Grand California Leisure Battery not charging from engine

[splitwee]

I've got exactly the same problem than you.
My control panel is all the time showing 100%/12,7V, 0A consumption, no matter the real cunsumption.

I'm trying to solve this control panel issue first, before playing with the battery charging issue, because I guess both off the issues are linked.

But my garage doesn't have the solution yet...

 

[far.landscape]

I've got exactly the same problem than you.
My control panel is all the time showing 100%/12,7V, 0A consumption, no matter the real cunsumption.

I'm trying to solve this control panel issue first, before playing with the battery charging issue, because I guess both off the issues are linked.

But my garage doesn't have the solution yet...

That’s fascinating. That’s exactly what mine shows (12.7v, constantly).

If you already have a garage engaged, would really appreciate if you could let me know any outcomes or progress, and I’ll do the same from my side.

 

[splitwee]

Fore sure!
I've bought my van 2nd hand, from a garage.
They might have change the leisure battery without encoding it properly?
Could this issue give the control panel error? That seems strange...

 

[yossarian]

80A to 90A is pretty excessive. If you see this a lot you need to do something about it.

In the old days we would have regarded 11A as a hard limit for this size battery. My understanding is that modern AGMs can do maybe 33A. Personally I'd try limit it at 11A and only go to 30A as required on the day.

 

[far.landscape]

80A to 90A is pretty excessive. If you see this a lot you need to do something about it.

In the old days we would have regarded 11A as a hard limit for this size battery. My understanding is that modern AGMs can do maybe 33A. Personally I'd try limit it at 11A and only go to 30A as required on the day.

Good point…

although my control panel constantly shows zero amps, when charging from mains hookup with a socket current meter attached, or from the goal zero (either way I can see output wattage from the socket), it will yield 280 - 290 watts / 23 amps for “a while” (don’t know how long but longer than a few mins and shorter than hours), then settle to 70 - 90 ish watts (6-8 ish amps), then once fully charged reduce to 7-14 watts. I think that matches the charge pattern of the voltronic. To draw 80+ amps, it would have to be nearly 1000 watts, which it never is in my case.

Perhaps the display that T3Z posted is missing a decimal!?

 

[T3Z-GB]

Thanks for all the comments. I do know the GC’s have a 180ah alternator, so made the assumption this might be okay. I’ll pick this up with the dealer tomorrow, but it’s been doing that since new with no apparent battery problems.
This weekend Iv booked a camp site, but assume as most campsites only support 16ah hookups it won’t exceed 16ah.
I’d also assume if you hookup any 240v supply it will charge at the standard 16ah, (same as with solar generators) I don’t believe the GC’s have a 16ah to anything more ac converter. In other words I dot believe the mains hookup with convert the 16ah to 23 or more ah. But stand to be corrected.

thanks.

 

[T3Z-GB]

Thanks for all the comments. I do know the GC’s have a 180ah alternator, so made the assumption this might be okay. I’ll pick this up with the dealer tomorrow, but it’s been doing that since new with no apparent battery problems.
This weekend Iv booked a camp site, but assume as most campsites only support 16ah hookups it won’t exceed 16ah.
I’d also assume if you hookup any 240v supply it will charge at the standard 16ah, (same as with solar generators) I don’t believe the GC’s have a 16ah to anything more ac converter. In other words I dot believe the mains hookup with convert the 16ah to 23 or more ah. But stand to be corrected.

Further info.
The charger under the seat is just a standard trickle charge battery charger 230/240v + 2ah so it’s unlikely you will see any large numbers on the pann when charging via hookup.
Is also unlikely going to support lithium batteries so will most likely have to replace this is you are upgrading.

it makes sense now that when plugging in a solar generator via the hookup, there us almost 50% loss in efficiency during charge.

 

[Bonoborider]

That’s fascinating. That’s exactly what mine shows (12.7v, constantly).

If you already have a garage engaged, would really appreciate if you could let me know any outcomes or progress, and I’ll do the same from my side.

hello, I am new to the forum. I am French and owner of a used GC600 with 6000km. I have exactly the same problem as you! the battery does not charge, the control panel is blocked at 100%, And the refrigerator goes into safety mode ... I hope that we will find the solution ... I just wonder if it is not the leisure battery who died and who made all these peoblem?

 

[splitwee]

Have you talked to you dealer?

I think it's linked to this topic as well:

Leisure Battery gauge stuck at 100%

Hi, this forum has already been very helpful - hoping someone may already know this… The battery gauge on our Grand California (the one on the panel stuck outside the bathroom) is constantly stuck at 100%, permanently showing 0 amp draw regardless of actual draw and 0hrs and minutes remaining...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

It would be strange that your battery is dead after 6000km only...

