Flat battery........I assume?

[MrsW]

Hi

We've had a lovely morning sorting stuff out in the van, sterilising the water tank and getting her ready for the first proper trip of the year. She started up great first thing without any probs, moved her about 5 meters, roof up and radio on for max 2 hours. Just come to move her back and nothing. The instruments on the dashboard flicker, the radio doesn't come on and I can't shut the side door. The leisure batteries are above half charged. Have hooked her up to the mains as I've read this may trickle feed the battery.

Any help gratefully received to help fix and prevent again!

 

[Hotel California]

Do you hook it up frequent , than this should should not may happen.
Is it a 2016 T6 as your avatar says?
However draining the starterbattery is easy done leaving the doors(with lights on) open , radio on,....
Others have done this before you ...

lesurebattery half does not mean your starterbattery is ok

 

[Velma's Dad]

I have the interior 'courtesy' light switch permanently in the off position, and I've removed the bulb from the light in the rear luggage space. Otherwise I'm likely to drain the starter battery every time we're parked and I have doors and tailgate open.

 

[MrsW]

Yes 2016 T6

I haven't hooked her up as the battery indicators have been full and she's been on decent runs but not for a couple of weeks. Am I doing something wrong? I did have the doors open and didn't check interior lights.

Thx for reply have called VW Assistance

 

[Hotel California]

Yes 2016 T6

I haven't hooked her up as the battery indicators have been full and she's been on decent runs but not for a couple of weeks. Am I doing something wrong? I did have the doors open and didn't check interior lights.

Thx for reply have called VW Assistance

You are doing nothing wrong , but even better would be to hook it up once a month for 12 to 24h on 220v .
Mine goes in every week for a overnight!

Still i think you simply used to much power by the interiour lights , radio ,electrical door...then started the car to move 5 meter as you say above and probally cut off the engine ....no good ...just starting a engine only takes a lot of power from the battery , thats why they are called starterbattery but to put that power back in the battery you need to drive several miles using the alternator to charge the battery back up .

 

[Hotel California]

Only recent been all this discussed here...

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/flat-battery-on-new-van-any-advice-please.17546/

 

[WelshGas]

I agree with the above but there have been a few instances of T6s , and it seems to be Oceans, that have suffered flat Starter battery within a short time of delivery, more so than I can remember with the T5s.
Maybe just coincidence.

 

[Hotel California]

I agree with the above but there have been a few instances of T6s , and it seems to be Oceans, that have suffered flat Starter battery within a short time of delivery, more so than I can remember with the T5s.
Maybe just coincidence.

VW been adding lots more electrical options on a sixer also.....
Switch off airco when you are starting , idem dito with radio .
Plug phone chargers in afther you have started.
This all helps saving the starterbattery ....but not all do this.

 

[WelshGas]

VW been adding lots more electrical options on a sixer also.....
Switch off airco when you are starting , idem dito with radio .
Plug phone chargers in afther you have started.
This all helps saving the starterbattery ....but not all do this.

Agree, but still you shouldn't have to.
My phones, iPads etc are all plugged into the Leisure circuits. AirCon shouldn't make any difference as apart from the fan it is purely mechanical and as long as there is minimal delay between Ignition On and Engine Start then very little power used by the fan before the Alternator takes over.
I wonder if the new Head Unit is more powe hungry than the RNS 510