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Rust - cab door sill

S

SWall

Messages
3
Location
Hungary
Vehicle
T4 PopTop
I have a rust patch that has developed on the cab door sill. I am a newbie T4 owner and not treated any rust before. Any advice on how to have a go at this little spot would be much appreicated. Be good to learn so I can tackle other areas which will inevitable develop! Cheers

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I have a rust patch that has developed on the cab door sill. I am a newbie T4 owner and not treated any rust before. Any advice on how to have a go at this little spot would be much appreicated. Be good to learn so I can tackle other areas which will inevitable develop! Cheers

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It looks very much like it has actually corroded right through. Can you confirm wether it has or not as this makes a big difference to the way it’s repaired.
 
I have a rust patch that has developed on the cab door sill. I am a newbie T4 owner and not treated any rust before. Any advice on how to have a go at this little spot would be much appreicated. Be good to learn so I can tackle other areas which will inevitable develop! Cheers

View attachment 89558
It looks likely that there is a hole in the metal, if you poke it with a screw driver and a hole goes through then the only proper way to fix it is to have it cut out and a patch welded in. If there is no hole, it does look like it will eventually head that way but you could prolong it a bit by sanding with some 80 grit paper getting it as shiney as possible. Try to keep the rubbing local because it will mark a large area of paint if you spread out. Once it's sanded you could use some kurust on it from Halfords. It's called rust killer, it won't kill the rust but it might protect the metal for a bit. Once that's dry you can use some touch up paint to paint it back in as best as you can. Alternatively if you feel more adventurous you could mask the area, use an aerosol primer. Rub that down with 400 paper then an aerosol of the correct ( or close ) colour to paint it in. If you do that though make sure the masking tape stays back from the edge as much as possible or you will see it from outside when the door is shut.
 
It looks likely that there is a hole in the metal, if you poke it with a screw driver and a hole goes through then the only proper way to fix it is to have it cut out and a patch welded in. If there is no hole, it does look like it will eventually head that way but you could prolong it a bit by sanding with some 80 grit paper getting it as shiney as possible. Try to keep the rubbing local because it will mark a large area of paint if you spread out. Once it's sanded you could use some kurust on it from Halfords. It's called rust killer, it won't kill the rust but it might protect the metal for a bit. Once that's dry you can use some touch up paint to paint it back in as best as you can. Alternatively if you feel more adventurous you could mask the area, use an aerosol primer. Rub that down with 400 paper then an aerosol of the correct ( or close ) colour to paint it in. If you do that though make sure the masking tape stays back from the edge as much as possible or you will see it from outside when the door is shut.
If that is the case then the only way to repair it is to actually cut out the rust and have a patch welded in. Not really a job for the novice. But not impossible if you are a decent DIYer with a couple of hundred £ worth of kit.
 
I have a rust patch that has developed on the cab door sill. I am a newbie T4 owner and not treated any rust before. Any advice on how to have a go at this little spot would be much appreicated. Be good to learn so I can tackle other areas which will inevitable develop! Cheers

View attachment 89558
Have you looked underneath the vehicle in that area? Also the rubber seal and plastic doorstep should be removed to examine the whole area.
 
Thanks for your replies and advice. I think the picture gave the impression of a hole all the way through. Thankfully there isn't and a screw driver didnt go through. I will give it a go to just to some localise 'treatment' for me. I know there is some rust on various parts underneath and will be getting that wire brushed and treated asap. Cheers
 
Thanks for your replies and advice. I think the picture gave the impression of a hole all the way through. Thankfully there isn't and a screw driver didnt go through. I will give it a go to just to some localise 'treatment' for me. I know there is some rust on various parts underneath and will be getting that wire brushed and treated asap. Cheers
Yes from your pic it certainly looks like it’s rusted right through. Give it a good sanding down in the rusty areas and apply the rust treatment. Good luck..
 
I have a similar rust spot on my T6, likely caused by the door rubbing against the sill according to VW. Awaiting a comment from the dealer where I purchased it less than a year ago.
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I have a similar rust spot on my T6, likely caused by the door rubbing against the sill according to VW. Awaiting a comment from the dealer where I purchased it less than a year ago.
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Check your door alignment. I have a similar mark caused by a gust of wind ripping the door out of my hand and stressing the hinges so the door is now not aligned correctly and rubs on the sill.
 
Check your door alignment. I have a similar mark caused by a gust of wind ripping the door out of my hand and stressing the hinges so the door is now not aligned correctly and rubs on the sill.
Or possibly a hit taken from below? Don’t have another Cali on hand to compare ☹️
Shadows/lighting may be skewing the image as well
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Suddenly being paranoid and wondering if my tyre shop has performed an incorrect lift when swapping wheels..
 
Suddenly being paranoid and wondering if my tyre shop has performed an incorrect lift when swapping wheels..
Definitely suspicious.
 
I think that if it had been caused by a jack the dent would be more concentrated in a smaller area. It looks like a piece of wood has been put on the cill and caused a gentle curve.can you see any signs or marks that a jack has been used on it at all? Is it on both sides of the vehicle or just one?
 
