Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identify?

[MickyBlue]

Whilst trying to identify a creak/rattle whilst driving rough roads from somewhere on the NS behind the passenger seat at about worktop to head height, (possibly from behind the kitchen lighting panel), I found these grey plastic discs.

I lifted the roof and found them on the van roof perimeter next to the bed, just over the kitchen area 2x on the NS & 1x on the OS above the door.

Any ideas what they are off?? & should I be worried? :boohoo

Sorry for piccy quality as it's off an old phone.

 

[MickyBlue]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

P.S.
1-Anyone have the same creak/rattle shed any light on what that might be??
2-How do you remove the kitchen lighting trim panel to check behind it?

 

[ChrisandPenney52]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

Hmm, we have some of those too. Not a clue what they're for. Nothing has failed yet though in three years, so probably harmless.

 

[MickyBlue]

Might seem light daft questions, but how many have you found & when in the life of the van?

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[ChrisandPenney52]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

Not recently, but sometime after we acquired our 2008 van as a two year old. The grey washers were just sat there under the push up bed. Looking again, I think they may have come out from a couple of holes immediately above each forward corner of the drop down unit which access screws that fix the unit mounting. If you push the bed up you should be able to put your hand on them.

(The picture really should read 'sundry bits in our California', as anything that falls off anywhere ends up in the ashtray)

 

[MickyBlue]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

I see thanks for that.

FYI the self tapping screw with the collar looks like the ones from one of the trim panels of the bottom half of the dash.

 

[Hubert]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

The plastic washers MickyBlue shows may have come off the sides of the headlining where it is screwed into the upper bed base. There are about 4 on either side. They are absolutely useless for this purpose. :headwall

I lost most of mine on my original Cali as they are easily knocked off when opening the zips on the side vents (i.e moving your hand between the upper bed base and the bellows).

Knowing how easily they break off, I was conscious in my new Cali to be careful when opening the zips. However on our last outing one floated down onto the table of it's own accord.

Why VW have not used substantial washers is beyond me, especially when it is nigh on impossible to replace them without taking the bellows off. The screw heads are not really large enough to hold the headlining firm either. If anybody knows a way of replacing the washers, please tell.

Hubert

 

[Isa Neal]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

Hi my Cali was new in March 2012 DSG 180 and I also had thes washers fall from the roof. I gave them to Alex the service Manager at SMG and he didn't know where they came from either. Apart from that I had some black rubber nipples appear on the floor but another member of the forum identified hat they came from the back of the seat area when trying to put the bench seat flat if one hadn't moved the bench far enough then these black rubber things would fall off. they also weren't vital so haven been put back on. I had another bit. Fall off he side f he fridge and SMG did put that back on for me. I guess we do need a new topic where hese bits that fall off can vibe identified. SMg have just fitted a complete new roof for me under warrantee(I hasten to add they didn't sell me the Cali) and the new roof area also doesn't have the saucer shaped plastic bits with the hole in the middle so they really can't be very vital!

 

[MickyBlue]

Hubert is correct on these.

They are on the rivets that hold the headlining on the side of the bed frame. These are needed IMHO as our headlining easily drops off the rivets on one side now if we aren't careful.

I have used double sided 3M numberplate tape as a temp fix as too busy to get to dealer for a few weeks.

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[coordinated]

We have two or three of the grey washers in our similar collection of bits that've dropped off (including one of the VW bike rack bolts which is missing a nut) :headwall

 

[BikerBoy]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

:hello I have found these washers as well.....are they used in production and supposed to go in the bin?

 

[MKRW]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

I had one sitting on Sunday on the 5th seat.... its just been popped into my corner of the Cali for Unidentified Small Bits....

Hoping their not too important.

 

[MickyBlue]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

:hello I have found these washers as well.....are they used in production and supposed to go in the bin?

Definitely not.

They are a spreader washer on a tiny rivet, to stop the rivet pulling through the foam of the headlining.

They hold the headlining on the side of the roof bed frame. You will find where they are missing the lining will pop off the tiny remaining bit of the rivet very easily if you are not careful, especially if 2 or more in a row have come off.

 

[gamort]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

They are a spreader washer on a tiny rivet, to stop the rivet pulling through the foam of the headlining.

Does anyone know the part number of the grey plastic rivet/washer? I've had a number of them pop/break off and I'd like to replace them if possible. The plug still appears to be attached to the bed frame, but the round plastic head has broken off (as seen in the pics above) so not fully supporting the headlining.

 

[Hubert]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

they are usually knocked off when opening the mesh panels in the bellows. If they are replacable and available parts, I think the only time you could replace them is when the roof bellows have been taken off.
You wouldn't want to replace them anyway as they are not fit for purpose.

Hubert

 

[gamort]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

Thanks Hubert. I think there might be enough room to push them in without removing the bellows, can't say for certain until I give it a try.

I agree they don't appear to be fit for purpose, but if I could buy a batch of them for a reasonable cost I would replace as needed. Would be preferable to leaving the headlining un-supported.

 

[Gasf]

Re: Grey plastic ?washers? found in roof. Can anyone identif

Has anyone found a fix for this yet? Are they a warranty issue?

Thanks

Gasf

 

[pjm-84]

Have the same issue and now a rattle above my head. Will look at the headlining tomorrow. 2 months is pretty good going. VAG style.

 

[pjm-84]

Found them and the problem. The "washer" are heads from push in clips which fix the headlining to the vertical sides of the frame. Headlining is currently hanging down over the cupboard. Appear to have "lost" two from one side and one from the other.

Fit for purpose - no. (VAG)

Not connected with the opening of the vents either because we haven't.

 

[skinnywhippet]

I've just found two of these, has anyone managed to refit them, have them refitted under warranty, or improvised a better fix?

Thanks


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[pjm-84]

Well the new vehicle arrived today along with a grey washer, a stone chip and some kitchen door trim falling off.

 

[Hotel California]

While sitting outside next to the Cali , looked in thru the windows of the pop-top i noticed these washers . The bed in upper position you can see them from outside thru the window.
They , as mentiond above in other posts hold the lining under the matras .
Went and investigate and on mine almost half of the plastic buttons are missing..
Think the next time i am at my dealer i'l ask some of those to replace , alltough the bit still in needs to come out first...
Here some pictures :
Looking from the outside



And looking from inside

 

[JohnGuppy]

I found two as well but put in the bin as cant see where they are from

 

[pjm-84]

VW gave me a bag of replacements and I just replace when the "washers" appear. Only used one so far.

 

[Dean Oldfield]

I've just found two of these, has anyone managed to refit them, have them refitted under warranty, or improvised a better fix?

Thanks


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VW will fix this under warranty. We have the same problem. However to fix they have to remove the bellows and VW insist on giving you new bellows at the same time. I was going to delay our fix until after the summer.