I'll be replacing the lower seat cushion on the driver's seat of the VW hopefully tomorrow. While reading through the factory manual is says "The bolts are microencapsulated and must therefore be replaced after every removal."
What are microencapsulated bolts and why must they be replaced? I know VW uses a lot of stretch bolts, but microencapsulated? Never even heard of those. If they must be replaced, can I use some grade 8.8 hardware instead?
Note to self - Google first. It's just fancy terminology for thread locker.
Found on a Mercedes service forum:
The "micro-encapsulated screws" are factory bolts that have on them, a Loctite type of chemical (usually blue) that prevents bolts from getting loose in high vibration and shock applications. Why this instead of say a lock-washer? Because there is a greater surface area of resistance with the chemical than a lock-washer.
The micro-encapsulation really just means that little tiny droplets of the "Loctite" type chemical is applied to the bolt. When the bolt is threaded into its respective nut or piece, the little droplets burst and chemically attach to the bolt's threads and to the respective attached piece. It is my understanding that this actually occurs at the microscopic grain level of the metals.
I have seen them used in window regulators and bolts mounting brake calipers. Non-wet applications: no oil, fuel or coolant.
The idea is once used, they should be replaced. I have found that using them again with a small dab of Locktite seems to rejuvenate the "micro-encapsulated" chemical.
Microencapsulated. Don't you just love how that rolls off the tongue. It sounds so pretentious, so expensive, so...German.
Then you learn it's just thread locker.
Kind of makes a man wonder what Porsche, BMW and MB call it. Maxipadulated maybe.
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