Two more annoying things about new Toledo...

[TDI_luver]

I dont want to give a negative impression about the new Toledo, in general its OK, all cars have their weaknesses, but I just wanted to know if anyone else experienced these:

1. The rear bumper is a slightly different shade of paint to the rest of the car ! (Metallic paint)

When i queried the dealer, he said they are all like that (and showed me several examples in different colours in the showroom, he was right !). He said SEAT now gets the bumper manufacturer to paint the bumpers also instead of the bumpers getting sprayed on the car at assembly, resulting in colour mismatches ..... I dont know if this is true, as there seems to be no colour mismatches with the front bumper....

Maybe someone in the trade could add a comment if they are aware of this problem.

I dont think its good enough that 'they are all like that'......you pay 600 extra for metallic paint and it doesnt even match !! I dont see any similar problems with VW or Skoda models with similar paint !!

Should I go after SEAT about it ? Will I get anywhere ?? Is it a waste of time ??

2. Can the high beam headlamps be adjusted independently of the low beam lamp ? It seems to me that they are not independent, so when you adjust the beam so that the dipped beam is focussed properly, the high beam spread is too low, and you cant see the far enough up the road at speed. Am I right in saying there is no way of raising the high beam without raising the dipped beam also ?

Thanks for all your comments,

TDI_luver
Ireland

 

[Nath.]

with regard to your paint problem

it is because of the painting proses, electrostatic for the metal parts and conventional spray gun for the plastic parts, (fuel cap) being the most prominent on my ibiza

it is very common across loads of car makers

 

[Fl@pper]

low beam can be adjusted for both std aim and dash adjustable

high beam can also be adjusted for aim but the aim is adjusted under the bonnet only

the reason for an adj aim on the dash is for when you drive fully loaded (lower rear) to save dazzling someone


paint on bumpers (plastic) especially metallic seems to reflect differently to a metal panel mainly due to water based paints and the surface they are painted on - usually its not that noticeable but as a car gets dirty/aged it seems to stand out more but even when new its usually more prominent on certain lighter shades and red colours

 

[TDI_luver]

I do take your point, there will always be issues trying to get a good metallic finish on plastic as opposed to nearby metal panels.

However, the problem is only visible on the rear bumper, not the front one....which is also plastic and has lots of intricate curves which reflect light in funny ways too.

Additionally, other '06 cars from the VAG group (eg Octavia, Golf, Passat etc) painted with similar shades of metallic bronze paint do not show this problem at all. The issue is not the finish, but the actual colour !! Its a quite different shade completely. Looks just like a poor crash repair job.

 

[ddc]

Hi Guys,
,,work "in the trade" my company supplies painted plastic parts to Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Nissan & Toyota...

All I can say is, in my experaince it's the plastic parts which are normally the correct colour and the car body which is incorrect!! However its a trickey area.. We have had in the past to tweek the paint to match the body just because of the angle a part sits at when it's fitted!!

Anyway it's very common practice for the bumpers etc to be painted by suppliers. I'd say this has been the practice of Seat for some time and the apparent difference between bumpers & body is due to the shape & angles involved and not pure paint colour mismatch.


Cheers

DDC

 

[Sam20v]

The issue is not the finish, but the actual colour !! Its a quite different shade completely. Looks just like a poor crash repair job.

I would be persuing this......
mainly because i would be standing for "they are all like that" as an excuse..
dont know how much the tolly cost.....IMO the new tolly is not that nice a looking car........that aside it still cost you a fair whack..........well over 13k???
thats a lot of money for a colour difference....i am sure they can rectify it if you push it.....afterall in the brochure i dont think the specification quotes 2 tone body work!
the question will be whether you want your new car to be resprayed....
when matching colour they overlap slightly onto the adjacent panels.
Myself................i would want the thing to look perfect.........

I have had a few bodykits sprayed, that are plastic and have been matched perfectly with the original paintwork without overspraying to match it. i guess it also depends on the skill of the workshop and their professionalism.

hope you get the solution you want mate..

 

[TDI_luver]

Two additional comments this week, one good and one bad:

1 . (Good): I changed all 4 headlamp bulbs for new Phillips Silverstars and wow they sure make a difference.....much more powerful beams and a crisper whiter colour too. Very Impressive for about £ 35 worth of bulbs. Recommended highly !

2. (Bad): My air conditioning has packed up now. Won't cool anymore. What else ??

 

[ddc]

Hi,

I've just fitted Halfords 50% brighter H1's & H7's this weekend and like the silver stars what a difference! I had a 06 reg Mondeo for a day last week and really noticed how weak the standard Tolly main & dip beams were..