Leisure Battery,

[Dinkie]

I’m having ongoing problems keeping my leisure battery charge do people use a drip battery charger when ever van is not being used as my fridge only stays charged for 2 days if I’m parked up and it seems to be that I can’t use the auxiliary heater any feed back would be great

 

[Sad]

How old are the batteries? Sounds like they could need replacing...

 

[MattBW]

What’s the control panel say voltage and capacity wise?


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[MattBW]

There is a fuse between the two leisure batteries if that blows it can also reduce the capacity


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[Emil Silenhag]

Yes, check fuses. My Calli has a fuse at the battery pol under the wardrobe. There are also a big fuse under the seat where the other leisure battery are.

Test the batteries. If bad, by new ones:
The leisure battery is 175x315 mm and height: 190mm.
It is a Varta Professional Dual Purpose AGM 80 Ah, 800A
840 080 080, , Short Code:LA80.
When Vw order those from Varta they come in black. If you by them elsewhere they are kind of grey...
They were 75 Ah in the past...

 

[Stephen Bright]

Hi, I am in the UK and have a VW California 2014 plate and having problems with fridge only coming on for a short amount of time.
Questions I am struggling with are 1) How do I get good access to the Leisure batteries? I've found one under the front passenger (left) seat but with even unbolting the black retaining plate cant get good access to it to remove it, and I cant find the second battery that is meant to be near the fridge?

Symptoms/findings are.
When I plug in the 3 pin socket to the side of the camper I
1) do not the fork looking/plug icon coming up on the bottom right of the central control unit.
2) I do get power going to the 230-volt socket to the right side of the sink (that disappear when I disconnect the three pin plug in the cable.
3) The battery(s) are registering 20% 11.7 A on the CCU and this isn't changing when I plug in the van socket.
4) When I turn the engine on, the ccu show 14.1V and >>20A after a minute of running the engine then stopping the ccu is shows 12V 70% but after a minute is 11.7 V and 30% then drops back to 11.6 20% after another minute.

Keen for suggestions, especially where to find the second leisure battery and how to get to both of them and also where the device that should be converting mains to trickle charge is, and why the Fork/Plug icon isn't showing when I plug in the mains.
Cheers
Steve
PS This is my first Post, I couldn't find how to put a new post on so have done it as a reply on the same subject.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi, I am in the UK and have a VW California 2014 plate and having problems with fridge only coming on for a short amount of time.
Questions I am struggling with are 1) How do I get good access to the Leisure batteries? I've found one under the front passenger (left) seat but with even unbolting the black retaining plate cant get good access to it to remove it, and I cant find the second battery that is meant to be near the fridge?

Symptoms/findings are.
When I plug in the 3 pin socket to the side of the camper I
1) do not the fork looking/plug icon coming up on the bottom right of the central control unit.
2) I do get power going to the 230-volt socket to the right side of the sink (that disappear when I disconnect the three pin plug in the cable.
3) The battery(s) are registering 20% 11.7 A on the CCU and this isn't changing when I plug in the van socket.
4) When I turn the engine on, the ccu show 14.1V and >>20A after a minute of running the engine then stopping the ccu is shows 12V 70% but after a minute is 11.7 V and 30% then drops back to 11.6 20% after another minute.

Keen for suggestions, especially where to find the second leisure battery and how to get to both of them and also where the device that should be converting mains to trickle charge is, and why the Fork/Plug icon isn't showing when I plug in the mains.
Cheers
Steve
PS This is my first Post, I couldn't find how to put a new post on so have done it as a reply on the same subject.

Sounds as if the Mains Charger has come unplugged - NOT uncommon or has failed.

2nd Leisure Battery & Charger.

Open Tailgate

Left Side of Boot Space is a Removable Panel. Use Coin to undo catch and remove Panel.

2nd Leisure Battery behind Panel. Above it is the Mains operated Charger.

Check that the Mains Lead - Like an electric Kettle Lead is properly plugged in.

Plug California into Mains Power - Do you now have the Mains Symbol on the Control Panel and 14.4v showing?

If so, leave plugged into mains for at least 48hrs.

 

[westfalia]

Also check that the trip switch is in the ´up´ position.
You find it just above the gas bottle.

 

[Emil Silenhag]

You need to charge those batteries asap, or they may suffer damage.

If you want to remove the battery under the seat, you have to remove the whole seat. One bolt in each corner...be carful with wiring to seat heat or air bag.

 

[Stephen Bright]

Thanks. I've now found the battery at the back on the left. Can't find the kettle lead type connection yet, Put as an interim I am putting a battery charger onto the battery at the back and that seems to be working as the CCU is saying 98% charged 12.8V. Does anyone have pictures or advice re checking or changing or better connecting the internal charger? Cheers Steve

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks. I've now found the battery at the back on the left. Can't find the kettle lead type connection yet, Put as an interim I am putting a battery charger onto the battery at the back and that seems to be working as the CCU is saying 98% charged 12.8V. Does anyone have pictures or advice re checking or changing or better connecting the internal charger? Cheers Steve

Ok. If you cannot see the Charger above the Rear Leisure Battery then it must be below the Refrigerator and may have succumb to the Overheating issue that made VW change the position.

http://www.oemepc.com/vw/part_singl.../035/subcategory/35090/part_id/3695722/lang/e

Number 2

 

[Stephen Bright]

Thanks, especially to Welsh Gas
In the rear battery compartment I've taken out the battery to have a look, just incase the charger was hidden behind - Unfortunately, on my Cali, it is not there. also trying to take the battery out I nearly lost a finger. So from posts I was hoping to easily find an easily accessible Chargers unit that just needed a gentle push of a kettle lead. Unfortunately, looking through the circular hole and the blunted triangular hole (with the leaver to let watery stuff out of the sink tank) I could no see the mystical kettle lead or the bunker looking charger, and that was with using cameras and camera snakes to better see. Grateful for advice on how to get to the charger that might be under the fridge.

 

[Stephen Bright]

Hi, I can not see the charger. If its under the fridge looks like it would be a major job to get to. ?
When we go on a long journey the leisure batteries charge up (but do not charge by hooking up to mains.
How can I charge up the Leisure batteries (without doing 3 hours journey). Should I charge each or the two leisure batteries by using a normal 12V Battery charger, Do I have to disconnect the battery connections or can it be done in situ', or as the two leisure batteries are in series, should I connect by battery chargers positive to the positive of the battery under the passenger seat and the negative to the negative of the battery under the wardrobe? Or (as the two leisure batteries charge when driving, is there a way of connecting my normal battery charger to some cables in the engine bay that will do the same as happened when driving? Many thanks, Steve

 

[WelshGas]

Hi, I can not see the charger. If its under the fridge looks like it would be a major job to get to. ?
When we go on a long journey the leisure batteries charge up (but do not charge by hooking up to mains.
How can I charge up the Leisure batteries (without doing 3 hours journey). Should I charge each or the two leisure batteries by using a normal 12V Battery charger, Do I have to disconnect the battery connections or can it be done in situ', or as the two leisure batteries are in series, should I connect by battery chargers positive to the positive of the battery under the passenger seat and the negative to the negative of the battery under the wardrobe? Or (as the two leisure batteries charge when driving, is there a way of connecting my normal battery charger to some cables in the engine bay that will do the same as happened when driving? Many thanks, Steve

You can attach a Charger to the +tve and -tve poles of the rear or passenger seat to charge the Batteries. The rear is the easiest to get access.

 

[WelshGas]

The Mains Charger is only in one of 2 places.
1. Situated ABOVE the Rear Leisure Battery, not behind.



2. Below the Kitchen Fridge.