Which batteries are being used by my Aux Heater please.

[Tom Anderson]

I have a VW California Ocean 2013 model. I have fitted two solar panels to the roof which work very nicely. My question is, if I park up in the winter to do some work for a few hours with the engine off and the aux heater on, will this drain the vehicle battery, ie the one in the engine compartment needed to start the vehicle?. I cannot seem to find a definitive answer as to which batteries are being used for the aux heater. Many thanks in advance for any help.

 

[ArunAlec]

Pretty sure its the leisure batteries, but to confirm, if you look at the control panel ( set to battery) you should see a fair bit of current being drawn when the heater is fired up.

 

[Bellcrew]

I have a VW California Ocean 2013 model. I have fitted two solar panels to the roof which work very nicely. My question is, if I park up in the winter to do some work for a few hours with the engine off and the aux heater on, will this drain the vehicle battery, ie the one in the engine compartment needed to start the vehicle?. I cannot seem to find a definitive answer as to which batteries are being used for the aux heater. Many thanks in advance for any help.

The parking/aux. heater uses the leisure batteries, good for a few days off grid if fully charged, presumably your 2013 Cali is the SE not an Ocean.

 

[MattBW]

If the heat comes from a vent in the B pillar (rear of the van) then it is your parking heater and the leisure batteries If the heat comes from the dash (e.g. with a remote or when 5c or lower in outside temp) then it is the engine battery.

 

[Tom Anderson]

Thanks for your help all - resolved!

 

[clarinetbcn]

If the heat comes from a vent in the B pillar (rear of the van) then it is your parking heater and the leisure batteries If the heat comes from the dash (e.g. with a remote or when 5c or lower in outside temp) then it is the engine battery.

Have you tested it with a voltage meter? I have. If the remote is for the optional upgrade to the coolant heater (heat coming from dash vents), it is rewired to run off the leisure battery. I have this option. I am amazed that the more technical minded on this forum are not curious enough to look into this, since it has been mentioned many times on threads related to heating.

 

[WelshGas]

Have you tested it with a voltage meter? I have. If the remote is for the optional upgrade to the coolant heater (heat coming from dash vents), it is rewired to run off the leisure battery. I have this option. I am amazed that the more technical minded on this forum are not curious enough to look into this, since it has been mentioned many times on threads related to heating.

When I purchased my new SE in 2014 there was No U.K. option for remote control for the Engine Coolant Heater. It was purely automatic in function.
I believe the Option for remote control of the Engine Coolant Heater was a European Mainland and not a U.K. option and maybe only the Northern European countries.

 

[clarinetbcn]

When I purchased my new SE in 2014 there was No U.K. option for remote control for the Engine Coolant Heater. It was purely automatic in function.
I believe the Option for remote control of the Engine Coolant Heater was a European Mainland and not a U.K. option and maybe only the Northern European countries.

Well, mine is German. However, not too long ago there was a thread on the forum about what the remote was for. Based on photos from the VW owners manual, there were several posters who had the coolant heater remote upgrade. I don’t know if they were all from outside the UK.

 

[clarinetbcn]

When I purchased my new SE in 2014 there was No U.K. option for remote control for the Engine Coolant Heater. It was purely automatic in function.
I believe the Option for remote control of the Engine Coolant Heater was a European Mainland and not a U.K. option and maybe only the Northern European countries.

What is this remote for?

I'm confused. I've read all the threads that might be appropriate and I'm even more confused! They speak of 'auxilary heaters' and 'parking heaters' and I don't know which is which. The sticker on my door pillar says I have an Eberspacher (sp?) and a Webasto heater. Now I know the...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[marchugo]

Hi Tom, your profile states: T5 on order.

On topic: the heater uses a large ampere current only at every start up, as you can see in the control unit, but this flattens down quickly. Using the heater on number 3 (depending on outside temp) tends to burning at a nice slow speed steadily. If put at number 1 or 2, the heater stops earlier and starts soon again, thus using much current every time it has to (re)start. And: it smells at every (re)start up.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[WelshGas]

What is this remote for?

