SOLUTION FOR Frozen camper control touchscreen T6.1

[Schadenfroid]

I'm updating this post with the solution to frozen Camper Control unit on a T6.1 - many thanks to forum member Yossarian for the solution - just so that it's easier for anyone looking with the same problem:

Issue is that the touch screen freezes and won't reset. Ours froze when there was an issue with the auxilliary heater.




Solution is to turn the front passenger seat around and move it back to get access to the fuse panel under the seat.



There is a brown 5 amp fuse at the bottom of the first run (circled below) - remove that and re-insert after a few seconds and the screen will be reset. Super simple and field deployable!

 

[dspuk]

Given the number of issues people have when disconnecting the battery I'd be very wary about that option.

Might be some hints here:

Help! Control panel frozen on 6.1 and roof is stuck up

Currently up a mountain in Spain. The control panel has frozen with the message “Auxiliary heater: maximum running time reached” The problem is we can’t lower the roof and drive off. Any ideas how we can reset the control panel to get moving? Thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[yossarian]

Suggestion: on the back of that control panel should be a black 6 pin connector. Instructions to remove the panel are in the owners California supplement.

Power and ground for the panel are the red and brown wire on pins one and two.

Disconnecting and reconnecting the six pin connector should power cycle the panel.

Edit: the solution is now in post no 1.

 

[yossarian]

First double check that you got the correct fuses as pulling 4 fuses is much less work.

If still no joy have a look at this part of the manual.

 

[calibusje]

So, if I understand correctly, you know from experience? Anyway, did you use the Heat Continuously or Heat Immediately?
You do have another option: wait until Camper Jam and meet some of the folks from this forum, maybe they can help.

 

[Schadenfroid]

Given the number of issues people have when disconnecting the battery I'd be very wary about that option.

Might be some hints here:

Help! Control panel frozen on 6.1 and roof is stuck up

Currently up a mountain in Spain. The control panel has frozen with the message “Auxiliary heater: maximum running time reached” The problem is we can’t lower the roof and drive off. Any ideas how we can reset the control panel to get moving? Thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

vwcaliforniaclub.com

That's the beauty of the forums - we did try that, no luck!

 

[yossarian]

I have a better idea you can try first before removing the control panel.

 

[Schadenfroid]

So, if I understand correctly, you know from experience? Anyway, did you use the Heat Continuously or Heat Immediately?
You do have another option: wait until Camper Jam and meet some of the folks from this forum, maybe they can help.

We rent out new (i.e. less than 12 months old) Californias so we've experienced many things that can go wrong with them and we usually find a way of fixing the problem remotely - most of the time by looking through the forums! There's usually a way around most issues, and with the auxilliary heaters time we find they will generally just reset themselves. The issue here is we can't seem to get to a point where we can get into the system to deal with the problem. Ideally I need a field deployable solution!

 

[Schadenfroid]

I have a better idea you can try first before removing the control panel.

View attachment 106615

That sounds like a plan, thank you! I'll give it a try tomorrow and update the forum

 

[calibusje]

We rent out new (i.e. less than 12 months old) Californias so we've experienced many things that can go wrong with them and we usually find a way of fixing the problem remotely - most of the time by looking through the forums! There's usually a way around most issues, and with the auxilliary heaters time we find they will generally just reset themselves. The issue here is we can't seem to get to a point where we can get into the system to deal with the problem. Ideally I need a field deployable solution!

I understand now.
Indeed, a field deployable solution would be best when renting out. I can give this to you but keep in mind I've never needed it and so can't tell firsthand. There should be a cable with a blue piece where I indicated it. Take it apart and put it back together. The cable would be difficult to reach and not even visible (as you can see in the photo). So you will have to grab it behind the plastic bottom board. So I don't know if it's something, hopefully it is and it's a solution.

 

[flying banana]

Try going for a short drive. That resets the stupid 6.1 heating logic I believe

 

[Schadenfroid]

I have a better idea you can try first before removing the control panel.

