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How do you remove the Sparesafe spare wheel lock

J

jmw

VIP Member
Messages
22
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 204
Hi,

We had the above fitted by the dealer when we picked up our Cali and we are now wondering how to get this off in order to access the spare wheel? No instructions were included with the wheel lock (bought from the forum shop) and although we don't need the spare wheel right now we do need to know how to get the lock off should we ever need the spare wheel. Any help would be appreciated - we're not mechanically minded so will need an idiots guide. Ta.
 
The Sparesafe comes with an extension piece that fits onto the end of the normal nut removing tool (stored behind the bench seat). Did your dealer give you the extension piece? Maybe in the glove compartment?
 
Hi Alison,

Many thanks for your reply. I don't think we have this but could you give me an idea of what it should look like so that I can check. It's certainly not made itself obvious so far and I've been really careful about keeping all the important stuff together.
 
It looks like a normal nut but in side is likely to have three offset pegs. It's about the size of a wheel nut. It has a normal wheel nut on the outside which you use to undo the bolt, once you have engaged the three pins into the spare safe bolt correctly. Hope that helps.
 
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/p...-locking-device-including-locking-wheel-bolt#

If you look at the shop page in link above you will see it towards the top right of the picture.

Yes, we have the three offset thing but our problem is that there is a black plastic cover over the bolt head onto which this should attach and we can't get that cover off. I assume its there to stop erosion on the bolt head but its proving a damn nuisance at the moment. Any idea if this cover should actually be there and, if so, how we can get it off?
 
You should be able to prise the cap off with a flat bladed screwdriver.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
There should be a black metal cover over the head of the bolt to remove it you use the black plastic cap and pin.

image.jpeg
 
Okay - I think I am being incredibly thick here but presumably the pin goes through the plastic cap (as shown in your picture) and then this is used to turn the black metal bolt cover off the bolt? I've tried this but the black metal cover just spins round without coming loose. Am I doing the right thing?
 
Yes it is a bit tricky push it over the black spinning cap and pull downwards
 
Okay - I think I am being incredibly thick here but presumably the pin goes through the plastic cap (as shown in your picture) and then this is used to turn the black metal bolt cover off the bolt? I've tried this but the black metal cover just spins round without coming loose. Am I doing the right thing?
The plastic socket pushes onto the Black Bolt Cover. Then you use the stem to pull the cover off, exposing the Security Bolt. You then use the Security Socket in the Wheel Spanner/Brace in the tool kit to undo the Security Bolt.
 
Sorry for seeming slightly smug - but about 5 months ago I asked for instructions for fitting the spare safe and the shower adaptor - and was promptly shot down on the forum for them both being pretty basic. It's interesting to note that since then, others have also asked for guidance on both of these after having tried and struggled.
I hope @jmw you now have enough help here to sort your issue?
 
Yes it is a bit tricky push it over the black spinning cap and pull downwards
Brilliant - thanks for this. We finally got back to looking at this again this afternoon and I managed to get the black metal cover thing off. So, thanks for your help on this one - much appreciated.
 
The plastic socket pushes onto the Black Bolt Cover. Then you use the stem to pull the cover off, exposing the Security Bolt. You then use the Security Socket in the Wheel Spanner/Brace in the tool kit to undo the Security Bolt.


Many thanks for all your help - much appreciated. I finally managed to sort this out earlier today and now fully understand how the whole thing works. Yay!
 
Sorry for seeming slightly smug - but about 5 months ago I asked for instructions for fitting the spare safe and the shower adaptor - and was promptly shot down on the forum for them both being pretty basic. It's interesting to note that since then, others have also asked for guidance on both of these after having tried and struggled.
I hope @jmw you now have enough help here to sort your issue?
HI Alison,

Thanks for your help on this, Alison - much appreciated and I have now sorted this fully - phew. I hate feeling inadequate when it comes to things mechanical but I think what is really at fault here is the lack of clear instructions when these items are sent out from the forum shop. I'm sure many forum readers work all this out for themselves but some, like me, need something more than a bit of kit in a plastic bag. So, here is a heartfelt plea to whoever runs the forum shop - please could you include clear instructions with the products that you sell - then purchasers can decide for themselves whether or not to bin them. However, that said, I'm really grateful to everyone on the forum who helped me out so promptly yesterday and today.
 
I couldn't work it out either, and resorted to using nose pliers...useful if you don't have the black bit.
 
As i got the sparesafe on a few months now i went and checked on it today and for the first time trying to remove it , check on rust and mud...
The plastic tool that came with the sparesafe to remove the metal cover/cap on the securitybolt is a pain i the @ss to use .
I also ending up using a long/thin pliers to pull the cap of.

Something all of you having a sparesafe on should check and try at home preventing frustration at site if you have to acces the spare wheel
 
Totally agree with your thoughts about checking this. I do have concerns that these are being sent out by the forum shop with no user instructions and a tool that doesn't really work to remove the metal cover on the security bolt. Being new to California ownership I bought one of these in good faith but had a frustrating afternoon trying to get this cap off. I think it would help immensely if the shop sent out instructions with the kit it supplies and quality checks what it is selling.

On this note I bought one of the 'beginner' packs from the forum shop and was not overly impressed with its contents. Pretty low quality products, no instructions for use and a set of levelling ramps which, by my calculations, are too narrow for the California tyres. Also no address was included to return products.
 
Little metal cap on mine, I decided to re-tighten mine and found the cap a slight problem. I might check it again in the dark and if it proves difficult remove it completely.
 
another vw design fault.
 
The plastic cap-removing tool broke the first time I tried it so I dispensed with the bolt cap and just filled the spare safe tube with grease to keep the elements out
 
Did not bother fitting the metal cap on ours, 12 months down the line no problems.
 
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