Flat Battery - Advice Please!!

[The Mighty Pauls]

Hi all!!

So, just been camping for two days (no hook up) and started the Cali (2014 140 SE) to find a flat battery (van wouldn’t start).

The battery indicator on the cab display said 90%, so assuming that fridge and lights etc over the weekend didn’t zap the leisure battery - but I’d like to get the the bottom of what went on.

We were playing the stereo over the weekend (pioneer 7 inch display with app play etc), so assuming this zapped the battery? We also had our phones charging, but thought as we were using the 12v points in the rear, these wouldn’t affect the driving battery.

My questions are these:

1 - What appliances etc run off leisure battery and what off driving battery?

2 - I’m assuming that 12v sockets in the front dash run off main battery and the ones in the rear (next to sink and under rear seat run off the leisure battery?

3 - Is there a way of listening to the stereo over the weekend without running the battery down? I did notice that the stereo was turning itself off and I would have to switch ignition on and off again.


4 - Does mains hook up charge leisure battery AND main battery?

5 - How do I know if my main battery needs replacing? Is it normal to run down over a weekend? My old T4’s battery would run forever (admittedly, it didn’t have a big display etc).

Thanks so much in advance for any advice!!!

All the very best.

TTP
Bristol

 

[teeboy]

1 - What appliances etc run off leisure battery and what off driving battery?

If you cut the van in half just behind the front seats - anything in the front half is off the engine battery - everything in the back runs off the leisure battery. The exception to this is the roof control unit which is linked to the leisure battery.

2 - I’m assuming that 12v sockets in the front dash run off main battery and the ones in the rear (next to sink and under rear seat run off the leisure battery?

Yep as per the above

3 - Is there a way of listening to the stereo over the weekend without running the battery down? I did notice that the stereo was turning itself off and I would have to switch ignition on and off again.

Not without some wiring - some people have wired in relays and switches to wire the stereo into the leisure battery. IMHO you are better off forgetting the stereo when parked up, and if you want music use your phone connected to a bluetooth speaker.

4 - Does mains hook up charge leisure battery AND main battery?

On your van yes - on the earlier vans no - think it changed around 2012....

Tony

 

[The Mighty Pauls]

Really appreciate that Tony!

So assuming that it was the stereo that ran down the battery as well as phones plugged into the app play thing.

But, if mains hook up charges engine battery too - then I’m guessing I’m fine if plugged in?

All the very best.

A

 

[ArunAlec]

I think the modern "infotainment" units are in a different league, power wise, to the good old car radio. Seems daft that VW couldn't have a circuit to keep the power switched on when on hook up.
If you have a powered side door that too will draw power from the main battery.

 

[EddieEagle]

My dash 12v socket and the useless one in the cup holder next to rear seat/side door runs off leisure battery, as does the one in the rear. The one in front ash tray and the socket next to 240v plug by the sink, puzzlingly, run off the engine battery.
I think when hooked up all of the batteries get a charge.

 

[teeboy]

Really appreciate that Tony!

So assuming that it was the stereo that ran down the battery as well as phones plugged into the app play thing.

But, if mains hook up charges engine battery too - then I’m guessing I’m fine if plugged in?

A

Yeah apart from it is a PITA when the stereo goes off all of the time, plus you are not always on hookup so may as well get a Bluetooth speaker

In the end I just ended up using the phone without a speaker - modern phones are quite loud and plenty loud enough for a small space like a cali

 

[Hotel California]

It's very simple and been said sevral times here , every once a while one pops-up with a flat starterbattery always thesame ....
Keep your hands of the radio while parked up .
The 12v socket in front also , alltough seems some will have different wiring .
Shut off the interieur lights in the cabin area.
The lesure bateries are charged first and certain stage the starterbat. will start loading so as long the lesurebats are not full or reached a certain point of charge (witch will be very unlikely when in campingmodus) your starterbat will not be charged.
Your starterbat will be charged while driving or when parked up on hook-up while no power is taken (full lesure bats.)

 

[The Mighty Pauls]

Brilliant stuff as ever!!

I love this forum!!!

All the best.

TTP

 

[SimonB]

It might be worth investing £60 or so in one of the small jump start packs explained in this thread
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/power-packs-for-flat-cali-battery.15853/

As @hotel california says, some of the 12v sockets are wired differently. In our 2015 T5, the socket on the end of the sink unit was wired to the engine battery, as that was the one I used for most of the phone charging and playing music I had it rewired to the leisure batteries. @Borris and quite a few others had the same wiring.

The infotainment system is really a computer and draws a fair bit from the battery when the engine is off so the 20 mins or so before it turns off is designed to save the battery.
Simon

 

[SimonB]

I see you live near us, if you want to find out about solar panels so you can go off grid and not need a Hook-up send me a PM and we can meet up, if that helps.

 

[Volkywagen]

Boot light is engine battery as well

 

[The Mighty Pauls]

Thanks again everyone - One last question!!

Is there a simple way of finding out which socket runs off which battery?

Thanks loads.

 

[ArunAlec]

Thanks again everyone - One last question!!

Is there a simple way of finding out which socket runs off which battery?

Thanks loads.

So long as there's a reasonable difference between the state of the leisure and main battery, with a clear voltage difference. You could use a plug in 12v voltmeter (a few quid on eBay) and identify all the sockets with the same voltage.

