California - keeping the batteries charged when parked

[R_Sargeant_CH]

Hi all, British newbie here, waiting for our California Ocean 6.1 in Switzerland (should be here in a week or so, late Januray 2022)!
This will replace a faithfull 2008 LWB AWD T5 mulitivan that we formely used for carry or hot air balloons around. The T5 starter battery would go flat after about 2 weeks not driven because of the drain from (I guess) the alarm. We overcame that by leaving a good trickle charger connected directly across the starter battery.
Our new Cali will have 2 leisure batteries plus (obviously) the starter battery.
I am planning to leave the Cali permanently connected to 220v via the external socket (we are lucky enough to have a power socket in our parking space). Will this keep the starter battery charged as well as the leisure batteries? If not, recommendations? I am considering upgrading from the standard split charge relay system if that would help.
Richard

 

[bob_summers]

Possibly the easiest solution* would be to hook up the starter battery to your existing optimiser, as well as using the hookup to the leisure batteries. But surely the starter battery would be fine anyway? I use my T5 quite infrequently and it starts on the button with a 5yo battery + factory immobilizer.

* short of disconnecting the battery

 

[R_Sargeant_CH]

Possibly the easiest solution* would be to hook up the starter battery to your existing optimiser, as well as using the hookup to the leisure batteries. But surely the starter battery would be fine anyway? I use my T5 quite infrequently and it starts on the button with a 5yo battery + factory immobilizer.

* short of disconnecting the battery

Hmm. Interesting. Our T5 goes flat in a week or so. I never investigated why. Maybe a fault?
But thanks for the immobilizer suggestion. Maybe the starter battery on the new Cali will not suffer with this issue!

 

[WelshGas]

Hmm. Interesting. Our T5 goes flat in a week or so. I never investigated why. Maybe a fault?
But thanks for the immobilizer suggestion. Maybe the starter battery on the new Cali will not suffer with this issue!

I believe plugging in the EHU will charge the Engine battery when the Leisure batteries are fully charged.

This function was present on the T5.1 , but was not by design. I have proven this on a number of occasions. On the T6 it was also present and on the T6.1.

 

[B J G]

T6 charges the starter battery when external mains plugged in and would assume that the T6.1 will be the same.

Easy to check with a Multimeter by connecting across the starter battery with mains off then mains on. Voltage will go up when mains on if charging.
Mains off will be approx 11.8Volts - mains on will be approx 12.6Volts.

I actually used a USB adapter with voltage display plugged into dash socket to see the change when mains on.
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[WelshGas]

Hmm. Interesting. Our T5 goes flat in a week or so. I never investigated why. Maybe a fault?
But thanks for the immobilizer suggestion. Maybe the starter battery on the new Cali will not suffer with this issue!

I've managed 5 weeks parked up at Heathrow with the alarm on, in winter, and started 1st time at -2c, on my return from Australia. Parking Heater also fired up as Leisure Batteries were still fully charged. I have a 100w solar panel for the Leisure Batteries but it doesn't charge the engine battery.

 

[G3WRT]

Possibly the easiest solution* would be to hook up the starter battery to your existing optimiser, as well as using the hookup to the leisure batteries. But surely the starter battery would be fine anyway? I use my T5 quite infrequently and it starts on the button with a 5yo battery + factory immobilizer.

* short of disconnecting the battery

Disconnecting a battery does not stop it self discharging. Mine went down to 38% in a month with just the minimal drain (but not zero) of the security system.

 

[Mowbotman]

I was thinking of putting a large solar panel inside the front window, can anyone tell me if the 2 cigar lighter sockets ( one on top of dash and one to the left of the gear stick ) are these connected to engine battery or leisure battery please

 

[WelshGas]

I was thinking of putting a large solar panel inside the front window, can anyone tell me if the 2 cigar lighter sockets ( one on top of dash and one to the left of the gear stick ) are these connected to engine battery or leisure battery please

Normally, on your vehicle T5, top to Leisure Batteries and the one in the pull out draw to Engine Battery.

But you need to check with a multimeter as a few owners have reported differently.

