leisure battery life expectancy

[greenfintry]

Just looking for a little bit of advice about the health of our T5 leisure batteries. These seem to lose voltage quite quickly when being used, going down to 12.6v from start voltage of 13.7v and showing 80% full on VW overhead display. When the sun came up this morning, the voltage actually went up to 13.7v again very quickly (maybe 10 mins) ( we have a solar panel fitted to charge these batteries) although the fullness stayed at 80% until we were driving back etc… So my thought was if the batteries are getting old and not holding charge well, is this what they would do? They are the original ones so 5 years old…… Any thoughts?

 

[Californiaman]

I changed mine at 5 years - big improvement! On testing the old batteries, it appears that I had one good and one bad - I may be wrong but it seems that the rear battery suffers more than the front one.

If anyone wants the one OE 'front battery' that seems to be fine, and is in or around Oxon, Northants or MK they're welcome to it!

 

[WelshGas]

Just looking for a little bit of advice about the health of our T5 leisure batteries. These seem to lose voltage quite quickly when being used, going down to 12.6v from start voltage of 13.7v and showing 80% full on VW overhead display. When the sun came up this morning, the voltage actually went up to 13.7v again very quickly (maybe 10 mins) ( we have a solar panel fitted to charge these batteries) although the fullness stayed at 80% until we were driving back etc… So my thought was if the batteries are getting old and not holding charge well, is this what they would do? They are the original ones so 5 years old…… Any thoughts?

I think it is very dependant on usage. " Use it or lose it " springs to mind. If they have been properly looked after then 6 years + is reasonable.
The normal, fully charged voltage should be 12.7 - 12.8 v. The 13.7v you are seeing is due to the Solar Panel. I get the same, but in the dark, with no solar charging the Control Panel shows 12.8v and 100%.
Firing up the Heater + Fridge shows a drop to 12.6 and 90% and then it stays there for a long time, at least 24 + hours before dropping to 80% and 12.6 or 12.5v.
I would go more by the voltage than the % readout.

 

[calicasas]

I changed mine at 5 years - big improvement! On testing the old batteries, it appears that I had one good and one bad - I may be wrong but it seems that the rear battery suffers more than the front one.

If anyone wants the one OE 'front battery' that seems to be fine, and is in or around Oxon, Northants or MK they're welcome to it!

Out of interest, what replacement batteries did you use?

 

[Californiaman]

Out of interest, what replacement batteries did you use?

See here: https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/dead-leisure-batteries.11419/page-2#post-113304

(I think it was a pair of these, but do please check the measurements etc..! http://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/vo...ure-battery/?gclid=CMHsk7DzgcwCFQso0wodZQsAtQ )

 

[marshian70]

Reading this with interest as think will need to replace ours soon. Looked at the previous thread which includes a link to the same seller on eBay. The eBay link takes you to batteries which are 195mm tall whereas the link to the alpha site references a battery which is 175mm tall. Am I correct that it the latter lower option is correct or will both fit?

 

[greenfintry]

Thanks for the input. Esp WG. Think I will hang on with the current set for this season at least.

 

[jeff]

Still running my original leisure batteries 8years old and still get 3days / 2 nights and 60% left on control unit.

 

[jts46]

Still running my original leisure batteries 8years old and still get 3days / 2 nights and 60% left on control unit.

Also still have original batteries 9years old and get same usage 3days, 2 nights

John

 

[IanE]

Ours are 6 in September and still do us for our needs - 2-3 days max.

I should add that, because we can't charge the batteries from the house (the van lives on the street), until about a year ago they didn't get much by way of mains hook up.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Just picking up one point from the OP's first post, about the leisure battery only showing 80% charge. I'm no expert in the darks arts of batteries, but I do recall from the nether reaches of the T4/5 forum that the split charger off the vehicle alternator is only capable of bringing the leisure battery up to 80% charge max, while a charge-up from a 240v hook up is necessary to bring the battery to 100%. However I'm not sure if that applies to 'proper' Calis as well as conversions: WelshGas are you able to bring yours up to the 100% without doing a hook-up?

However a rapid voltage drop-off, whether from 80% or 100%, does sound like a battery in poor health.

 

[WelshGas]

Just picking up one point from the OP's first post, about the leisure battery only showing 80% charge. I'm no expert in the darks arts of batteries, but I do recall from the nether reaches of the T4/5 forum that the split charger off the vehicle alternator is only capable of bringing the leisure battery up to 80% charge max, while a charge-up from a 240v hook up is necessary to bring the battery to 100%. However I'm not sure if that applies to 'proper' Calis as well as conversions: WelshGas are you able to bring yours up to the 100% without doing a hook-up?

However a rapid voltage drop-off, whether from 80% or 100%, does sound like a battery in poor health.

I can get mine to 100% but then I do have a Solar Panel and mine is also a daily driver.

 

[GrannyJen]

My batteries will drop off from 100% to 90% within about 5 minutes of charging stopping.

They will also last about 5 days in a Scottish winter with lights on from about 3pm and heater blasting away all night.

I came home three days ago. I left the fridge running ( 6 ), inverter adaptor still plugged in, obviously the control panel still on, ... within 5 minutes battery display said 90%, when I plugged the hook up in tonight the battery status said 70% so I really am not going to lose sleep over it.

 

[Roger Donoghue]

Do bear in mind batteries have a finite number of cycles, or "uses" - usually between 300 and 500 depending on the model. So the more you use them the shorter they last. Even with solar, you are "using" them overnight when there is no sun, so they won't last forever. With solar you are at least preventing running them flat frequently which really kills them fast.

12.6 is full for a lead acid battery at rest (not under charge or load).