Just read your post and WELL DONE FOR FIXING!!! GOD you have more patience that me
@mommabear ... what a great site and people so helpful. Thank God. Cheers
Think about this - and this is a general rant about repairs/prices
I've spent 25 years working on classic minis, old campers, motorhomes, just messing about as a hobby.
When something technical/not related to conversions comes up and it will, there's always someone to help, especially on here, and remember, nobody knows everything.
If you don't have the equipment or the knowledge, you can always pay someone....but even as an industry insider, I feel strongly that there are those who will take your wallet off you for the most stupid jobs, and presently, more than ever in this ever greedy camper world, there are some guys out there getting fat and rich off the backs of hardworking people who just want simple repairs / jobs done.
I liken this to an 88 year old lady down my street who was quoted £175 to fit an outdoor tap so she could water her plants easier - back then I was a builder (pre-nursing) and I heard her talking about it in the village shop and heard the heartbreaking "well I suppose ill have to pay it".
I though will you hell! ill do it for a cup of tea and some of your famous lemon drizzle cake Mrs Perkins.
The bits cost me less than a tenner, it took me an hour and I got the lemon drizzle experience that only ladies of Mrs Perkins generation know how to bake.
In the world of VW vans, Its the ultimate paradox - campers are all about unity and peace and love right? that's the image you buy into. Well sure..... as long as you're willing to pay out your backside for it.
Example of pure greed: I called a garage for a quote on the work I've just managed to do.....remember at this stage, they didn't know I'm reasonably happy doing my own repairs once I know what to do, they didnt know about my experience and they didnt know what the issue was at this point.
1) I was quoted £50 for a full diagnostic (Even though as Pauly said - it wouldn't have shown on a diagnostic) - the most I ever paid a really good garage for a diagnostic was a £25 "drink" to diagnose an issue with EGR on a Highline I had.
2) I was told the 'Labour' for stripping the door down would be '
really expensive'...(Takes 30 minutes max to strip an outer and inner door card down if you know what to do)...so what part of a 30 minute job is labour expensive???
3) Was told a new door lock unit would be pricey and also obviously the labour and re-fitting and the 'VAT' would be
"significant" because its a 'specialist job'.
No it's not. If you know what to do... nothing is a specialist job.
"Specialist" means "I know how to do it...and because you've never been shown... you dont".
(Also contacted VW for fun... they quoted between £300-500 with VAT for the full job without even having run a diagnostic or even taken the model of the van off me.........if you're vehicle is outside warranty.....just dont waste your time with VW main dealers ever ever ever..... think about this for an example of ludicrous pricing ... £295 + VAT for a full service...oil..air...fuel....pollen filter.... as well as some stupid and worthless "checks" around your vehicle......that would cost you £55-80 all in by buying the parts off eBay if you did it yourself)
That day, I was prepared to spend a good hour or two drinking tea, taking my time and stripping down and investigating a door to look at a piece of equipment id never serviced before but was reasonably confident with patience, the forums help and a bit of thought I could do it, and by absolute chance, just because I though id give it another look, I checked the most easy to get to, easy to replace thing in the world a second time, just to see.... and it turned out to be the issue.
No expensive garages, no technical equipment, no VAT
so I learned a few things about T6 electrics through just spending time, asking the forums help and being patient.
1) On some models (especially Startline) the door open warning light
can be a fixed graphic, only showing that 'a' door is open, not 'which' door.
Even though the issue was with the sliding door, the passenger door warning light seemed to be on.
2) The sliding door open/closed switch is a really flimsy and nasty bit of plastic that gets pummelled back into the bodywork over and over again (who doesn't give the sliding door a good slam the they close it) - eventually, something is going to happen to it.
In my case, the clip that holds the switch wiring to the bodywork nice and safe, had become dislodged and the cable had rubbed through on a sharp edge inside the skin of the door pillar causing a short and the light to come on.
Took me 15 minutes to repair with some cable twisting and a heat shrink sleeve.
There you go.
Little tip my old Dad gave me when he was showing me how to fix classic minis..... when you reach a point in the road where you're knowledge is lacking and you dont know what to do. Walk away and get back to it the next day. Sleep on it.
Dont reach for your wallet as a first instinct, because believe you me, everyone want to help when they can get their hands on your money......
Somebody should write about this in a blog......
maybe I will.