 

[dspuk]

Hi all, British newbie here, waiting for our California Ocean 6.1 in Switzerland (should be here in a week or so, late Januray 2022)!
This will replace a faithfull 2008 LWB AWD T5 mulitivan that we formely used for carry or hot air balloons around. The T5 starter battery would go flat after about 2 weeks not driven because of the drain from (I guess) the alarm. We overcame that by leaving a good trickle charger connected directly across the starter battery.
Our new Cali will have 2 leisure batteries plus (obviously) the starter battery.
I am planning to leave the Cali permanently connected to 220v via the external socket (we are lucky enough to have a power socket in our parking space). Will this keep the starter battery charged as well as the leisure batteries? If not, recommendations? I am considering upgrading from the standard split charge relay system if that would help.
Richard

Yes. Both will be charged on EHU. But you don’t really need to on the 6.1 - unless you connect something (or switch something on) to your batteries that causes a drain. Some recommend a plug in once a month for a day if you’re not moving the van, but if you aren’t then why did you buy it

 

[WelshGas]

Yes. Both will be charged on EHU. But you don’t really need to on the 6.1 - unless you connect something (or switch something on) to your batteries that causes a drain. Some recommend a plug in once a month for a day if you’re not moving the van, but if you aren’t then why did you buy it

The Handbook recommends monthly charging, unless that has been deleted in the T6.1 Handbook.

 

[yossarian]

Without hooking your van up your batteries don't get much in the way of equalisation and float charges. Both necessary for long term lead acid chemistry health.

Solar obviously covers these bases too.

 

[dspuk]

The Handbook recommends monthly charging, unless that has been deleted in the T6.1 Handbook.

Good prompt so checked the 6.1 manual.

It confirms that plugging in enables the following functions;

- charging the 12v vehicle battery
- charging the additional batteries
- use of 230v socket

Ref needing to plug in charge it says;

“If the additional battery is not charged by the alternator while the engine is running, it must be charged on the 230v electric feed at regular intervals- a minimum of every four weeks - for at least 12 hours”

I guess that unless your parked up for long periods or have a drain on the battery somewhere (badly fitted alarms or dash cams for instance) then there is no need. If you are parked up, and have no drain, no particular need to have permanently plugged in.

 

[WelshGas]

Good prompt so checked the 6.1 manual.

It confirms that plugging in enables the following functions;

- charging the 12v vehicle battery
- charging the additional batteries
- use of 230v socket

Ref needing to plug in charge it says;

“If the additional battery is not charged by the alternator while the engine is running, it must be charged on the 230v electric feed at regular intervals- a minimum of every four weeks - for at least 12 hours”

I guess that unless your parked up for long periods or have a drain on the battery somewhere (badly fitted alarms or dash cams for instance) then there is no need. If you are parked up, and have no drain, no particular need to have permanently plugged in.

Except that the alternator system only charges batteries to 80% capacity. AGM like to be fully charged.

 

[andyinluton]

Except that the alternator system only charges batteries to 80% capacity. AGM like to be fully charged.

Unless you press the charge button on the dash on a T6.1 it then takes them to 100%

 

[WelshGas]

Unless you press the charge button on the dash on a T6.1 it then takes them to 100%

I’m sure owners are going to press that button X miles from home to ensure all batteries are at 100% capacity when they park up at home. Does the Handbook say how long you have to run the engine/travel to ensure batteries are at 100%?

 

[Califan61]

I had a low starter battery warning the other day on a 24 T6.1 ocean, I covered this on a thread about the radio and battery drain but this topic seems to cover the issue better so seems more appropreate to post here.
So having plugged in the van to EHU I can confirm the two cab 12v sockets (on top of dash and next to gear lever) are powered by the leisure battery (checked with one of those cigar lighter voltmeters) but no charge is going to the starter battery, I checked this with multimeter directly to starter battery terminals. I have waited till the leisure batteries were full to confirm no charge and tried a clamp meter with no positive amps into the starter battery. I did think that maybe the onboard charger only tops up the starter battery to 80% to allow for regen on deceleration (like a hybrid or EV) so if the battery was already full it couldn't charge so i'll drain the starter battery a bit to confirm that.

The odd think is my supplementry handbook p71 also states the vehicle and additional battteries are charged from the hook up?

Has anyone else been able to confirm how this charging works?

 

[yossarian]

Has anyone else been able to confirm how this charging works?

J608 drives the spilt charge relay. We can only infer the logic by observing and reading the VW self study program.

Since your van doesn't do what VW says it should you quite likely have a fault.

Edit: perhaps your starter battery is so low that some important module has dropped off line?

 

[Califan61]

J608 drives the spilt charge relay. We can only infer the logic by observing and reading the VW self study program.

Since your van doesn't do what VW says it should you quite likely have a fault.

Edit: perhaps your starter battery is so low that some important module has dropped off line?

Thanks for that. Self study program, What's that?
I suspect not as I have tried it now at many different charge levels. Looks like a trip to VW. It's not a major concern as I have a few smart chargers but if it should work it needs sorting.
Recommendations between Coventry and Northampton commercial dealerships anyone?

 

[yossarian]

What's that?

Look for ssp708 in resources.

 

[Califan61]

Look for ssp708 in resources.

Wow I didn't realise we had access to such detailed information, thanks for the steer