Power drain

[Pyabies]

Hi folks, I've had a good look thru forum and don't think this incident has already been covered, hope someone can help...

Our 2006 Cali happily sits on the drive, driven sometimes only once a week on a 20 mile round trip and has no problems starting.

We've just camped for less than 48hrs using fridge, leaving side door open for lengths of time, roof bed deployed for whole time....

Electric side door stopped working after few hours, fridge performed well and roof was just up...

Came to leave campsite and CAB battery completely flat! Leisure batts fine, fridge still working, side door still no power.

Lovely AA man got us going and said if he were a betting man his money would be on the door draining the cab battery by perhaps having faulty micro switch..

So my questions are; what consumer runs off which battery?
Has anyone else had same problem with 2006 or other year?
For an extra point, can you tell me if my 2006 Cali has an inverter 230/12 socket? And if so can I run my hair straighteners off it at glastonbury!?

Cheers all,
Helen

 

[Martin]

Hi Helen,
Did you have the stereo on at all? Also, were you on hook up?

 

[SimplyDubs]

Hi there,

On 2006 model i don't thunk the charger supplies the main vehicle battery. (This came in around 2008)

Main battery operates all the base vehicle items, stereo, electric door etc. Leisure batteries operated the "habitation" items... Interior light, fridge, roof etc.

The door can be a big drain and as Martin mentions, the stereo can make a difference. (Had a couple of friends drain their main battery this way.)

Noo sure if you have an inverter... Check for a Euro (lozenge) socket on the nearside pillar (under a black flap)... Even if you do, it won"t power your straighteners. It's only for low power items (less than 300w - laptop chargers etc) and also won't drive inductive loads eg... GHD straighteners.

Rgds

Mark

 

[teeboy]

Worth noting that the 12v socket on the dashboard, and the van interior lights (the ones you would get on a normal T5 - in the footwells and near the rear view mirror) are also from the engine battery. Also don't leave the keys in the ignition as things don't fully shut down until you remove the keys.

We have parked for a long weekend with no hookup and had no problems (we don't use the stereo and we set the side door to manual)

Ours is a 2012, so maybe your engine battery is just getting a bit tired - ask a local garage to do a load test on it for you.

T

 

[Pyabies]

Hi Helen,
Did you have the stereo on at all? Also, were you on hook up?

Nope, no hook up and no stereo usage..

 

[Pyabies]

Hi there,

On 2006 model i don't thunk the charger supplies the main vehicle battery. (This came in around 2008)

Main battery operates all the base vehicle items, stereo, electric door etc. Leisure batteries operated the "habitation" items... Interior light, fridge, roof etc.

The door can be a big drain and as Martin mentions, the stereo can make a difference. (Had a couple of friends drain their main battery this way.)

Noo sure if you have an inverter... Check for a Euro (lozenge) socket on the nearside pillar (under a black flap)... Even if you do, it won"t power your straighteners. It's only for low power items (less than 300w - laptop chargers etc) and also won't drive inductive loads eg... GHD straighteners.

Rgds

Mark

Would my lower wattage straighteners (50w) be inductive?
How come ignition has to be engaged to raise roof if just powered by leisure batteries?
I believe our 2nd hand Cali has 2 leisure batts and have read that socket at side of sink is an inverter???? Am I just being daft?

 

[Pyabies]

Worth noting that the 12v socket on the dashboard, and the van interior lights (the ones you would get on a normal T5 - in the footwells and near the rear view mirror) are also from the engine battery. Also don't leave the keys in the ignition as things don't fully shut down until you remove the keys.

We have parked for a long weekend with no hookup and had no problems (we don't use the stereo and we set the side door to manual)

Ours is a 2012, so maybe your engine battery is just getting a bit tired - ask a local garage to do a load test on it for you.

T

AA man said engine battery was still tiptop, his instruments indicated a drain which we couldn't decrease/identify, our electric side door is still not functioning (but weirdly we can fully close manually without the usual motor sound at the end that you get when setting doors to manual) the power open/close was playing up a few weeks back and we'd intended to switch to manual on this short trip but it failed before we had the chance.
Everything points to door issue, maybe power strip??/switch not disconnecting? Just a guess from me.
Was hoping someone had experienced similar before we go chucking money at VW garage!

 

[timber]

The Cali is very complicated If I press the key fob to open the door and keep my finger on the button both windows come down. The doors did not lock again automatically.
However I went close to it to see and the alarm went off----as it was Sunday I pressed the fob again to shut it up.
Why did I try in the first place????
Well, my daughters Golf was outside her house overnight in a cloud burst and in the morning all her windows were wide open ! ! To say the car was wet is an understatement
Next chance I get I will try some more key button presses. She probably had kept her finger on the fob by accident squeezing it between the shopping :doh

 

[gatvol]

Might it be the courtesy lights by the central mirror draining the battery ? I turn off this light when I park up as it comes on when a door is opened.

 

[Pyabies]

Good point Gatvol but no always do the same ourselves. Definitely (read probably!) isolated the problem to the powered side door, it restarted normal operation out if the blue yesterday. Husband going to try and trace micros witch but we've also decided to invest in a solar briefcase to help out too

 

[Freeley]

As an easy test if you suspect the sliding door turn off the electric function via the button on the dash and see if it stops the drain issue.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Pyabies]

Yeah though I'd try this on next camp outing, that's if door is fully functioning then as once it's not the manual override is also dis functional

 

[andys495]

Also have 2006 Cali and had same problem. See all of above for causes of battery drain. Take keys out of ignition, don't use vehicle radio, beware constant use of electric door will drain batt and switch front internal light off. Otherwise every time you open or leave any door open it will turn the light on and drain battery.
As mentioned, all other habitat items run off either of your two other leisure batteries and won't effect the vehicle battery.
What I've down now is purchase a car to car charger/jump lead (about £20 from Maplin for example). Plug one end into cigarette lighter and other into socket at side of sink and it will keep van battery topped up. If on hook up then this is endless but if not then beware may also slowly drain leisure batteries. On this point, there is no inverter on this model. The 12 volt socket on a 2006 model by the sink is a hella socket. A European version of our standard cigarette socket and thus powers things in a similar way. You can either convert these to a standard cigarette socket or for a few pounds buy a hella plug with a cigarette socket on the end. This socket can be used to run 12 volt items (mob phone chargers etc) when the van is only running off its leisure batteries with the engine off and will not effect the van battery.

 

[Pyabies]

Brilliant Andy, I knew posting here would find a 2006 VW kin! Sound advice received just ordered a 10w solar panel (bit more powerful than battery trickier that the AA recommend but not too much to overcharge with long term use etc) well that's the hope. The big test of our new found battery etiquette will be glastonbury festival
Many thanks
Helen x