Roof motor buzzed

[sacmac]

Hi. We're on holiday in the Alps. The roof motor just activated with the kids asleep upstairs. Naturally worried if the roof can shut or collapse? No signs of movement of struts. Engine is off obviously. Roof has been up for couple of days. Hot thundery weather. Motor buzz hasn't reoccurred yet but not happy. One of the boys had his head resting on the side of the roof strut. Could this be it? Its a 2013 Cali. Any reports of such roof motor issues? Any advice? I'll test it today but any advice or similar experiences v welcome as reassurance needed.
Thanks
Simon

 

[Californiaman]

It's normal for this to occur. I can't rember precise timing but after a few days the van will repressurize the hydraulics. We've only ever experienced it a handful of times - each 're in the middle of the night , making me leap out of bed!

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Hotel California]

That has been asked and expliande several times here ....
Roof corrects itself , afther opening the roof and turning the contact off with a delay of 10-12 hours
When staying at site for sevral days and no driving in the meantime you need to turn the egnition on once a while , best before going to sleep , to reset the counting and don't have the noise from the pump at night....

 

[sacmac]

Thank you SO much and apologies for making a duplicate thread.

 

[Meoncoast]

Always better to ask if unsure.
I have never noticed it on ours.

 

[Skylark2.0]

Ours retensioned at 5 am one morning. Despite having read about it I still feared that our son would be squashed to a smitheroony and leapt from sleep to attention in a split second... Aparently it happens 10 hrs after the roof goes up if it gets saggy due to rain or wind or who knows what!

 

[RonB]

Recently returned from a couple of months in France and encountered this a few times whilst away. We've a 2013 Cali and this is the 5th trip of about 2 months duration we've made since buying the 'Van Rouge', although this is first trip we've actually encountered this issue. There is no consistency as to when the roof will lower (an inch or two only so that canvas slackens very slightly), can be first, second, third day or not at all. Consistent that only ever is on the left side and it does rectify itself after a five or ten hour cycle as explained on forum and as mentioned in the manual. Can't deny it is slightly alarming when it happens at 3am! I will mention it to garage as still under warranty but I'm assuming I should not be worried?

 

[jts46]

Does not happen with ours, bellows just become saggy. You could try an extendable walking stick to support roof if you are that worried about the children.

John

 

[WelshGas]

Mine just retentioned after 50 hrs. Wasn't noticeably saggy before.

 

[Isa Neal]

Wish mine would retention itself and buzz. It's pretty new end October 2014 and it's never re tensioned itself looks like photo every 4 days-nobody else's Cali looks like this and before you ask it's already had a new Pump and new hydraulic arms ......I'm thinking of suggesting VW use this as their advert for new VW Cali

 

[WelshGas]

Don't forget the retensioning, if needed, occurs 10 hrs offer the last Ignition ON event and thereafter at regular intervals.

 

[Isa Neal]

Yup I know the rules re 10 hrs initially and thereafter every 5 hours........... My ignition keys are nowhere near the ignition and I still cannot get the damn roof to re tension itself.....so it's like the photo by 4 days and the control panel still thinks it's fully up........

 

[BerndRos]

Funny but my roof gas been up and down hundreds of times and mine has NEVER once become loose or retentioned itself.....

 

[Isa Neal]

Yes that's why I say my new Cali is pretty odd and out of order. My previous new Cali in 2012 never needed to retention itbwas always up properly despite 28000 miles and scores of nights away many several nights in a row. That's why I think Cali number 2 is aberrant....

 

[GrannyJen]

Yes that's why I say my new Cali is pretty odd and out of order. My previous new Cali in 2012 never needed to retention itbwas always up properly despite 28000 miles and scores of nights away many several nights in a row. That's why I think Cali number 2 is aberrant....

Sadly this also sounds as if it could again be one of those issues where the VW technical people know best, far better than the person who has lived in Cali's for hundreds of nights and knows what is right and what is wrong.