Flat starter battery

[Amarillo]

Our T6 Beach is now over seven years old, and has 92,000 miles on the clock, so maybe a new battery is overdue. But at home we never have problems starting at home. But twice now we have had problems with the starter battery while camping.

First was two years ago in Spain. We were camped without moving for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks we packed up and tried driving away and the battery was flat.

Second time was a week ago in the Netherlands. We were camped for eight nights without moving, and when we came to move on the battery was flat.

I’m guessing it is opening the van doors which fires up the dashboard, and the setting of the alarm which is flattening our battery.

I can think of three possible solutions.
1. New battery - given that we have no problems starting our van at home, even when it hasn’t been driven for a week or more, that would seem unnecessary, and we may continue with the same problems with a new battery.
2. We have 220 watts of solar panels on the roof to keep the leisure battery topped up. Perhaps they could be used to top up the starter battery too. But that would probably require a solar charger upgrade and a split charge relay, plus some cabling. But it would certainly be a neat solution.
3. I have a 100 watt solar panel that I use to power our fridge away from the van. I could use that to trickle charge the engine battery when camping. This would be a zero cost solution.

Opinions please - or other options other than running the engine for ten minutes each day while camping.

 

[larrylamb]

Have you been having any random dash warning lights?

 

[TripleBee]

I think the main solution will be to find a way to keep your starter battery topped up one way or another.
As you stated, as the battery has been dead for 2 times yet, it won't be in mint condition anymore.
So, before you change your starter battery, you'd have to find the best solution for you to charge your starter battery while camping.
If you search for dual battery solar charger, you'll find some chargers. This would be the best (care free) solution. The other one would require you to connect the solar panel each time to the battery.

 

[andyinluton]

When stored at home I presume the doors are locked & van isn't touched until next time it's driven hence battery is OK.

When camping it will be locked / unlocked, doors opened/ courtesy lights come on etc etc a few times per day each time taking a little bit out of the battery.

Sounds like the battery is on its last legs, but at least you can predict when it's going to let you down. I would do the homework & shop for the replacement now & replace it at a time & place that suits you rather than waiting until winter when it will give up at the least convenient time.

 

[B J G]

Have you considered carrying one of those pocket sized jump starters for those rare start battery fails?

The one that I have has started cars with batteries that won't even unlock the doors. Never actually used on the Cali.
Cali battery replaced + 7 years as had a few worrying low charge when it just managed to start. Not helped by the low 11.6V charge level.

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Our T6 Beach is now over seven years old, and has 92,000 miles on the clock, so maybe a new battery is overdue. But at home we never have problems starting at home. But twice now we have had problems with the starter battery while camping.

First was two years ago in Spain. We were camped without moving for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks we packed up and tried driving away and the battery was flat.

Second time was a week ago in the Netherlands. We were camped for eight nights without moving, and when we came to move on the battery was flat.

I’m guessing it is opening the van doors which fires up the dashboard, and the setting of the alarm which is flattening our battery.

I can think of three possible solutions.
1. New battery - given that we have no problems starting our van at home, even when it hasn’t been driven for a week or more, that would seem unnecessary, and we may continue with the same problems with a new battery.
2. We have 220 watts of solar panels on the roof to keep the leisure battery topped up. Perhaps they could be used to top up the starter battery too. But that would probably require a solar charger upgrade and a split charge relay, plus some cabling. But it would certainly be a neat solution.
3. I have a 100 watt solar panel that I use to power our fridge away from the van. I could use that to trickle charge the engine battery when camping. This would be a zero cost solution.

Opinions please - or other options other than running the engine for ten minutes each day while camping.

Cheap solution for those rare occasions or if leaving the van standing for a long time:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TNFPFZ8/?tag=unique09f-21

 

[Amarillo]

When stored at home I presume the doors are locked & van isn't touched until next time it's driven hence battery is OK.

When camping it will be locked / unlocked, doors opened/ courtesy lights come on etc etc a few times per day each time taking a little bit out of the battery.

Sounds like the battery is on its last legs, but at least you can predict when it's going to let you down. I would do the homework & shop for the replacement now & replace it at a time & place that suits you rather than waiting until winter when it will give up at the least convenient time.

Yes - probably best to look now. We have flattened the battery three times: but the first time was entirely my fault, and not during normal usage.

The van was just over a year old. We were camping in Transylvania over the Orthodox Easter. We were about to drive out for an excursion, and I’d turned on the ignition when some Romanian campers came over to us with gifts of red onion and fermented pork fat (of all things). We gratefully accepted the gifts and made polite conversation with our benefactors while the van’s heater struggled to warm the cool spring air of the entire campsite. Needless to say, half an hour later the battery was flat.

