Discussion regarding T6 ONLY roof corrosion

[WelshGas]

Our March 2017 Cali is currently at SMG having the sliding door seal replaced under three year warranty due to rusty steel insert. Apparently it will not be covered under the VW Extended Warranty!! Just had a phone call to say they are having trouble removing it. I wonder what that means?

I think there is some bonding involved.

 

[Volkywagen]

Our March 2017 Cali is currently at SMG having the sliding door seal replaced under three year warranty due to rusty steel insert. Apparently it will not be covered under the VW Extended Warranty!! Just had a phone call to say they are having trouble removing it. I wonder what that means?

Do you have pictures of rot location so others may check?

 

[RoB5urf]

Our March 2017 Cali is currently at SMG having the sliding door seal replaced under three year warranty due to rusty steel insert. Apparently it will not be covered under the VW Extended Warranty!! Just had a phone call to say they are having trouble removing it. I wonder what that means?

I had our driver's door seal replaced under warranty ( also a 2017 model, also at SMG!)
I try to avoid stepping on it now.

 

[Meoncoast]

Our March 2017 Cali is currently at SMG having the sliding door seal replaced under three year warranty due to rusty steel insert. Apparently it will not be covered under the VW Extended Warranty!! Just had a phone call to say they are having trouble removing it. I wonder what that means?

Rusted on

 

[El Greco]

Our March 2017 Cali is currently at SMG having the sliding door seal replaced under three year warranty due to rusty steel insert. Apparently it will not be covered under the VW Extended Warranty!! Just had a phone call to say they are having trouble removing it. I wonder what that means?

The normal extended warranty is exactly the same as the 3 year warranty. Challenge it if told otherwise.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Our March 2017 Cali is currently at SMG having the sliding door seal replaced under three year warranty due to rusty steel insert. Apparently it will not be covered under the VW Extended Warranty!! Just had a phone call to say they are having trouble removing it. I wonder what that means?

Ridiculous! If it's covered by the std warranty it's covered by the Factory Extended Warranty.

 

[Sheffield10]

Back on the subject of roof corrosion - for what its worth, about a year after I bought my Ocean (new in '17), I removed the roof seal to check and clean the edges of the roof, the clear tape, and inside of the seal. As expected, there was plenty of crud and moisture in there. All cleaned, I coated the inside of the seal with some silicone grease - Dow Corning DC4 - "which can be used as a filling or a coating to exclude moisture or prevent electronic leakage under damp conditions."

About to take the van for its first MOT and check before the 3 year warranty runs out, I thought I would check under the seal. There was a bit of algae just inside the lip of the seal, but further into the seal, it was just silicone grease. Cleaning the grease off the paintwork, there was no sign of water under the clear tape seal and no sign of any corrosion. The van lives outside 24/7.

I have no idea what proportion of vans end up suffering with roof corrosion, but so far I am pleased with my attempt to avoid the VW paint shop.

 

[Neilos]

Hi all sorry to reply on an old and tiresome thread. Upon booking our 2018 Beach in for service. The dealer told me there were no recalls on our van and that ours was not affected by the dreaded roof corrosion. Has anyone else been told that and should I believe them?!


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[Pete Roberts]

You

Hi all sorry to reply on an old and tiresome thread. Upon booking our 2018 Beach in for service. The dealer told me there were no recalls on our van and that ours was not affected by the dreaded roof corrosion. Has anyone else been told that and should I believe them?!


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you could always check it for yourself. Just put the roof up and pull the rubber seal off slightly..If you see paint bubbling then you have corrosion..If you can’t see anything then you haven’t...It’s as simple as that.

 

[B J G]

Hi all sorry to reply on an old and tiresome thread. Upon booking our 2018 Beach in for service. The dealer told me there were no recalls on our van and that ours was not affected by the dreaded roof corrosion. Has anyone else been told that and should I believe them?!


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From January 2017 VW applied a clear tape to the roof edge to prevent the edge strip cutting into the paint and alloy underneath. That's why they won't check yours as it will have been done at the Factory.
Whether you have corrosion is another thing. I haven't pulled the rubber off to look as I believe that I may cause damage to the clear tape and start corrosion, catch 22.

If you look back through the thread there will be a photo of the tape showing at the rear corner on mine.

 

[GSX1300R]

This is caused by bimetallic corrosion. where the steel in the Rubber seal reacts against the Aluminium of the roof. You would have thought that VW being the size of company that it is with all the resources it has at hand would know this would eventually cause problems.

 

[Neilos]

Thanks, I’ll have a gentle look later then without disturbing too much. I’ll have a look for that picture because I’m not too sure what to look for.


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[Pete Roberts]

Thanks, I’ll have a gentle look later then without disturbing too much. I’ll have a look for that picture because I’m not too sure what to look for.


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If there is anything you will see little tiny paint blisters. If not don’t worry as this problem is covered by the paint warranty and it’s a fault they know about so don’t worry if it doesn’t show up in the first 3 years.

 

[clarinetbcn]

My 2014 Beach was 4 years old when I pulled the seal down to have a look. It's since been through the repair, 2 years have gone by and I also am hesitant to pull it off to look.

 

[WelshGas]

This is caused by bimetallic corrosion. where the steel in the Rubber seal reacts against the Aluminium of the roof. You would have thought that VW being the size of company that it is with all the resources it has at hand would know this would eventually cause problems.

Land Rover never sorted it with the Defender and its predecessors all the way back to the Series 1 first produced in 1948.