Looks to be both sides. I def see crush damage with the sill pushed up, although its worst on the passenger side (LHD Bulli). I trip to the bodyshop is called for so they can pull the sill back down and repaint the affected area. How long ago was the T6 in the tyre shop? Rust is going to be an issue so best to get it sorted sooner than later.
 
Looks to be both sides. I def see crush damage with the sill pushed up, although its worst on the passenger side (LHD Bulli). I trip to the bodyshop is called for so they can pull the sill back down and repaint the affected area. How long ago was the T6 in the tyre shop? Rust is going to be an issue so best to get it sorted sooner than later.
Yes inspection at the body shop is booked in two weeks’ time. I’ve actually filed a warranty claim against the dealer who sold me the vehicle since some of the original ad photos hint of an uneven sill when you look up close - unfortunately no photos of the more affected side, but a hint of the door-sill gap not being quite even on the other.
Dealer originally turned down the warranty request based on recent photos alone (“not held accountable for external damage”), I will take them up on it again once the VW body shop have given me a full diagnosic, along with photo from their original ad. Otherwise I’ll go with an insurance claim, since in any case I am not keen to spend whatever fortune it may cost to pull sills back down along with sill and door bodywork.

Thanks all for your feedback, greatly appreciated.
 
I think that if it had been caused by a jack the dent would be more concentrated in a smaller area. It looks like a piece of wood has been put on the cill and caused a gentle curve.can you see any signs or marks that a jack has been used on it at all? Is it on both sides of the vehicle or just one?
To be honest I think my tyre shop theory is a bit far fetched. They have been in business for 20+ years and have a solid reputation, which isn’t a guarantee but does make a rookie mistake unlikely.
 
Update: VW body shop diagnosed the damage to be due to incorrect lifting, already visible in the original dealer’s ad I’d you know what to look for. Cost of repair will be approx €3000. Claiming it against the dealer. Does anyone know how having a repair job like this in the vehicle’s log might affect its value? 2016 Ocean.
 
Update: VW body shop diagnosed the damage to be due to incorrect lifting, already visible in the original dealer’s ad I’d you know what to look for. Cost of repair will be approx €3000. Claiming it against the dealer. Does anyone know how having a repair job like this in the vehicle’s log might affect its value? 2016 Ocean.
The repair should not be logged on an insurance database if it is carried out by a dealer etc (I.e. not registered as an insurance repair)
effect on value = zero

dealers repair vehicle before sale all the time, none are recorded !
 
Update: VW body shop diagnosed the damage to be due to incorrect lifting, already visible in the original dealer’s ad I’d you know what to look for. Cost of repair will be approx €3000. Claiming it against the dealer. Does anyone know how having a repair job like this in the vehicle’s log might affect its value? 2016
Has the dealer agreed to do the repair for free? I can’t see how a repair like this would affect the value of the vehicle. Also have they actually said how they will conduct the repair? Seems an awful lot of money for 2 damaged cills...
 
Has the dealer agreed to do the repair for free? I can’t see how a repair like this would affect the value of the vehicle. Also have they actually said how they will conduct the repair? Seems an awful lot of money for 2 damaged cills...
If the repair is done right, then you wouldn't be able to tell it was done after and everything is then back to normal. Unless it's written off, which if the dealer is repairing, not insurance, it it can't be, then there is no way of knowing about it. Most cars have had a minor accident at some point in their life, including many new ones before they reach the owner these are not recorded or declared and most owners have no idea it happened. A good car sprayer repairer can often pick out different shades of paint around a car which the owners had no idea of, from work done before they owned it.
As for the repair, sills are tricky as there is usually no internal access. You could cut off the sill and weld in a replacement, but I doubt they will go that far. So usually they are repaired by welding pins (or bigger if needed) onto the outer sill, a hydraulic puller (or for less strong parts a slide hammer) is then used to pull out the dents. The pins are then ground back off. A combination of panel beating and some filler and primer are then used to finish off the panel and it is repainted to match the original.
 
Has the dealer agreed to do the repair for free? I can’t see how a repair like this would affect the value of the vehicle. Also have they actually said how they will conduct the repair? Seems an awful lot of money for 2 damaged cills...
No the claim is still pending with the dealer who had a meeting about it yesterday I was told. The repair quote is from the local VW body shop (on my initiative) as the dealer does not have have a repairs dept.
Both sills need to be straightened as well as bodywork from the wear on both sills and doors. Also this is Sweden where manual labour is highly taxed.
 
Dealer has offered over the phone to cover 75% of the cost of repair, admitting their fault but “blaming” me for letting so much time pass, leading to more extensive damage than if I had taken earlier action. Not sure what to think of this tbh.
 
Dealer has offered over the phone to cover 75% of the cost of repair, admitting their fault but “blaming” me for letting so much time pass, leading to more extensive damage than if I had taken earlier action. Not sure what to think of this tbh.
You did not cause the initial damage, they sold you the Van with it !

The resulting damage is as a direct result of the initial damage that should not have been present on the Van when they sold it.

you merely used the Van as intended, and as a consequence you have damage to your van that should be corrected by the dealer who sold you the damaged van

state your case and insist they fix it At their cost

best of luck
 
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