Alarm started randomly going off?

[goldsmithatbl]

After 36hrs on "in-van" charger, Leisure batteries at 13.4v with trickle charge at 0.2a, and van battery risen from 12.0v to 13.5v. So for my van, you are correct. While Leisure batteries are charging, there is no change in the van battery voltage, but after full leisure battery charge, the van battery has been lifted to full charge. So, again many thanks and much reassurance.

 

[Bluestone]

Hi

I was going to start a new thread but thought I would add to this one as I'm experiencing the same situation on my 2 1/2 year old T6. A while ago the alarm kept going off, I put it down to there being a bug and didn't think anything of it, but then it started again and tonight is going off every 10 minutes, so after the first couple of times I disabled the internal sensors - nope still going off. I get the battery thing but checked mine and it's fully charged (I'm using it daily at the moment).

I get the feedback on all the things it could be, but I must admit I'm thinking this maybe a random fault so I'm going to get VW to check it - it's due to go in for a ton of warranty work very soon - I must admit I'm very disappointed with the amount of things that have gone wrong with this one - price seems to be going up, quality seems to be coming down!!

Welcome to hear more thoughts though - I wonder how many put it down to bugs, battery etc and the fact it maybe an actual issue with the alarm system goes by the wayside and never gets reported to VW?

 

[Perfectos]

Hi

I was going to start a new thread but thought I would add to this one as I'm experiencing the same situation on my 2 1/2 year old T6. A while ago the alarm kept going off, I put it down to there being a bug and didn't think anything of it, but then it started again and tonight is going off every 10 minutes, so after the first couple of times I disabled the internal sensors - nope still going off. I get the battery thing but checked mine and it's fully charged (I'm using it daily at the moment).

I get the feedback on all the things it could be, but I must admit I'm thinking this maybe a random fault so I'm going to get VW to check it - it's due to go in for a ton of warranty work very soon - I must admit I'm very disappointed with the amount of things that have gone wrong with this one - price seems to be going up, quality seems to be coming down!!

Welcome to hear more thoughts though - I wonder how many put it down to bugs, battery etc and the fact it maybe an actual issue with the alarm system goes by the wayside and never gets reported to VW?

Are you able to give a summary of the issues you have experienced to date , including those awaiting a fix !
there is a thread Calis with no problem thread, if you would be kind enough to add to that thread .

incidetally did / have you got any paperwork from the dealer to support proof that warranty work has been carried out ? (I.e a printed record)

T6.1 with no problems

Evening all T6.1 Ocean and Beach owners. There’s lots of posts regarding various problems encountered on new vans which is obviously a concern to people waiting to take delivery and for people deliberating on whether to buy one. We rarely hear from members who have T6.1’s who are happy with...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Bluestone]

Are you able to give a summary of the issues you have experienced to date , including those awaiting a fix !
there is a thread Calis with no problem thread, if you would be kind enough to add to that thread .

incidetally did / have you got any paperwork from the dealer to support proof that warranty work has been carried out ? (I.e a printed record)

T6.1 with no problems

Evening all T6.1 Ocean and Beach owners. There’s lots of posts regarding various problems encountered on new vans which is obviously a concern to people waiting to take delivery and for people deliberating on whether to buy one. We rarely hear from members who have T6.1’s who are happy with...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Yeah sure, I'm not too sure the validity of proving the warranty work has been carried out? I'm hardly going to spend so much on a vehicle and not have the warranty work carried out!!

And I love VW Californias - wouldn't have anything else, it's actually my love for VW Californias that makes me so angry when things do go wrong - especially things which really shouldn't!

It's not just the camper though, I was looking to buy a new Golf and am waiting as the MK8 has had so many issues with reliability, my local dealer has had to buy at least two back! Although with my 3 year old MK 7.5 I had zero issues (apart from the Entertainment system having a mind of its own!!)

