Initial Issues - SOS button, locking on driving away.. etc

[Pontius]

Hi All,

Quick question. I'm the owner of a new-to-me T32 23 plate kombi. My kids were messing around in the van and they pressed to SOS button. Luckily was able to cancel it. 5 mins later they pressed the service button - but a voice message came up saying that this service was deactivated. I thought that this feature was there on all vans - or have I got this wrong? If not on the van as standard, I do have a service plan - should it be included with this?

In addition, the boot doesn't open with the driver's door switch or with the remote (but does by pressing the button on the tailgate handle), the doors don't automatically lock when driving away and the parking distance sensors only intermittently come on in slow-moving traffic - could they all be related (apologies but I have no technical knowledge what-so-ever)?

TIA and Merry Christmas!

 

[JOG]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

A couple of “guesses” from me as I’m not technical either.

I think your SOS requires a separate subscription! My wife’s Mini has it and the sprogs are sworn off pressing the button under pain of death!

(An entertaining side note is that I worked on the development of this capability with a large mobile phone company and a large (three lettered) German car company. Techie took test car home via pub….got squiffy….stuck it in a ditch….car detected collision and automatically called emergency services…he got done for dui and then got sacked!)

I think the remote opening etc can be fixed with an OBD11 dongle!

However, kick back and relax….the joy of this forum is that an expert will be along soon (especially for those who, like you, support the forum remain ad-free by taking out VIP membership.)

By the way, there are no silly questions

 

[roadtripper]

I believe the SOS element should always work regardless but the service element needs an active WeConnect account.

Have you set up your WeConnect side and registered yourself as the primary user - if the van has been cleared of the previous owner's details then it may not work.

There are 2 levels of WeConnect membership - one is free and the other is subscription after 3 years. My subscription level has run out (MY21) and I've decided not to renew (it's one size fits all and the only thing it adds to a 6.1 is map updates with traffic, online alarm alerts and internet radio) but most of the essential stuff works fine still - I've never tried the service option though.

For the tailgate opening double check you are not near something - those 2 functions are disabled if the parking sensors feel there isn't room whereas the tailgate switch always works as VW assume you're not daft enough to stand there and open it into your overhanging garage roof (ummm - I've only done that once I swear...)

The door locking is an option, what head unit and dash do you have? I can find it in the menus on the Caravelle but I have the mid range head unit and digital dash. If you don't have access it should be able to set it via one of the VW specific OBD dongles such as Carista or OBDeleven (which you should have anyway as so useful)

The trigger level of the parking sensors in slow traffic I believe can be changed, though you might need something that can do more low level coding. OBDeleven can change the switch off speed but I don't know if that's the same setting as I've never tinkered: