Leisure battery 0% on control panel

[icic]

I checked the control panel this afternoon and had 40% left, now looking again it’s 0% have I just trashed my leisure batteries and what are the implications of letting it go to 0%

 

[AlisonF]

I checked the control panel this afternoon and had 40% left, now looking again it’s 0% have I just trashed my leisure batteries and what are the implications of letting it go to 0%

I’ve never heard of 0%. What was the voltage reading at 40%? Have you had them on hook up recently? Have you been driving regularly?

 

[icic]

No idea what voltage at 40%. Had them on hook up last week and not driven since last week. Had the fridge on and heater on today

 

[AlisonF]

No idea what voltage at 40%. Had them on hook up last week and not driven since last week. Had the fridge on and heater on today

I’m no expert. So would say keep an eye on voltage and timings.
If you can remember what they were at when you took delivery and how often you have been on hook up since that could help.
Otherwise with 0%, the batteries may already be ruined. But others can also give more advice I hope...

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Is this a new van?

 

[icic]

6 months old

 

[Hotel California]

Did you not mentiont in earlyer posts you had solar panels and did not use the hook-up?

You always need to give full info otherwise it's no use , as in your thread regarding your Q why there's to much moisture in you Cali while you had water comming in and "forgot" to mention.

 

[icic]

My panels are not connected to the battery at the moment, so did not mention it

Just about to do a three hour drive. Anything I should do before I set off to help the battery situation?

To clarify

was in hook up last week
No solar panels are connected, so no panels
Drove 3 hours lat week battery at 100%
Have been running heater and fridge lady couple of days
40% today now panel reads 0%

Last not lady

 

[WelshGas]

My panels are not connected to the battery at the moment, so did not mention it

Just about to do a three hour drive. Anything I should do before I set off to help the battery situation?

To clarify

was in hook up last week
No solar panels are connected, so no panels
Drove 3 hours lat week battery at 100%
Have been running heater and fridge lady couple of days
40% today now panel reads 0%

Last not lady

The % is an iffy calculation. It is the voltage which is accurate and more important. Switch the Control Panel On/Off using L lower Button.
Reading is now?

 

[Hotel California]

Ok , more info
So the solar panels are not connected to the system , has there been work done to the electric system that could have damaged things ?
You neeh to check fuses to start , are both battery's connected as they should be ?
Are they indeed dead or is the panel showing wrong info , do things still work now ?
What happens if you plug in at 220v or start the engine?

 

[icic]

11.4 volts

 

[icic]

No electric work done. Solar panels where unplugged a month ago, every thing working perfectly last week. Just happened today after fridge and Heater where on for two days both running off battery. Van will start is there anything I should look for when starting. Fridge and heater switched themselves off on the panel ( lights for heater and fridge had gone off) that’s why I noticed

 

[Hotel California]

Sure your Cali will start , it has a starter battery.
What i mean is does the control panel show that your engine is charging the leisure bats by showing a G and does the panel shows a plug symbol if you hook it in 220v .
In your picture the heater light in ON ...
There is some good info by @WelshGas in this thread

New T6 Battery issue with heater on

Can someone tell me if this is normal? 6 month old T6 Cali, went for first night without hookup and only the fridge on. Battery was at 100%. In morning battery was 90% so all good. So then turned on the heater as it was a bit nippy, only to level 1. Heater came on, eventually blew out warm air...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[flying banana]

you need to get those on hook up and check the voltage goes up and a large current is being put in from the first moment. you also need to check your fuses. if your cube fuse has popped your only running on 1 battery. you need to remove this to check it or measure the voltage each side of it.
the engine should charge your batteries to around 80%. also check you haven't go a heavy drain on them somewhere. watch the current on the panel closely.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

you need to get those on hook up and check the voltage goes up and a large current is being put in from the first moment. you also need to check your fuses. if your cube fuse has popped your only running on 1 battery. you need to remove this to check it or measure the voltage each side of it.
the engine should charge your batteries to around 80%. also check you haven't go a heavy drain on them somewhere. watch the current on the panel closely.

Out of interest why did you unplug your solar panels? Is the connector exposed to the elements?

 

[icic]

The G appears and the amps read 20. Can’t hook up where I am . But looks like it’s charging the battery. So hopefully the batteries are OK ?

I can’t do a hook up until the end of my three hour drive. Is it ok to drive now or should I get on hook up first ?

 

[icic]

I had the solar wire going through the tailgate, it leaked so disconnected and just have not had time to fit it through the grommet yet. Roger told me not to worry about the connectors in the elements when I suggested I should tape them up

 

[Hotel California]

A three hour drive and then 220v hook up would be perfect.

 

[westfalia]

I had the solar wire going through the tailgate, it leaked

That's more water going in the van then, HC won't be happy.

Someone had their batteries changed under warranty recently and
i think it was for the same reason.
He had to push for it though and went loaded with info about the voltages
from here. I think.

 

[icic]

Thanks everyone, I will get on my merry way, and check everything tomorrow

 

[WelshGas]

No electric work done. Solar panels where unplugged a month ago, every thing working perfectly last week. Just happened today after fridge and Heater where on for two days both running off battery. Van will start is there anything I should look for when starting. Fridge and heater switched themselves off on the panel ( lights for heater and fridge had gone off) that’s why I noticed

Fridge and or Parking heater should switch off at 11.5 v, to protect the Leisure Batteries.

However the habitation lights and using the 12v sockets or the inverter can take the voltage below 11.5 v as there are no clever electronics to monitor those circuits.

 

[ThomasHJ]

The suggestion of getting the batteries on EHU as soon as possible is a very logical one. The 3 hour drive will also largely charge the batteries. The interesting question here is whether this is simply a case of you asking too much of the batteries/draining them or if something else is going on. You mention the heater and fridge have been on for 2 days. Have they been on for 2 days straight? Any other things drawing from the batteries?

 

[icic]

Yes they have been on two days strait, also just seen the phantom kitchen unit light had switched itself on again when off, that might have been even longer, it really has a mind of its own