Couple of leisure battery mods

[briwy]

Fitted my two new Varta LA80 batteries today. Front is easy once you have the seat out remembering to disconnect the two electrical connectors first and not turning the ignition on while they are disconnected.
The new Varta is the same size as the old one VW one but the LA80 is longer than the one in the rear so I wondered if it would fit OK. it's a squeeze but it does go in with a bit of wiggling.
Old rear battery and new LA80. Fortunately the new one is the same height and width, just longer.




Before putting the seat back in I chopped some off the front of the battery cover so that it's possible to take it of without removing the seat.


The connectors and the battery vent tube under the seat.


I noticed that the rear battery was quite warm when I took it out. I think this because the other half is using the van all the time so it's plugged in and the inverter is getting hot. There is little or no ventilation in this area so I have fitted four vents into the battery cover panel to allow more airflow. I'll check it next week and see if the area is cooler.


Was just about to fit the new 160w solar panel but now it's chucking it down again so that will have to wait.

 

[WelshGas]

Fitted my two new Varta LA80 batteries today. Front is easy once you have the seat out remembering to disconnect the two electrical connectors first and not turning the ignition on while they are disconnected.
The new Varta is the same size as the old one VW one but the LA80 is longer than the one in the rear so I wondered if it would fit OK. it's a squeeze but it does go in with a bit of wiggling.
Old rear battery and new LA80. Fortunately the new one is the same height and width, just longer.




Before putting the seat back in I chopped some off the front of the battery cover so that it's possible to take it of without removing the seat.


The connectors and the battery vent tube under the seat.


I noticed that the rear battery was quite warm when I took it out. I think this because the other half is using the van all the time so it's plugged in and the inverter is getting hot. There is little or no ventilation in this area so I have fitted four vents into the battery cover panel to allow more airflow. I'll check it next week and see if the area is cooler.


Was just about to fit the new 160w solar panel but now it's chucking it down again so that will have to wait.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but are you saying you had 2 dissimilar batteries fitted, the rear battery different to the one under the passenger seat?

Hot air rises and in fact there is more than adequate ventilation in the rear compartment. However, having a dissimilar battery fitted might be the cause.

 

[TripleBee]

What are the data on the original battery at the back?
This is mine:


Although you also have a 420A (for what I can see on that picture), it is certainly not 800A EN/SAE.
And it's 105C at the back.

 

[Hotel California]

Regarding the extra ventilation , i agree that warm air rises and the wardrobe is not fully closed . But a extra opening below to let extra air in is not a bad idea imo.
I did it also a while ago

Xtra ventlation for wardrobe/battery

Just been cutting a hole in the removeble panel to acces the rear lesure battery . Behind and under the wardrobe sits lots of electric parts of your Cali , in hot temperatures it is possible the inverter gets into a fault modus when overheated . My inverter sits under the fridge , on newer...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[westfalia]

Regarding the extra ventilation , i agree that warm air rises and the wardrobe is not fully closed . But a extra opening below to let extra air in is not a bad idea imo.
I did it also a while ago

Xtra ventlation for wardrobe/battery

Just been cutting a hole in the removeble panel to acces the rear lesure battery . Behind and under the wardrobe sits lots of electric parts of your Cali , in hot temperatures it is possible the inverter gets into a fault modus when overheated . My inverter sits under the fridge , on newer...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

What is best though?
4 holes 1 hole or no holes in the lid.

 

[TripleBee]

What is best though?
4 holes 1 hole or no holes in the lid.

For me none.
I might use some cooling underneath the fridge, where the battery charger is located.

 

[briwy]

These are the batteries that I have taken off. We have had the van from new and this is the first time I have changed them so they are original VW equipment. To answer Welsh Gas question yes they are different sizes and capacities and I'm afraid I disagree that there is enough ventilation. I can't see any other openings into this area. Incidentally the smaller rear battery is still very warm about four hours after it was disconnected so I'm glad I've changed it.

 

[WelshGas]

These are the batteries that I have taken off. We have had the van from new and this is the first time I have changed them so they are original VW equipment. To answer Welsh Gas question yes they are different sizes and capacities and I'm afraid I disagree that there is enough ventilation. I can't see any other openings into this area. Incidentally the smaller rear battery is still very warm about four hours after it was disconnected so I'm glad I've changed it.
View attachment 61027

I’ve never noticed a temperature above vehicle ambient in that compartment, and that’s with a temperature probe on the battery, so any excess heat is rising up or being absorbed by the water tank.
I would bet the reason that rear battery was overheating was related to it being a different size and capacity and not inadequate ventilation.
If it was from new, as you said, then very strange.

 

[westfalia]

There is an inverter involved here. I don't have one
so can't comment at all.

 

[TripleBee]

What date stamp is on the minus of both batteries?
They should be in range of each other.
top 2 digits are the week, bottom 2 digits are the year.
Also the brand of the smaller battery is very strange.
VW will only use Varta, JCB, Moll, as far as I know.
I have never heard of SeBang???
Oh, for leisure batteries they would use AGM, not really EFB+, and certainly not mixed.
Maybe there was a problem with one battery, and they changed it for one they had in their shelves?