Crunching/Scraping noise on reversing

[John T]

Hi all

I have recently bought a California T6.1 Ocean and am not sure if this is a feature or an issue.

When my reverse sensor "senses" something and I keep reversing there's a horrible crunching sound.

It sounds like the rear is crunching/scraping something.

The issue is that my drive has a bit of a dip and when I reverse out, the sensors detect the road and start beeping.

Then comes the sound.

I have had someone watch the car reversing and nothing is anywhere near the ground.

At first, I thought it might have been the spare wheel cage hitting the ground but there is good clearance.

Any ideas?

 

[Mehdime]

Hi all

I have recently bought a California T6.1 Ocean and am not sure if this is a feature or an issue.

When my reverse sensor "senses" something and I keep reversing there's a horrible crunching sound.

It sounds like the rear is crunching/scraping something.

That sounds like the automatic breaking feature. Automatically breaks for you with that horrible crunching noise to stop you from reversing into something. Saved me a few times. But it can get confused by vegetation or a big dip like it sounds you have.

I *think* that you can temporarily disable automatic breaking when you reverse by tapping one of the icons that’s displayed on the bottom left-hand side of the reversing camera screen. And I also *think* that you can permanently disable automatic breaking when reversing somewhere in the settings menu (but you can’t disable forward automatic breaking as that’s required by law - not an issue in your case though). I’m not at the van so can’t check.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi all

I have recently bought a California T6.1 Ocean and am not sure if this is a feature or an issue.

When my reverse sensor "senses" something and I keep reversing there's a horrible crunching sound.

It sounds like the rear is crunching/scraping something.

The issue is that my drive has a bit of a dip and when I reverse out, the sensors detect the road and start beeping.

Then comes the sound.

I have had someone watch the car reversing and nothing is anywhere near the ground.

At first, I thought it might have been the spare wheel cage hitting the ground but there is good clearance.

Any ideas?

Are you sure the noise is from the rear

 

[Hawthorn37]

Mud flaps fitted?

 

[John T]

That sounds like the automatic breaking feature. Automatically breaks for you with that horrible crunching noise to stop you from reversing into something. Saved me a few times. But it can get confused by vegetation or a big dip like it sounds you have.

I *think* that you can temporarily disable automatic breaking when you reverse by tapping one of the icons that’s displayed on the bottom left-hand side of the reversing camera screen. And I also *think* that you can permanently disable automatic breaking when reversing somewhere in the settings menu (but you can’t disable forward automatic breaking as that’s required by law - not an issue in your case though). I’m not at the van so can’t check.

Thanks for your helpful reply, I’ll have a look at settings menu. It is effective in immediately stopping me reversing.

 

[Perfectos]

The front spoiler has two plastic deflectors tgat point down vertical, check these are not hitting the ground (in line with both front wheels )

As you reverse look at the Screen to see which sensor turns red

 

[John T]

Mud flaps fitted?

No

 

[John T]

The front spoiler has two plastic deflectors tgat point down vertical, check these are not hitting the ground (in line with both front wheels )

As you reverse look at the Screen to see which sensor turns red

The back sensors turn red

 

[Mehdime]

Thanks for your helpful reply, I’ll have a look at settings menu. It is effective in immediately stopping me reversing.

I don’t have the van to check. But found that random picture online. See the icon that I circled on it. The one with a brake sign and the letter A on it. Tap that when you reverse and it should hopefully stop the automatic braking. But you’ll have to tap that every-time you reverse unless the find a way to disable it entirely in the settings.

 

[Kimbo]

Have you by any chance got the extra sensors on each side of the van at the rear for cross traffic alert ?

 

[John T]

Mud flaps fitted?

No, I don’t have mud flaps

 

[John T]

Have you by any chance got the extra sensors on each side of the van at the rear for cross traffic alert ?

Yes it has sensors at the sides to aide parking

 

[Perfectos]

The rear sensors you mention are proximity parking sensors. (Mounted into the bumper? )
the rear sensors are picking up the ground , which may be the source of the sound ? Grounding out

As far as I am Aware the T5 did not have not additional cross traffic sensors. (Purely camera and parking proximity sensors which become live when reverse is selected)

Lay on the floor at the rear of the van, (take some photos)

look at the spare wheel carrier , Rear towing loop, tow bar, bumper , heat shields etc, have they got any scapes ?

Post photos here if you would like further comment

Some photo for reference (note this is a T6 and may differ from yours ) ther are some parts that are lower than the rear bumper that may be grounding out

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

Has the van been stood a while, sometimes surface corrosion on discs can create grinding noises especially in reverse?