View attachment 106615

Thank you - this worked a treat! I've updated the problem with the solution for anyone else looking

 

[calibusje]

Thank you - this worked a treat! I've updated the problem with the solution for anyone else looking

Great! Happy for you.
And for next time when a renter keeps pushing Heat Immediately or uses the remote control (which only controls that Heat Immediately) during their journey, a field deployable solution is indeed most suitable. This is how they do it in Camper Centrum Amersfoort: they trim a piece of plastic so that you can better reach the cable with the blue plug. They also advise against using the Heat Immediately. If your tenants want direct heat after a ride, they should press 'rest': this will give the engine residual heat for half an hour.

 

[yossarian]

Great! Happy for you.
And for next time when a renter keeps pushing Heat Immediately or uses the remote control (which only controls that Heat Immediately) during their journey, a field deployable solution is indeed most suitable. This is how they do it in Camper Centrum Amersfoort: they trim a piece of plastic so that you can better reach the cable with the blue plug. They also advise against using the Heat Immediately. If your tenants want direct heat after a ride, they should press 'rest': this will give the engine residual heat for half an hour.

I think the OP had a slightly different problem and is well versed in immediate Vs continuous heater operation.

 

[calibusje]

I think the OP had a slightly different problem and is well versed in immediate Vs continuous heater operation.

Yes, that is what it's for, the cable with blue plug and how one can easely get to it when on the road. Just try to help.
This blue plug resets the screen when pulled out and put back (the reset could also help the cali's with an electro-hydraulic roof when problems occur I have heard). But you can reset the screen also with a
5 watt fuse under the driver's seat, as shown by the OP and you. So the blue plug is when the 5 watt fuse doesn't help.
If I may: For the heating: first pull out the 4 brown 25 watt fuses and after waiting a while, plug them back in. If this does not help: blue plug.

 

[yossarian]

This blue plug resets the screen when pulled out and put back.

Good to know. It looks like connector T6y on the diagram. One day I'll figure out how VW does interconnects on their diagrams. The screenshot is page 75/8.

 

[California_Clarky]

I'm updating this post with the solution to frozen Camper Control unit on a T6.1 - many thanks to forum member Yossarian for the solution - just so that it's easier for anyone looking with the same problem:

Issue is that the touch screen freezes and won't reset. Ours froze when there was an issue with the auxilliary heater.

View attachment 106611


Solution is to turn the front passenger seat around and move it back to get access to the fuse panel under the seat.

View attachment 106665

There is a brown 5 amp fuse at the bottom of the first run (circled below) - remove that and re-insert after a few seconds and the screen will be reset. Super simple and field deployable!

View attachment 106666

We had a similar issue when our screen froze and showed an auxiliary heater failure we had to have the AA out and his fix was to disconnect all three batteries which was the right pain in the backside as it meant emptying everything out of the van in the back to access the other leisure, battery that’s in the panel under the wardrobe

After the batteries were reconnected, the control panel did respond again that we had when we couldn’t access the panel as the pop top was up and we were unable to get that down to drive off anyway, so we couldn’t move
Did the heater work after it was reset? As our heater appear to start working again without any fault-Did you find any fault with the heater after the reset and did it require a visit to the dealers to get it fixed replaced. I currently have my van booked in to the dealers to look at this issue.
You should came about because the heater stopped working and we tried to get it working by making adjustments on the control panel. It was at this point it completely locked us out.

 

[California_Clarky]

Just reading back through the post again when the heater stopped working and I started making changes in the control panel was it in fact me that locked and froze the panel did I do something wrong is there any instructions on how the heater should be used to avoid this happening, going forwards

 

[Schadenfroid]

We had a similar issue when our screen froze and showed an auxiliary heater failure we had to have the AA out and his fix was to disconnect all three batteries which was the right pain in the backside as it meant emptying everything out of the van in the back to access the other leisure, battery that’s in the panel under the wardrobe

After the batteries were reconnected, the control panel did respond again that we had when we couldn’t access the panel as the pop top was up and we were unable to get that down to drive off anyway, so we couldn’t move
Did the heater work after it was reset? As our heater appear to start working again without any fault-Did you find any fault with the heater after the reset and did it require a visit to the dealers to get it fixed replaced. I currently have my van booked in to the dealers to look at this issue.
You should came about because the heater stopped working and we tried to get it working by making adjustments on the control panel. It was at this point it completely locked us out.