 

[Bonoborider]

Hello, after a few hours of research, I ended up partially unblocking the situation. The battery is charged finally, with the solar panel as well with the running motor. I unplugged all the relays switch, turned off the main red switch several times, plugged in the relays again ... and miracle! It works ... the battery is charging, the refrigerator is working normally !! But the control panel is always blocked at 100% ... maybe two different problems.

 

[splitwee]

After few hours, the fridge will stop and start to blink again.
I don't think you've charged thanks to the engine, probably only the solar panel.
For me, charging is also working with the external 230v plug, but it only last few hours before fridge is stoping to work.

 

[Bonoborider]

hello everyone, any news about this problem?

 

[Bonoborider]

Hello everyone ! I have just redone the wirering between the two batteries of my GC 600 by adding a voltronic vcc 1212, and everything is working perfectly!!

 

[splitwee]

Did it unlocked the 100% issue?

 

[Bonoborider]

no, the display is still blocked at 100%, but I think it's another problem: certainly the ibs sensor (on the - terminal of the battery) which is dead, or may not be correctly calibrated after a deep battery discharge. I studied all the wiring of the GC, and I do not see where the problem could come from otherwise. the electrical shema of the GC is rather "basic" in fact.

 

[splitwee]

I think this issue is more likely coming from a control panel software bug than from a wiring issue.

If I understand well, you've "solved" the problem by adding another Votronic converter, and now the leisure battery is charging without the need of the original system working?
Is your GC still under warranty?

 

[Bonoborider]

I don't think this is due to a software bug (but maybe you're right). For me, the ibs sends the wrong information, this electronic management thinks that the battery is full, and that the battery coupling relay should not be opened. Anyway, it's rubbish to have a relay on a Euro 6 engine, the only way to charge a battery of a Euro 6 vehicle correctly and 100% is to have a VCC 12 -12v. almost all euro 6 motorhomes today are equipped with a 12-12 VCC, and not with a simple relay.

 

[Bonoborider]

It's complicated for me to write that in English: but an euro 6 engine with an intelligent generator/alternator which only charges the batteries under certain driving conditions (for less pollution). The real problem is that it works pretty well for a car (although the battery will never be charged more than 80%), but not at all for a motorhome that needs a generator/alternator that permanently charges its leisure battery ... The role of the VCC is to force the smart generator/alternator to constantly charge the battery (unless it is 100% full)

 

[Bonoborider]

the voltronic VCC 1212 is specially designed for euro 6 engines with new generation alternators. It is originally fitted with many euro 6 vans and camper vans.

 

[T3Z-GB]

Hello everyone ! I have just redone the wirering between the two batteries of my GC 600 by adding a voltronic vcc 1212, and everything is working perfectly!!

Hello,
Can you please advise how you did the wiring between the 2 batteries? I’d like to drop in a lithium 200ah but realise I need a DC 2DC converter. It would be really helpful if you could explain with possibly a few pictures how you wired it and where you located the converter.
Thanks you.

 

[far.landscape]

Hi folks,

An update (and an outcome!) on the issue that originally started this thread…

TL;DR— after apparently 4 separate software updates (and no hardware changes), the issues a) with the leisure battery not charging while the engine runs, plus b) with the control panel display not showing the correct voltage or current draw, appear to now be fixed!

Detail…

I picked the van up today, after it being in the service centre for 2.5 weeks.

On day 2 I got a call saying they’d found no issue… they had obviously ignored the explanation and the printed issue description that I gave them (I’d predicted “something” would get missed, so had written a full explanation which I’d handed to the reception and also left copies of in the van!), and they just happened to test the battery when it was actually 12.7v… which the control panel always said regardless of state of charge. They took this as “it works”, and supported it with a video as “evidence”. I needed to explain again, remind them of the printed sheet which explained it, and convince them to look closer. They had already removed the vehicle from their workshop to give back to me by now, so this involved some “discussion”.

However, they did keep it, and the following day I got a call saying they had now found an issue. The following two weeks was punctuated by relayed conversations with vw central, disagreements about component replacement, then software updates. A 3rd update finally apparently fixed the charging issue, then a 4th apparently custom update fixed the display panel issue.

When I collected, I wasn’t able to get any more meaningful detail about what had actually happened, but I was happy that it was allegedly fixed and I was keen to get going, so that’s ok, but means I can’t offer this community much more than “if you have these issues yourself, tell them about the chap you know where custom software updates seemed to fix it”.

