T5 Heater Problems

PTatts · Aug 22, 2017

Hi All,

I'm afraid I'm a total newbie and not very tech minded so forgive my question if it's obvious or omitting a vital piece of information!

I've got a 2005 T5 California which I believe was factory fitted (i.e. no conversion). The diesel night heater works fine when the engine is on, but if I try to turn the heater on without the engine on then it will blow cold air for about 30 seconds, then switch itself off. If I turn the heater on with the engine running then it will continue to blow hot air for a short period of time but turn itself off quite quickly. I think this problem first surfaced when I managed to run the leisure battery flat and I have since replaced this battery. This leads me to think it may be a computer/fuse issue, but I've honestly no clue.

So... Any advice on how to solve the problem myself/what to look for?
Or... Does anyone know of a garage in the South Yorkshire/Manchester area who are able to deal with leisure heaters. I went to my local van conversion place, and he didn't really know.

Thank you in advice, my trip to the alps last February was decidedly chilly!!

MattBW · Aug 22, 2017

What is the voltage on your leisure battery? It sounds like the low voltage cut off is kicking in to avoid damaging the battery but the fact its shutting off with engine too is odd. It may need a diagnostic tool connecting for any error messages.

A few things to check:

Is the battery charging when driving?
Do you charge on hookup once a month to keep the battery in top condition? Is it charging when on hookup?

WelshGas · Aug 22, 2017

PTatts said:
Hi All,

I'm afraid I'm a total newbie and not very tech minded so forgive my question if it's obvious or omitting a vital piece of information!

I've got a 2005 T5 California which I believe was factory fitted (i.e. no conversion). The diesel night heater works fine when the engine is on, but if I try to turn the heater on without the engine on then it will blow cold air for about 30 seconds, then switch itself off. If I turn the heater on with the engine running then it will continue to blow hot air for a short period of time but turn itself off quite quickly. I think this problem first surfaced when I managed to run the leisure battery flat and I have since replaced this battery. This leads me to think it may be a computer/fuse issue, but I've honestly no clue.

So... Any advice on how to solve the problem myself/what to look for?
Or... Does anyone know of a garage in the South Yorkshire/Manchester area who are able to deal with leisure heaters. I went to my local van conversion place, and he didn't really know.

Thank you in advice, my trip to the alps last February was decidedly chilly!!

Firstly - Check the Control Panel for any Diagnostic Codes.

Check Control Panel Diagnostics.

Control panel On

Press and Hold R lower button and then press Control Knob for 5 secs.

New Hidden Menu . Scroll to VW Diagnostics.

If there are any codes shown, take note and then Reset/Clear.

Return to Main Menu.

Switch Off Control Panel using L lower button. Wait 30 secs and Switch On.

Check Heater Function.

WelshGas · Aug 22, 2017

Or, it could be the Earth Shunt Problem

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/search/8594037/?q=Earth&o=relevance

PTatts · Aug 31, 2017

Matt BW - it's a 12V battery, does charge whilst driving, but doesn't seem to hold it's charge as well as the old one (purely based on the picture of the battery on the computer screen).

I rarely charge it attached to a hookup, as generally don't use campsites, does charging via hookup make a difference?

WelshGas - no codes shown, and no difference to heater action when I went through that. After reading up on the Earth Shunt problem that all seems very likely, the part about lights flickering and dimming when the heater is turned on is exactly what happens with mine.

Does anyone know of anyone in the south yorkshire/derbyshire/manchester area who has the expertise/experience sorting these things out?

Cheers,
Paul

2into1 · Aug 31, 2017

PTatts said:
Does anyone know of anyone in the south yorkshire/derbyshire/manchester area who has the expertise/experience sorting these things out?

Try volksvans.co.uk. He's a Cali owning auto electrician, lives near Matlock.

WelshGas · Aug 31, 2017

PTatts said:
Matt BW - it's a 12V battery, does charge whilst driving, but doesn't seem to hold it's charge as well as the old one (purely based on the picture of the battery on the computer screen).

I rarely charge it attached to a hookup, as generally don't use campsites, does charging via hookup make a difference?

WelshGas - no codes shown, and no difference to heater action when I went through that. After reading up on the Earth Shunt problem that all seems very likely, the part about lights flickering and dimming when the heater is turned on is exactly what happens with mine.

Does anyone know of anyone in the south yorkshire/derbyshire/manchester area who has the expertise/experience sorting these things out?

Cheers,
Paul

Charging via the Alternator will never fully charge the Leisure Batteries. They need to either have a Solar Panel charging them or Mains Charger for a minimum 12 hours monthly to fully charge them and maintain their condition.

PTatts · Aug 31, 2017

Good to know, thanks very much.

Cheer 2into1, will get in touch.

jts46 · Aug 31, 2017

Did the earth shunt repair myself several years ago, i also did a write up it is in the downloads section, although it is now credited to Martin (admin)
If you are a diy person it is not that difficult

PTatts · Aug 31, 2017

Very much not a diy person...

Nigel11 · Mar 27, 2021

PTatts said:
Hi All,

I'm afraid I'm a total newbie and not very tech minded so forgive my question if it's obvious or omitting a vital piece of information!

I've got a 2005 T5 California which I believe was factory fitted (i.e. no conversion). The diesel night heater works fine when the engine is on, but if I try to turn the heater on without the engine on then it will blow cold air for about 30 seconds, then switch itself off. If I turn the heater on with the engine running then it will continue to blow hot air for a short period of time but turn itself off quite quickly. I think this problem first surfaced when I managed to run the leisure battery flat and I have since replaced this battery. This leads me to think it may be a computer/fuse issue, but I've honestly no clue.

So... Any advice on how to solve the problem myself/what to look for?
Or... Does anyone know of a garage in the South Yorkshire/Manchester area who are able to deal with leisure heaters. I went to my local van conversion place, and he didn't really know.

Thank you in advice, my trip to the alps last February was decidedly chilly!!

Hi,

Have just come across your post. i know a few years have passed but wanted to ask you if you ever got round to resolving your heater issue.

I have a 2015 T5.1 and appear to be having the same or similar issue with my heater.

VW dealership hooked it up to their system but no faults shown.

Thanks in advance!

Nigel