Fix VW California Ocean/Coast kitchen water issues
There are a few things that can go wrong with the water system in the VW California. I’ve experienced 3 different problems already and fixed them all, for under $20.
If you are reading this, you know the feeling: you open that faucet and… no water! It’s very disappointing. I’m of the opinion that messing with certain things should be left to professionals, but since I bought my second-hand California and after experiencing first-hand some of the VW Service bills, I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone and trying to do more on my own. My first project was replacing the kitchen’s 12v socket with USB-A and USB-C charging ports, and that worked out very well, so I decided to give the water issues a go.
In this article, I want to explain the 3 different issues I’ve had with the water system in the California (kitchen faucet), how to identify each, and how to solve them, extremely cheap, and in the same way the folks at VW would.
Possible problems with the California tap:
- Bad contact in the faucet’s micro switch. Had it and solved it virtually free.
- Blown fuse. Had it. Again, pretty much free.
- Dead water pump. Had it. The same pump that VW uses is available for approximately $20 if you buy it OEM. Here’s my guide on how to replace it.
Identifying which problem you have
If there’s no water coming out of your facet, you need to know which problem you are experiencing. Having had all three, next time I run into this situation, I would proceed like this:
1- Check the water pump fuse.
This is located under the left-side seat. It’s one of the 5A orange ones. Turning the seat 90º helps access these, but it’s rather uncomfortable and hard to reach. If this is blown, replace it and try again. That might actually be all there is to it. However, if the fuse is fine or if you replace it and still things don’t work, continue to step 2.
2- Rule out the microswitch.
Before jumping into how to actually check if the microswitch is the problem, there’s a quick way you can use to rule out the microswitch: energy consumption. The California’s camping control panel will report leisure battery usage. With the display on, open the faucet and look at the battery usage. If it reports usage as you open and goes back to 0 when you close it, it means all wiring and contacts (and the microswitch) are working as expected. If the switch didn’t work, then it would not send electricity to the pump and there would be no usage reported.
Note: I’m no expert, but if the water pump is dead dead, I assume it could have no consumption at all, so this step will help you rule out a microswitch issue, but not confirm one. So, if it looks like there’s no battery drain from the faucet, continue with the steps below to confirm a microswitch issue.
3- Check the microswitch.
If water worked intermittently, this is a good indication that the microswitch might be the culprit. This was the first problem I experienced: water would work fine one minute, but refuse to work after I closed the faucet, to then start working again for no good reason, and so on. If the water pump was dead, or the fuse blown, you’d get no water at all, ever. It’s worth noting that after a few days, mine decided not to work anymore, but it started off intermittently.
4- Confirm the microswitch, option A.
A bullet-proof and easy way of determining if the microswitch is the problem is to start the water pump using the shower’s switch (if you don’t have the shower, move on to step 5). To do this, first open the faucet in the kitchen (keep in mind water may come out of it, so point it accordingly and don’t open it all the way). Next, head over to the back of the van and switch the shower on; this should start the pump and water should flow to the kitchen sink. The water circuit and pump are shared between the kitchen and shower. This is how I determined I had a microswitch problem the first time I had water issues in the California.
5- Confirm the microswitch, option B.
If you don’t have the shower, another way to determine if the microswitch inside the faucet is a problem is to remove the kitchen drawer and disconnect the faucet’s plug. You can then use a paper clip or wire to force the connection within the plug, by-passing the facet’s switch altogether. This is the equivalent of using the shower’s switch; the idea is to send electricity to the pump to see if it starts. Remember to open the faucet a little so water can come out of it if the pump does start.
6- Check the pump.
If everything fails and steps 4 or 5 didn’t get the water flowing, it is likely that the pump is the problem. It may simply have something stuck in its propellers or it might be dead altogether. In my case, the third time around and after replacing a blown fuse, the control panel of the van was reporting -3.4A when the faucet was open. So, the switch was fine and all connections were OK, yet the pump would not start, not even using the shower switch. I had already replaced the fuse… so, it had to be the pump. 😞
How to fix all VW California water problems
Once you have determined what issue you have, you can go ahead and fix it. None of the fixes are really that complex and don’t require extreme skills or super special tools. Here are the instructions on how to fix all water issues one the VW California. If the problem is the:
- Water pump fuse: simply replace that. I’m working on a step-by-step guide on how to do that, with a great little secret that I still need to confirm, but might save you breaking your fingers trying to reach the fuse. So, follow me for updates (and to show your support!)
- Faucet microswitch: this needs to have its contacts cleaned. It is usually enough to sand it. I’m working on a step-by-step guide on how to do that, with a few tips on things to avoid, which I wish I knew when I did this. So, follow me for updates (and to show your support!)
- Water pump: you’ll need to replace it. It might look like a hassle at first, but getting a quote from VW Service might make you look at it differently. By all means, if you prefer to have it serviced and don’t mind the bill, go for it. If you want to give it a try yourself, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to replace it.
Bear with me as I put these guides together. Feel free to push me with claps and comments, so I know you are reading and would find the guides useful. Every bit of motivation helps!