Kitchen Tap / Water Pump not working.

Resfeber · Jan 9, 2022

787driver said:
Great. I’ll give that a go

FYI the rear connector receives power from tap micro switch and the other pin is connected earth so “carefully” use continuity tester across the terminals (see image using multimeter to prove whole circuit is good ie from fuse to tap connector block then to tap micro switch then to rear connector block and then return to earth).
If you are unsure that you will not fully short the rear connector when using the continuity probe then attach the crocodile clip to a good earth on the van body (some of the bolts in the rear cupboard go into the van metalwork) and use the fine point to contact one of the pins only in turn.
The live pin will illuminate the tester if power is coming from the micro switch switch in the on position.

787driver · Jan 13, 2022

Fixed!! I replaced the fuse. I then shorted across the wires under the sink ( bypassing the tap) and the pump started working!!
I then filled the tank with water and turned the tap on and all worked well!!
Bizarre

Resfeber · Jan 13, 2022

787driver said:
Fixed!! I replaced the fuse. I then shorted across the wires under the sink ( bypassing the tap) and the pump started working!!
I then filled the tank with water and turned the tap on and all worked well!!
Bizarre

I would favour that the pump impeller was seized or partially so (as I found when it would turn but not easily and the motor could not over come this resistance).
Your work on it has freed it enough to run without drawing excess current sufficient to blow the fuse. Good luck.
The pump has had a decent Innings so don’t be too surprised if you experience this again.

The Tall Luthier · Mar 26, 2022

If you have a bit of wood lying around you can make a turn key that saves the knuckle pain. I had the the same symptoms as others, no water after a flush and refill.
Used this to open it up and hey presto it worked again.

Thanks for the heads up folks.

Maxi-Mizer-T6 · Jun 9, 2022

This (and a few other threads) were of great help, as I've had 3 different issues already with the water system in the California. I've learned a few things as I fixed all of them, including replacing the water pump myself, so I decided to document it all in case it helps others. Here's a first guide on how to identify which problem you are actually experiencing:

https://medium.com/@maxi-mizer/fix-vw-california-ocean-coast-kitchen-water-issues-43a19d0d893a

I hope it helps! I'll update this thread as I complete the detailed step-by-step guides (feel free to drop by that article and give me some claps and comments for motivation!)

Lovingmycampervan · Jul 13, 2023

Hi,

Kitchen tap and shower both not working. No chance of a finding a service centre and we leave today on holiday. Feeling a bit gutted as it’s the first big trip since we got the campervan. Still under warranty too!

The pump is making a sound and swishing water around so there is power. I’ve tried blowing, sucking, different water levels and so on….just no good.

I’ve tried to open the water tank too - hammer and wood, home made key…. No way that thing is shifting. WTF!

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks,

Billy

Resfeber · Jul 13, 2023

Lovingmycampervan said:
Hi,

Kitchen tap and shower both not working. No chance of a finding a service centre and we leave today on holiday. Feeling a bit gutted as it’s the first big trip since we got the campervan. Still under warranty too!

The pump is making a sound and swishing water around so there is power. I’ve tried blowing, sucking, different water levels and so on….just no good.

I’ve tried to open the water tank too - hammer and wood, home made key…. No way that thing is shifting. WTF!

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks,

Billy

The key to resolving this is to find a way to open the access hatch as it does appear from your description that the pump has become dislodged from the feed pipe to the tap and shower outlet.
You will have found a couple of diy tools recommended made from wood blocks. In this and other posts.
Main problem is getting enough “turning force” (torque) on these unless you are built like “Popeye”.
I found an adjustable spanner with an angled head would fit into the ribs of the access hatch and with nearly 25cm of handle I could easily get enough torque to open the hatch.

£6.99 Screwfix

Free Willaert · Sep 3, 2023

Hi, I've read most of what I've found on this forum, managed to unscrew the water tank lid using the piece-of-wood technique, sucked some water through,... But no result.

One thing I don't get is that many people here speak about the impellers being stuck, but I don't see anything like that - see photo below.

In my case, with a T6.1 Ocean, the only thing that happens when I open the valve (both sink and shower) is a very light, high pitch sound, and on the control panel I can see there is power consumption. But the typical sound of the pump is not there.

Is there any other option left than that the pump is broken?
The van is still under waranty so I don't want to fiddle too much.

nigpdreadingfc · Sep 3, 2023

Free Willaert said:
Hi, I've read most of what I've found on this forum, managed to unscrew the water tank lid using the piece-of-wood technique, sucked some water through,... But no result.

One thing I don't get is that many people here speak about the impellers being stuck, but I don't see anything like that - see photo below.

In my case, with a T6.1 Ocean, the only thing that happens when I open the valve (both sink and shower) is a very light, high pitch sound, and on the control panel I can see there is power consumption. But the typical sound of the pump is not there.

