How long can you leave your California Parked Up?

[GrannyJen]

Hi Granny Gen
I didn’t know that, how long does it take to full charge the battery on hook up... nobody explained that to me and don’t remember reading that in the handbook??
I also did 300kms on Friday so 600kms on 2 consecutive days.
Thanks for the info

Have you anything on consuming charge, i.e Fridge etc?

Even without the discipline of a complete, full charge once a month to return after 300k and see only 70% suggests a problem.

I suggest if it was home, at rest, nothing on and only showing that then it may well be kick ass time

 

[Eber123]

Thank you for the information Frank.

I will have another look at the manual, there is some information about the display.

If that is not successful I will ask the question VW Ireland. Maybe they can explain this in more detail.

Eberhard

 

[westfalia]

Yes. the display is only a reading for the leasure batteries.

 

[Kmann]

Hi Kmann
Excuse my ignorance but does it not charge the leisure batteries automatically once being driven.
Cheers

Yes it does. But only to 90% (despite the display shows 100%). Therefore you have to do the hook up to exercise the batteries.

 

[Eber123]

Good morning,

I had a another look at the manual yesterday evening (bed time reading ).

I fell into some assumptions because I could not remember what I have read in the manual when I got the van.

The little van / car symbol
I assumed that the display is only about the batteries. I was wrong. The display will always show various information at the same time. The little van / car symbol is for the roof.

Battery symbol
This symbol has three different options:

1. Battery charging level
2. G - charged by the engine during driving (checked this morning)
3. Symbol of a plug if hooked up (So far I have not connected the van to the power)

Charging display (Volt?)
According to the manual it is for the leisure batteries (both)

But with the rest I am still confused a wee bit, especially when I read Kmann comment. Driving the van and display shows 100% (which always does after driving) does not reflect the real charging level of the batteries and because of this it should be hooked up to fully charge.

So the information on the display is wrong. At what level should I be concerned that the charging level is not ok any more? To keep this information monitored is vital because relying on the available electricity of the van is important if one is of the grid for 2 or 3 days.

Maybe I over complicate things a bit.

Eberhard

 

[GrannyJen]

Good morning,

I had a another look at the manual yesterday evening (bed time reading ).

I fell into some assumptions because I could not remember what I have read in the manual when I got the van.

The little van / car symbol
I assumed that the display is only about the batteries. I was wrong. The display will always show various information at the same time. The little van / car symbol is for the roof.

Battery symbol
This symbol has three different options:

1. Battery charging level
2. G - charged by the engine during driving (checked this morning)
3. Symbol of a plug if hooked up (So far I have not connected the van to the power)

Charging display (Volt?)
According to the manual it is for the leisure batteries (both)

But with the rest I am still confused a wee bit, especially when I read Kmann comment. Driving the van and display shows 100% (which always does after driving) does not reflect the real charging level of the batteries and because of this it should be hooked up to fully charge.

So the information on the display is wrong. At what level should I be concerned that the charging level is not ok any more? To keep this information monitored is vital because relying on the available electricity of the van is important if one is of the grid for 2 or 3 days.

Maybe I over complicate things a bit.

Eberhard

I am looking at my display now.

I have selected from the settings menu to display battery information"

Left hand column: A flame symbol indicating that the heating is on, indicator for fresh water tank, indication for waste water.

Centre square: Voltage from the batteries is 12.4V, battery charge level is 80% and current being drawn is 4.8A

Below centre box: Day and time:

Right hand column:

Top telling me the fridge is on, Van symbol indicating the roof is open, Battery symbol indicating that the leisure batteries are nearly full and being drawn upon, not being charged.

The leisure batteries can be charged from the vehicle with engine on. The engine Alternator delivers a powerful charging current that will charge the batteries to around 80-90% full capacity. The final 10-20% is via a triple charge obtained through the charger that takes power from hook-up. This is a protective measure to avoid the batteries being overloaded. Therefore to achieve a saturation charge the batteries should be regularly charged from hook-up. VW recommend a 24 hour charging cycle once a month.

If, like now, I am camping off grid, constant monitoring of battery charge level is common sense and I can see that over 18 hour time period with heater, lights and fridge all drawing power I have used around 20% of the maximum capacity of my batteries.

 

[GrannyJen]

Hi Granny Gen
I didn’t know that, how long does it take to full charge the battery on hook up... nobody explained that to me and don’t remember reading that in the handbook??
I also did 300kms on Friday so 600kms on 2 consecutive days.
Thanks for the info

Some things in that handbook are as clear as mud or so difficult to find I end up using it as a levelling block

The joys of this forum. Our collective knowledge is more than a warehouse full of handbooks and hopefully we are a little bit clearer as well

 

[Frank Mc]

Good morning, thanks for all the info, it’s very helpful, I will be booking up to mains every month from now on... I hope I havn’t damaged the batteries....

 

[GrannyJen]

Good morning, thanks for all the info, it’s very helpful, I will be booking up to mains every month from now on... I hope I havn’t damaged the batteries....

The batteries are pretty robust.