The alarm ween off one more time last night after posting this and is thankfully now quiet - not sure I'll ever get to the problem of it to be fair - I'm an engineer and this is how it goes sometimes with intermittent faults.

To anyone considering buying one reading this, don't be put off, buy one, best thing you'll ever do (well maybe ) ALL vehicle have faults and it's not about the fault, it's about the resolution and thankfully my dealer (although not a lifestyle dealer) is giving me great service and fixing all the warranty issues - yes you can take them to any dealer for warranty work.

 

[Bluestone]

thread Calis with no problem thread, if you would be kind enough to add to that thread

Sorry I'm confused now, you want me to add to the thread Calis with no problems'? seems to be a thread for Calis with no problems not sure it would go down well if I listed all the issues I've had in there!!

Here's a quick summary to date of the warranty work done or waiting to be done

Leisure batteries replaced
Various engine management lights coming on - this also causes the ACC and brake assist to sort working, but that's good thing but then I've also had...
ACC randomly cutting off...very rare intermittent issue
With the engine management light, the dealer found 9 fault codes, reset them all and it came on a second time with similar, reset them again, no actual work done, it's more likely an intermittent fault with a sensor - the radar at the front is a little vulnerable on the T6
Few issues with the entertainment system (haha standard VW recently - I only buy VW)
Roof bellows needing replacing - booked in this month to be done - it's not an issue day to day, just needs to be done as it doesn't fit properly (issue with this specific model and year apparently)
Handbrake cover constantly coming loose and 'losing the button'
Arm which holds the rear bed up (haha I'm sure there's a technical name for it!) broke almost immediately - just the little grommet which holds it in - think this system has been improved on the T6.1 and haven't had this problem on other Calis

The engine management light thing was a pain, plus I called VW Assist and after 17:00 they send the AA, the AA guy who came out used to work for my local VW Van centre - lovely guy, he told me straight away that he won't be able to fix it as they don't have the latest diagnostic tools, if VW had come out they would've been able to fix it straight away, this was a bit annoying, however, this is more to do with AA cutting costs - although VW should ensure they're sub suppliers are up to the job!

And finally, can't be that bad as I've got a new one on order

 

[kurienp]

Hi

I was going to start a new thread but thought I would add to this one as I'm experiencing the same situation on my 2 1/2 year old T6. A while ago the alarm kept going off, I put it down to there being a bug and didn't think anything of it, but then it started again and tonight is going off every 10 minutes, so after the first couple of times I disabled the internal sensors - nope still going off. I get the battery thing but checked mine and it's fully charged (I'm using it daily at the moment).

I get the feedback on all the things it could be, but I must admit I'm thinking this maybe a random fault so I'm going to get VW to check it - it's due to go in for a ton of warranty work very soon - I must admit I'm very disappointed with the amount of things that have gone wrong with this one - price seems to be going up, quality seems to be coming down!!

Welcome to hear more thoughts though - I wonder how many put it down to bugs, battery etc and the fact it maybe an actual issue with the alarm system goes by the wayside and never gets reported to VW?

Any issues in starting the van? Such random issues usually point to a faulty starter battery. You do mention using it daily, but is it short or long distances? You also mention that the voltage in the battery is correct. Were you able to check the voltage at the battery with a multimeter - before and after starting?

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Bluestone]

Any issues in starting the van? Such random issues usually point to a faulty starter battery. You do mention using it daily, but is it short or long distances? You also mention that the voltage in the battery is correct. Were you able to check the voltage at the battery with a multimeter - before and after starting?

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

Zero issues with starting the van - the battery is full of life, you say check the battery after starting, what would this achieve? If the issue is with the battery (the issue would be low voltage which would cause the alarm to go off randomly) then only the voltage would be relevant when its not running, when it's running the battery doesn't really do much, the power is coming from the alternator so any voltage measured wouldn't be from the battery (which is why you would get a reading of around 14 volts) did I mention I'm an engineer

I added to this thread last night as it happened again (the alarm randomly going off), but it's not the first time, it's happened a few times, sometimes after a long journey, I checked the battery with a Fluke 787 and the battery is fine, the battery has also been given a full diagnostic test with and is fine.

