Weakest Points T6

[Paulfwb]

This may sound a strange idea but would people post any parts on their T6 that has failed.
This might serve as a guideline as to what spare parts we should carry on roads less traveled.
I’m already getting an “high emission” warning.
(Replacement catalator?)

 

[Lightning]

The kitchen tap/ micro switch.
Leaking sliding windows - check before you go.

 

[WelshGas]

This may sound a strange idea but would people post any parts on their T6 that has failed.
This might serve as a guideline as to what spare parts we should carry on roads less traveled.
I’m already getting an “high emission” warning.
(Replacement catalator?)

What do you mean by “ roads less travelled “?
Outside Europe, Russia, Turkey or North Africa?

 

[Paulfwb]

What do you mean by “ roads less travelled “?
Outside Europe, Russia, Turkey or North Africa?

Yes

 

[Paulfwb]

What do you mean by “ roads less travelled “?
Outside Europe, Russia, Turkey or North Africa?

See: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/beyond-usa-and-europe.33929/post-402283

 

[WelshGas]

See: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/beyond-usa-and-europe.33929/post-402283

In that case it is the wrong vehicle to take.
Problems with the Habitation side of things would be straightforward generally speaking or worked around.
However the engine with all its sensors and emissions control equipment and software is a different thing altogether. Any one can fail and leave you dead in the water.
Ideally you need something that a good local mechanic can fix or bodge a repair to get you to the next town/city. VW T3 or a Land Rover Series 3 or old Toyoto.

Best of luck.

A leaking side window or a failed water tap would be the least of your problems.

 

[Lightning]

This guy has been on the road a few years...
Using an old bus can also have it’s downsides....VW Kombi Life - How did I blow up 10 engines in one road trip.

 

[Paulfwb]

In that case it is the wrong vehicle to take.
Problems with the Habitation side of things would be straightforward generally speaking or worked around.
However the engine with all its sensors and emissions control equipment and software is a different thing altogether. Any one can fail and leave you dead in the water.
Ideally you need something that a good local mechanic can fix or bodge a repair to get you to the next town/city. VW T3 or a Land Rover Series 3 or old Toyoto.

Best of luck.

A leaking side window or a failed water tap would be the least of your problems.

Yes, would certainly not head out today with the T6 but it would still be interesting to have an idea about the “most likely to fail” components.

Are there good technical manuals available somewhere or is the technical information a prized secret?

 

[willwander]

I think the world has changed a lot since the 1970’s hippy road trips to Afghanistan

If you were heading off somewhere like that today, in a T6, I’d recommend taking a credit card and a mobile phone.

 

[WelshGas]

Yes, would certainly not head out today with the T6 but it would still be interesting to have an idea about the “most likely to fail” components.

Are there good technical manuals available somewhere or is the technical information a prized secret?

1. You can sign up to the VW erWin site and pay for 24 hr access, or less, and download everything you need regarding the T6 in pdf format I believe.

Domain Changed

2. Having been on the Forum since the T6 was launched there does not seem to be 1 component or another that's mentioned regularly. But the AdBlue sensor and system seems to be the most problematic and that commonly seems to be due to overfilling, and remember No AdBlue then No driving as the engine stops.

 

[B J G]

Mechanical failures seem to be very few on T6's.

Emission system can be problematic and electronic monitoring will put into limp mode. Nothing that you can carry spares for or fix on a DIY basis.
VW have been known to struggle to resolve issues in a timely manner.

 

[Legin]

Take VCDS with you then at least you can diagnose and reset. I would take some engine/ dpf sensors and thats about it. The T6 etc are complex but they are also much newer so neutral vs the old stuff imo and much more likely to get there than an asthmatic T2

 

[Borris]

So far I've owned a 2015 T5 SE 180ps dsg 4Motion, a 2016 T6 150ps manual Beach and currently a 2019 T6 150ps dsg Beach. The only issues that I have experienced with any of these vehicles were:

1. Failed diesel parking heater impeller. Replaced under warranty.
2. 2 x broken picnic seats. Replaced under warranty.
3. 2 x episodes of the Air bag warning light actuating after swiveling the passenger seat. Fixed under warranty.

 

[Volkywagen]

Belt tensioner failed on mine after 2k miles. You could hear it squeaking loudly on start up when it was in its way out.

