Drawer under the passenger seat will not open

Jennie · Dec 17, 2019

Hi. I have just imported my 2010 Cali to NZ. I left the drawer empty and now I cannot open it, feels like something on the sliding door side (opposite side to opening lever) is jammed. How can I get to it to see please. Thanks jennie

flying banana · Dec 18, 2019

Remove the toolkit behind and see if anythings in there?

Jennie · Dec 18, 2019

Thanks,, done all that and could even c into the drawer- nothing amiss. Seemed that the Hook on one end inside the drawer- the end nearest the sliding door is not responding at the same time as the one at the end that the pull up mechanism is attached to does not disengage in time ie slower than the other one and so catches and the drawer will not open. does anybody have any ideas of what I could do except take it to VW? Thanks

Alan Andrews · Dec 18, 2019

If you able to peer inside enough to see that the catch is not releasing properly, are you able to insert something like a long steel ruler or similar to help release the catch?

elenita · Dec 18, 2019

Alan Andrews said:
If you able to peer inside enough to see that the catch is not releasing properly, are you able to insert something like a long steel ruler or similar to help release the catch?

Check if the seatbelts are not stucked inside, it happened to me once and that was the problem

Hotel California · Dec 18, 2019

If it's not the seatbelt puched to deep and the drawermecanism....
This has also been mentiont by others on the forum and probaly given a solution if you do some research in existing threads.

briwy · Dec 20, 2019

If you lift the seat squab up you might be ablecto see a bit more or try thumping it from inside. On our T5 there was a ribbon which stops the squab lifting very far but it can be cut. Also trim on the front above the drawer stops. Ive removed it on ours so we can get at the drawer contents when the seat is fully forward.

Jennie · Dec 20, 2019

briwy said:
If you lift the seat squab up you might be ablecto see a bit more or try thumping it from inside. On our T5 there was a ribbon which stops the squab lifting very far but it can be cut. Also trim on the front above the drawer stops. Ive removed it on ours so we can get at the drawer contents when the seat is fully forward.

How do I remove the trim. Cannot see anything obvious.

briwy · Dec 20, 2019

Long time since I did it but I seem to remember pushing the clips through from the inside.

lewisnoble · Dec 21, 2019

This happened to me. Only just picked up thread. I removed the plastic cover to L of drawer handle, and found that there is a bolt or nut securing the release lever to the release catch, lever and catch are at ends of a long shaft. Securing nut had worked loose, tightened, sorted - lever and catch rigid again.

If it works loose, catch does not move far enough in response to lever. Avoid keeping trying it, loosens it more. I cannot remember if it is a Hx head / Allan key or Tx / torx. Look around in case nut already come off.

Not much space, I used a cycle multi-tool.

Lewis - Sheffield UK.

briwy said:
Long time since I did it but I seem to remember pushing the clips through from the inside.

lewisnoble · Dec 21, 2019

Now able to respond on laptop, easier than as before on phone. I hope above helps. If you need to know the precise size etc of tool needed, post again and I could check on my van (2008 model).

Jennie · Dec 21, 2019

Thanks everybody. Eventually managed to open the draw- 2 person job- 1 pulling seat up other almost amputating the hand and ripping most of the skin off. The screw (on the fridge side of the drawer) securing the release lever to the rod was very loose - so the rod was not engaging the release mechanism on the door side of the drawer. As Lewisnoble said a bike Alan key did the job. Tightened and all good again. Quite tricky to tighten because the cupboard is in the way and it is dark- even a torch is difficult. Definitely a 2- person job. Thanks to Lewis and everybody- now the packing can begin.

lewisnoble · Dec 21, 2019

Great, glad it's sorted.

Lewis

FyfettBoy · Dec 22, 2019

This happened to us... as Jennie says, it is a total pig of a 2 person job to release and took at least an hour with some damage incurred! Luckily didn't happen whilst camping...
Top tip - take the left hand catch off completely, then it can never happen again and the drawer is perfectly secure on one catch.