Jack nibbled some red onion while that night, Meg, our dog, feasted on the fermented pork fat.

 

[Amarillo]

Cheap solution for those rare occasions or if leaving the van standing for a long time:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TNFPFZ8/?tag=unique09f-21

I already have all that kit (100w version) for a different purpose. Probably the simplest option.

In the meantime I will follow Andy’s advice and look for the best replacement battery options for when a replacement is needed.

 

[sidepod]

Option 4.

Just buy a new battery.

 

[Calimili]

Option 4.

Just buy a new battery.

having flattened the (7yrs old) battery to 0 already a couple of time, that might be unavoidable.

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

I already have all that kit (100w version) for a different purpose. Probably the simplest option.

In the meantime I will follow Andy’s advice and look for the best replacement battery options for when a replacement is needed.

Here's a fixed solution to always keep it topped up. MPPT in the engine bay: https://www.oryxsolutions.de/fahrze...olarmodul-oryx-75w-flexibel-fuer-vw-bus-t5/t6

;-)

 

[johnyboy]

Have you considered carrying one of those pocket sized jump starters for those rare start battery fails?

The one that I have has started cars with batteries that won't even unlock the doors. Never actually used on the Cali.
Cali battery replaced + 7 years as had a few worrying low charge when it just managed to start. Not helped by the low 11.6V charge level.

I have one of these and like you I have started other cars with it but our battery was flat at a festival and it was not powerful enough - 600A peak not the 900A the starter battery is specced at

 

[California Rob]

I have a duoracer converter 2x100 w solar panels the charge my battery as well. Works well. I also Carry a small jumper pack Costco does them about £60. Excellent bit of kit. You can charge phones etc etc if needed. I carry that in case someone else has a flat battery no one is coming near my van with a set of jump leads.

 

[Amarillo]

Option 4.

Just buy a new battery.

That was option 1 as well.

Given that the battery is seven years old it might be the only option. But will a new battery completely solve the problem when we camp in one place for a week or two without starting the engine?

 

[TripleBee]

That was option 1 as well.

Given that the battery is seven years old it might be the only option. But will a new battery completely solve the problem when we camp in one place for a week or two without starting the engine?

You can only buy a new battery if you solve the reason.
With a new battery you will have the same problem anytime soon.
I would go for the fixed option of a dual battery solar charger.Then you will not have to care about charging the starter battery apart from the leasure battery.
Especially when you don't have hookup.

 

[WelshGas]

That was option 1 as well.

Given that the battery is seven years old it might be the only option. But will a new battery completely solve the problem when we camp in one place for a week or two without starting the engine?

The 4 main points to preserve the Engine Battery when pitched up.

1. Switch off cab courtesy lights.
2. If you have full electric sliding door - Switch to manual.
3. Do not use the In Car Entertainment System
4. Do Not use drivers door as this primes the vehicle for driving

 

[andyinluton]

That was option 1 as well.

Given that the battery is seven years old it might be the only option. But will a new battery completely solve the problem when we camp in one place for a week or two without starting the engine?

If you are not doing anything different camping this year compared to the previous years then a new battery should solve it.

You could try a £20 blue tooth battery monitor - it would show you the rate of decline & you could set an alarm on the app for when the battery is getting low. I used one on our GC & it took away the worry of not knowing.

It might show you that you need to run the engine for half an hour after 5 days - far better than doing 5 mins everyday.

 

[Amarillo]

The 4 main points to preserve the Engine Battery when pitched up.

1. Switch off cab courtesy lights.
2. If you have full electric sliding door - Switch to manual.
3. Do not use the In Car Entertainment System
4. Do Not use drivers door as this primes the vehicle for driving

We don’t do any of those four things -
Cab lights for driver and front passenger switched off
We have a manual door
Music from iPhone/Bluetooth speaker only
Drivers seat rotated, windscreen cover preventing drivers door being opened

However, on that last point, the dashboard always lights up when the sliding door or boot door are opened. Could those doors be priming the vehicle for driving? And if they are, can this be changed?

 

[WelshGas]

We don’t do any of those four things -
Cab lights for driver and front passenger switched off
We have a manual door
Music from iPhone/Bluetooth speaker only
Drivers seat rotated, windscreen cover preventing drivers door being opened

However, on that last point, the dashboard always lights up when the sliding door or boot door are opened. Could those doors be priming the vehicle for driving? And if they are, can this be changed?

