At a Loss!

[Private_Kelly]

A few weeks I took my 6 month old T6.1 Coast in to the garage for some warranty work. I thought it would just take a couple of days tops. After all the problem was just a leisure battery that was losing charge. No problem I thought it will soon be fixed. How wrong was I. It has been over a month now and fuses and all the wiring has been checked and a New Camper Control Unit has been fitted and all to no avail and the problem persists. I am at a loss. It feels like my van has been stolen by VW. I have raised a complaint and expressed my dissatisfaction about the whole sorry affair but feel so helpless. Has anyone else had any issues like this. It must be some kind of record.

 

[AlisonF]

My record was 22 days for a job I was advised would take 6 hours…
I feel your pain and hope you get it back, fixed, very soon.

 

[Perfectos]

A few weeks I took my 6 month old T6.1 Coast in to the garage for some warranty work. I thought it would just take a couple of days tops. After all the problem was just a leisure battery that was losing charge. No problem I thought it will soon be fixed. How wrong was I. It has been over a month now and fuses and all the wiring has been checked and a New Camper Control Unit has been fitted and all to no avail and the problem persists. I am at a loss. It feels like my van has been stolen by VW. I have raised a complaint and expressed my dissatisfaction about the whole sorry affair but feel so helpless. Has anyone else had any issues like this. It must be some kind of record.

Have you asked for a replacement Cali to use whilst they can’t fix yours ?

Edit tell them you will hire one for the duration they have yours and you will charge them the hire fees !

 

[subthree]

A few weeks I took my 6 month old T6.1 Coast in to the garage for some warranty work. I thought it would just take a couple of days tops. After all the problem was just a leisure battery that was losing charge. No problem I thought it will soon be fixed. How wrong was I. It has been over a month now and fuses and all the wiring has been checked and a New Camper Control Unit has been fitted and all to no avail and the problem persists. I am at a loss. It feels like my van has been stolen by VW. I have raised a complaint and expressed my dissatisfaction about the whole sorry affair but feel so helpless. Has anyone else had any issues like this. It must be some kind of record.

I really feel for you, really do.

After 48 weeks of waiting my 6.1 dumped all the engine oil safety just 600 miles. Luckily it was an easy fix but I was mighty p!ssed off at the time. I really hope yours gets sorted soon. Our van has been an utter game changer for us. Hang in there.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

A few weeks I took my 6 month old T6.1 Coast in to the garage for some warranty work. I thought it would just take a couple of days tops. After all the problem was just a leisure battery that was losing charge. No problem I thought it will soon be fixed. How wrong was I. It has been over a month now and fuses and all the wiring has been checked and a New Camper Control Unit has been fitted and all to no avail and the problem persists. I am at a loss. It feels like my van has been stolen by VW. I have raised a complaint and expressed my dissatisfaction about the whole sorry affair but feel so helpless. Has anyone else had any issues like this. It must be some kind of record.

Wow, that’s unacceptable @Coasterman they really should be able to diagnose the problem. Have they checked the integrity of the battery itself? How many systems in a Coast draw power from the Leisure Battery? Surely they could disable each one in turn to identify which, if any, is draining the battery? Who have you raised your complaint with, the dealership or VWCS?

 

[GrannyJen]

A few weeks I took my 6 month old T6.1 Coast in to the garage for some warranty work. I thought it would just take a couple of days tops. After all the problem was just a leisure battery that was losing charge. No problem I thought it will soon be fixed. How wrong was I. It has been over a month now and fuses and all the wiring has been checked and a New Camper Control Unit has been fitted and all to no avail and the problem persists. I am at a loss. It feels like my van has been stolen by VW. I have raised a complaint and expressed my dissatisfaction about the whole sorry affair but feel so helpless. Has anyone else had any issues like this. It must be some kind of record.

I had a similar problem with my first T5.

Control unit changed, then battery changed, then earth shunt, then other bits, and other bits, 6 weeks later I was driving around in an Audi whilst my camper became a fixture at SMG. Finally it was a break in the wiring between a relay somewhere that was causing an intermittent loss of charge.

 

[Private_Kelly]

Wow, that’s unacceptable @Coasterman they really should be able to diagnose the problem. Have they checked the integrity of the battery itself? How many systems in a Coast draw power from the Leisure Battery? Surely they could disable each one in turn to identify which, if any, is draining the battery? Who have you raised your complaint with, the dealership or VWCS?

Well that's really why I’m at a loss. They are the experts and I assume all the obvious things are checked first. I seem to remember they told me the battery health was good. They have been liaising with VW Technical in Germany. It’s all a bit of a bugger. I have raised a complaint to VWCS. I spoke to them this morning.

 

[Private_Kelly]

I had a similar problem with my first T5.

Control unit changed, then battery changed, then earth shunt, then other bits, and other bits, 6 weeks later I was driving around in an Audi why my camper became a fixture at SMG. Finally it was a break in the wiring between a rely somewhere that was causing an intermittent loss of charge.

Yes these problems can be difficult to isolate and I’m sure the garage are doing the best that they can. I found out this morning that the Control Unit replacement hadn’t cut the mustard. I was certain that would cure it. They mentioned checking the CANBUS this morning. I should have said try checking the CAN’TBUS

 

[andyinluton]

Keep up the complaints with VWCS, if I was left without a van for the summer holidays I would be seeking an equivalent loan vehicle.
Would also be considering suggesting to VWCS that they buy back the van & let you have one of the "VW won't let us sell that as we have to have one in the showroom" vans that are still out there.

