand what the nature of the problem is. I had a close look at two Eos that were at my local VW dealership and they seemed OK to me.
Does someone have a picture of a misaligned hood that they can post, to illustrate exactly what the problem is?
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Speedster356)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Speedster356* »_...the factory left out the under-seat drawers that I ordered. They were included in the order, and probably invoiced also, but were never installed. They did not offer me a solution (except for the refund of the drawers) but I was not willing to accept any retrofitting anyway...

Fotis:
Hey, if you would like the underseat drawer (there is only one, on the passenger side), by all means ask the staff at your VW dealer to retrofit it. It is a very easy part to retrofit, we even have instructions how to do it here on the forum.
Michael


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## Speedster356 (Aug 7, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

I do not have power seats and I am 100% sure that there was no drawer on the driver’s seat. The car was parked near another car on the right side so I could not check the co-driver’s side thoroughly!
Do you mean that there should be no drawer on the driver’s side anyway? (even for non power seats?) Is there supposed to be a drawer, for the co-driver only?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Speedster356)*

Fotis:
You can order a slide-out drawer that fits under the passenger seat as factory fitment on several different models of VW - not only the Eos, but also the Polo, for example. Power seats and a slide out drawer are mutually exclusive, because if you order power seats, the electrical components for the seat motors take up the space where the drawer would go.
To the best of my knowledge, VW (and all the other manufacturers) only offer a slide-out drawer under the passenger seat - never under the driver seat. This is because there is a risk associated with putting a drawer under the driver seat - if it is not properly latched closed, it could slide open during heavy braking and thus interfere with the driver's ability to use the pedals (gas, brake, clutch) to control the car.
Michael


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## flheat (Sep 29, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_
To the best of my knowledge, VW (and all the other manufacturers) only offer a slide-out drawer under the passenger seat - never under the driver seat. This is because there is a risk associated with putting a drawer under the driver seat - if it is not properly latched closed, it could slide open during heavy braking and thus interfere with the driver's ability to use the pedals (gas, brake, clutch) to control the car.


My 2003 Audi A4 Cabriolet had power seats and a large drawer under both seats as standard equipment. The drawer opened about 4 inches, and I don't think it would be far enough to interfere with driving if it slid open. This is probably the biggest thing I miss the most believe it or not. I have a lot of clutter and like to keep it hidden from view. If I recall, these drawers also locked when the doors locked.


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## Speedster356 (Aug 7, 2006)

Michael, thank you for your input!
I have not seen the drawers installed in any VW and my experience with VW cars is limited. I am an Opel fan (GM for Europe).
The options list referred to drawers for both seats, but that could be wrong. I do not trust them to retrofit the drawers, at least not yet.
flheat, I agree with you on the practicality issue! I have ordered many expensive things on my EOS, like the heat insulating windshield and the sight and light pack, some of which may not be actually as useful and necessary as these inexpensive drawers.
I am going to post pictures of the misaligned hoods during next week, when I visit the dealer to receive my car!
It is very upsetting to see such a gross imperfection like a misaligned hood on such a car, but I can live with it. However, it is very upsetting to realize that they actually left out an optional item that was ordered! It makes me wonder what else could be left out!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Speedster356)*

OK, great, I am looking forward to seeing the pictures. Take lots, and if you are not sure how to post pictures, just email them to me. You can find my email address by clicking on my user name, to the left of this message.
I am going to Zurich on Wednesday, and will be spending the second half of January in the desert about 1,000 km exactly south of you - so if you don't see any response from me right away, just be patient.
Michael


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## Rapture (Jun 21, 2004)

Hi everyone. After reading this post I decided I would go inspect the hood of our relatively new Eos. Low and behold it is a bit mis-aligned, albeit in a slightly different way. The front left corner overhangs the fender by a little more than an 1/8th inch. The right side is much closer in alignment but still not quite perfectly aligned.
My question is should the front of the hood line up perfectly with the width of the fenders or is there supposed to be some slight overlap by design?
Thanks,


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Rapture)*

Paul:
Can you supply some pictures so that all of us can have a look at the item you are concerned about? If you are not sure how to host and post pictures here, just email them to me and I will post them for you. Click on my username to the left of this message to reveal my email address.
Michael


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## vweosdriver (Oct 30, 2006)

*Re: (Rapture)*

Look at Michael's post of 11/28/06 above and you'll see how the alignment should be. There is hood overhang.


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## Rapture (Jun 21, 2004)

Michael, I do not now how to post the pictures but I will e-mail a few to you tomorrow morning.
I looked at the diagrams that were posted on 11-28 and I'm not sure it shows this specific spot for the alignment. In diagram N00-10324 it may be either of the two on the left of the picture, but on our car the poor alignment is most noticable close to the front of the car near the headlights on the seam that runs vertically back towards the drivers door. Pictures will make this much clearer.
Thanks everyone and Happy New Year!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Rapture)*

