Disastrous test drive

[EllieE]

Hi I'm new here, today I took my prospective 6.1 Ocean for a test drive & parked on my drive. started checking everything worked, popped up roof OK then tried turning on aux heater. Got a message on the control panel saying 'Error: auxiliary heater' which we cant get rid of & cant reset the control panel. So now Ive got a van that you cant drive anywhere because we cant access the menu that would allow us to drop the roof! I thought the Cali was the 'Rolls Royce' - it certainly costs enough. Is this a typical situation?

 

[Mehdime]

Sorry to hear. At the risk of stating the obvious: no, it’s not a typical situation. But it has happened before. See the first post here for instructions on how to reset the control panel: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/solution-for-frozen-camper-control-touchscreen-t6-1.48820/

 

[Meoncoast]

If you are on a test drive. 1.ring the garage and say come and help. 2.Ring VW assist if new van under warranty. 3. Feedback to forum outcomes may help others.

 

[EllieE]

Sorry to hear. At the risk of stating the obvious: no, it’s not a typical situation. But it has happened before. See the first post here for instructions on how to reset the control panel: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/solution-for-frozen-camper-control-touchscreen-t6-1.48820/

 

[Ch1pbutty]

VW have been struggling over recent years and are closing factories in Germany in order to remain competitive . As part of the process they might have switched to alternative suppliers to keep costs down which may impact on build quality.

Unfortunately the roof has always been its Achilles heel, with issues such as galvanic corrosion, hydraulic / control panel issues, leaky roof canvas seams (new vans).

You might be better off with an older 2nd hand van which tend to have a better build quality and should retain value more versus a brand new van. You can get certain models with a manual roof which will avoid any control panel issues.

That said…they are still great vans!

 

[EllieE]

Thank you SO much - that’s really helpful. The garage came out yesterday but didn’t know what to do - they are coming back today to sort it out, but it made me rather nervous as I wouldn’t want to get stuck somewhere off piste!

 

[EllieE]

VW have been struggling over recent years and are closing factories in Germany in order to remain competitive . As part of the process they might have switched to alternative suppliers to keep costs down which may impact on build quality.

Unfortunately the roof has always been its Achilles heel, with issues such as galvanic corrosion, hydraulic / control panel issues, leaky roof canvas seams (new vans).

You might be better off with an older 2nd hand van which tend to have a better build quality and should retain value more versus a brand new van. You can get certain models with a manual roof which will avoid any control panel issues.

Thank you - I’ll have a look into that, does seem to be a backward step not letting you reset the control panel like you can on the 6

 

[Defender90]

Thank you SO much - that’s really helpful. The garage came out yesterday but didn’t know what to do - they are coming back today to sort it out, but it made me rather nervous as I wouldn’t want to get stuck somewhere off piste!

This is why I have no confidence in the clowns at the vw garage
Simple fix by pulling a small fuse under the passenger seat then replacing.

 

[Mehdime]

You might be better off with an older 2nd hand van which tend to have a better build quality and should retain value more versus a brand new van. You can get certain models with a manual roof which will avoid any control panel issues.

Not sure about this to be honest. An older van won’t depreciate as fast, that’s for sure. But all Californias have had various issues. And the myriad of camping equipments will inevitably go wrong as the van ages.

A new van with 3 year VW assist and 5 year manufacturer’s warranty would give you a much greater peace of mind than a second hand van with no warranty (unless you’re into DIY).

 

[pluc99]

Thank you SO much - that’s really helpful. The garage came out yesterday but didn’t know what to do - they are coming back today to sort it out, but it made me rather nervous as I wouldn’t want to get stuck somewhere off piste!

This can happen when you run the auxiliary heater in "immediate" mode (e.g. via remote control) for more than 120 accumulated minutes without interrupting the timer by driving off. The remedy is the one suggested by @Defender90. There is no such problem with "Continuous" heating mode, which is what you must use to heat when you are parked or camping (via the control unit, not the remote).

 

[EllieE]

This is why I have no confidence in the clowns at the vw garage
Simple fix by pulling a small fuse under the passenger seat then replacing.

