Leaking pop tops on 2023 California Oceans

[Kayleigh]

So, a further update! Had a call from Adrian at EO - his news is that today a formal message has gone out on their system to dealers to say that a version of the bellows with a manufactured date of 9th November 2023 onwards are the ones to fit, and will be available from December. He wasn’t sure if these are tagged as version 04S, nor whether the few 04S versions already in the wild are just an advance release of these.
Sounded like this is the first time an official note has been put on their system around this issue, and I don’t know what format it takes but sounded like the dealers should be able to see it from today.
Hopefully positive news amongst a fog of calamity and false starts but once again, only time will tell …….

I wonder if that means that anyone with bellows manufactured before that date can automatically get a replacement.
That’s assuming they leak under the new real rain testing regime!

 

[Corradobrit]

I wonder if that means that anyone with bellows manufactured before that date can automatically get a replacement.
That’s assuming they leak under the new real rain testing regime!

I would assume so. A leak is a leak.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

So, a further update! Had a call from Adrian at EO - his news is that today a formal message has gone out on their system to dealers to say that a version of the bellows with a manufactured date of 9th November 2023 onwards are the ones to fit, and will be available from December. He wasn’t sure if these are tagged as version 04S, nor whether the few 04S versions already in the wild are just an advance release of these.
Sounded like this is the first time an official note has been put on their system around this issue, and I don’t know what format it takes but sounded like the dealers should be able to see it from today.
Hopefully positive news amongst a fog of calamity and false starts but once again, only time will tell …….

I pick my brand new Cali tomorrow and mine was manufactured a week after 9th Nov, I'll be updating you ASAP with which one's I've got. Anyone wish to hazzard a guess whether I'll get 3 or 4 S??????

 

[Corradobrit]

Well of course we all hope you have the 04S and it's as dry as the desert even in a named storm.

 

[stationmaster]

I pick my brand new Cali tomorrow and mine was manufactured a week after 9th Nov, I'll be updating you ASAP with which one's I've got. Anyone wish to hazzard a guess whether I'll get 3 or 4 S??????

Hope the collection goes great and that you get the 4 S - new, dry, and wonderful bellows I will be waiting for your post collection update!

 

[Californication69]

I pick my brand new Cali tomorrow and mine was manufactured a week after 9th Nov, I'll be updating you ASAP with which one's I've got. Anyone wish to hazzard a guess whether I'll get 3 or 4 S??????

I’ve thrown my chicken bones on a lid.
It’s Gryffindor!
Seriously hope you have non leaking bellows.
It’s such a massive part of a California.
Picked mine up on 30th Nov 2022 and I have the version 2. ?
Grey in and out, and waterproof.
Absolutely soaked and had to put the roof down to drive somewhere.
Left it 4 days for a dry day at the weekend.
Popped the top and ……. They were bone dry and no leaks inside.
I was amazed, I thought they would still be wet.
The water must run out while roof is down and drain around the 4 drain holes.
Good luck!

 

[Julesverne2000]

I wonder if that means that anyone with bellows manufactured before that date can automatically get a replacement.
That’s assuming they leak under the new real rain testing regime!

Doing so would be a big step forward and go some way to restoring customer good will. Keeping a van for a month’s testing can’t be sustainable if there’s sufficient demand for the 04S bellows.

 

[Andy C Berks.]

I would assume so. A leak is a leak.

And even on the off chance that they don’t leak today, or next year, the very strong likelihood is that they will leak at some point and/or dissuade future prospective purchasers when the time comes to sell. The fact that VW have manufactured a replacement item, to a varied specification, and pulling 03S from the parts shelf is surely acceptance of a design flaw in the 03S variant. So yes would think anyone of us that as a pre-9th November variant must get remedy from VW.
The outstanding question of course is are these next ones up to the job ……..

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

And even on the off chance that they don’t leak today, or next year, the very strong likelihood is that they will leak at some point and/or dissuade future prospective purchasers when the time comes to sell. The fact that VW have manufactured a replacement item, to a varied specification, and pulling 03S from the parts shelf is surely acceptance of a design flaw in the 03S variant. So yes would think anyone of us that as a pre-9th November variant must get remedy from VW.
The outstanding question of course is are these next ones up to the job ……..

Yes I agree but they won’t do that I don’t think. They’ll put the bellows failure down to just some of the bellows and think that those customers not reporting an issue are fine I reckon. Let’s hope 04S fixes the problem. I don’t see how they have addressed the side seams leaking like some have experienced.

 

[Do we or don't we]

As a matter of interest do the dealers always offer a courtesy vehicle FOC whilst the vehicles are in getting bellows replaced?

I know in my experience car dealers will often try to avoid the cost of supplying one when my cars have been in?

I asked Adrian at EO this exact question last week and his answer to me today was "With regard to your query, the Van Centre should be able to organize a courtesy vehicle either from their own fleet or if not tyhen the can raise a mobex request. I would discuss with the Van Centre you book in to, If any issue please fell free to contact us."
I guess they may not offer it but it looks like they should provide one if you ask.
Good luck tomorrow when you pick up your new Cali, I also have my fingers crossed that your bellows will have been manufactured after the 09 November but more importantly that they don't leak.

 

[Corradobrit]

Yes I agree but they won’t do that I don’t think. They’ll put the bellows failure down to just some of the bellows and think that those customers not reporting an issue are fine I reckon. Let’s hope 04S fixes the problem. I don’t see how they have addressed the side seams leaking like some have experienced.

