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Help! What’s wrong?

Lambeth Cali

Lambeth Cali

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London
Vehicle
T5 SE 174
Help!
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The generator symbol keeps flashing with G and then back to plug symbol. It keeps chiming and flashing roof open. It’s not.
I think I have a flat leisure battery. I’ve parked up on drive and put on charge. I’ve owned it 12 yrs and it’s never made a single sound. But this is a new unit.
 
Mine went nuts like that on my previous Cali.

I can't remember now what I did, finally I was to turn the unit off, leave it overnight, then back on again and it sorted itself.

Apparently it had something to do with the batteries being disconnected. Being totally useless at anything mechanical or electrical I just thanked the higher power that I was praying to at the time :shocked
 
Help!
View attachment 75105
The generator symbol keeps flashing with G and then back to plug symbol. It keeps chiming and flashing roof open. It’s not.
I think I have a flat leisure battery. I’ve parked up on drive and put on charge. I’ve owned it 12 yrs and it’s never made a single sound. But this is a new unit.
Check Control Panel Diagnostics.

Control Panel Off and wait 30 secs

Control Panel On

Press and Hold R lower button and then press Control Knob for 5 secs.

New Hidden Menu . Scroll to VW Diagnostics.

If there are any codes shown, take note and then Reset/Clear.

Return to Main Menu.

Switch Off Control Panel using L lower button. Wait 30 secs and Switch On.

Try Roof/Heater or Fridge

Also make sure the Leisure Batteries are charged.
By the way, you should have 2 x Leisure Batteries, unless the 50 amp Cube Fuse on the Rear, under wardrobe, Leisure Battery has failed.
 
I had that flashing G when my batteries has been drained when in for a warranty issue. Hopefully charging will help. A CTEK reconditioning kit may also be your friend with 12 year old batteries. Or just new batteries...
 
11BE44F0-D331-4991-90D1-4A15F67A5106.jpeg
Curious. Anyone know what this means?
I fitted wardrobe shelves on Friday and noticed that interior lights weren’t working so a very flat battery. All charges up now after overnight plug in.
I’m hoping all back to normal.

986B7D6E-ADDB-4C78-8D51-D75F749F5AAB.jpeg
I think we’re back to normal now. Error cleared and roof raised and lowered and now showing as down.
I think the flat leisure battery got it confused. Does anyone know if that’s what Error 1000 means?

17B8F088-C790-41D9-B03D-1CD191279C60.jpeg

I’ve just read the thread on this.
I don’t want to go anywhere near a dealer. I don’t think they have a clue about Calis apart from the engine. Roof working fine at the moment. Time will tell.
I’ll give it its annual proper clean tomorrow and clear all the leaves away.
 
I’ve just read the thread on this.
I don’t want to go anywhere near a dealer. I don’t think they have a clue about Calis apart from the engine. Roof working fine at the moment. Time will tell.
I’ll give it its annual proper clean tomorrow and clear all the leaves away.
What voltage is the Control Panel showing for the Leisure Batteries?
 
What voltage is the Control Panel showing for the Leisure Batteries?
I’ll look tomorrow. What should it be?
That would be on the main screen, yes? Not in the hidden menu?
 
View attachment 75128
I think we’re back to normal now. Error cleared and roof raised and lowered and now showing as down.
I think the flat leisure battery got it confused. Does anyone know if that’s what Error 1000 means?

View attachment 75129
It looks like you have a timer set? I think that could be so that the heater
starts up at a certain time, or its an alarm set.

The No1 in the clock symbol.
 
Does anyone know if that’s what Error 1000 means?
Based on another thread, the 1000 is an estimate of how much you've saved yourself by asking here rather than going to a VWC 'California Specialist' who would have replaced the panel for £800 plus vat.
 
Based on another thread, the 1000 is an estimate of how much you've saved yourself by asking here rather than going to a VWC 'California Specialist' who would have replaced the panel for £800 plus vat.
Oh it’s worse than that. THIS IS THE NEW PANEL!
I replaced it after summer, v expensive but at least sent from Germany and fitted myself. Actually I quite like it. It is better than the old one.

It looks like you have a timer set? I think that could be so that the heater
starts up at a certain time, or its an alarm set.

The No1 in the clock symbol.
That would explain the flat battery if the heater was set to come on every day!
According to this it’s normal
It’s those crazy VW gfx guys.
 
