6.1 owners what problems & issues have you had with your Cali and how quickly was it put right.

[scabrero]

Had my van 4 days - so far only faults Are grey water tank shows some water in it when it’s empty (valve open for over 2 hours) and drivers heated seat doesn’t work.

As far as I know there is no level sensor in the gray water tank, it only warns when it is full. Mine is the same, the graphical representation for non-full shows some water in, and when it is full an alarm sounds in control panel and the icon changes to full.

 

[Gigi]

My 6.1 is fine except the overhead locker needed to be replaced and one of the bed rails is warped so need to be replaced. Still waiting for part.

 

[scabrero]

The auxiliary heater on our 6.1 is driving me nuts. It refuses to switch on in heat immediately mode/continuously mode from the control panel, but does switch on from the remote control. After an hour or so it randomly switches off completely, so we wake up in the morning to a cold van. Its not the thermostat because the indicator light goes out, and its not the drive away function which is set to 00.00 - although I have to say the new functions are really quite confusing and unnecessarily complicated. What was wrong with the one on our previous 6.0 Ocean. You know - switch goes on/switch goes off.

Agree, it is way more complicated than necessary and the manual is useless.
Although I have not had problems with aux heater, I would try to disable all scheduling and reset the control panel to factory defaults (there is an option in the settings menu).
Also, the remote only triggers the heat immediately mode, which is limited to the time you set (120 min max). If you want to run the heater all night you have to start the heat continuously mode and that can only be done using the control panel.

 

[Alex The Cliff]

Hi my new 6.1 since March has just had a recall from VW needing replacement door seals which apparently under freezing conditions can result in the doors opening . Not at all happy with this one.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I have no idea why Volkswagen don’t make the camping part of the vehicle modular.
This would make fault finding and replacement far easier.

I would make the roof manual, so that’s a massive complexity dealt with.
The fridge could be stand alone with a simple button panel on the fridge.
The heating could be stand alone Eberspacher with controls.

Volkswagen have never got their heads around the California through their network.
Surely going modular would simply things for all.

 

[subthree]

Hi my new 6.1 since March has just had a recall from VW needing replacement door seals which apparently under freezing conditions can result in the doors opening . Not at all happy with this one.

That recall affects all Transporter based vehicles. It is a genuine safety issue. Not sure when VW announced the recall but we collected our 6.1 early July and the dealer did it before we collected.

 

[larrylamb]

Some control panel issues on this page i posted.

T6.1 Control panel common Issues and Faults.

Starting this thread for users to add their own comments and issues etc. with the new style control panel fitted to the 6.1. After the recent introduction of the T6.1 California I have been noticing quite a lot of people reporting issues and faults relating to the control panel. I have seen...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Paul S]

I have no idea why Volkswagen don’t make the camping part of the vehicle modular.
This would make fault finding and replacement far easier.

I would make the roof manual, so that’s a massive complexity dealt with.
The fridge could be stand alone with a simple button panel on the fridge.
The heating could be stand alone Eberspacher with controls.

Volkswagen have never got their heads around the California through their network.
Surely going modular would simply things for all.

Very sensible suggestions. Of course there’s always the Beach or Coast which do away with the majority of the long term worries over the roof. Compartmentalising the controls would indeed make sense but then VW would lose the USP of the super central control unit. And to them it’s a great idea. The reality is that few buyers will go into it as loaded with scepticism as those who have been bitten once by a dud unit.

 

[Karlos]

Very sensible suggestions. Of course there’s always the Beach or Coast which do away with the majority of the long term worries over the roof. Compartmentalising the controls would indeed make sense but then VW would lose the USP of the super central control unit. And to them it’s a great idea. The reality is that few buyers will go into it as loaded with scepticism as those who have been bitten once by a dud unit.

Do we think the old unit was better as it was less complicated or do those with experience of the 6.1 like the new control unit even with it's issues.

I have to say if someone at VW told me to pull the fuse on a 70k motor to reset the control unit I would asking for my money back.

 

[Karlos]

Thought I'd revive this thread to see what other problems owners are experiencing and what you think of the T6.1 build quality.

 

[toeknee]

The drawer under the back seat bench on mine doesn’t slide back properly. The housing for the drawer is slightly unaligned and catches the drawer front as you push it back in. You have to press the casing back to let it move freely. Will get it checked by dealer at some point but not really a biggie at the moment.

 

[Grumpy Mike]

Just had a caliper (Front drivers side) fail and lock the breaks on. Out of warranty now so local independent and £300 later sorted. Missed her even for the one night she wasnt outside on the drive... Roll on summer...

 

[andyinluton]

Just had a caliper (Front drivers side) fail and lock the breaks on. Out of warranty now so local independent and £300 later sorted. Missed her even for the one night she wasnt outside on the drive... Roll on summer...

A T6.1 already out of warranty???

 

[Grumpy Mike]

A T6.1 already out of warranty???

Sorry.... 17 plate T6

 

[NorCal]

I have no idea why Volkswagen don’t make the camping part of the vehicle modular.
This would make fault finding and replacement far easier.

I would make the roof manual, so that’s a massive complexity dealt with.
The fridge could be stand alone with a simple button panel on the fridge.
The heating could be stand alone Eberspacher with controls.

Volkswagen have never got their heads around the California through their network.
Surely going modular would simply things for all.

I see the appeal of the manual roof and the simplified controls for the fridge and the heating, but it’s now 2021, and many California buyers will be attracted to the ‘gimmick-engineering’ prevalent in new cars. I recall when I first opened the door of an Audi with a digital cocpit in a showroom, I was greeted with the appearance of the Audi 4 ring logo on he display screen accompanied by a sound effect. Someone had this lightbulb moment and charged designers and software engineers to add this feature; it’s all superfluous code IMHO.