 

[GSX1300R]

View attachment 60918

My 2014 Beach was 4 years old when I pulled the seal down to have a look. It's since been through the repair, 2 years have gone by and I also am hesitant to pull it off to look.

Mine was just 3 years old as well. It didn’t look quite as bad as yours but it was all the way round the roof some areas worse than others..When they repaired it they took all the old paint off under the rubber seal, then coated it with a secret VW formula...Then glued. NEW seal on which means I can’t look under it even if I wanted too..This was 2 years ago and I can’t see any spread above the rubber seal so all looks good.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Mine was just 3 years old as well. It didn’t look quite as bad as yours but it was all the way round the roof some areas worse than others..When they repaired it they took all the old paint off under the rubber seal, then coated it with a secret VW formula...Then glued. NEW seal on which means I can’t look under it even if I wanted too..This was 2 years ago and I can’t see any spread above the rubber seal so all looks good.

I haven’t even checked to see if it’s glued because if it is I will not think highly of VW. Oh, wait...

 

[SusiBus]

If the seal was meant to be glued on, it would have been done in the factory at build stage. Therefore, surely It shouldn't be glued on after a repair!
Quite why repair shops sometimes glue the seal on, and sometimes don't, is beyond me, when they should be following a specific repair procedure.
Our T5 was one of the first to ever be repaired. It had both elevating roof repaired, and a replacement alloy front casting.
On collecting the vehicle from the paint shop, I inspected the roof, and found a gap in the glue/sealant right at the front above the windscreen, which meant water could still ingress the seal. I got them to fill in the gap before leaving.
My advice to anyone one having the elevating roof corrosion repaired is to get it in writing that they will not glue the seal back on.

 

[GSX1300R]

If the seal was meant to be glued on on it would have been done so in the factory at build stage. Therefore, surely It shouldn't be glued on on!
Quite why repair sphops sometimes glue the seal on and sometimes don't is beyond me when they should be following a specific repair guideline.
Our T5 was one of the first to ever be repaired. It had both elevating roof repaired and a replacement alloy front casting.
On collecting the vehicle from the paint shop, I inspected the roof and found a gap in the glue/sealant right at the front above the windscreen, which meant water could still ingress the seal. I got them to fill in the gap before leaving.
My advice to anyone one having the elevating roof corrosion repaired is to get it in writing that they will not what glue the seal back on.

I didnt have any choice. I was told that was the procedure and VW send a "Kit" with all the parts required to fix the roof. Dont forget that this problem only showed up because you "Could" take the rubber seal off and see what was happening underneath.. Sometimes although its very difficult you have to put faith in what they do as a repair... I do check the edge of the new seal to see if the blistering is spreading from underneath but so far there is nothing.. If it does happen I will be straight back to VW...As far as the Repair to the front roof panel in the early stages VW actually took that panel off and fitted a new one, This was costing them so much money (Ive heard £4000) that now they just cover it with a plastic panel which has caused even more problems and noise from the wind blowing through it..

 

[WelshGas]

For Galvanic Corrosion, in the case of the California, you need steel, aluminium and water. Remove one of those from the equation and the problem is solved.
In the case of the section above the windscreen the problem was solved by changing the alloy used to make that section. Hence vehicles since My 2015 are supposed to be sorted.
Only the Elevating roof remains susceptible. Could fibreglass be the answer? Doesn't seem so as many Marco Polo's are having the whole roof replaced because of problems.

 

[Neilos]

For Galvanic Corrosion, in the case of the California, you need steel, aluminium and water. Remove one of those from the equation and the problem is solved.
In the case of the section above the windscreen the problem was solved by changing the alloy used to make that section. Hence vehicles since My 2015 are supposed to be sorted.
Only the Elevating roof remains susceptible. Could fibreglass be the answer? Doesn't seem so as many Marco Polo's are having the whole roof replaced because of problems.

So as a 2018 model mine should have the update alloy front section in which case I need to look around the elevating roof. But I dare not pull that seal off. In some ways ignorance is bliss. If it isn’t showing anything above the seal then leave it be and take VW’s word for it?!


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[Pete Roberts]

Land Rover never sorted it with the Defender and its predecessors all the way back to the Series 1 first produced in 1948.

Sometimes it’s far easier to shove your head in the sand and do nothing, hoping it will just go away.

 

[clarinetbcn]

So as a 2018 model mine should have the update alloy front section in which case I need to look around the elevating roof. But I dare not pull that seal off. In some ways ignorance is bliss. If it isn’t showing anything above the seal then leave it be and take VW’s word for it?!


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As a result of the roof recall order, VW is supposed to look under the seal to check for corrosion, so it's going to get moved anyway when you go in for a service. I'm sure your curiosity will get the better of you before then!

 

[ArunAlec]

It’s worth noting that (if I recall correctly) that the recent check of the roof tape was not classified as a ”recall”, so if discussing with a dealer it is worth spelling out exactly what we/you are talking about, just in case they are not familiar or are being awkward.

 

[clarinetbcn]

It’s worth noting that (if I recall correctly) that the recent check of the roof tape was not classified as a ”recall”, so if discussing with a dealer it is worth spelling out exactly what we/you are talking about, just in case they are not familiar or are being awkward.

Just announced - T6 recall for roof corrosion beneath the seal

posted to assist other and make as many people aware of this issue as possible. below are photos of a Brand new seal fitted following the second failure of a roof seal. This seal was fitted two weeks ago ! you can clearly see the rust on the tape (tape applied by the dealer, at my request...

vwcaliforniaclub.com