I’ll look tomorrow. What should it be?
That would be on the main screen, yes? Not in the hidden menu?
You’ll have to change the Control Panel screen to show Battery voltage. Select Display and select Battery.

507C67B3-88A4-4AEE-8C8B-9380A2BBE78B.jpeg
 
View attachment 75177
Plugged in 13.4v 0.2 A. Unplugged 12.9v 0.0A. Is that good? 13 year old battery, only really used to power fridge tbh.View attachment 75178
12.9 is OK.
Now leave Off charge for a week. It should be 12.6 or more if the 2 Leisure Batteries are holding their charge with nothing switched on or anything plugged into 12v sockets.
 
12.9 is OK.
Now leave Off charge for a week. It should be 12.6 or more if the 2 Leisure Batteries are holding their charge with nothing switched on or anything plugged into 12v sockets.
Thanks that’s very helpful.
 
Help!
View attachment 75105
The generator symbol keeps flashing with G and then back to plug symbol. It keeps chiming and flashing roof open. It’s not.
I think I have a flat leisure battery. I’ve parked up on drive and put on charge. I’ve owned it 12 yrs and it’s never made a single sound. But this is a new unit.
Just a thought: mine is 12 years old too. Last year I got the leisure batteries replaced with new ones, and the other day I also replaced the engine battery for the for the first time. Everything works really well now. Maybe you've done this already, in which case I can't help.
 
Just a thought: mine is 12 years old too. Last year I got the leisure batteries replaced with new ones, and the other day I also replaced the engine battery for the for the first time. Everything works really well now. Maybe you've done this already, in which case I can't help.
The engine battery died last year and was replaced by the AA.
I’m waiting until Tuesday to see how much charge the leisure batteries hold.
 
The engine battery died last year and was replaced by the AA.
I’m waiting until Tuesday to see how much charge the leisure batteries hold.
I regularly have mine on hook up charge, it hasn't been on charge
for a week and i did a 20 minute drive this morning.

Just had a look at what the battery level is and its looking
good. 15 yrs this June, original batteries.

IMG_0863.JPG
 
I regularly have mine on hook up charge, it hasn't been on charge
for a week and i did a 20 minute drive this morning.

Just had a look at what the battery level is and its looking
good. 15 yrs this June, original batteries.

View attachment 75475
Who's dirty fingers have been turning on your control panel ?
 
As far as what VW recommend you do, I don't think I have treated my batteries well. The van sits unused August - June. It's not a daily driver and isn't on the drive, so I can't plug it in. We go for day trips in it a few times perhaps, maybe 100 miles or so. When we are camping its used for the fridge and lights only. On a two week holiday to say 5 sites, I'll hook up for 3. But they have worked brilliantly. I remember when I bought it from Campervansales in the handover they said the batteries 'like' being plugged in. Does plugging them in condition them a bit?
Anyway, on Tuesday I'll see if I will get another season out of them.

I regularly have mine on hook up charge, it hasn't been on charge
for a week and i did a 20 minute drive this morning.

Just had a look at what the battery level is and its looking
good. 15 yrs this June, original batteries.

View attachment 75475
You replaced the control panel though, yes? Old one had black text?
 
12.9 is OK.
Now leave Off charge for a week. It should be 12.6 or more if the 2 Leisure Batteries are holding their charge with nothing switched on or anything plugged into 12v sockets.
So after 6 days it showing 12.5v and 90%. That’s ok isn’t it? What do you think?
I think when camping unplugged with the fridge on I reckon we loose 10% a day. We often camped a whole week without needing to plug in. I would then plug in at the next site.
4B009171-6E9F-4AEC-AEAE-BDF0ABD320B0.jpeg
Of course the roof is showing up, which it isn’t. I’m starting to ignore the sensors. I can hear the roof locking when it shuts. I never take my finger off the button until the noise stops. I suppose some would think that was a risky thing to ignore.
 
So after 6 days it showing 12.5v and 90%. That’s ok isn’t it? What do you think?
I think when camping unplugged with the fridge on I reckon we loose 10% a day. We often camped a whole week without needing to plug in. I would then plug in at the next site.
View attachment 75551
Of course the roof is showing up, which it isn’t. I’m starting to ignore the sensors. I can hear the roof locking when it shuts. I never take my finger off the button until the noise stops. I suppose some would think that was a risky thing to ignore.

Try raising the roof and closing again. I've had that problem when I've been low on charge.
 

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