From an operational perspective, the contextual touch-screen control of the camper features is a natural development of the smartphone, which is now a feature of pretty much everyone’s daily life.

But there is also the powerful force of reducing production costs from VW‘s shareholders’ perspective. I imagine the ’Digital Cocpit’ in VWs, and increasingly other brands, costs substantialy less to manufacture than traditional instrument. Once the software is written, the LCD display will be peanuts to produce. Likewise with multiplexed systems - CanBus - there’s fewer mechanical switches to produce and install.

Modern vehicles illustrate the consequences of bean-counters and millennial marketers calling the shots...

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I see the appeal of the manual roof and the simplified controls for the fridge and the heating, but it’s now 2021, and many California buyers will be attracted to the ‘gimmick-engineering’ prevalent in new cars. I recall when I first opened the door of an Audi with a digital cocpit in a showroom, I was greeted with the appearance of the Audi 4 ring logo on he display screen accompanied by a sound effect. Someone had this lightbulb moment and charged designers and software engineers to add this feature; it’s all superfluous code IMHO.

From an operational perspective, the contextual touch-screen control of the camper features is a natural development of the smartphone, which is now a feature of pretty much everyone’s daily life.

But there is also the powerful force of reducing production costs from VW‘s shareholders’ perspective. I imagine the ’Digital Cocpit’ in VWs, and increasingly other brands, costs substantialy less to manufacture than traditional instrument. Once the software is written, the LCD display will be peanuts to produce. Likewise with multiplexed systems - CanBus - there’s fewer mechanical switches to produce and install.

Modern vehicles illustrate the consequences of bean-counters and millennial marketers calling the shots...

Nothing stands still otherwise we’d all still be using hand signals.
I believe what most manufacturers are actually doing is introducing the technologies that will be essential if they are to offer autonomous vehicles in the future. They are effectively road testing the technologies and in doing so, gathering huge volumes of data to assist future developments.
I confess to liking a few gadgets

 

[66tim99]

I see the appeal of the manual roof and the simplified controls for the fridge and the heating, but it’s now 2021, and many California buyers will be attracted to the ‘gimmick-engineering’ prevalent in new cars. I recall when I first opened the door of an Audi with a digital cocpit in a showroom, I was greeted with the appearance of the Audi 4 ring logo on he display screen accompanied by a sound effect. Someone had this lightbulb moment and charged designers and software engineers to add this feature; it’s all superfluous code IMHO.

From an operational perspective, the contextual touch-screen control of the camper features is a natural development of the smartphone, which is now a feature of pretty much everyone’s daily life.

But there is also the powerful force of reducing production costs from VW‘s shareholders’ perspective. I imagine the ’Digital Cocpit’ in VWs, and increasingly other brands, costs substantialy less to manufacture than traditional instrument. Once the software is written, the LCD display will be peanuts to produce. Likewise with multiplexed systems - CanBus - there’s fewer mechanical switches to produce and install.

Modern vehicles illustrate the consequences of bean-counters and millennial marketers calling the shots...

If VW can find a way to make a dashboard more functional AND cheaper, that’s progress isn’t it?

 

[CaliGE]

6.1 Ocean owner since May 2020, no issues so far, 10‘000 km of fun yet

 

[Karlos]

6.1 Ocean owner since May 2020, no issues so far, 10‘000 km of fun yet

Good news.

 

[JGov]

T6.1 Coast since april 2020. Weekly use, but only one overnighter thusfar . It was a stock model and I had a fixed towbar fitted before delivery (took VW 6 weeks to install because of missing parts and ‘difficult wiring’...). Only hickup until now: pigtail warning and loss
of power uphill when I had the bikerack on the towbar. Must be the ‘difficult wiring’, dealer
couldn’t find a problem nor answer but did manage to charge me for it

I love the van, seriously. And I am
so grateful now we chose a manual roof! That idiot selling me the van at the VW desk literally told me:’ We never had any significant problems with the electric roof.’

 

[Pablo12]

April T6.1 Coast

Windows didn’t close fully
Inside table bolts came off
A Roof strut have lost strength so roof doesn’t stay up fully.
Door lock won’t work with key (after dead battery) so locked out.

Other than that it’s been great.

 

[subthree]

Back to the original question, we have had our 6.1 since July 2020. Unfortunately at circa 600 miles it dumped all the engine oil due to a loose jubilee clip. After a total of 5,000 miles no other issues at all. About 25 nights of camping so far. All of the family absolute love it. Our first campervan, so can only compare it to the years/decades of tent camping.

 

[Soton Campers]

The drawer under the back seat bench on mine doesn’t slide back properly. The housing for the drawer is slightly unaligned and catches the drawer front as you push it back in. You have to press the casing back to let it move freely. Will get it checked by dealer at some point but not really a biggie at the moment.

Same. I've got this problem on one of mine. Breeze Totton are dealing with it.

 

[t6.1]

Handbrake cover came off in the first week, was easy enough to clip back on.

Cabinet door doesn't quite close properly, you have to slide shut first and pull quite hard, then swing the door with the mirror on to close - perceiving with this one, but would be good to know if anyone else had this issue, or has a suggestion how to fix myself.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Other than the infamous jammed bench seat when the van was new in November, we’ve had no issues at all i’m pleased to say. Bench seat was fixed in a reasonable time frame considering an entire new base was ordered from Germany and we were given a decent sum in compensation for our inconvenience.
The only niggle we have is the We Connect App is a bit naff.