 

[Mehdime]

The OP has a T6.1, not a T5.

But if you read the original post, you’ll see what what he’s describing is exactly what the automatic braking system does. His drive has a large dip. The proximity sensors go off when reversing as they sense the ground. Then automatic braking engages to stop the van crashing into the ground. And that’s the horrible crunching noise (automatic braking doesn’t sound or feel anything like normal braking).

 

[DanKavanagh]

Helpful thread - thank you.

When we got our new 6.1 home last weekend I had a similar experience reversing into our drive in it for the first time. There's an incline over the pavement, then the driveway has a couple of dips in it, and 20cm concrete ledge at the side where our neighbours' drive is higher.

I was (obviously) being really careful, but halfway onto the drive I heard a horrible crunch and thought I'd hit something. I stopped the van where it was, half across the pavement, got out and asked my wife what I'd hit, mortified as we were literally returning from the dealer's.

She was confused and hadn't heard anything.

Mystery solved!

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

The OP has a T6.1, not a T5.

But if you read the original post, you’ll see what what he’s describing is exactly what the automatic braking system does. His drive has a large dip. The proximity sensors go off when reversing as they sense the ground. Then automatic braking engages to stop the van crashing into the ground. And that’s the horrible crunching noise (automatic braking doesn’t sound or feel anything like normal braking).

Thankyou...however perhaps you can get the OP to update it where it clearly says T5!

 

[Mansfieldman750]

I have to reverse up a fairly steep drive and the automatic braking would slam the anchors on every time.
I get round it by pressing the P button which switches off the camera until all four wheels of the van are on the slope.
Then switch it back on to avoid reversing into the house.

 

[Kimbo]

Yes it has sensors at the sides to aide parking

Try turning off lane assist if you have it.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

I have to reverse up a fairly steep drive and the automatic braking would slam the anchors on every time.
I get round it by pressing the P button which switches off the camera until all four wheels of the van are on the slope.
Then switch it back on to avoid reversing into the house.

Thank you @Mansfieldman750 for this, I have exactly the same problem and it has been quite frustrating. I will try your fix.

 

[Mehdime]

Thank you @Mansfieldman750 for this, I have exactly the same problem and it has been quite frustrating. I will try your fix.

You can also just tap the automatic braking button to disable it whenever you don’t want it on: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/crunching-scraping-noise-on-reversing.55794/#post-722961

 

[Perfectos]

The OP has a T6.1, not a T5.

But if you read the original post, you’ll see what what he’s describing is exactly what the automatic braking system does. His drive has a large dip. The proximity sensors go off when reversing as they sense the ground. Then automatic braking engages to stop the van crashing into the ground. And that’s the horrible crunching noise (automatic braking doesn’t sound or feel anything like normal braking).

Appologies their profile still says T5

 

[Viktorgeorge]

You can also just tap the automatic braking button to disable it whenever you don’t want it on: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/crunching-scraping-noise-on-reversing.55794/#post-722961

@Mehdime, thanks to you and @Mansfieldman750 I can see that there could be two clear ways to stop the horrible crunching when reversing over a dip sometimes (on my drive often):

1. Press the P button to turn off the parking sensors, or

2. Press the circled ((A)) looking symbol on the reversing camera screen (bottom LH corner) until it has an orange box around it.

The second, yours, is probably the easiest when anyway watching the reversing camera on screen, though I will experiment with both.

I have been tolerating this embarrassing problem since my first drive home almost two years ago and thought it was a fault of the ‘hill start’ braking and was hoping it would settle down rather than my need to take to VW: so thank you, both, for these fixes.

 

[John T]

Thank you for all your helpful suggestions, as it is a new van I wasn’t aware of the automatic braking system that can be activated by the sensors whilst reversing. Now I know that I can be deactivate it if i need to.
I have looked underneath the van and there is no evidence of any damage that would have been caused if I had actually hit the drive or kerb.

 

[Mehdime]

Finally have my van back so I can take pictures.

For anyone who would like to disable the automatic braking system when reversing on the T6.1 so that the van doesn’t brake with that unpleasant crunching noise when sensing a big dip or vegetation, there are two options.

You can disable it temporarily by tapping the brake icon on the reversing camera so that it turns yellow like so:



Or you can disable it permanently so that it never brakes automatically when reversing by going to the Vehicle menu -> Settings -> Parking and Manoeuvring -> untick the “Active” box under “Manoeuvre braking” here: