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Sticky window blinds

campandfly

campandfly

.....
VIP Member
Messages
777
Location
Sunny Cornwall
Vehicle
T5 SE 180 4Motion
Our window blind covering the sliding door will not retract when it gets warm.
Eg. if the sun is shining on that side of the van or if we are using the parking heater.
I am assuming there are some kind of springs that when cold are nice and tight but when they get warmer are weaker.
Is there an adjustment that can be made easily?

We are having a minor service and I asked the garage to take a look because the nights and days are currently cold the issue does not show up for the technicians. But its a continual pain not being able to retract the blind without lots of fiddling and obviously getting in and out of the sliding door is not possible without trying to be Houdini.
 
It's normal after lets say 20.000 km on the clock. There are no springs to hold the blind. VW usually tries to solve the problem with frieze band but this is short-lived
 
It's normal after lets say 20.000 km on the clock. There are no springs to hold the blind. VW usually tries to solve the problem with frieze band but this is short-lived
So I guess its not worth getting the technicians to pull the trim apart to take a look. Unless of course we want a whole new blind fitting.
 
Any of our techie Cali forum members got a schematic diagram ? I would be very interested to know how it retracts without some kind of adjustable coil or spring.
 
I had the same problem with my beach. I tried the "pulling them out fully to reset" approach but it didnt help.

Thankfully mine were sorted under warranty, although it a big job for a simple fix and they just seemed to have reset mine not replace, theyve worked great ever since.
 
Last edited:
Our window blind covering the sliding door will not retract when it gets warm.
Eg. if the sun is shining on that side of the van or if we are using the parking heater.
I am assuming there are some kind of springs that when cold are nice and tight but when they get warmer are weaker.
Is there an adjustment that can be made easily?

We are having a minor service and I asked the garage to take a look because the nights and days are currently cold the issue does not show up for the technicians. But its a continual pain not being able to retract the blind without lots of fiddling and obviously getting in and out of the sliding door is not possible without trying to be Houdini.
I have a 2014 vehicle. Many,many nights away. No problems with any of the blinds. As you are still in warranty - make a claim.
 
I decided the factory fitted blind was a faff to use and is a nuisance if you want to use the sliding door when the blind is in use, so I bought this instead.IMG_2944.JPG
 
No problems with ours so far. But we haven't experience very hot weather yet. We'll find out in Corsica. :cheers

PS - we have used the heater lots though and no problem with that.
 
Hi, all

We’ve got a 2016 T6 Ocean with blinds that will not easily come down evenly when pulled and will certainly not retract easily when pushed back up. They go up lopsided with one side crinkling whilst the other side sticks.

We’ve tried everything; talking nicely to the blinds, threatening them with violence, pushing both ends up slowly, pushing forcefully...you name it, we’ve done it. Any suggestions? Can you safely squirt some silicone lubricating spray into the runners? What material is used for the blinds? Are they sensitive to lubricating chemicals?

All suggestions welcome

Thanks

Jonathan
 
Can you safely squirt some silicone lubricating spray into the runners?
Yes I've used silicone spray and it did no harm, made the blind operation nice and silky! :thumb
 
Yes I've used silicone spray and it did no harm, made the blind operation nice and silky! :thumb
Developed the same problem Colin. Always been hit and miss depending on weather. I'll try the silicone idea when it cools down - not quite sure where to squirt it though?
 
Developed the same problem Colin. Always been hit and miss depending on weather. I'll try the silicone idea when it cools down - not quite sure where to squirt it though?
Just in the channels and the ends of the plastic pull down. Slide up and down a few times after application to spread it.
 
Just in the channels and the ends of the plastic pull down. Slide up and down a few times after application to spread it.
Great , many thanks will give it a go later :thumb
 
Just in the channels and the ends of the plastic pull down. Slide up and down a few times after application to spread it.
Top Tip: Many thanks, silicone sorted it and much better action. Thanks again!
 
I've got a sun blind problem with my 2016 T6. The sliding door blind comes down OK, but no longer holds in place at the bottom of its travel. What is the locking mechanism? Does anybody have this problem and if so, what's the best way to fix it?
 
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