I had a problem with my previous vehicle where I could not charge from hook-up. It went on for pretty much a whole year before VW took it seriously and replaced the whole wiring harness. The batteries were still good after all of that.

 

[GrannyJen]

My Ocean loses its leisure battery charge very quickly... 66 hrs after second trip to dealers to sort problem it read 60% charge 12.2 v and it seems despite evrything being checked there is still a problem... it always draws 0.4 Amps as shown on the display unlike my 2 previous calfornias.. I just dont know what to do as the VW dealers alsways say everything is fine!!!!!

a 0.2A drain is standard draw for the control panel, unless you switch it off.

Have you anything plugged into the invertor socket, such as a conversion or extension plug? Whether being used or not anything plugged into that socket will create a drain.

12.2V is fine, most important bits such as fridge or heater will not work below 11A.

If everything is switched off, including the control panel, and all plug sockets are free of plugs then it should not lose that capacity.

 

[Walrus]

I am looking at my display now.

Centre square: Voltage from the batteries is 12.4V, battery charge level is 80% and current being drawn is 4.8A.

Therefore to achieve a saturation charge the batteries should be regularly charged from hook-up. VW recommend a 24 hour charging cycle once a month.
View attachment 29339

For final clarity. the first statement above refers only to the leisure batteries I think.

I have a solar panel which keeps the leisure batteries at around 100% all the time so I don't bother with the using EHU at home. Is that ok?

 

[GrannyJen]

For final clarity. the first statement above refers only to the leisure batteries I think.

I have a solar panel which keeps the leisure batteries at around 100% all the time so I don't bother with the using EHU at home. Is that ok?

Yes, leisure battery(s) only.

I do believe, and @WelshGas will correct me if I'm wrong, that the solar panels feed through the 240v charger so will provide the trickle charge top up that VW recommends.

 

[frenchie]

I was not impressed at all when I went to start the van after the Christmas break the battery was flat. Nothing was left on in the van just the alarm system. I have now started to use a good intelligent battery keeper if the van is not going to be used for a few days. F

 

[Volkywagen]

does the control panel have to be on for the leisure batteries to be charged from the engine whilst driving?
I

 

[Eber123]

To connect the van to power for 24 hours seems to me a very long time, especially that it is my main transport (well, only transport).

If the Control Panel shows 100 %, but it is actually only 90% how can one be sure that the rest of the information is ok? If it shows 60% maybe it is 50% or 45%?

Eberhard

 

[WelshGas]

For final clarity. the first statement above refers only to the leisure batteries I think.

I have a solar panel which keeps the leisure batteries at around 100% all the time so I don't bother with the using EHU at home. Is that ok?

It will be in summer, maybe not in Winter if you are using the Leisure Batteries on occasion.

 

[WelshGas]

Yes, leisure battery(s) only.

I do believe, and @WelshGas will correct me if I'm wrong, that the solar panels feed through the 240v charger so will provide the trickle charge top up that VW recommends.

Not quit correct. The Solar Panel is connected to the Leisure Batteries via a MPPT Controller that will adjust the voltage and charge similar to the Mains Charger Unit.

 

[WelshGas]

does the control panel have to be on for the leisure batteries to be charged from the engine whilst driving?
I

No.

 

[WelshGas]

I was not impressed at all when I went to start the van after the Christmas break the battery was flat. Nothing was left on in the van just the alarm system. I have now started to use a good intelligent battery keeper if the van is not going to be used for a few days. F

The vehicle Mains Charger will charge both the Leisure Batteries and trickle charge the Engine Battery. There is no need to use a separate Charger for the Engine Battery unless it is totally flat.

If the Engine Battery failed to start the Engine after such a short break then there is something wrong, or something was left On.
Was the Indicator stalk in the Neutral Position?
If left On in the L or R position , on my T5.1 it puts the Side/Parking lights on, on the appropriate side. That would soon run down the battery.

 

[WelshGas]

To connect the van to power for 24 hours seems to me a very long time, especially that it is my main transport (well, only transport).

If the Control Panel shows 100 %, but it is actually only 90% how can one be sure that the rest of the information is ok? If it shows 60% maybe it is 50% or 45%?

Eberhard

In order to get an accurate reading, Voltage/% Charge, the Leisure Batteries need to be disconnected from the Charging source, engine or Mains Charger, for between 30 to 60 minutes. Thus you might have 100% charge showing after a run but 90% an hour later with nothing switched on.

Because of the BlueMotion regenerative braking etc: both Leisure and Engine Batteries cannot be charged more than 80-90% from the Engine Alternator. Hence the requirement to Connect to the Mains monthly. The Mains Charger can charge all batteries to 100% but starting the engine will reduce the Engine Battery charge to 80% or less to allow the clever BlueMotion trickery to work effectively.

I think my Handbook says a minimum of 12 hrs on Mains Hookup monthly.

 

[frenchie]

No nothing was left on. But I will keep on using the battery keeper from now on.F

 

[oilydavid]

Check you have not left anything including adapter plug in the inverter socket low down behind the passenger seat.. th eflap can cover up the plug and the green light indicating the inverter is on is only really visible if you lift the flap and kneel down