Battery not charging from hook up!? help.....

[Larkrise]

GrannyJen- I will be very interested in what SMG have to say... they have loads more Cali experience than the Peterborough Van Centre who are learning as they go along.

 

[GrannyJen]

GrannyJen- I will be very interested in what SMG have to say... they have loads more Cali experience than the Peterborough Van Centre who are learning as they go along.

It's not going to be until at least next week. I am away from tomorrow night.

It is only really a problem for me when stopping still, as in dead still, for a few days. Most of the time the battery it topped up from the vehicle generator as I rarely stop still, except when at home.

This current cycle started with me putting the van on hook up Sunday night to chill the fridge down. The EHU indicator was on in the CCU display.

Today it wasn't, and my battery charge was showing at 50%, which suggests that it had not been charging for the last 24 hours at least.

Since noticing it a couple of hours ago I disconnected the EHU, left it for half an hour, now reconnected and the EHU symbol is being displayed again. I will check again in the morning. It always seems to occur when the fridge is working hard.

 

[andyinluton]

Heres the proof taken a couple of minutes ago - even though the batteries were at 100% when plugging in it showed a charge of 1.4A I would have thought that switching on /off at the mains should show a difference, you might have to turn on the fridge to show a discharge, then when plugging in it should show a charge?

 

[WelshGas]

Build Aug 2014 - I have the little charging symbol.
One point to check - what voltage are you showing - Engine OFF + Mains OFF and when Engine OFF + Mains ON.
The readings should be 12-12.6v and 13 - 13.6v or thereabout. If there is no change in the voltage then the charger is not working..

However one thing I would check - the mains supply to the charger. This is aproblem I had on mine. Mains into the vehicle as confirmed by mains at the kitchen socket BUT no charging or symbol on panel.

The Charger is positioned on top of the leisure battery which is below the wardrobe. Under the rear bed board you will see a panel in the base of the wardrobe unit on the L side. Remove this inspection panel. You will see the leisure battery and above it the charger. This charger has a mains lead plug on the L side as you look through the hatch. The plug is like an electric kettle plug. Make sure it is pushed firmly into the socket.
My plug was not in properly. It is not something checked on the vehicle PDI, it is now at the Dealership I use. Yours, if not fully engaged might have shaken loose. Something simple to check.

 

[Hotel California]

Check out this shedual , there is an battery charge control measuring resistor locaded under the frigde ( like GrannyJen mentiont)...could be there is something wrong with thatone...
https://wimkoelman.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/electrisch-schema-vw-t5-california.pdf

 

[bvddobb]

We have never yet experienced this ourselves, but I remember (can't find it now) a post with pictures somewhere, where someone had built a fan in the bottom of the left wall of the kitchen cupboard, to help cool the fridge compressor and charger when in warm countries like Italy in mid summer. So there is a point in Jen's story about the charger dropping dead when overheated. Perhaps not he best construction, to build the charger and fridge compressor next to each other?

 

[Larkrise]

I'll have to wait until I get the van back to see, have absolutely no confidence in the van centre although they are trying to get it right. How can they say the control unit is not supposed to show the EHU symbol when every other van seems to!!

 

[Hotel California]

Under the fridge sits the transformer that changes 220 into 12 V , mostlikley thats the reason the leasure bat. Not charging on hook up ...
Did you check all the fuses?
Check from page 37 upwarts...on this link , specaily page 47 on the bottom
https://vwpress.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/ssp_329-english.pdf

 

[WelshGas]

I think you will find on the 2014 SE onwards the 2nd leisure battery and charger are now situated further back under the wardrobe unit and no longer under the fridge. The inspection panel is about 60cms from the rear of the wardrobe unit forwards.

 

[snowy55]

On our Jan 2014 Cali the charger is under the wardrobe behind a removable panel, if you think heat is a problem just leave the panel off to allow more air to circulate.

 

[Larkrise]

Heat build up is certainly not an issue under there at this time of year!

 

[snowy55]

Heat build up is certainly not an issue under there at this time of year

Our most of the rest of the year in this country

 

[snowy55]

My understanding is the battery shown top centre on the screen is the state of the leisure batteries, the battery shown bottom right is the battery under the bonnet.Is this correct?

 

[Hotel California]

My understanding is the battery shown top centre on the screen is the state of the leisure batteries, the battery shown bottom right is the battery under the bonnet.Is this correct?

Think its the same battery status shown , the lesure ones ...
The info in the center of the screen can be changed by seletion and in this figuration it shows the battery status .
It can be changed to themprature,....
Icon bottom right means your Cali is "using" the lesure bat. At the moment, when plugged in it shows diffrent when driving diffrent again.

 

[andyinluton]

I don't think so, the battery shown bottom right is just to show you are

Edit Post by andyinluton​

running on battery rather than mains hook up. The only thing I did between the two photos above was switch unplug the mains lead in our garage. (this was in response to snowy ) I agree with Hotel California

 

[GrannyJen]

All the battery symbols refer to leisure battery status. There is nothing to show the status of the starter battery.

A lesson I learnt in my early days of cali ownership when I went back to the dealer all in a lather saying that my starter battery was knackered.

A pat on the head, free cup of coffee and a sort of winsome, sad understanding smile later and I was allowed to go back home

 

[Larkrise]

Hotel California ... you could be onto something; just had a call from the garage and they have identified a fault with the charge control component under the fridge...so are about to start taking the kitchen side of the van apart, eek!!

 

[Hotel California]

Tought is was possible to remove just the fridge to get acces underneeth , or maybe part of the kitchen untit ...
Lot of work , hopefully they re- fit all in new condition with no rattles aftherwarts

 

[Larkrise]

Ok got the van back, faulty charger control unit replaced. And no they didn't need to remove the fridge- it can be accessed from the hatch under the wardrobe after removing the battery. And oh yes, they were misinformed.. there should always be a plugged in sign in the control panel when on EHU... but then we knew that anyway!

 

[GrannyJen]

Nice result Chris ( or sue ... or both .... or neither, perhaps the kids playing on mum and dad's computer)....

Seriously nice result,

you're sorted and the Cali dealer knows a bit more about the cali...

Another educational triumph for the VWCC

 

[Hotel California]

Glad to hear it's been solved , i would say ...., tr to find a dealer with more Cali knowledge in your neighbourhood.

 

[HistoryBob]

My control panel is showing a flashing symbol in the bottom right hand corner. The flashing alternates between the letter G and the plug symbol one sees when hooked up.
Hooking up to the mains doesn't change anything. Any ideas what's going on or going wrong?

 

[calikev]

Try resetting the control panel

 

[HistoryBob]

Thanks Kev. I've just been out and reset the panel and the fault cleared.
Have Fun

 

[rich-s]

First night out in our van. Loving it so far. On a nice pitch near Wareham. However it seems we have this charger issue too. No matter what I try, I'm yet to see the plug symbol :-( . Got hook up power ok as have boiled kettle and charging my laptop. Checked plug into charger under wardrobe - seems secure. Checked 30amp fuse under seat which the manual suggests is for the charger - not convinced on that, but the fuse I checked is good. Will investigate a little more at home tomorrow before calling dealer. Live some distance from a dealer so don't want to fart around taking it to them Hopefully they will collect it from me if it needs to go in.