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Help! - independent VW Cali Engineer needed to inspect and report on Ocean

We would be happy to sort out the problems if you want to travel that far? by all means get vw customer care to give us a call and arrange it.

Thanks ! I am still waiting to see what VWCC say. They haven’t confirmed that I can take it somewhere else yet. One week, 3 days and counting since they promised a response in 24hrs...


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Update- Thanks to all your advice VWCC have now agreed that our van can be checked by another separate dealer- cordwallis. I have used them once before and they were excellent (emergency engine issue). I feel confident at last. But first it is time to enjoy our Cali , off down through FRANCE and SPAIN for summer hols next week :). Later in summer I’ll post the outcome for any that are interested! Thanks all again, wish you all summer fun.


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Update- Thanks to all your advice VWCC have now agreed that our van can be checked by another separate dealer- cordwallis. I have used them once before and they were excellent (emergency engine issue). I feel confident at last. But first it is time to enjoy our Cali , off down through FRANCE and SPAIN for summer hols next week :). Later in summer I’ll post the outcome for any that are interested! Thanks all again, wish you all summer fun.


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This is a shocking tale. Was the leak fixed?
 
Thanks everyone for their advice and interest! Good news. After another 2 weeks away at a new dealer all is repaired and as new as of this week. I’m so relieved that the work has been done properly. I learned a lot in the process , most important was that I should have gone to vw uk earlier and insisted on a new dealer. That would have saved 10 weeks and loads of distress. Anyway all fixed now . Yay!


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Thanks everyone for their advice and interest! Good news. After another 2 weeks away at a new dealer all is repaired and as new as of this week. I’m so relieved that the work has been done properly. I learned a lot in the process , most important was that I should have gone to vw uk earlier and insisted on a new dealer. That would have saved 10 weeks and loads of distress. Anyway all fixed now . Yay!


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Great news, which dealer did you take it to for the final repair?
 
Hi -
It was Cordwallis who fixed it. Dealer in Heathrow and Maidenhead. I had a good experience with them before as well when my aircon broke and they persuaded vw to overnight a part so we could make our holiday ferry last year.


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Hi
can I ask which vw dealer you are using?
as for an independent advice , you could always speak to 3 bridge camper just off the Buckingham road. they do a fab conversion and may inspect your cali if you pay for time, however they are extremely busy, worth asking as I've never heard a bad review on them, or if you can Vanworx on south coast know their stuff.
looking at the picture below suggest they have asked a service tech to try and bodge it rather than someone who actual repairs bodywork etc.

just read posts , I see its been sorted .




Thanks a lot VW Guru. Any advice greatly appreciated.

Here is a photo of the previous attempted repair.
3b53a20527679e5c6857cfa18189df8d.jpg
. And the leak that was worse afterwards:

d551b5ee1dd712fdce1bf297bb72cdae.jpg


In the process they managed to get sealant all over bellows and damage the headlining and stop the handsfree mic working.

aa4887c8cd1c1b15c30dbaad36bde280.jpg


So I complained and they took her back.
(This previous repair took two weeks.)

Now the dealer have had her back for 7 more weeks - so 9 weeks in total. They have replaced the bellows they damaged. Then during the second repair the engineer broke the hydraulics and damaged my bellows lining. So they had to fix those 2 items as well. Tale of woe that leaves me worried!

3 days ago they told me they could still not find the leak despite having inspected the whole thing. Then 2 days ago they said - after I put forward rejecting the vehicle - that they had fixed it by ‘putting on more sealant’ Miracle! Worrying!

They deliver her back tonight. I’ll take some more photos! They also offered a compensation but I have rejected it as I don’t want them to think I have accepted anything yet.

P.s. the dealers customer care team have been great - but not sure their technicians are able to handle the vehicle. I raised a case with VW uk which secured me a more proper replacement vehicle but seemed to have no other impact - I was hoping it would have got the dealer a more expert technician to borrow!


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I'm dubious about these so called vw 'master techs'. I'm sure some of them know their stuff but in my experience the customer knows more about the van than them. I had this when my roof bellows came away at one corner. The 'master tech' had a look. It was still the same when I got home and I ended up fixing it myself even though I had warranty. I'm no vw engineer but I'm no moron either and even with warranty work I don't want days of my time taken up dealing with these 'master techs' and that's what they don't get. Plus the camping your missing out on. Shame on that vw van centre. They need whipping naked in the streets. Now after the whipping sort out this man's problem you morons.!!!!
Flying banana I can assure you Vw Guru is a California Master technician who has impressed me with his knowledge and skills personally on many occasions . I bought my Cali from Breeze Poole in 2015 and have nothing but praise for Vw Guru and Breeze Poole . He has personally sorted several problems over the last 4 years with a totally professional approach .
The California is a complex machine and needs an expert to sort it . Can I respectfully suggest that you need to find a new expert but please don’t compare your experiences with a real expert .
I have visited the Vw Hanover factory both van and Cali so have a reasonable insight into what goes into building a California and understand why a real Master Cali Technian is needed .
 
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I don't recall slating the vw guru. But looking at the original post and photos they are a disgrace and I stand by that conment
 
A misunderstanding there, i think i took it that banana was having a go at the
so called specialists not the vw guru at Poole.
 
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