Heater has worked fine since then (over a year now) and we've never had that issue again - I think it is a relatively rare thing. My working theory is that the heater may have just reported a temporary issue to the camper control unit and was shutting down (like it maybe got too hot) but the CCU got stuck in a loop reporting the error so it couldn't be cleared. I say this because we had a Marco Polo that did the same thing, but the auxilliary heater status could be read and cleared though the vehicles OBD port. A couple of times on that vehicle it got too hot. Disconnecting all of the batteries would have the same effect as removing the fuse, but getting to that is a lot easier !

 

[California_Clarky]

Heater has worked fine since then (over a year now) and we've never had that issue again - I think it is a relatively rare thing. My working theory is that the heater may have just reported a temporary issue to the camper control unit and was shutting down (like it maybe got too hot) but the CCU got stuck in a loop reporting the error so it couldn't be cleared. I say this because we had a Marco Polo that did the same thing, but the auxilliary heater status could be read and cleared though the vehicles OBD port. A couple of times on that vehicle it got too hot. Disconnecting all of the batteries would have the same effect as removing the fuse, but getting to that is a lot easier !

It was a cold night and we were turning the heater on and off using the remote as it got too hot. We turned it off when it got cold, turned it on one told me turned it on and nothing happened. Is this the wrong way to use the heater, it was after this stopped working when I started looking at the control panel, and at that point, he just locked up

 

[Schadenfroid]

It was a cold night and we were turning the heater on and off using the remote as it got too hot. We turned it off when it got cold, turned it on one told me turned it on and nothing happened. Is this the wrong way to use the heater, it was after this stopped working when I started looking at the control panel, and at that point, he just locked up

The remote control will only operate the auxilliary heating for a maximum of (I think) 90 minutes. After that, the van MUST be physically moved (not just engine started, but actually driven) for the heating to work again. If you turn the heating on from the control panel, there is no time limit, it will work all night. Not sure why VW does this with the fobs, we found out when a client had their heating fail for exactly this reason (it is in the handbook). Using the fob constantly may have contributed to the freeze up of the panel, but to be honest the system should be able to cope.

You can adjust the level of the heating on the heating from the control panel - if you leave it on 2 or 3 all night you won't get too hot.

 

[calibusje]

It was a cold night and we were turning the heater on and off using the remote as it got too hot. We turned it off when it got cold, turned it on one told me turned it on and nothing happened. Is this the wrong way to use the heater, it was after this stopped working when I started looking at the control panel, and at that point, he just locked up

Hi! Your remote controls the immediate heat and is not intended to keep repeating. It is best to use your heat continuously and possibly set it to a lower setting for the night. Or use good sleeping bags.
I suspect that you have read all the previous posts and know how to unblock the heater after blocking it.
Succes!

 

[California_Clarky]

Hi! Your remote controls the immediate heat and is not intended to keep repeating. It is best to use your heat continuously and possibly set it to a lower setting for the night. Or use good sleeping bags.
I suspect that you have read all the previous posts and know how to unblock the heater after blocking it.
Succes!

Yes I have now - I wish I had found it on Monday night- would have save the ear bending from a cold wife

 

[Hawthorn37]

The remote control will only operate the auxilliary heating for a maximum of (I think) 90 minutes. After that, the van MUST be physically moved (not just engine started, but actually driven) for the heating to work again. If you turn the heating on from the control panel, there is no time limit, it will work all night. Not sure why VW does this with the fobs, we found out when a client had their heating fail for exactly this reason (it is in the handbook). Using the fob constantly may have contributed to the freeze up of the panel, but to be honest the system should be able to cope.

You can adjust the level of the heating on the heating from the control panel - if you leave it on 2 or 3 all night you won't get too hot.

I believe it’s a 20 minute timer on the remote control function.

 

[The Fockers]

5 watt fuse under the driver's seat, as shown by the OP and you. So the blue plug is when the 5 watt fuse doesn't help.