VW Ireland has issued some useful advice on refinishing bumpers fitted with lane change assist technology.

Set procedure must be followed to avoid the possibility of a malfunction of the radar sensors. VW technical experts advise than the layer of paint before the sensors must not exceed 150 μ and that plastic repairs must not be carried out within 25 cm of this area. The use of filler with in a 25cm radius of the area also needs to be avoided.

Before starting the paint job, the paint technicians should check if the bumper has already been re-painted by producing a sanding pattern in the surrounding area or by measuring dry film build thickness. Spot repair in the area of the sensors should also be avoided.

VW also point out that it is normal that the position of the radar sensors changes during the removal and installation of the bumper, it is therefore essential to carry out calibration using a VAS diagnostic tester to ensure the safe operation of the radar sensors every time a bumper cover is removed and re-fitted.

The respective training materials and repair manuals are available by subscribing to: www.erwin.volkswagen.de