T5 california roof issue

[jaapthalen1993]

Hi fellow club members,

Recently I bought a T5 california.
Unforunately at home when I tried the roof it would stay in the down position.
After disconnecting the control panel and reconnecting it would elevate just fine.
I was hoping that would be the end of the issue but unfortunately not.
Later on I elevated the roof in the up position and this time, when i wanted to close it, it wouldnt come down anymore.
I disconnected the control panel again and after a few tries luckely it went down.

Does anyone have experience with this problem? I added a video to explain the problem better.

 

[jaapthalen1993]

As you can see in the video, the motor runs. It just doesnt seem to have the power or pressure to elevate the roof.
Normally after a few seconds the motor will give a heavyer noice.

 

[flying banana]

low oil? you need to access the oil reservoir it is behind that panel. are you parked on a slope ? try levelling up and try again ? have a look at the rams. any signs of leakage over time ?

 

[jaapthalen1993]

I checked the rams but i didn't see any sign of leakage.
No dripping in the interior behind the panel neither.
I will check the oil level asap, maybe it is low.

Does anyone know how to acces the pump easily?

Best regards, Jaap

 

[flying banana]

the pump is behind the control panel. you need to take out all the lights and control panel. do a search on the forum. lots of descriptions and photos. is your roof fully up ? low oil usually the roof still works but stops short i believe ? does the control panel indicate roof open or closed ? try resetting the panel and look for fault codes

 

[jaapthalen1993]

It sometimes works either the roof is all the way up or down it does not matter.
Maybe it is the pump afteral but I hope not because it sounds expencive.
I will check the oil first and refill if necessary and report back here.
Thanks for the info , it is much appreciated.

 

[jaapthalen1993]

I think the oil level is acceptable

 

[jaapthalen1993]

I called today with a shop.
Their advice; keep moving it up and down.
When it sometimes fails, and you are able to reset, it is hard for them to find the issue.
They also told me, people who use the roof the most have the least problems with it.

Since I just got the van and I am not sure how often the previous owner used it, I am just gonna take their advice and move it up and down each day.

I will report back here to let you guys know if it helped.

Kind regards Jaap

 

[Steve1]

Your pump definitely sounded like it was running, so if oil level is ok, maybe it was running in an airlock. If so, the raising and lowering might well help. If not, I guess moving it up and down alot might finish it off and highlight the fault.

 

[flying banana]

There must be a minimum oil level when the roof is up and a maximum level when it is down? Are there any lines on the little tank? Bit like on a coolant header bottle?

 

[jaapthalen1993]

Roof was down in the oil level picture

 

[jaapthalen1993]

And in addition to that, the problem seems to accur randomly either the roof is up or down. When I reset the camper control it works on the 2nd attempt and if not than the 3rd.

 

[WelshGas]

And in addition to that, the problem seems to accur randomly either the roof is up or down. When I reset the camper control it works on the 2nd attempt and if not than the 3rd.

These are the experts. Very well regarded.

Volkswagen Campercentrum - Officiële dealer van Volkswagen Campers

Volkswagen Campercentrum is sinds 2001 specialist in compacte campers van Volkswagen. Deze campers worden zowel verkocht als verhuurd. Ook ..

www.campercentrumnederland.nl

 

[jaapthalen1993]

These are the experts. Very well regarded.

Volkswagen Campercentrum - Officiële dealer van Volkswagen Campers

Volkswagen Campercentrum is sinds 2001 specialist in compacte campers van Volkswagen. Deze campers worden zowel verkocht als verhuurd. Ook ..

www.campercentrumnederland.nl

Thanks, contacted them.