I have recently had lengthy sensible conversations with VWCS about the inadequacies of VW assist & how the whole system within the commercial vehicle set up is not fit for purpose when dealing with campers. They do not appreciate that the van is actually your holiday accommodation & just getting you mobile is not enough.

No point getting angry with either VWCS or the dealer, leave that until your van is sorted, you need them on your side at the moment.

 

[AlisonF]

Keep up the complaints with VWCS, if I was left without a van for the summer holidays I would be seeking an equivalent loan vehicle.
Would also be considering suggesting to VWCS that they buy back the van & let you have one of the "VW won't let us sell that as we have to have one in the showroom" vans that are still out there.

I have recently had lengthy sensible conversations with VWCS about the inadequacies of VW assist & how the whole system within the commercial vehicle set up is not fit for purpose when dealing with campers. They do not appreciate that the van is actually your holiday accommodation & just getting you mobile is not enough.

No point getting angry with either VWCS or the dealer, leave that until your van is sorted, you need them on your side at the moment.

Totally agree with that last sentiment.
Also, it’s not always the local van centres fault. In my case they had been sent incomplete parts / wrong parts, etc. from Germany, several times!!! So, it was good to keep a friendly dialogue and then complain to VW UK to get things either escalated or sensible compensation.

 

[Lightning]

The habitation electrics are the Achilles heel for rectification of faults. They couldn't come close to rectifying an interior light fault on my T6 even after three attempts. It still doesn’t work.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

A few weeks I took my 6 month old T6.1 Coast in to the garage for some warranty work. I thought it would just take a couple of days tops. After all the problem was just a leisure battery that was losing charge. No problem I thought it will soon be fixed. How wrong was I. It has been over a month now and fuses and all the wiring has been checked and a New Camper Control Unit has been fitted and all to no avail and the problem persists. I am at a loss. It feels like my van has been stolen by VW. I have raised a complaint and expressed my dissatisfaction about the whole sorry affair but feel so helpless. Has anyone else had any issues like this. It must be some kind of record.

What is it that’s at fault. Maybe someone might have an idea?

 

[Ozzy Pete]

What is it that’s at fault. Maybe someone might have an idea?

Was it just the leisure battery or something else.

 

[Private_Kelly]

Keep up the complaints with VWCS, if I was left without a van for the summer holidays I would be seeking an equivalent loan vehicle.
Would also be considering suggesting to VWCS that they buy back the van & let you have one of the "VW won't let us sell that as we have to have one in the showroom" vans that are still out there.

I have recently had lengthy sensible conversations with VWCS about the inadequacies of VW assist & how the whole system within the commercial vehicle set up is not fit for purpose when dealing with campers. They do not appreciate that the van is actually your holiday accommodation & just getting you mobile is not enough.

No point getting angry with either VWCS or the dealer, leave that until your van is sorted, you need them on your side at the moment.

Yes. I quite agree that shouting down the phone and losing ones temper is wholly unproductive.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Was it just the leisure battery or something else.

How long does it take for the batteries to completely discharge with nothing switched on? Mine were losing 10% a day then they replaced them.

 

[Private_Kelly]

Was it just the leisure battery or something else.

It was the 2nd leisure battery ( the one under the cupboard ) that wasn’t charging.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

It was the 2nd leisure battery ( the one under the cupboard ) that wasn’t charging.

That sounds really odd. So the one under the seat is charging and the one in the cupboard isn’t. Have they swapped the batteries around to see if that works?

 

[Lightning]

They must have checked the cube fuse presumably?

 

[GrannyJen]

Yes. I quite agree that shouting down the phone and losing ones temper is wholly unproductive.

I also posted on VW commercial Facebook page, my posting booted up to the top each time by help from some members of this forum who were brilliant.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

That sounds really odd. So the one under the seat is charging and the one in the cupboard isn’t. Have they swapped the batteries around to see if that works?

That does sound odd.
Out of interest and my future reference, what made you notice that the rear leisure battery wasn’t holding a charge?

 

[Private_Kelly]

That does sound odd.
Out of interest and my future reference, what made you notice that the rear leisure battery wasn’t holding a charge?

I was sat at Carsington Water CMC site and it was the Camper Control Unit that flagged it up. I would expect the leisure batteries to lose charge if i had been off grid for a week but not on EHU. I plugged in to EHU when I returned home with no draw and it fluctuated all over the place until the CCU decided it was empty.

 

[WelshGas]

They must have checked the cube fuse presumably?

Presumably, but you never know.
I wonder if they looked at the fuse or actually tested it?

 

[Ozzy Pete]

I was sat at Carsington Water CMC site and it was the Camper Control Unit that flagged it up. I would expect the leisure batteries to lose charge if i had been off grid for a week but not on EHU. I plugged in to EHU when I returned home with no draw and it fluctuated all over the place until the CCU decided it was empty.

It’s not unheard of for a battery to go kaput after 6 months, have they actually checked the condition of the battery?

 

[Private_Kelly]

Well. I am still at a loss. My van has now been stuck in a garage compound for the Grand Total of 30 days. This is getting quite stressful now it has to be said. VW should be ashamed of themselves. But hey ho they have had my money and I have nothing.

 

[GrannyJen]

Well. I am still at a loss. My van has now been stuck in a garage compound for the Grand Total of 30 days. This is getting quite stressful now it has to be said. VW should be ashamed of themselves. But hey ho they have had my money and I have nothing.

It may be time for a second opinion.

Get it out of Jail and take it to one of the recommended dealers mentioned on here who have an understanding of the Cali.

Notify VW Customer care why you are doing it and your disgust at having to do it.