View attachment 130467

This can happen when you run the auxiliary heater in "immediate" mode (e.g. via remote control) for more than 120 accumulated minutes without interrupting the timer by driving off. The remedy is the one suggested by @Defender90. There is no such problem with "Continuous" heating mode, which is what you must use to heat when you are parked or camping (via the control unit, not the remote).

The garage guy did exactly this & it worked perfectly & we put the roof down. Still getting the error message re the Aux heater but they are sending it to VW for sorting out but I'll take a note of what you say here to avoid problems in future. I cant wait, to take delivery now & thank you all for your help

 

[acer]

The garage guy did exactly this & it worked perfectly & we put the roof down. Still getting the error message re the Aux heater but they are sending it to VW for sorting out but I'll take a note of what you say here to avoid problems in future. I cant wait, to take delivery now & thank you all for your help

Once you realise that you’re never alone with this forum, even ‘off piste’ as you put it, confidence really picks up. This place is superb for help, advice and inspiration. We tend to do 2 four-week trips a year in Europe, using this forum as our comfort blanket.

 

[wildslammer22]

Not sure about this to be honest. An older van won’t depreciate as fast, that’s for sure. But all Californias have had various issues. And the myriad of camping equipments will inevitably go wrong as the van ages.

A new van with 3 year VW assist and 5 year manufacturer’s warranty would give you a much greater peace of mind than a second hand van with no warranty (unless you’re into DIY).

Plenty of used vans with residual warranty or all-in-one plans that are transferable (as they are registered to the van and not the owner). A nearly new one is likely to have had the ‘teething’ issues sorted e.g. leaky bellows etc. I would imagine buying a brand new van and then have it sit in the dealers for days/weeks while they replace bellows etc is pretty tiresome. That of course assumes that the dealer even has a clue in how to fix any of the camping equipment. It seems that the dealers that really understand the Cali are pretty rare as demonstrated by the OP’s diesel heater saga!

 

[EllieE]

Once you realise that you’re never alone with this forum, even ‘off piste’ as you put it, confidence really picks up. This place is superb for help, advice and inspiration. We tend to do 2 four-week trips a year in Europe, using this forum as our comfort blanket.

Thank you - reading the posts is very helpful

 

[derek_j_buchanan]

Hi I'm new here, today I took my prospective 6.1 Ocean for a test drive & parked on my drive. started checking everything worked, popped up roof OK then tried turning on aux heater. Got a message on the control panel saying 'Error: auxiliary heater' which we cant get rid of & cant reset the control panel. So now Ive got a van that you cant drive anywhere because we cant access the menu that would allow us to drop the roof! I thought the Cali was the 'Rolls Royce' - it certainly costs enough. Is this a typical situation?

Think you will find these vans are all a little complex and sometimes things go a little wrong. We were surprised at the cost of conversions when we visited the camping and Campervaning show last year, Cali was cheaper. There are several posts about this error and how to clear it - have a browse.

 

[cguncha1986olot]

El mecánico hizo exactamente esto y funcionó perfectamente. Pusimos el techo. Sigo recibiendo el mensaje de error sobre el calentador auxiliar, pero lo están enviando a VW para que lo solucionen. Tomaré nota de lo que dices aquí para evitar problemas en el futuro. No puedo esperar a recibir la entrega ahora y gracias a todos por su ayuda.

Hola!! Hace poco tuve el mismo error, intenté reiniciar el sistema quitando el fusible pero persistía el error con la calefacción, en mi caso se solucionó cambiando la bujía de la calefacción que es la encargada del encendido, a VW le costó 400€ la reparación.

 

[Straad]

Hi. I know it’s of little consequence but I once took an a VW Campervan for a test drive (an older T4 Komet) and as we were driving along I slid the passenger seat back which shorted the (new and too high) leisure battery under the passenger seat and set the van on fire!

 

[gatvol]

This fault is unfortunate but should sound alarm bells.

