Flat battery on new van..any advice please?

[stephen watson]

I bought my new van a month ago, drove it home fine and because of work/illness haven't needed to use it till today (4 weeks later). The engine battery is completely flat so I've called VW assistance who are on their way. I'm very confident (but could be wrong I suppose) that I've left nothing on. No doubt VW will get it started but anyone any ideas why and also anything I need to ask VW man soon? The only thing I can think of is that I discovered the dealer had supplied it to me with all the tyres 1 bar below the correct pressure, so I pumped them all up with a compressor powered from the 12v dash socket. Every other vehicle I've had you would expect it to start after 4 weeks of non use.

 

[T6 CFO]

I bought my new van a month ago, drove it home fine and because of work/illness haven't needed to use it till today (4 weeks later). The engine battery is completely flat so I've called VW assistance who are on their way. I'm very confident (but could be wrong I suppose) that I've left nothing on. No doubt VW will get it started but anyone any ideas why and also anything I need to ask VW man soon? The only thing I can think of is that I discovered the dealer had supplied it to me with all the tyres 1 bar below the correct pressure, so I pumped them all up with a compressor powered from the 12v dash socket. Every other vehicle I've had you would expect it to start after 4 weeks of non use.

When I first got mine I managed to leave the light in the tailgate on. Could that be it.?


Mike

 

[stephen watson]

Thanks Mike. VW man not here yet but I guess that is something to check. (I presume from what you say if it was on simply locking the vehicle wouldn't switch it off - and I presume it must be connected to the engine battery and not leisure?) Do you happen to know if the engine battery is damaged if it is flattened?

 

[jts46]

You are all presuming it was fully charged when you picked it up !

 

[stephen watson]

Well I drove it around 300 miles so I think it was fine when I got home! Such complicated new things to learn!

 

[T6 CFO]

Thanks Mike. VW man not here yet but I guess that is something to check. (I presume from what you say if it was on simply locking the vehicle wouldn't switch it off - and I presume it must be connected to the engine battery and not leisure?) Do you happen to know if the engine battery is damaged if it is flattened?

Probably best not to touch any of the switches. Once it's fired up you will see if it was something left on. Some serious battery experts on here but I would have thought just a one off flattening will not have done much damage.to it. Good luck


Mike

 

[Hotel California]

If you used the starter/engine battery thru the 12v socket to use a 12v compressor while you engine is not running you are killing the battery anyway , so that was not that clever.
If you not use the Cali for longtime , it is advised to plug it in the mains 220v hook-up to keep all three batterys topped up , if you did not do this ....second mistake
You are two year on the forum now , not read much i suppose?
Anyway , beside all my criticism there also could be something wrong with the electric system . Have it propperly checked out anyway.
It won't happen a second time
If the assictance start it up and says afther testing the battery is not damaged do plug it in 220v for at least 24h asap.

 

[stephen watson]

Thank you. Maybe I'm not too clever, especially as I have done lots of reading! Long time on forum but only been owner for 1 month with no previous experience of California. VW still not here. I thought plugging van in only charged up leisure batteries? More ignorance I'm afraid!

 

[Meoncoast]

I have no idea how long a non used vans battery would be expected stay charged if not used 1 month 2 months 3 months......... as it is very rare for a day to go by without the van being driven but I ask the question how much power is used by a modern van/car being parked, The alarm is working the little flashing red light is telling be some power is used. Do clocks etc take power ?

 

[Hotel California]

Thank you. Maybe I'm not too clever, especially as I have done lots of reading! Long time on forum but only been owner for 1 month with no previous experience of California. VW still not here. I thought plugging van in only charged up leisure batteries? More ignorance I'm afraid!

Charging on hook-up first toppes up the two lesure bats. if they reach full capacity the engine battery starts charging .
So essential to plug it in frequent to extend the life of your battery's

Taking power from a engine battery without a running engine is never good

 

[stephen watson]

Well despite my ignorance (!) I used to be transport manager with fleet of vws and have never had problem with a newish vehicle not starting after few weeks idle. Hopefully find out when vw arrive.

 

[WelshGas]

Thank you. Maybe I'm not too clever, especially as I have done lots of reading! Long time on forum but only been owner for 1 month with no previous experience of California. VW still not here. I thought plugging van in only charged up leisure batteries? More ignorance I'm afraid!

The Mains Charger will charge the Leisure Batteries BUT only Trickle Charge the Engine Battery. So if the Engine Battery is totally flat you will need a good run or put the Engine Battery on its own Charger. I would suggest Disconnecting the engine battery to charge separately.

 

[Hotel California]

I have no idea how long a non used vans battery would be expected if not used 1 month 2 months 3 months......... as it is very rare for a day to go by without the van being driven but I ask the question how much power is used by a modern van/car being parked, The alarm is working the little flashing red light is telling be some power is used. Do clocks etc take power ?

Do not know figures but under normal conditions a battery should not got flat by those things in 4 weeks time.
But i turn off all the interieur lights when parked up in the garage , when getting things out the Cali opening a door the light goes does not goes on that say.
The dash display also lights up every time you open a door . Sometimes you hear some noise under the dash maybe like the computer registers opening the doors or so....
All these things will use power in the end , thats why i plug mine in 220v very often when not using the Cali longtime as mine is no daily driver at all.

