T6 Sliding Door - soft close

M

myvanrodney

New Member
Hi All.

Can anyone describe to me the technical functioning of the soft close system? I have a T6.1 and so many times the door makes 3 attempts before properly closing. I cannot link any trigger - level, battery status, hard push, soft push, etc.etc., so Id like to try and work out why it could be happening.

I notice oil the third attempt the door motor runs for a fraction of a second longer than the previous 3 attempts...

Thanks!
 
I have the same question. What I have discovered though is that frequent opening and closing of our camper’s soft-close side door when parked up for a couple of days on a campsite brings the starter battery’s SOC down low enough to get a ‘low battery’ warning when starting.
 
This is going to be hard to put into words but i will try !!

Theres a motor inside the door that has a bowden cable coming out of it that attaches to the rear lock/catch

The rear catch is sprung loaded to release the door so when you open the door from the closed position the latch moves out a small amount ready to receive the door on the closing cycle

When you shut the door and the latch senses the door engaging into the receiver it triggers the latching motor to activate, this pulls the bowden cable that in turns pulls the rear latch/receptacle piece inward to complete the final inward movement of the door



My first thing would be to check the closed position of the rear of the door compared to the van body, ie when the door is closed is the rear edge of the door perfectly level with the van body behind it, if the door is closing too much or too little it could be affecting the position/sensor on the power latching system ??

You could try assisting the rear edge of the door and press it in slightly as the latch motor is pulling and see if your assistance makes it latch first time, thisd may give you a pointer to whats going on ??
 
Captain Quick said:
I have the same question. What I have discovered though is that frequent opening and closing of our camper’s soft-close side door when parked up for a couple of days on a campsite brings the starter battery’s SOC down low enough to get a ‘low battery’ warning when starting.
Click to expand...
I thought it might be a battery issue, but it happens when on EHU too
 
Pauly said:
This is going to be hard to put into words but i will try !!

Theres a motor inside the door that has a bowden cable coming out of it that attaches to the rear lock/catch

The rear catch is sprung loaded to release the door so when you open the door from the closed position the latch moves out a small amount ready to receive the door on the closing cycle

When you shut the door and the latch senses the door engaging into the receiver it triggers the latching motor to activate, this pulls the bowden cable that in turns pulls the rear latch/receptacle piece inward to complete the final inward movement of the door



My first thing would be to check the closed position of the rear of the door compared to the van body, ie when the door is closed is the rear edge of the door perfectly level with the van body behind it, if the door is closing too much or too little it could be affecting the position/sensor on the power latching system ??

You could try assisting the rear edge of the door and press it in slightly as the latch motor is pulling and see if your assistance makes it latch first time, thisd may give you a pointer to whats going on ??
Click to expand...
Thanks this is great.

How about the logic for the retries?.. do you know if it is running the motor for longer on the third attempt or using a higher 'pulling' current. I feel as though if the van used the parameters for this third attempt on the first attempt it would close every time.

I did try pushing from the rear edge, to see if I could find a reliable technique, but this failed a few times too. ... first world problem I know, but its dammnn annoying!
 
Pauly said:
This is going to be hard to put into words but i will try !!

Theres a motor inside the door that has a bowden cable coming out of it that attaches to the rear lock/catch

The rear catch is sprung loaded to release the door so when you open the door from the closed position the latch moves out a small amount ready to receive the door on the closing cycle

When you shut the door and the latch senses the door engaging into the receiver it triggers the latching motor to activate, this pulls the bowden cable that in turns pulls the rear latch/receptacle piece inward to complete the final inward movement of the door



My first thing would be to check the closed position of the rear of the door compared to the van body, ie when the door is closed is the rear edge of the door perfectly level with the van body behind it, if the door is closing too much or too little it could be affecting the position/sensor on the power latching system ??

You could try assisting the rear edge of the door and press it in slightly as the latch motor is pulling and see if your assistance makes it latch first time, thisd may give you a pointer to whats going on ??
Click to expand...
With the door closed, it sits probably 2 to 4mm proud of the rear quarter body panel (varies from the bottom of the door to the top), although the door itself has a radius to it so it's difficult to say too precisely.

Is it easy to adjust the closed position?

Thanks !
 
Theres an adjustment at the rear to get it sitting flat, can remember exactly how as havent touched one for ages so not sure if its adjusted on the lock catch or the striker plate ??
 
I've found this from ChatGPT..:

Here’s what the official T6.1 service manual describes regarding the sliding-door striker adjustment – the same mechanism that ties into soft‑close performance (runtime & torque):







📘 T6/T6.1 Sliding Door Striker Adjustment​





  • The striker pin can be adjusted both horizontally and vertically:


    • Loosen the bolts mounting the pin.
    • You can move it inward/outward or up/down to fine‑tune door engagement .
  • Objective: ensure the door isn’t too recessed or protruding when closed – this allows the motorised cam to engage smoothly and on the first soft‑close attempt.
  • If misaligned, the door won’t fully seat, forcing the system into longer and higher-torque cycles on subsequent tries.








🛠 Manual Repair Section Guide​





Although the full workshop PDF isn’t directly excerpted online, here’s a typically included procedure section in VW manuals:



  1. Identify striker pin location – on rear sliding-door frame.
  2. Loosen mounting bolts (usually Torx or spline).
  3. Slide striker pin:


    • Horizontally to reduce distance the latch needs to pull.
    • Vertically to adjust door height alignment.
  4. Tighten bolts, then test:


    • Manually slide the door to just shy of latch position (~90‑95%).
    • Activate soft‑close: it should latch immediately with one clean pull.
  5. If it needs repeated attempts, repeat adjustment in small increments until it closes smoothly on the first attempt.








✅ Additional Official Tips​





  • Ensure latch & striker are clean and lubricated to minimise initial resistance.
  • If soft-close still requires multiple cycles:


    • Inspect the rotating cam motor assembly behind the striker for wear or dryness.
    • A lubrication check or part replacement (part number 7E0843765B for nearside, per forum) may be needed .
  • If mechanical adjustment fails, a control module reset (disconnect door module fuse or battery for a time) can re‑initialise the position sensors .








🔧 Summary: Immediate Fix Path​





  • Loosen striker pin, adjust inward/upward in <1 mm increments.
  • Clean and grease striker + latch cam.
  • Test soft‑close at ~95% door closure—should latch in one go.
  • If not, repeat until smooth; if problems persist, check cam motor and control unit.






Let me know if you’d like the full workshop PDF or part numbers to order replacement motors, or visual diagrams of where the striker and cam motor sit on your specific side (Nearside/Offside).
 
Hi all, This is my first post and not sure if this is the correct place to enquire but it is partially related to the above threads. I have a 2021 T6.1 campervan and would like to retro fit a soft close latch to the passenger side sliding door . Can anyone inform me where I can purchase a kit that includes all the replacement parts and wiring ?
 
I can supply the wiring and all the bits for that, I’m away at the moment but if your interested send me a pm and I can sort you a price after the weekend when I’m back
 
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