Californias offer fantastic flexibility - but there have been innumerate significant problems with the various generations. Whether it's rubbish electric doors, leaking bellows, roof corrosion, useless engines, alloy wheel corrosion..... It's part of the pact you sign with the devil.

I have had mine 12 years and the overall package of pros and cons still works for me.

If you want to avoid nasty experiences like the one you have already had - walk away now as it's probably just the start.

 

[kurienp]

This fault is unfortunate but should sound alarm bells.

Californias offer fantastic flexibility - but there have been innumerate significant problems with the various generations. Whether it's rubbish electric doors, leaking bellows, roof corrosion, useless engines, alloy wheel corrosion..... It's part of the pact you sign with the devil.

I have had mine 12 years and the overall package of pros and cons still works for me.

If you want to avoid nasty experiences like the one you have already had - walk away now as it's probably just the start.

This fault is unfortunate but should sound alarm bells.

Californias offer fantastic flexibility - but there have been innumerate significant problems with the various generations. Whether it's rubbish electric doors, leaking bellows, roof corrosion, useless engines, alloy wheel corrosion..... It's part of the pact you sign with the devil.

I have had mine 12 years and the overall package of pros and cons still works for me.

If you want to avoid nasty experiences like the one you have already had - walk away now as it's probably just the start.

Nasty experience? Just a heater and a roof that got stuck with a solution already discussed and implemented on this forum, both known challenges.

Remember, the user is not used to the California yet!

 

[CaliforniaSeb]

I have had the "heater" problem camped in France with the pop top stuck up. I was advised how to fix it on this forum at 8am on a Sunday morning! No big deal. Nothing is designed perfectly and the California is a complicated beast.

You have the assurance of this forum and it's many experts and shared experiences to help you. Also, my new van came with a full 5 year warranty. If you have that and a great dealership like Breeze, then issues are no big deal.

It is a fantastic camper van and great fun to own.

 

[calibusje]

First of all, welcome!
What a title of your thread ... after using the aux heating incorrectly
Here are some tips and explanations about the t6.1 and its completely different electronic system than its predecessors.

Tips and tricks & info. What I can share after a day at Camper Centrum Amersfoort, The Netherlands.

With a group of Flemish enthusiasts we met at Camper Centrum Amersfoort (NL), organised by a FBgroup. I want to share what I heard during a very interesting day full of explanations and tips about the california t6 and in particular the t6.1. Turns out that the t6.1 is a nice evolution of the t6...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

That's when I noticed the double-walled cloth for the first time; you know: the ones with water inlet issues
Once you can work with the control unit you will be happy. And is the cali the RR? Why a RR? Is that flawless by definition? Just compare it with other small campervans; we did (also our then preference westfalia with the Kepler six and the sister brand Stylevan with the Melbourne). We were not convinced by other brands and ordered a california (Although we still have a good feeling about our old T4 Westfalia California).
Another tip, because I have already come across this several times on other forums and Facebook pages: if the screen asks 'please recharge the battery', do it because if you do not do so, the following message will appear: 'recharge immediately' and then the system will block if you still don't charge the batteries and you have to go to the dealer to reset (You may be able to reset yourself by removing the following fuse (under the front seat) and plugging it back in a little later:

Issues with the poptop? Remove and replace these 4 fuses from the box on drivers side:

If the lights at the back of the living area do not go out while driving (above the kitchen unit/sliding door), check whether this button has been pressed or not:

I wish you much success with further discovering and hopefully you can appreciate the California for what it is: a versatile handy small campervan, full of well-found fearures that will bring you everywhere and can be used well as a daily driver too.
Oh, and the price for all that? High, yes but in my eyes not exaggerated at all, much of it is labor-intensive and handmade, which is expensive (and do compare).
Like reading? Here's something about our coast: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/a-bit-long-but-honest-and-personal-review-of-our-coast.45819/
and 'the sequel':
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/light-on-how-i-look-at-my-cali.50991/
As you can already tell from all the comments, this forum is a wealth of information and tips. Have fun searching and reading.
Greetings
Calibusje