All the seams have been shown to leak, but not necessarily all on the same bellows. On some it was the horizontal seam under the front window and on others it was the zipper seam itself. Others have seen leaks through the vertical seams. My fingers are crossed that ALL seams have been redesigned and made leak proof.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

All the seams have been shown to leak, but not necessarily all on the same bellows. On some it was the horizontal seam under the front window and on others it was the zipper seam itself. Others have seen leaks through the vertical seams. My fingers are crossed that ALL seams have been redesigned and made leak proof.

My fingers crossed too (of course) but I bet they haven’t.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

I asked Adrian at EO this exact question last week and his answer to me today was "With regard to your query, the Van Centre should be able to organize a courtesy vehicle either from their own fleet or if not tyhen the can raise a mobex request. I would discuss with the Van Centre you book in to, If any issue please fell free to contact us."
I guess they may not offer it but it looks like they should provide one if you ask.
Good luck tomorrow when you pick up your new Cali, I also have my fingers crossed that your bellows will have been manufactured after the 09 November but more importantly that they don't leak.

What does mobex request mean?

 

[Sheffield10]

I had a voicemail from my dealer today saying that VW have sent a bulletin to dealers notifying them that there will be a redesigned bellows released in January - no further details available at the moment... And another voicemail from EO later today confirming that the 04S bellows were introduced on 9/11/23, but no confirmation whether any of the late 03S bellows were made to the 04S spec, and no mention of the bulletin. EO calling me back tomorrow, hopefully left hand and right hand will have been introduced to each other by then. It must be almost as much fun working for VW as it is being one of their customers.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

What does mobex request mean?

Car / Van loan.

 

[California T2023]

Ok so I’m booked in for replacement bellows on 11th December, I have written to EO demanding that the replacement must be 4S version manufactured after 09/11/23 and that I would not accept inferior earlier version to be fitted. Got a voice message today from EO today to say that they would speak with the dealer who would have ordered in the replacement to check this out And get back to me tomorrow.
if what Sheffield is saying is correct about new bellows being released in January then would it be Best to cancel and await the new design?

what’s the point in having 4S fitted if a new version will be available in January, seems like a waste of time and effort for all involved.

 

[Corradobrit]

Yet more confusion. New part in January. 04S just released. Maybe some later 03S have 04S mods. Will this nightmare never end.......

 

[Barry Chuckle]

Yet more confusion. New part in January. 04S just released. Maybe some later 03S have 04S mods. Will this nightmare never end.......

The January upgrade to the 04S is coated in snake oil.....

 

[Andy C Berks.]

I had a voicemail from my dealer today saying that VW have sent a bulletin to dealers notifying them that there will be a redesigned bellows released in January - no further details available at the moment... And another voicemail from EO later today confirming that the 04S bellows were introduced on 9/11/23, but no confirmation whether any of the late 03S bellows were made to the 04S spec, and no mention of the bulletin. EO calling me back tomorrow, hopefully left hand and right hand will have been introduced to each other by then. It must be almost as much fun working for VW as it is being one of their customers.

Based on the 03S bellows dated 20/9/23 that have been fitted to mine this week - instead of the promised 04S - I would suggest that the late 03S version are identical to the earlier model. Same material, no evidence of any extra layers in the seams, feel is identical.
My conversation with Adrian at EO today suggested that the 9/11 onwards variant is being communicated to dealers as available from December - so hopefully a case of your dealer hedging their bets rather than any change to the central message but see what EO say to you tomorrow. Definitely was an added spring in Adrian’s step when he spoke to me earlier, and know doubt was thinking that this mess may have some traction towards a resolution and a hope of him getting it off his desk - to which we all keep our fingers crossed…..

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

I pick my brand new Cali tomorrow and mine was manufactured a week after 9th Nov, I'll be updating you ASAP with which one's I've got. Anyone wish to hazzard a guess whether I'll get 3 or 4 S??????

What time are you collecting??

 

[Barry Chuckle]

What time are you collecting??

I collected today but it's taken me 4 hours to get home, I can report that my new Cali has the 04S label hanging from the bellows which I glimpsed during the handover. As it's dark when I got it back I've not had chance to update you further. I was planning on leaving the bellows open as soon as I got home but as it's currently minus 2 I thought that might do more than harm than good if it freezes inside?

I will of course update you when I've rain tested them......

 

[Corradobrit]

my new Cali has the 04S label

I will of course update you when I've rain tested them......

Brilliant

 

[Barry Chuckle]

Brilliant

Hopefully, but those 04S labels will be in such demand the Lookie Lookie men will be selling them soon

 

[RockinNRollin]

You might find if you open the sliding cover to the roof area it is accessible in the material that hangs down anyway without having to open the roof

 

[Do we or don't we]

I collected today but it's taken me 4 hours to get home, I can report that my new Cali has the 04S label hanging from the bellows which I glimpsed during the handover. As it's dark when I got it back I've not had chance to update you further. I was planning on leaving the bellows open as soon as I got home but as it's currently minus 2 I thought that might do more than harm than good if it freezes inside?

I will of course update you when I've rain tested them......

Awesome news! I am so pleased for you, it's nice to have a bit of positive news on this thread let's hope it continues with the results of the rain test.