Is there any other option left than that the pump is broken?
The van is still under waranty so I don't want to fiddle too much.

View attachment 113910

The impellor is the white 3 vaned bit in the middle. This spins when working properly. When I had the same problem I freed up the impellor using an electrical screwdriver to rotate the impellor manually.
I then ran the tap to check that the impellor was spinning OK. Tip - don't run the impellor dry for too long, just long enough to check that it spins

Free Willaert · Sep 12, 2023

Just a quick but late 'thanks' for responding. Just after my previous post other things (lights, fridge, roof...) stopped working, so there must be a bigger issue.

El Greco · Aug 16, 2024

I am very grateful for all the info here re replacement of the water pump.

I had a dead kitchen water pump and now, after a lot of pain, the new pump is whirring away nicely. Does the pump just seat on the tank bottom behind the raised nipples or does it somehow click/lock into place? I seem to remember it having some resistance on removing it. Your help in how to position the pump would be greatly appreciated.

Resfeber · Aug 17, 2024

El Greco said:
I am very grateful for all the info here re replacement of the water pump.

I had a dead kitchen water pump and now, after a lot of pain, the new pump is whirring away nicely. Does the pump just seat on the tank bottom behind the raised nipples or does it somehow click/lock into place? I seem to remember it having some resistance on removing it. Your help in how to position the pump would be greatly appreciated.

My experience with a replacement from the club shop was that the raised lugs in the corner of the tank help “wedge” the pump head into the corner but raised off the floor to allow water into the impeller intake.
If it isn’t located properly then the pump can float free, clonking around on the tank sides or reach the surface and draw air in.

FairyCakes230 · Jul 12, 2025

Thanks as always to you all for your posts about this. When no water came out of the tap and the control panel said to go to the VW workshop I booked it in but the local dealership said there'd be a £180 charge just for the investigation. I've had bad experiences of these investigations before (admittedly with BMW not VW) so decided to have a go first with the guidance of the forum.

Initially thought that £180 fee was justified paying for the physiotherapy for the poor so and so who has to undo the lid to the water tank. Thanks to the Medium article linked on the thread above, I tried the spanner and pliers technique. It still didn't budge to start with, but after a few careful twists it did give. I attach a photo, as it may save you time having to craft a tool, or buy one as I nearly did.

Unfortunately spinning the impeller by hand didn't solve the problem, so I've ordered a new pump. Hoping the grommet and cable issue isn't too much of a pain and that this fixes the problem. Thanks again everyone!

FairyCakes230 · Saturday at 4:35 PM

I did it!

I've managed a few internet assisted fixes on cars over the last few years, but this is one of the most satisfying.

One thing which the excellent Medium article didn't cover as clearly as I'd hoped was the was connecting the wires after replacing the pump.

You do have to disconnect or cut the cable to get it through the rubber grommet. Maxi Mizer on Medium says
"The final step is to connect the wires. I took apart the original connector and took a couple of spades from some water-proof plugs and used those on the new wires to fit them into the original connector. It’s not the best fit, but didn’t want to replace the other end of the connector"
I tried to take apart the connector, but soon realised you need a terminal release tool to free the pins from the original connector. These vary massively in size, and it was either try a cheapy Temu special (not for me) or spend a fortune on a mechanic's set from Toolstation or a specialist.
Buying the correct side of the connector got me just that, the connector without pins /spades ‍so I ordered both sides of the connector and just used the pins from that order. You can see from the picture the little non-return flaps that you would have to push, both at the same time, to release the pins in the original one to reuse them. I tried needles, wires, all sorts, and nothing was fine or strong enough.
When you cut the cable, I recommend pulling it through the grommet as straight / vertical as you can. If it's aligned right it moves really easily, otherwise it feels like it's stuck fast and you're about to pull out the wardrobe. If you put some electrical tape around the new wires it goes through the grommet pretty easily (from in the tank, up, into the wardrobe).
The other thing I'm glad I did was tape a freezer bag around the connectors, as even with an empty tank there are drips that make their way out on the water sensor.
With it all connected back up, bit of water in the tanks, I was super chuffed to see water from the tap!
I can also recommend Ecoworks Marine Eco-friendly All Purpose Sanitiser to clean your tank and pipes (I have no affiliation, I just rate it). I'm so sceptical of so many things that have "eco" or "green" put on them when it's an advertising con. When I couldn't find anything easily in van circles, I thought boaters might have something. Scott at Ecoworks Marine recommended the All Purpose Sanitiser, and it's been great. If you get the concentrated one like I did as I love best value, make sure you check your concentrations.

Ecoworks Marine Eco-friendly All Purpose Sanitiser

Ecoworks Marine Eco-friendly All Purpose Sanitiser is an effective all food surface disinfectant and cleaner comprising of naturally derived ingredients.

www.ecoworksmarine.com