This is not an issue with the starter battery.

 

[kurienp]

Zero issues with starting the van - the battery is full of life, you say check the battery after starting, what would this achieve? If the issue is with the battery (the issue would be low voltage which would cause the alarm to go off randomly) then only the voltage would be relevant when its not running, when it's running the battery doesn't really do much, the power is coming from the alternator so any voltage measured wouldn't be from the battery (which is why you would get a reading of around 14 volts) did I mention I'm an engineer

I added to this thread last night as it happened again (the alarm randomly going off), but it's not the first time, it's happened a few times, sometimes after a long journey, I checked the battery with a Fluke 787 and the battery is fine, the battery has also been given a full diagnostic test with and is fine.

This is not an issue with the starter battery.

@Bluestone , apologies if that sounded condescending in any way, but the idea, like in engineering, was to eliminate the common causes.

My next point of check then would be the earthing points - known culprits - as again, if there is an issue with the earthing, weird things happen.

If the earthing points are good - then do get under the van and see if there is anything amiss - such as a chewed cable.

Some basic checks will also help the dealer to then check for specific items beyond the basics.

 

[Loz]

Zero issues with starting the van - the battery is full of life, you say check the battery after starting, what would this achieve? If the issue is with the battery (the issue would be low voltage which would cause the alarm to go off randomly) then only the voltage would be relevant when its not running, when it's running the battery doesn't really do much, the power is coming from the alternator so any voltage measured wouldn't be from the battery (which is why you would get a reading of around 14 volts) did I mention I'm an engineer

I added to this thread last night as it happened again (the alarm randomly going off), but it's not the first time, it's happened a few times, sometimes after a long journey, I checked the battery with a Fluke 787 and the battery is fine, the battery has also been given a full diagnostic test with and is fine.

This is not an issue with the starter battery.

Just to correct you on a small point, with bluemotion, the alternator will idle and not charge when the battery reaches 80%, so you will be using battery or batteries (flow back from leisure batteries as the relay is closed when engine is running).

If you can get access to VCDS you can read the last trigger value for the alarm and that might help narrow down the cause, if that trigger is consistent.

 

[Bluestone]

@Bluestone , apologies if that sounded condescending in any way, but the idea, like in engineering, was to eliminate the common causes.

My next point of check then would be the earthing points - known culprits - as again, if there is an issue with the earthing, weird things happen.

If the earthing points are good - then do get under the van and see if there is anything amiss - such as a chewed cable.

Some basic checks will also help the dealer to then check for specific items beyond the basics.

Sorry, no not at all, plus I hope I'm not coming across as too harsh as I think this forum and it's members are excellent with a wealth of knowledge, its just sometimes perhaps it's just simply a fault with the unit rather than what's being suggested. Plus this vehicle is still in warranty so I'll let the dealer figure it out, if it was out of warranty then I would be trying everything suggested so I didn't have to take it to a dealer.

This all started a short while after the first engine light came on.

The first time the alarm went off I actually read some threads, put it down to a bug and it stopped going off after the first few times, I remember saying to my self 'well that bug is now dead then!'

Then it happened again while later, then again the evening I posted my first post on the subject, I thought the same thing - a bug, but this time the alarm was more persistent so I went and turned off the internal sensor - made no difference so I went and turned it off again (making sure the light was on), still the alarm went off. Then one final alarm at 11 that night, a random one at about 8 in the morning and it hasn't gone off since. The thing is I haven't actually moved the Cali since then so this would suggest it can't be a battery issue as it hasn't had a chance to charge at all and surely the problem would be getting worse not going away.

