T6 Van wont start - no crank, no dash lights

[Kykin]

Hey brains trust.

Got this van at manheim auctions.
2017 Transporter T6
ex Linfox Tobacco Transport van, WOVR.

Arrived stuck in park, drivers window half down. They dragged it off the trailer as is, and didnt find the yellow leaver park lock release under the gear boot flap.

Van wont start.
- central display lights up upon door open or close.
- cluster lights up when parkers/lights turned on
- bluetooth radio comes on with key in acc, syncs to phone, works fine
- interior lights work fine
- no dash warning lights light up
- cycling the key doesn't affect the dash light activity
- parkers work, but headlights dont come on.
- Hazrad lights flash and work

All the fuses and relays seems fine.
The battery is low and maybe had it, but have tried other batteries and big truck jump packs.
I tried a mid range obd2 scan tool, and cleared all the codes as it had a few eletrical faults for low and high voltage
Only error code that reappeared once is "Return message regarding driver door closing condition-implausable signal"
- yet the drivers door functionally works fine, handle and locks ect.
- the dash center display correctly shows the door open and close on the graphic display
- the windows, both, wont go up or down, but the window switch is broken/faulty, that was also one of the old fault codes that got cleared.


Have taken the dash under trays off and cannot locate any tampering, any removal of immobilising trackers or anything.
The factory immobilising light at the lock pin in door seems to function as it should when locked it flashes, when unlocked it doesnt.

Im out of ideas, and cant get it to even crank or light up the dash warning lights....

Once i solve this, it will be good for others to see what it could be in the future.

 

[Spaghetti]

Have you checked the battery voltage and then removed the battery earth connection for a few minutes and reconnected and tried?

 

[drinfinity]

Is it possible the crash detection system kicked in? I’m absolutely not an expert, but it might be something to rule out.

Some actions of the crash system from VW - “Next, all the high-voltage electronics are disengaged along with the fuel pump, ensuring the engine stops. This prevents any unwanted actions and minimizes the risk of fire.”

 

[Kykin]

Is it possible the crash detection system kicked in? I’m absolutely not an expert, but it might be something to rule out.

Some actions of the crash system from VW - “Next, all the high-voltage electronics are disengaged along with the fuel pump, ensuring the engine stops. This prevents any unwanted actions and minimizes the risk of fire.”

How to resolve this? Is really the question.

 

[Kykin]

Have you checked the battery voltage and then removed the battery earth connection for a few minutes and reconnected and tried?

The battery has been in and out many times.
I can try specifically just the negative terminal. What does it do when done like this?

 

[Spaghetti]

The battery has been in and out many times.
I can try specifically just the negative terminal. What does it do when done like this?

If you‘ve done it already, it’s not necessary to do it again. Just mentioned negative as it’s not necessary to remove both just to reset.

Sometimes the ECU encounters problems if it has had a low battery voltage and a reset sometimes helps.

As it’s accident damaged, maybe @drinfinity is onto something.

 

[Kykin]

Today's job is to try find the right side crash/airbag sensors seen in another diagram in this forum. Remove and refit them. Does.anyone know if they can be reset or if they are single use?

And as it is not a caravelle and just commercial, maybe it won't have these sensors at all....

 

[Pauly]

I think if you are doing salvage repair you would prob need to invest in a decent VAG OBD tool like vcds, it will give you specific error codes and the descriptors to go with them
If the airbags have detonated/van knows its been bashed then the crash system will be active which I don’t think you will be able to reset on your own, the control module will either need to be replaced or sent off for reprogramming

 

[Kykin]

Ok. No airbags have gone off.

 

[Pauly]

Ok, unlikely a crash issue then
The side airbag sensors in doors won’t be present unless you have side airbags (which are an optional extra) so some of the ones in the above diagram won’t be present

If it were me I think I would just buy a new battery (as it’s almost certainly be flat for a prolonged period) get it fully charged, get it fitted in van, reset all fault codes and go again, see what errors come up with a decent battery and a clean sheet and go from there

 

[paddy26]

If you lock the door with the key and hold the key in lock position do the windows close?
Have you checked the fuses under the battery in the engine bay?

 

[Kykin]

If you lock the door with the key and hold the key in lock position do the windows close?
Have you checked the fuses under the battery in the engine bay?

Ill try the window close thing.
I have checked all fuses and relays. both in centre column and under battery.
The drivers side window switch is broken, but both windows dont seem to work anyways.