 

[AndyWT]

Having been living and traveling in some interesting places, you can do it in modern EU spec vehical, but check with VW as to what support is available in counties you are going to.

Usually if it’s not so well developed they are unlikely to have anything more than Euro3 spec and fuel to match, and apart from components failing it’s the high sulphur diesel that will block the partical filter and kill the cat and the lack of Adblue.
U
It’s not all doom & gloom Turkey has Euro5&6 and 50 ppm diesel but they don’t mention if it’s to EN590, they also have 1,000 ppm for agri and it’s easy to get ripped off, VW has the transporter there with Euro6 up to 150 ps, so should be no issue.

Any further east I would advise not taking anything modern, there’s a big dark gap between Iran and East Asian seaboard anything more than Euro2 forget it.

But as many know Murphy is always around somewhere.

 

[AndyWT]

Here’s an interesting state of fuel quality, although you can get poor diesel anywhere, I recently filled up not far from where we live in Italy, thought I had a problem as lots of black smoke, nope was the diesel, there’s cheap poor quality smuggled in all the time.

 

[soulstyledevon]

What about the removal of the emissions stuff...?
Ad blu tank, DPF and blanking the egr valve.
Would that make the vehicle less problematic?

 

[Paulfwb]

I think the world has changed a lot since the 1970’s hippy road trips to Afghanistan

If you were heading off somewhere like that today, in a T6, I’d recommend taking a credit card and a mobile phone.

This good advice but first check the mobile coverage. We we’re heading for Australia a few years ago and I was advised by a college to take my mobile. It turns out that there are vast holes in the network. Luckily the Land Cruiser had a satellite distress beacon.

 

[dave6779]

This may sound a strange idea but would people post any parts on their T6 that has failed.
This might serve as a guideline as to what spare parts we should carry on roads less traveled.
I’m already getting an “high emission” warning.
(Replacement catalator?)

Footwell lights, get kicked a lot, the garage broke mine. I had to replace it because I never got round to ringing them to fix it. £30 from campervan bits + delivery. I can see it getting broken again too ...

 

[alan middleton]

So far the switch panel on driver door for windows and mirrors has started to malfunction. One switch sticks and the other one no longer activates full opening/closing. We have also been informed that there is a problem with the engine which they will hopefully diagnose when it goes in for routine service next week. We haven’t had any warning lights and oil levels etc are ok, so I’m intrigued...
2018 205 DSG btw

will post update

 

[David Eccles]

Having taken an old Split (which at the time was eight years old!!!) across to Afghanistan and Kashmir when I was a younger there is now way I would consider taking a computer controlled thing anywhere like that ... the thing about oldschool tech is that stuff can usually be fixed or kept going even by ingenious fixer uppers found in towns and villages eg we found an area in Kabul called "The Street of a Hundred Repair Shops" where a 16 year old welded a damaged wheel arch /A pillar) (really!)- as someone above says a 6 (or 5) is not the right vehicle -unless you have a TV crew plus their support vehicles filming you with (pretending they are not there)
Plus you can learn to do loads yourself on an old bus ..I had to strip and clean the carb and fuel pump in desert at 80+ degrees! Now it's warning lights and then spend money times...
having said that I have read some interesting stuff about people in wild places in modern VW stuff ... like a couple travelling in S America in a T4 Vanagon ...

 

[Maskweech]

Thinking about these things will spoil your trip. Go forth and enjoy, my son. If one wanted to be absolutely certain, one could always hire a driver to follow one down the path less traveled with an exact duplicate of the vehicle one is driving. Why not? POTUS does it all the time...

 

[dave6779]

ACC has failed twice for me then randomly fixed itself. The garage wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. No stone strike though that they suggested at first. I dropped my daughter off at nursery, using it on the motorway and duel carriage way that’s next to the nursery, switched the engine off all working switched on 5 mins later not working anymore. Really weird!

 

[dave6779]

Oh, water level sensor in the fresh and foul water tanks is another. The OEM sensor is a bit rubbish, got mine replaced under warranty after they both failed the new ones are much better. No issues since.
the previous owner said the tap failed once, he replacedunder warranty, I’ve had no issues.

 

[hirsty]

Heater blower fan resistor on the manual aircon versions of T5 & T6 - worth buying a couple of spares from eBay.