I'll let the dealer figure this one out and if they find something then of course I'll let everyone know to add to the excellent brand knowledge base that is this forum

 

[Bluestone]

Just to correct you on a small point, with bluemotion, the alternator will idle and not charge when the battery reaches 80%, so you will be using battery or batteries (flow back from leisure batteries as the relay is closed when engine is running).

If you can get access to VCDS you can read the last trigger value for the alarm and that might help narrow down the cause, if that trigger is consistent.

Actually a correction on your correction! Yes all start stop vehicles use smart circuitry in this way, actually all cars have voltage regulators, however, the batteries will not be being used as you suggest when the vehicle is idling, the voltage from the alternator will drop to around 13 volts odd, but this still gives enough power for all the current draw from whatever is being used from the alternator, it just stops charging the battery. So there is no current draw from the battery - unless the start stop has kicked in and the engine is off of course.

Actually the best way to see if the battery (less messy than opening the bonnet) is to go for a drive, if the start stop function is working fine (which mine was) then it's not the starter battery as it would never stop.

Would be nice to have a VCDS but even the AA who come out on behalf of VW Assist after hours don't have ones which are up to date, so really the only way to ensure that you're reading the faults correctly is to go to a dealer (unless you somehow have a fully up to date VW one which I didn't think were available to the public but I could be wrong)

 

[Loz]

Actually a correction on your correction! Yes all start stop vehicles use smart circuitry in this way, actually all cars have voltage regulators, however, the batteries will not be being used as you suggest when the vehicle is idling, the voltage from the alternator will drop to around 13 volts odd, but this still gives enough power for all the current draw from whatever is being used from the alternator, it just stops charging the battery. So there is no current draw from the battery - unless the start stop has kicked in and the engine is off of course.

Actually the best way to see if the battery (less messy than opening the bonnet) is to go for a drive, if the start stop function is working fine (which mine was) then it's not the starter battery as it would never stop.

Would be nice to have a VCDS but even the AA who come out on behalf of VW Assist after hours don't have ones which are up to date, so really the only way to ensure that you're reading the faults correctly is to go to a dealer (unless you somehow have a fully up to date VW one which I didn't think were available to the public but I could be wrong)

Just to reinforce my correction read my topic on adding a dc-dc charger to overcome the draw from the leisure batteries when the smart alternator is not charging.

 

[Bluestone]

Just to reinforce my correction read my topic on adding a dc-dc charger to overcome the draw from the leisure batteries when the smart alternator is not charging.
View attachment 87132

Oh OK sorry, yes this is true, I was talking about the starter battery as this is what would cause the issue with the alarm

 

[Bluestone]

And the alarm just went off again, sounded for about 15 seconds and then stopped!!

 

[Loz]

And the alarm just went off again, sounded for about 15 seconds and then stopped!!

If you have the battery-backed sounder, perhaps it is doing its own thing?

 

[Bluestone]

If you have the battery-backed sounder, perhaps it is doing its own thing?

That could be a very good shout, oddly it just went off again and for the same duration (there or there about) it seems too short for a full alarm trigger?

 

[Perfectos]

Bluestone,

Do you have a towbar fitted ?
If so is it factory or aftermarket?

there is a protection on the tow bar wiring that will (if you have something plugged in to the tow bar socket) when disconnecting the plug with the ignition off (no key) sound the alarm.
could it be a loose connection in the tow bar circuit Triggering the protection alarm circuit momentarily.

With the others electrical issues you mentioned in your previous post has a potential faulty BCM been discounted ?

 

[Bluestone]

No tow bar fitted, I'm waiting to take it to the dealer - I want them to hook it up as they never really got to the bottom of the other fault codes I had (it had 9 fault coded, they kindly had a quick look and reset them for me but didn't have time to investigate as it wasn't booked in).

It should be going in soon, the delay is because they need to get the tools to align the replacement roof bellows. Nothing is causing me an issue on a day to day basis - it's not my daily, I just love driving it whenever possible!! The alarm is annoying, but hasn't stopped me driving it.