Before I drove away I checked the van over (dark, but no obvious damage), checked the display (12.2v unloaded… a shame it had been let to drop that low) and that the leisure battery did indeed charge when the engine ran, which it did!!

Google maps via apple CarPlay hung on the way home… even if that is related (which I suspect is more likely related to recent iOS updates), I’ll live with it!!

The water was empty, in spite of me having delivered it with about 30l so they could test the systems, so once home I filled and tested every system and found the hot water pressure was very low. I eventually noticed that the truma had error codes and then spotted the blue drain valve button had been tripped, so water was draining from the van (quietly, so I hadn’t heard it)… if I didn’t already know how to deal with that I’d have been stumped!

But as of this moment, aside from CarPlay, all the leisure systems seem to work!

Thanks all for the engagement on this thread and the offers of help.

 

[Simon1]

Hi folks,

An update (and an outcome!) on the issue that originally started this thread…

TL;DR— after apparently 4 separate software updates (and no hardware changes), the issues a) with the leisure battery not charging while the engine runs, plus b) with the control panel display not showing the correct voltage or current draw, appear to now be fixed!

Detail…

I picked the van up today, after it being in the service centre for 2.5 weeks.

On day 2 I got a call saying they’d found no issue… they had obviously ignored the explanation and the printed issue description that I gave them (I’d predicted “something” would get missed, so had written a full explanation which I’d handed to the reception and also left copies of in the van!), and they just happened to test the battery when it was actually 12.7v… which the control panel always said regardless of state of charge. They took this as “it works”, and supported it with a video as “evidence”. I needed to explain again, remind them of the printed sheet which explained it, and convince them to look closer. They had already removed the vehicle from their workshop to give back to me by now, so this involved some “discussion”.

However, they did keep it, and the following day I got a call saying they had now found an issue. The following two weeks was punctuated by relayed conversations with vw central, disagreements about component replacement, then software updates. A 3rd update finally apparently fixed the charging issue, then a 4th apparently custom update fixed the display panel issue.

When I collected, I wasn’t able to get any more meaningful detail about what had actually happened, but I was happy that it was allegedly fixed and I was keen to get going, so that’s ok, but means I can’t offer this community much more than “if you have these issues yourself, tell them about the chap you know where custom software updates seemed to fix it”.

Before I drove away I checked the van over (dark, but no obvious damage), checked the display (12.2v unloaded… a shame it had been let to drop that low) and that the leisure battery did indeed charge when the engine ran, which it did!!

Google maps via apple CarPlay hung on the way home… even if that is related (which I suspect is more likely related to recent iOS updates), I’ll live with it!!

The water was empty, in spite of me having delivered it with about 30l so they could test the systems, so once home I filled and tested every system and found the hot water pressure was very low. I eventually noticed that the truma had error codes and then spotted the blue drain valve button had been tripped, so water was draining from the van (quietly, so I hadn’t heard it)… if I didn’t already know how to deal with that I’d have been stumped!

But as of this moment, aside from CarPlay, all the leisure systems seem to work!

Thanks all for the engagement on this thread and the offers of help.

Bet your heart sank when they said they couldn’t find any issues after all the effort to explain. It was stressful enough to read let alone go through
Glad you got it fixed!

 

[far.landscape]

Bet your heart sank when they said they couldn’t find any issues after all the effort to explain. It was stressful enough to read let alone go through
Glad you got it fixed!

It was “a journey”

 

[FionaD]

I have just been in the VW commercial Vehicle garage and had a discussion on this. My GC 600 does not have solar panel and battery drained over 4 days from 100% to 40% with nothing on. The technician has said you must switch off the habitation isolator if stood. The button on the dash needs to be pressed to charge leisure battery. He had multi meter connected to leisure battery, he started the engine and meter reading remained at 12.9v on pressing the button the reading went up to 14.3v. He said pressing the button charges the leisure battery. Hook up charges both. He said he had three GC’s in when lock down started, when they returned all of the batteries were flat so he says switching off the main habitation battery stops the batteries going flat. It seems to be a common issues on the GC’s. This was from the master technician

Hi
We are having the exactly the same happening with ours. Could you please tell me where the habitation isolator button is on your van?
Many thanks
Fi

 

[Jester]

Hi
We are having the exactly the same happening with ours. Could you please tell me where the habitation isolator button is on your van?
Many thanks
Fi

The isolation switch is in the electrical cabinet, second cupboard in near side in the boot area big red knob