Hi Paul:
Great, I'll look forward to getting those pictures, and I'll post them here as soon as I get them.
What I am kind of wondering (this is 'wondering' based on ignorance) is if the misalignment that is being discussed is perhaps something that is intentional or by design? In other words, could it be that there might be some reason why a certain part does not appear to be symmetrical?
Earlier this week, the service manager of my VW dealer and I went hunting for either window defects or body panel defects that we could find on the two Eos that were in stock at the dealership. We were hoping to find a mis-aligned window so that we could then take the whole door panel apart, find out what makes it work, and make an illustrated post explaining how to adjust it. But... we could not find anything wrong with either of the two Eos at the dealership - both looked perfect, and the two of us are *really *picky. Perhaps this is because the two cars were both high serial numbers (19,000 and 20,000), or, perhaps it is because we didn't perceive anything to be wrong with body gaps.
Anyway - in case it helps, here are the body gap tolerances that are published by VW for the Eos.
Michael
*Eos Body Gap Tolerances*
Dimensions shown are in millimeters.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Paul sent me four pictures by email - I have cropped them a bit (so as to focus on the area of Paul's concern) and posted them below. I've also posted Paul's description and narrative from his email to me.
Paul speaking: _I have attached four photos which I hope will be helpful in viewing this condition. When I backed the car out to take the pictures of the front I believe I confirmed that our car may be very similar to the original poster of the thread Karter. The gap in the hood as you look at the vehicles front along the grill and headlights appears wider on the front left (passenger) side. You really do not notice this too much unless you are viewing it from a lowered stance. This may be causing the front left fender to overhang slightly more. If you look closely at the Hood photo and follow the crease of the hood down to the grill it does not seem to line up properly, the hood looks positioned slightly to the right as you look at the picture. Per your alignment specs it appears there are many adjustments that could be made and I’m sure that performing one adjustment affects another so it will be off to the dealer in hopes they can adjust it. My local dealer is very good so I am optimistic, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to know that others have similar conditions.
Here’s the thing, without this forum I may not have looked that hard and may not have noticed this for some time. This is my wife’s new car and she adores it. (Frankly she is somewhat upset that I brought it to her attention as she now thinks it’s “broken”..._
*Paul's Pictures*


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Below is a composite picture that I created from the left and right close-up pictures that Paul provided.
It appears to me that the body panel gap between the hood and the fenders on either side of the vehicle is correct. If you look at the overall appearance of the seam between the hood and the fenders - most especially, look at how the hood and fenders match about halfway back - I think that match, that alignment is good. A perfectionist could argue that the hood needs to be shifted about 1 mm to the left (to the left as you view the pictures), but that is a pretty tiny adjustment. If the hood was moved to the left any more than 1 mm, maximum, then the gap between the hood and the fenders would start to look unbalanced.
The answer to this puzzle, as I see it, is the physical placement of the two headlights. The amount of 'reveal' between the outside edge of the right side headlight and the outside edge of the left side headlight is not equal. I think this is what is causing folks to perceive the front to be 'unbalanced'.
If it was my car, and I was fooling around with it, I think I would leave the hood alone (not touch it at all!) and perhaps do one or both of the following two things:
*1)* Perhaps try to push the front upper corner of the right fender (right as you view the picture!) outwards 1 or 2 mm, if there is a provision to adjust the alignment of that fender.
*2)* Then loosen and physically move one of the two headlights so that the reveal between the top outer edge of the headlight and the forward facing surface of the fender is equal on both sides of the car.
I know it is both possible and easy to shift headlights around to get a 'perfect match' of symmetry on both sides - I had to do this when I retrofitted dual xenon headlights to my Phaeton. The headlight assemblies have adjusting screws on them to allow you to manipulate the entire assembly in three axis to get a 'perfect fit'. Note that I am not talking about the adjustments used to align the beam of light - I am talking about adjustments made to fit the whole assembly onto the front of the car. You can see more pictures of this process at this thread: Retrofitting Dual Xenon Headlamps. I've also put a picture showing the headlamp body adjusting screws (not beam adjusting screws) from a Phaeton headlight below, to show you what I mean.
All in all, though, it is a pretty tiny asymmetry. I think the most important thing to do is to not adjust anything until you have a solid plan of action that everyone agrees on. It might be a good idea for us to get some advice from the Eos factory in Portugal before moving anything.
Michael
*Analysis Photo*

*Phaeton Headlight Body Adjustment Screws* (not beam adjustment)


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## Rapture (Jun 21, 2004)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Michael, thanks for posting the pictures and for your advice.


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## Speedster356 (Aug 7, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Like I told you guys before, almost all Eoses in my dealer of choice had a tilted hood!
The biggest problem was seen on this showroom Eos! The problem is apparent both with the hood secured and released!

I also noticed that there might be a similar problem with one Passat in the showroom.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Speedster356)*

Is the hood on that car actually fully closed? It appears that the latch assembly is visible directly above the VW logo on the grille.
Michael


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## Speedster356 (Aug 7, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

It is actually open but it was almost as noticeable with the hood fully closed!
I also have to note that the shock supporting the hood is very tight!
The manual states that we should close the hood by lowering it below the point where the shock is offering support and releasing it, however I have noticed that the shock is so tight that the hood will not close without being pushed down!
The shock is on the right side.


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## Freund (Jul 3, 2002)

*Re: (Speedster356)*

This is a late October Production EOS.....
There have been no alignmet issues or any other problems with this car (yet).
Last night it just made its 10.000 KM birthday








Keep the good cars running.
Greetings out of Germany...
Freund


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