Roof corrosion survey

[Keith Smith]

My California has the dreaded roof corrosion and because I applied sealing tape myself there is some doubt that VW will now take responsibility for repair so we have decided to trade it in against a new Ocean. The trouble is having applied, and subsequently removed the protective tape, I have grave doubts that VWs tape solution will work and the last thing I want is to go through all this again in a few years. So I have come up with, I think, a new theory and hope that forum members can help me confirm or debunk my idea.

I'm a cabinet maker and frequently spray furniture using water based paints and have found that drying and subsequent paint hardness is very much weather dependent. Even in good weather, when it is touch dry in a couple of hours, it can take a week for the paint to fully harden and I'm thinking that the vehicles are being driven outside before the paint has fully cured, rainwater is getting into the seal and this is preventing the paint from ever fully curing.

So my theory is that California's manufactured in the winter months are more likely to have corrosion than those manufactured in the summer and I would be grateful if you could let me know your appropriate month of manufacture and whether or not VW found corrosion to the raising section of the roof.

Mine is a T6 Ocean February 2016 (winter) manufacture and I have corrosion.

 

[Loz]

Why not add a Members Poll to this post?

 

[Keith Smith]

Why not add a Members Poll to this post?

Thanks, I didn't think I could do that as it's a conditional response and I thought the poll options were binary but I've now found you can add multiple options so I've added a poll.

 

[Meoncoast]

and because I applied sealing tape myself there is some doubt that VW will now take responsibility for repair so we have decided to trade it in against a new Ocean.

Seems a bit excessive in my view. The dangers of trying to fix an issue that VW is aware of and are responsible for. Why I have not tried to fix or prevent myself.

 

[Keith Smith]

Seems a bit excessive in my view. The dangers of trying to fix an issue that VW is aware of and are responsible for. Why I have not tried to fix or prevent myself.

With hindsight it was a big mistake fitting the tape myself but when I started taking the tape off, with the aid of a hot air gun, it came off so easily that I thought I was going to get away with it. Then I got to the front edge and the paint just peeled off, but not just where the tape had been but well up the roof. Seems like the paint has not adhered to the primer at all. When I took it in for a service they were a bit shocked and said they had to get VW to send their paint expert to look at it. Faced with at best having to send it to Southport for a prolonged period while they fixed it, at worst VW washing their hands of it, I decided to save myself the hassle and trade it in. Hence this survey, if it had come back conclusively that summer cars don't rot I'd have postponed the order a month as my new one is due to be built in April. On the plus side I'm going to get a split worktop

 

[Hotel California]

Roofs are sprayed in a diffrent factory then the assembling plant , and transported to the California plant in Limmer .
.....where they are stored in racks (inside) and mounted on the body just in time as the Cali's are assembled
Tape and rubber seals are applied just before mounting on the body .
We seen all this with our own eyes while visiting the factory .
Afterwarts every Cali is tested waterproof so every Cali will get wet before leaving the factory .
So the theory about winter/summer is useless .
Sorry to spoil the fun guys...

 

[Keith Smith]

Roof are sprayed in a diffrent factory then the assembling plant , and transported to the California plant in Limmer .
.....where they are stored in racks (inside) and mounted on the body just in time as the Cali's are assembled
Tape and rubber seals are applied just before mounting on the body .
We seen all this with our own eyes while visiting the factory .
Afterwarts every Cali is tested waterproof so every Cali will get wet before leaving the factory .
So the theory about winter/summer is useless .
Sorry to spoil the fun guys...

Thanks for giving me an insight about the way the roof is made but you haven't completely invalidated my point. In the winter the Cali is water tested, but then it gets driven out and stands in the cold and wet for possibly months before it is ever dried out by the sun. Whereas in the summer the Cali gets water tested and is then driven out into the heat of the sun where the paint can fully cure. There is more to the problems with the roof than just the seal, I could peel the paint off my roof with masking tape way beyond the edge where the seal sits.

 

[Hotel California]

Dear @Keith Smith , disagree as much you like but ,
Paintwork is dryed in an oven it does not need to be sundryed like tomatoes
Sun will not dry out the water that came in the seal , only way to get the water out the seal is pulling of the seal and then letting it dry out .
Its that water in combi with the metal in the seal and the aluminium of the roof that causes a reaction.

Why does the frontspoiler corrode also just above the windscreen alltough it can perfect dry out becose there's no seal on the edges ? It makes contact with the metal part of the body ....

Cali's build in winter or summer ....no difffrence .
Every Cali will corrode in time .
Love it or hate it .

 

[Grumps]

My Cali is a summer build 2016' and when being serviced at 10000 mile, the two year service period in October this year I was informed I had the dreaded roof corrosion front near side corner. This is astonishing as my Cali spends most of its life in our heated garage at home or in southern Spain in the sun, I think it's only been wet twice, and never left out in the rain. This makes me think that this corrosion issue has more to it then just water alone.The main agent was going to inform Volkswagen for a repair, at the moment still waiting for a reply, not heard anything since earley October.