It would seem to me that the high voltage system is down, and only the basic safety features of the car are active.

Ill get a spare door, and battery today and search for those crash sensors that are likely not there...

Does the same door bolt on from 2005 to 2020? they seem the same, just different door cards. does a t6 door card bolt onto a t5.1 door (2012) ?
I guess ill find out soon.

Thanks for the help.

 

[paddy26]

I don't think T6 panel vans have those crash sensors. Only the airbag control module under the raised part of the cab floor.
As Pauly said, a full scan with a new battery should point you in the right direction.

 

[Kykin]

Newer bigger battery is in. 850cca 95ah 180rc


Hold key to lock side did not produce auto windows up.

Found the right drivers side footwear sensor. Removed and refitted. Nothing happened

 

[Kykin]

Borrowed a VCDS Hex-Net, returned no faults, but lots of modules it couldn't even reach or communicate with. So that wasnt helping.
Removed the final dash panels behind the light switch and noticed the ends of 3 snipped wires in the loom, also
Found on the braid of wires coming from the ignition that a single big black line with blue stripe was cut, diverted, and never reconected after the aftermarket whatever had been removed. They also went to the trouble of taping it mostly up again all neat so that whatever was done was barely visible. either that or they snipped it so close to the electrical tape that it seemed neat and tidy and untouched.

Soldered the big black and blue line back together, and we had a running car for the first time! the other 3, inside the zip up sausage of wires, they were mainly spliced added wires, and only 1 of three needed to be rejoined. the other 2 trimmed and removed.

Car runs and moves around the carpark, found out i got 80% of a tank of fuel for free also!

Now to fix the wheel alignment and the broken whatever that has it towing out so bad. and to find a T6 door. 4x wrecking yards have informed me that the T5.1 door wont directly bolt on the same even though they look identical in photos in shape.

 

[paddy26]

According to here the T5, T5.1, T6 and T6.1 doors are the same:

Door

Important notesleftFitmentThis part fits into 1 vehicle models. Check the section 'Fit these cars'Additional informationsPR-CODE&nbsp&nbsp Informations&nbsp&nbsp6U0Without additional seals outside

m.oemvwshop.com

The door cards are different as they match the dash.

 

[Kykin]

According to here the T5, T5.1, T6 and T6.1 doors are the same:

Door

Important notesleftFitmentThis part fits into 1 vehicle models. Check the section 'Fit these cars'Additional informationsPR-CODE&nbsp&nbsp Informations&nbsp&nbsp6U0Without additional seals outside

m.oemvwshop.com

The door cards are different as they match the dash.

So the door cards bolts all line up to be interchangeable?

I wonder if someone has done this swap?

 

[dopeytree]

Borrowed a VCDS Hex-Net, returned no faults, but lots of modules it couldn't even reach or communicate with. So that wasnt helping.
Removed the final dash panels behind the light switch and noticed the ends of 3 snipped wires in the loom, also
Found on the braid of wires coming from the ignition that a single big black line with blue stripe was cut, diverted, and never reconected after the aftermarket whatever had been removed. They also went to the trouble of taping it mostly up again all neat so that whatever was done was barely visible. either that or they snipped it so close to the electrical tape that it seemed neat and tidy and untouched.

Soldered the big black and blue line back together, and we had a running car for the first time! the other 3, inside the zip up sausage of wires, they were mainly spliced added wires, and only 1 of three needed to be rejoined. the other 2 trimmed and removed.

Car runs and moves around the carpark, found out i got 80% of a tank of fuel for free also!

Now to fix the wheel alignment and the broken whatever that has it towing out so bad. and to find a T6 door. 4x wrecking yards have informed me that the T5.1 door wont directly bolt on the same even though they look identical in photos in shape.

Didn't happen to get any snaps did you? I'm having similar symptoms.

 

[Kykin]

Didn't happen to get any snaps did you? I'm having similar symptoms.

Similar to my power issues? I didn't. Mine was caused by cut wires where a gps tracker and disabler would have been fitted when in service. So I just had to find where they were spliced into under the dash.


Update overal: the van passed its WOVI and was registered and ready for us to move house in by Jan 5th. Runs great. Uses 6.8 l per 100k empty. And 8.6 p100k fully loaded, all highway. Love it!

Only niggle is the auto downshift into 3rd is sometimes rough. Will start with an auto service....