If the Dashboard lights up, then yes, the vehicle probably is being primed. I don’t believe that happens on mine, but I can’t check at the moment.

 

[Amarillo]

If you are not doing anything different camping this year compared to the previous years then a new battery should solve it.

You could try a £20 blue tooth battery monitor - it would show you the rate of decline & you could set an alarm on the app for when the battery is getting low. I used one on our GC & it took away the worry of not knowing.

It might show you that you need to run the engine for half an hour after 5 days - far better than doing 5 mins everyday.

During our year away I don’t believe that we ever spent more than three days without driving.

The first (non stupidity caused) flat was when we were camped for two weeks in southern Spain one Easter. Subsequently, and until this latest week in the Netherlands, if we hadn’t driven for more than 3 or 4 days I had run the engine until the stop/start stopped the engine.

So I think the ideal solution will be a new battery, plus a new solar charger and some clever wiring under the passenger seat to allow the solar panels on the roof to trickle charge the starter battery.

A temporary solution will be to trickle charge the engine battery (either the current one or a new one) with my folding solar panel and its cheap solar charger.

 

[Amarillo]

If the Dashboard lights up, then yes, the vehicle probably is being primed. I don’t believe that happens on mine, but I can’t check at the moment.

Just checked. Single fob press unlocks the front door only, double press unlocks the passenger doors and boot. Neither light up the dashboard.

Opening the manual sliding door lights up the dashboard, which shows that a door is open and gives time, odometer and trip mileage. See pic. I think it also turns on the USB port for the entertainment system, because if my iPod is plugged in that lights up too! (I usually remember to unplug it).

We do use the top of the dash cigar socket for USB charging while camping - but I think that is leisure battery.

We rarely use the front of the dash cigar lighter, and never when camped. We used to have a little cigar torch plugged into it, but that got lost several years ago.

 

[TripleBee]

On my T5.1, dashboard cigarette lighter is starter battery.
You can check your display (if you have one?) what current is being drawn from leisure battery while using the USB.
Every door opening triggers the car. Only driver's door will trigger somewhat more.
Even the radio is waking up, but not lighting the screen.
So yes, opening doors constantly (not continuously) can flatten the battery in a few weeks time.
And as you will have regenerative battery charging, your starter battery will only charge up to 80% while driving.
You loose 20% capacity because of that.
I would only replace the battery if you have a decent solution to charge your battery.

 

[Amarillo]

On my T5.1, dashboard cigarette lighter is starter battery.
You can check your display (if you have one?) what current is being drawn from leisure battery while using the USB.
Every door opening triggers the car. Only driver's door will trigger somewhat more.
Even the radio is waking up, but not lighting the screen.
So yes, opening doors constantly (not continuously) can flatten the battery in a few weeks time.
And as you will have regenerative battery charging, your starter battery will only charge up to 80% while driving.
You loose 20% capacity because of that.
I would only replace the battery if you have a decent solution to charge your battery.

I’m getting some really useful advice and information in this thread. Thanks.

I’ve been looking at @Roger Donoghue site for a solar charger upgrade and found this.

The Epever DuoRacer series (above) is a dual battery MPPT charger. This MPPT solar regulator will charge both your starter battery and your leisure batter/ies. We stock the 20Amp version, wihich will run a single, dual or triple panel setup happily (note: with 300watts of solar, the charger will discard anything over 260w as that is it's maximum capability). Do be aware that the starter battery charges at a maximum of 1Amp regardless of available solar power - it is meant as a maintenance charge - so this charger is not designed so you can run items off your starter battery when camping, it is meant for people who leave their vans unused for long periods at a time (more than a few weeks at a time) and need the starter battery kept in good order. For regular users, just driving your van keeps the starter battery topped up.

Additionally, you can add a remote MT11 LCD display panel that repeats the information on the charger screen. It comes with a 1m cable.

It sounds like just what I need.

 

[Perfectos]

I’m getting some really useful advice and information in this thread. Thanks.

I’ve been looking at @Roger Donoghue site for a solar charger upgrade and found this.



It sounds like just what I need.

Be aware the size of the charger is not ideal in a Beach when mounting into the Jack cubby (it takes up all the room). Roger suggests it does fit but is a Squeeze!

 

[TripleBee]

I’m getting some really useful advice and information in this thread. Thanks.

I’ve been looking at @Roger Donoghue site for a solar charger upgrade and found this.



It sounds like just what I need.

I think, this can be what you are looking for, before you change your battery.
And even then, you might be able to save your current battery a few years more before you have to change it.
If you don't have any starting problems in the winter, you might as wel keep it until you feel the starting capacity to get worse.