 

[stephen watson]

Thanks welshgas. Reliable advice as always with you.

 

[Hotel California]

Well despite my ignorance (!) I used to be transport manager with fleet of vws and have never had problem with a newish vehicle not starting after few weeks idle. Hopefully find out when vw arrive.

Not suggesting you are stupit or dumb in any way , but one have agree that taking power from the engine bat. without running engine is not clever , not good , not healty , ....whatever you may call it

 

[stephen watson]

No offence. You are quite correct that it would have been better to keep engine running. My wife is French and I know you continentals are much more direct than us sometimes!

 

[Hotel California]

Sorry to upset you was not my intention , i sure can belive it has not been a fun day...
Remember the fun that's still to come....
And you are correct , i am pretty strait forward

When my Cali was new , i filled the freshwatertank and water pourred out from underneeth...not a pretty sight.
If fixed it myself as a hose was not propper connected.

 

[WelshGas]

I have no idea how long a non used vans battery would be expected stay charged if not used 1 month 2 months 3 months......... as it is very rare for a day to go by without the van being driven but I ask the question how much power is used by a modern van/car being parked, The alarm is working the little flashing red light is telling be some power is used. Do clocks etc take power ?

Cannot give you an exact answer, but 4 weeks at Heathrow and it started 1st time at -4c on our return from Down Under.

 

[stephen watson]

Well AA man came, confirmed flat engine battery. We couldn't find anything that was switched on. He tested the battery and charging and said all OK. The rear luggage light mentioned before doesn't have a switch on mine. The switch is on the door. We concluded that as I had been getting in and out of it (admiring it and fiddling), plus use of 12v compressor, had probably done it. He also showed me that after locking it battery was still drawing 2 amps for some minutes whilst vehicle shut down. Hopefully that's all it is.
Moral of story: drive it more often and listen to wife who immediately said "of course it will have flat battery. You haven't used it since you got it a month ago!"
Thanks for help and advice everyone.

 

[Hotel California]

Regarding light in the rear , i simply took the bulb out as the boothdoor ofthen stays open and there's no need for light as the booth is fully packed with plastic storage boxes.
Good your sorted out ....don't forget to put it on hook-up or as WG sayed a charger direct to the engine battery.

 

[T6 CFO]

Well AA man came, confirmed flat engine battery. We couldn't find anything that was switched on. He tested the battery and charging and said all OK. The rear luggage light mentioned before doesn't have a switch on mine. The switch is on the door. We concluded that as I had been getting in and out of it (admiring it and fiddling), plus use of 12v compressor, had probably done it. He also showed me that after locking it battery was still drawing 2 amps for some minutes whilst vehicle shut down. Hopefully that's all it is.
Moral of story: drive it more often and listen to wife who immediately said "of course it will have flat battery. You haven't used it since you got it a month ago!"
Thanks for help and advice everyone.

Glad it's sorted. Should be a switch. Right hand side panel as you look from the rear. Well mine has. I'll post a picture tomorrow. Very surprised if there different but possible as mine is a 2017 build.
Anyway minor matter. Enjoy


Mike

 

[briwy]

The Mains Charger will charge the Leisure Batteries BUT only Trickle Charge the Engine Battery. So if the Engine Battery is totally flat you will need a good run or put the Engine Battery on its own Charger. I would suggest Disconnecting the engine battery to charge separately.

Just be aware that if you disconnect the battery you may find that some things like the clock and possibly other settings may need to be redone. A smart charger like the CTek ones should be OK to just connect up.

 

[WelshGas]

Just be aware that if you disconnect the battery you may find that some things like the clock and possibly other settings may need to be redone. A smart charger like the CTek ones should be OK to just connect up.

I've found that just the clock time needed resetting on the MFD, oh and radio station pre-sets.

 

[MattBW]

I had a flat battery not long after getting mine, knocked the ceiling light in the cab and it stayed on all night. Wasn't totally dead and the battery recovered surprisingly well with a good charge.

The advise to leave it on hookup once a month for at least 24 hours is really good. My leisure batteries last so much longer and the stop start always works without fail.

 

[B J G]

Batteries can have a cell fail at anytime so it might be that. My Wife's EOS had that problem, went to the Supermarket, got in to come home, dead as a Dodo. RAC came out and confirmed battery fault and jump started to get home. Car about 18 months old. Coincidentally my Daughter's Astra did exactly the same thing.

Got on to VW who were pretty exasperating as they said that we'd have to bring the car in for testing. How do we start it with a dead battery was our response, eventually they sent a mechanic out who wouldn't accept RAC print out of failed battery & said that they had to check it after a 24 hour charge/test before they would replace it. wouldn't even give us a temp. loan. In all it took 48 hours to get the car going again with a new battery.

Additionally we often find the EOS battery flat after being away for 4 or 5 weeks. put it down to all the electronics (alarm etc) slowly draining it. Put a new top spec battery in last year but can still have the problem.