 

[Spottydog]

My Cali is a summer build 2016' and when being serviced at 10000 mile, the two year service period in October this year I was informed I had the dreaded roof corrosion front near side corner. This is astonishing as my Cali spends most of its life in our heated garage at home or in southern Spain in the sun, I think it's only been wet twice, and never left out in the rain. This makes me think that this corrosion issue has more to it then just water alone.The main agent was going to inform Volkswagen for a repair, at the moment still waiting for a reply, not heard anything since earley October.

There seems to be a huge wait for resprays. I had to wait 8 months which shows how big the problem is. Vw did however take responsibility as the vehicle was less than 5 years old.

 

[Vantastic2]

Am totally puzzled by all this as I thought VW had solved the roof corrosion problems and the T6 should have been corrosion free? (T5 also from around 2015?)
Our Cali had the dreaded roof cancer and had a new Polypropylene cap fitted! Terrible job they did too and after a week when warranty (12 mnth) ran out, in came the water( rain or washing ) or should I say 'water fall' as cap unstuck from body work at front! fixed it myself as i didn't want more hassle!
Interesting note,took Cali to VW Hereford beginning of last month for 4 wheel tracking ( rear tyres wearing on inner edges) and service manager said after job done that there was a recall for the pop up roof ! and they inspected and cleaned seal around roof for us ?
so why didn't VW inform us and wait until I went to a dealer first?
Find it all very odd!!!!!

Too add, according to the yellow inspection card that came with our Cali she was inspected in the Sept of 2012 and arrived at dealer Jan 2013! then registered Mar 2013 !

 

[WelshGas]

Am totally puzzled by all this as I thought VW had solved the roof corrosion problems and the T6 should have been corrosion free? (T5 also from around 2015?)
Our Cali had the dreaded roof cancer and had a new Polypropylene cap fitted! Terrible job they did too and after a week when warranty (12 mnth) ran out, in came the water( rain or washing ) or should I say 'water fall' as cap unstuck from body work at front! fixed it myself as i didn't want more hassle!
Interesting note,took Cali to VW Hereford beginning of last month for 4 wheel tracking ( rear tyres wearing on inner edges) and service manager said after job done that there was a recall for the pop up roof ! and they inspected and cleaned seal around roof for us ?
so why didn't VW inform us and wait until I went to a dealer first?
Find it all very odd!!!!!

2 totally different areas of Corrosion. T5 up until MY 2014 the Roof section above the windscreen. That’s your repair.

Elevating section of roof, below the rubber seal. This common on both the T5 and T6. This is the subject of a Workshop recall. So next visit/service VW will carry out the check and apply the Foil/Tape under the seal.

All explained in other threads . Applies to All California’s from, I believe, 2010 onwards.

 

[Amarillo]

2 totally different areas of Corrosion. T5 up until MY 2014 the Roof section above the windscreen. That’s your repair.

Elevating section of roof, below the rubber seal. This common on both the T5 and T6. This is the subject of a Workshop recall. So next visit/service VW will carry out the check and apply the Foil/Tape under the seal.

All explained in other threads . Applies to All California’s from, I believe, 2010 onwards.

When my March 2017 T6 Beach went in for a DSG oil change very recently I asked about this roof rot inspection. No one seemed to know anything.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[WelshGas]

When my March 2017 T6 Beach went in for a DSG oil change very recently I asked about this roof rot inspection. No one seemed to know anything.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

Well my Dealer new all about it, beginning of November.

 

[Amarillo]

Well my Dealer new all about it, beginning of November.

Most odd. SMG Tonbridge is the #2 California dealership in the country. But perhaps their service section is not as clued up as sales. I will phone them up and triple check.


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[Duncan]

Most odd. SMG Tonbridge is the #2 California dealership in the country. But perhaps their service section is not as clued up as sales. I will phone them up and triple check.


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Who is #1 ? Who decides the league table ?

 

[Amarillo]

Who is #1 ? Who decides the league table ?

Liverpool (I think) sells the most Californias in the UK.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[ArunAlec]

Most odd. SMG Tonbridge is the #2 California dealership in the country. But perhaps their service section is not as clued up as sales. I will phone them up and triple check.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

SMG Cowfold were aware. Mine was inspected when serviced mid October.

 

[Vantastic2]

2 totally different areas of Corrosion. T5 up until MY 2014 the Roof section above the windscreen. That’s your repair.

Elevating section of roof, below the rubber seal. This common on both the T5 and T6. This is the subject of a Workshop recall. So next visit/service VW will carry out the check and apply the Foil/Tape under the seal.

All explained in other threads . Applies to All California’s from, I believe, 2010 onwards.

I wonder if it is worth gently pulling the seal dn to see if they have applied this foil/tape to the elevated roof or would I be asking for trouble here?

 

[WelshGas]

I wonder if it is worth gently pulling the seal dn to see if they have applied this foil/tape to the elevated roof or would I be asking for trouble here?

You could, and the tape/foil often shows above the seal on the corners especially if you look carefully.

 

[Vantastic2]

You could, and the tape/foil often shows above the seal on the corners especially if you look carefully.

Thanks will try and find a mo to look!

 

[Markdleeming]

Just had my Winter 2016 Beach recalled for roof corrosion inspection last week and modification. Van did live outside for the first couple of years and one harsh winter (got down to -10) and which warped and corroded the brakes, so was expecting corrosion to be found. Dealer reported no corrosion and have applied the modification. Took about 3 hours.