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Kitchen Tap / Water Pump not working.

Great. I’ll give that a go
FYI the rear connector receives power from tap micro switch and the other pin is connected earth so “carefully” use continuity tester across the terminals (see image using multimeter to prove whole circuit is good ie from fuse to tap connector block then to tap micro switch then to rear connector block and then return to earth).
If you are unsure that you will not fully short the rear connector when using the continuity probe then attach the crocodile clip to a good earth on the van body (some of the bolts in the rear cupboard go into the van metalwork) and use the fine point to contact one of the pins only in turn.
The live pin will illuminate the tester if power is coming from the micro switch switch in the on position.

1641753119088.jpeg
 
Fixed!! I replaced the fuse. I then shorted across the wires under the sink ( bypassing the tap) and the pump started working!!
I then filled the tank with water and turned the tap on and all worked well!!
Bizarre
 
Fixed!! I replaced the fuse. I then shorted across the wires under the sink ( bypassing the tap) and the pump started working!!
I then filled the tank with water and turned the tap on and all worked well!!
Bizarre
I would favour that the pump impeller was seized or partially so (as I found when it would turn but not easily and the motor could not over come this resistance).
Your work on it has freed it enough to run without drawing excess current sufficient to blow the fuse. Good luck.
The pump has had a decent Innings so don’t be too surprised if you experience this again.
 
If you have a bit of wood lying around you can make a turn key that saves the knuckle pain. I had the the same symptoms as others, no water after a flush and refill.
Used this to open it up and hey presto it worked again.

Thanks for the heads up folks.
66D0C021-8FDD-4E9A-851F-C3454386BD7E.jpeg
 
This (and a few other threads) were of great help, as I've had 3 different issues already with the water system in the California. I've learned a few things as I fixed all of them, including replacing the water pump myself, so I decided to document it all in case it helps others. Here's a first guide on how to identify which problem you are actually experiencing:

https://medium.com/@maxi-mizer/fix-vw-california-ocean-coast-kitchen-water-issues-43a19d0d893a

I hope it helps! I'll update this thread as I complete the detailed step-by-step guides (feel free to drop by that article and give me some claps and comments for motivation!)
 
Hi,

Kitchen tap and shower both not working. No chance of a finding a service centre and we leave today on holiday. Feeling a bit gutted as it’s the first big trip since we got the campervan. Still under warranty too!

The pump is making a sound and swishing water around so there is power. I’ve tried blowing, sucking, different water levels and so on….just no good.

I’ve tried to open the water tank too - hammer and wood, home made key…. No way that thing is shifting. WTF!

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks,

Billy
 
Hi,

Kitchen tap and shower both not working. No chance of a finding a service centre and we leave today on holiday. Feeling a bit gutted as it’s the first big trip since we got the campervan. Still under warranty too!

The pump is making a sound and swishing water around so there is power. I’ve tried blowing, sucking, different water levels and so on….just no good.

I’ve tried to open the water tank too - hammer and wood, home made key…. No way that thing is shifting. WTF!

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks,

Billy
The key to resolving this is to find a way to open the access hatch as it does appear from your description that the pump has become dislodged from the feed pipe to the tap and shower outlet.
You will have found a couple of diy tools recommended made from wood blocks. In this and other posts.
Main problem is getting enough “turning force” (torque) on these unless you are built like “Popeye”.
I found an adjustable spanner with an angled head would fit into the ribs of the access hatch and with nearly 25cm of handle I could easily get enough torque to open the hatch.

IMG_6004.jpeg

£6.99 Screwfix
 
Hi, I've read most of what I've found on this forum, managed to unscrew the water tank lid using the piece-of-wood technique, sucked some water through,... But no result.

One thing I don't get is that many people here speak about the impellers being stuck, but I don't see anything like that - see photo below.

In my case, with a T6.1 Ocean, the only thing that happens when I open the valve (both sink and shower) is a very light, high pitch sound, and on the control panel I can see there is power consumption. But the typical sound of the pump is not there.

Is there any other option left than that the pump is broken?
The van is still under waranty so I don't want to fiddle too much.

IMG20230903212724.jpg
 
Hi, I've read most of what I've found on this forum, managed to unscrew the water tank lid using the piece-of-wood technique, sucked some water through,... But no result.

One thing I don't get is that many people here speak about the impellers being stuck, but I don't see anything like that - see photo below.

In my case, with a T6.1 Ocean, the only thing that happens when I open the valve (both sink and shower) is a very light, high pitch sound, and on the control panel I can see there is power consumption. But the typical sound of the pump is not there.

Is there any other option left than that the pump is broken?
The van is still under waranty so I don't want to fiddle too much.

View attachment 113910
The impellor is the white 3 vaned bit in the middle. This spins when working properly. When I had the same problem I freed up the impellor using an electrical screwdriver to rotate the impellor manually.
I then ran the tap to check that the impellor was spinning OK. Tip - don't run the impellor dry for too long, just long enough to check that it spins
 
Last edited:
Just a quick but late 'thanks' for responding. Just after my previous post other things (lights, fridge, roof...) stopped working, so there must be a bigger issue.
 

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