which model do I have?

JerPyr · Jan 25, 2022

Hi everyone; I live in France. Last September we bought a 2012 VW California in Alsace, France, near the France-Germany border. I didn't keep any record of the original advertisement for the vehicle (which did have a quite detailed model description) and all the manuals are in German (for which I am trying to find equivalent ones in French or English). Of course, I have the French registration papers for the car...which show some technical details and various series of numbers, codes etc. but don't list the exact "model" of the vehicle. Is there anyway I can know exactly which model I have? I'm talking about the kind of description that would appear in the VW brochure, as there seem to be quite a variety of different ones. Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Niborn · Jan 25, 2022

JerPyr said:
Hi everyone; I live in France. Last September we bought a 2012 VW California in Alsace, France, near the France-Germany border. I didn't keep any record of the original advertisement for the vehicle (which did have a quite detailed model description) and all the manuals are in German (for which I am trying to find equivalent ones in French or English). Of course, I have the French registration papers for the car...which show some technical details and various series of numbers, codes etc. but don't list the exact "model" of the vehicle. Is there anyway I can know exactly which model I have? I'm talking about the kind of description that would appear in the VW brochure, as there seem to be quite a variety of different ones. Any help would be much appreciated! Than

You should , in France , be able to simply enter your registration details on the government web site and it will give you the details . Or there are various we value your car sites which do that too. If you want to pat around 5 euro you can get a detailed history of the vehicle. I live in France and have used these sites . Good luck .

Niborn · Jan 25, 2022

Try this

HistoVec - jouez la transparence en partageant l'historique du véhicule

Un service public gratuit pour les propriétaires et les acheteurs de véhicules d'occasion, basé sur les données officielles du ministère de l'Intérieur.

histovec.interieur.gouv.fr

WelshGas · Jan 25, 2022

JerPyr said:
Hi everyone; I live in France. Last September we bought a 2012 VW California in Alsace, France, near the France-Germany border. I didn't keep any record of the original advertisement for the vehicle (which did have a quite detailed model description) and all the manuals are in German (for which I am trying to find equivalent ones in French or English). Of course, I have the French registration papers for the car...which show some technical details and various series of numbers, codes etc. but don't list the exact "model" of the vehicle. Is there anyway I can know exactly which model I have? I'm talking about the kind of description that would appear in the VW brochure, as there seem to be quite a variety of different ones. Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you!

You could try the site mentioned in Post 1 on this thread. Might get the Manuals as well.

Latest California manuals on VW web page, Jan 22!

Hi again all, As a Brit that can speak German and who has a degree in Googling, I found the following VW manuals web page that seems to offer all California manuals, in many languages. English landing page. If you want to see this site in a different language, click on the Globe top right...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

andyinluton · Jan 25, 2022

Better still post a few photos, including under the bonnet & we can have a go at working out what you've got.

Vagophile · Jan 25, 2022

Does the vehicle have a service schedule booklet with the vehicle data printed on the inside cover? If so then you can decipher the entries, somewhere there is a web site giving a description of all of the codes. I'm sure someone will be able to reference it.

Wildcamper · Jan 25, 2022

In the UK if you take your van, or just the VIN number, to any VW Commercials dealer they will look it up on the VW database. Something similar must apply in France.

ThomasHJ · Jan 25, 2022

If it's a 2012 LHD model California, sold in France for the european market, (and not a high top) then there's not a whole lot of possibilities. It will almost surely be a VW California comfortline.

On this forum (British) people speak of the VW T5 California SE. That is the UK-market (or RightHandDrive) name. In many (if not all) countries on mainland Europe (LHD), the same van was sold as a VW T5 California Comfortline. There was also a 'Trendline' and maybe even a 'Highline', but I almost never see anything other then the 'Comfortline'. It is basically the predecessor (or T5-version) of what is now called the VW California Ocean.

more info here.

Vagophile · Jan 25, 2022

ThomasHJ said:
On this forum (British) people speak of the VW T5 California SE.

See post #6 My vehicle data shows A8R which is referenced as California Comfortline. As you say, sold as SE in the U.K.

calikev · Jan 25, 2022

pm me your vin number and i can check exactly what vehicle you have and what equipment it came with from the factory

Azteccamper · Jan 25, 2022

Didn’t think they produced the 174 engine in 2012. Isn’t it the T5 2.5 five pot which finished about 2009?

R_Sargeant_CH · Jan 29, 2022

WelshGas said:
You could try the site mentioned in Post 1 on this thread. Might get the Manuals as well.

Latest California manuals on VW web page, Jan 22!

Hi again all, As a Brit that can speak German and who has a degree in Googling, I found the following VW manuals web page that seems to offer all California manuals, in many languages. English landing page. If you want to see this site in a different language, click on the Globe top right...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

I have seen from others that the VW manuals site I found only deals With newish vehicles. 2012 is probably too far back.

Doug Curran · Jan 29, 2022

On the underside of the lower dashboard cover, below the steering wheel is a self-adhesive build label with VIN, model and option codes (see attached from mine). This information actually differed from the official German registration documents, so this is the one I rely on for any parts/model specs.

JerPyr said:
Hi everyone; I live in France. Last September we bought a 2012 VW California in Alsace, France, near the France-Germany border. I didn't keep any record of the original advertisement for the vehicle (which did have a quite detailed model description) and all the manuals are in German (for which I am trying to find equivalent ones in French or English). Of course, I have the French registration papers for the car...which show some technical details and various series of numbers, codes etc. but don't list the exact "model" of the vehicle. Is there anyway I can know exactly which model I have? I'm talking about the kind of description that would appear in the VW brochure, as there seem to be quite a variety of different ones. Any help would be much appreciated!