 

[SimonB]

I agree with @ArunAlec , but there has to be a reasonable difference in the voltages. The only other way is to disconnect one battery, say the engine one. This can lead to other complications which you may have anyway not that it has gone flat in that you may have to reset the control panel to get the aux heater, etc to work again.
The battery tester method is reasonably accurate though.

 

[The Mighty Pauls]

Thanks everyone!

Also, I returned home after a 40 minute drive from the campsite (presumably not enough to recharge the battery) and parked up. During the night, my alarm went off a couple of times (never done that before) - could this be an unrelated coincidence?

Many thanks again.

 

[SimonB]

When you say parked up, do you mean you were camping in it and had locked up with you in it or locked up outside your house and was empty?
1) If you were in it then movement detector could have set it off. You have to lock the doors from the switch on the drivers side just above the mirror control to avoid activating the alarm.
2) If not in it, possibly the alarm going off as it thinks it is being disconnected from it's power source. The alarm is a Thatcham Cat. 1 so probably has a standby battery.

 

[ArunAlec]

Thanks everyone!

Also, I returned home after a 40 minute drive from the campsite (presumably not enough to recharge the battery) and parked up. During the night, my alarm went off a couple of times (never done that before) - could this be an unrelated coincidence?

Many thanks again.

I think, maybe wrong, that the alarm can be activated if he battery is tampered with. So if you are having charging problems, which could be due to a dodgy connection and this causes the alarm to think the battery is being disconnected then the alarm would go off.
As I say I might be wrong, but it might be worth checking the battery cables.

 

[The Mighty Pauls]

Thanks Simon - apologies, yes, I mean parked outside my house, nobody inside.

I was just wondering whether the low battery may be a factor in the alarm going off (very annoyed neighbours!!) or just simply a moth setting off the movement sensors?

Perhaps I need to plug into the mains for a recharge...

 

[EddieEagle]

Thanks again everyone - One last question!!

Is there a simple way of finding out which socket runs off which battery?

Thanks loads.

I watched the battery monitor on the roof console whilst pugging in something into each 12v socket in turn. The current drawn would show if leisure batts. and no change would be engine.

 

[Andy]

Thanks Simon - apologies, yes, I mean parked outside my house, nobody inside.

I was just wondering whether the low battery may be a factor in the alarm going off (very annoyed neighbours!!) or just simply a moth setting off the movement sensors?

Perhaps I need to plug into the mains for a recharge...

You should charge on ehu for 24 hours at least once a month as stated in manual.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[aileron346]

Boot light is engine battery as well

Good reminder. My only flat came the first time I used that little gadget that keeps the tailgate slightly open when camped in hot weather. Didn’t realise the boot light was on overnight.

 

[WelshGas]

Good reminder. My only flat came the first time I used that little gadget that keeps the tailgate slightly open when camped in hot weather. Didn’t realise the boot light was on overnight.

It shouldn’t be. I’ve used the Brandrup AirSafe on many occasions, the
longest for 5 days in Italy. It went off after about 10 minutes. No problems starting.

No Hookup.

 

[parrot2]

The alarm will go off if the battery is flat The alarm thinks the car is being tampered with.

 

[Tom Downie]

1 - What appliances etc run off leisure battery and what off driving battery?

If you cut the van in half just behind the front seats - anything in the front half is off the engine battery - everything in the back runs off the leisure battery. The exception to this is the roof control unit which is linked to the leisure battery.

2 - I’m assuming that 12v sockets in the front dash run off main battery and the ones in the rear (next to sink and under rear seat run off the leisure battery?

Yep as per the above

3 - Is there a way of listening to the stereo over the weekend without running the battery down? I did notice that the stereo was turning itself off and I would have to switch ignition on and off again.

Not without some wiring - some people have wired in relays and switches to wire the stereo into the leisure battery. IMHO you are better off forgetting the stereo when parked up, and if you want music use your phone connected to a bluetooth speaker.

4 - Does mains hook up charge leisure battery AND main battery?

On your van yes - on the earlier vans no - think it changed around 2012....

Tony

Regarding point 3: On my 2017 T6 you don't have to switch the ignition on and off again just switch the radio on again. Getting to the ignition switch with the drivers seat reversed and pushed forward can be awkward.

 

[The Mighty Pauls]

Thanks to everyone for the posts!!

By way of an update - I took EddieEagle's advice and checked the different sockets by watching whether the ampage dropped on the control unit each time I plugged in my phone (if it drops - assume that socket runs of leisure battery NOT engine battery).

I discovered that (in my 2014 140 SE) the only socket that uses engine battery is the one in the ash tray. I also have an extra socket on top of the dash (not sure how common this is) - which is also powered of the leisure battery. BUT I had my phone hooked up to the APP Play on the Pioneer Infotainment system, which presumably drained the engine battery.

I also think that I heard somewhere that as it's got the Bluemotion Stop/Start feature, the main battery isn't always charged by the alternator but instead waits until it's low on charge before kicking in (so not to waste unnecessary power during charging). So from what i understand, you can be 'unlucky' if the battery happens to be at a low point in this cycle when you pull up and set up camp.

Anyway I have also purchased this jump starter for piece of mind

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01ESJ34II/?tag=eliteelect-21

It comes in a box and is really small - so I guess I never have to worry again.... er right?

Anyway, thanks again for all the support as ever.