Leisure battery charge level on display

[Themadwife]

Been parked in my T6.1 Coast since Monday ( now Wednesday ) lunchtime. No hook up, no driving. Mainly running fridge, some phone/ iPad charging & a light for a couple of hours.

Plan was to see if I could last 4 days without hook up.

Charge has been dropping, as expected. At 10am today it was 34 hours - that would last me until I leave on Friday. Later checked & it said 7 hours. Two hours later it said 32 hours. Plugged in my Apple Watch to charge & popped a light on - said 7 hours. Switched everything off ( except fridge) still said 7 hours.

Decided to run engine for half hour- upto 14 hours - great, will last overnight. Switched off ignition and it then says I have greater than 60 hours !

Which figure do I believe ?

Any suggestions ?

 

[Stu@rt]

The algorithm is giving you real-time figures. As in "carry on like this and it will last this long". In reality stuff gets switch on/off and the fridge cuts in and out (just like your one at home). In addition your voltages are only truly accurate when left at rest, with no input/output for a small period of time. You are best just being guided by the voltage

 

[Stu@rt]

 

[Hawthorn37]

Agree. Your best guide is the voltage. The display is quite misleading/ rough guide only.

 

[yossarian]

The bar graph is accurate. Try to arrive on site with 10 bars by using max charge for the last hour or so of your drive.

Camping mode reduces your electrical consumption.

 

[Stu@rt]

The bar graph is accurate. Try to arrive on site with 10 bars by using max charge for the last hour or so of your drive.

Camping mode reduces your electrical consumption.

"Camping mode reduces your electrical consumption."

I didn't realise that. I always use it, but mainly to avoid confusion with the courtesy mode on the interior lights. I'd be keen to understand what else it does to conserve power.

 

[Themadwife]

The bar graph is accurate. Try to arrive on site with 10 bars by using max charge for the last hour or so of your drive.

Camping mode reduces your electrical consumption.

Thanks - had done both of those

 

[yossarian]

"Camping mode reduces your electrical consumption."

I didn't realise that. I always use it, but mainly to avoid confusion with the courtesy mode on the interior lights. I'd be keen to understand what else it does to conserve power.

Leisure battery use is reduced due to the reduced lighting load you mentioned.

Starter battery use seems to be reduced due to whatever electrical equipment keeps waking up with that infernal whining sound.

It's not a huge win but noticeable. I've got a bm2 permanently logging voltage on my starter bus.

 

[chockswahay]

A brief question chaps…….. does the van only ‘prep for start’ when the driver door is opened? I do use camping mode just to save the grief turning lights off all the time although tbh surely they use sod all power

 

[dspuk]

A brief question chaps…….. does the van only ‘prep for start’ when the driver door is opened? I do use camping mode just to save the grief turning lights off all the time although tbh surely they use sod all power

That's my understanding. We avoid opening the drivers door now, even in camping mode. AFAIK the only real benefit of camping mode is the van exterior lights - the interiors all work as normal regardless of mode.

 

[yossarian]

I'm not entirely sure I understand the 'prep for start behaviour'

It seems to trigger sometimes when I've not opened the door or used the remote.

 

[dspuk]

I'm not entirely sure I understand the 'prep for start behaviour'

It seems to trigger sometimes when I've not opened the door or used the remote.

See the thread here and subsequent answers by none other than @Perfectos

When do fuel pumps activate

Hi do the fuel pumps prime when ignition turned on I’m sure when I got the van I could here it pumping when ignition was on but here nothing now when van first fires in the morning get a slight judder not every time if you give it a bit of gas it goes straight away ran it though vcds both pumps...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Perfectos]

See the thread here and subsequent answers by none other than @Perfectos

When do fuel pumps activate

Hi do the fuel pumps prime when ignition turned on I’m sure when I got the van I could here it pumping when ignition was on but here nothing now when van first fires in the morning get a slight judder not every time if you give it a bit of gas it goes straight away ran it though vcds both pumps...

www.t6forum.com

There is an alternative theory on the T6 forum,
HPFP believed not to activate until ignition turned on.

I seem to remember a post from VWGuru who explained the HPFP does prime when unlocked and door open, if I can find it I’ll post it here

 

[yossarian]

Yeah, that whine doesn't sound like a pump to me. I suspect it's some sort of PWM driven valve or actuator or something like that being driven to an initial condition. I'll bet VW could remove it or make it much less annoying through software.

 

[yossarian]

There is an alternative theory on the T6 forum,
HPFP believed not to activate until ignition turned on.

I seem to remember a post from VWGuru who explained the HPFP does prime when unlocked and door open, if I can find it I’ll post it here

Is the HP pump not engine driven anyway?

 

[Perfectos]

Is the HP pump not engine driven anyway?

The pump is engine driven , however you have to prime the pump (VCDS etc) when changing the pump / fuel filter etc.
(lift pump supplies the HPFP )

Plenty of info on internet about priming the pump.

I can’t find the thread from previous (VW Guru).
T6 forum is adamant that only the petrol engine primes the HPFP.

Additional info may be available from the VW self study program, some of which is available in the download section on the forum .

 

[yossarian]

Fair enough -- it's a pretty standard arrangement I think -- low pressure electric pump prevents cavitation on the high pressure pump.

 

[Perfectos]

Fair enough -- it's a pretty standard arrangement I think -- low pressure electric pump prevents cavitation on the high pressure pump.

Your point is valid & TBH I don’t have proof to back up the long held theory.