I'm confused. I've read all the threads that might be appropriate and I'm even more confused! They speak of 'auxilary heaters' and 'parking heaters' and I don't know which is which. The sticker on my door pillar says I have an Eberspacher (sp?) and a Webasto heater. Now I know the...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

In 2015 it was a £1076 Option on the Beach Only. Not available on the Ocean at all.
The Parking Air Heater was a £1740 Option on the Beach.

 

[2into1]

I am amazed that the more technical minded on this forum are not curious enough to look into this,

That's because it's irrelevant. If the answer is clear, it's not necessary to discuss the 'wrong' possibilities.

As WelshGas says, the remote use of the coolant heater is a Beach only workaround to try and compensate for the lack of a proper parking heater.
The OP has an Ocean (well actually an SE), and all uk models of which have the proper parking heater.

 

[clarinetbcn]

That's because it's irrelevant. If the answer is clear, it's not necessary to discuss the 'wrong' possibilities.

As WelshGas says, the remote use of the coolant heater is a Beach only workaround to try and compensate for the lack of a proper parking heater.
The OP has an Ocean (well actually an SE), and all uk models of which have the proper parking heater.

I realize that the UK options have always been more limited than the rest of Europe. We have for years had the option of only programable coolant heater to preheat the engine and cabin, or parking heater to heat through the night, or both. These are two different machines with different purposes. My point was to clear up that the programable coolant heater runs off the leisure battery, not the engine battery. As far as being irrelevant, do you also feel that issues related to LHD are irrelevant to this forum? There are so many Calis circulating in so many countries on this forum, that the idea is that we learn from each other. On another thread I pointed out some differences in driver license exam criteria between UK and Spain, and one unfortunate poster told me to “Stay in Spain.” Having held driver’s licenses in 4 countries over 48 years, he was a little late, but more importantly, he revealed that he was not interested in any information outside his local sphere. My experience is that this Forum also receives much extremely interesting information from owners outside the UK, and some of that information will only be relevant to those outside the UK. Do you really think that the forum should only be limited to UK specific topics?

 

[2into1]

I think you are fighting an argument with yourself. A UK poster with an SE asks about a UK van and gets a UK / SE answer. You seem upset that we didn't broaden out the debate to include all different EU possibilities and extend the discussion to the Beach model.

I've own a LHD van in the UK, so am grateful there are owners of similar vans here. But just answering a question in a pertinent way to whoever posed it and their circumstances is not a snub to other members.

 

[clarinetbcn]

I think you are fighting an argument with yourself. A UK poster with an SE asks about a UK van and gets a UK / SE answer. You seem upset that we didn't broaden out the debate to include all different EU possibilities and extend the discussion to the Beach model.

I've own a LHD van in the UK, so am grateful there are owners of similar vans here. But just answering a question in a pertinent way to whoever posed it and their circumstances is not a snub to other members.

No, I was correcting the information in post #4 above which was wrong.

"If the heat comes from a vent in the B pillar (rear of the van) then it is your parking heater and the leisure batteries If the heat comes from the dash (e.g. with a remote or when 5c or lower in outside temp) then it is the engine battery."

Incorrect information on this forum, which is read by members all over the world, has consequences for members with the referred to equipment, whether or not they are in the UK and whether or not they are the OP. What is frustrating is that this incorrect information is given repeatedly on different threads related to heating. In the past I have tried to encourage more factual discussion about just what the coolant heater is and does, but as some of the above comments show, without much success.

 

[WelshGas]

No, I was correcting the information in post #4 above which was wrong.

"If the heat comes from a vent in the B pillar (rear of the van) then it is your parking heater and the leisure batteries If the heat comes from the dash (e.g. with a remote or when 5c or lower in outside temp) then it is the engine battery."

Incorrect information on this forum, which is read by members all over the world, has consequences for members with the referred to equipment, whether or not they are in the UK and whether or not they are the OP. What is frustrating is that this incorrect information is given repeatedly on different threads related to heating. In the past I have tried to encourage more factual discussion about just what the coolant heater is and does, but as some of the above comments show, without much success.

The Webasto Coolant Heater can be modified to operate manually rather than automatically with a Remote Control or Timer from a 3 rd party company in Poland. However, in that case it is powered by the Engine Battery and you are advised to use it sparingly to avoid draining the engine battery before starting the engine.
So, if fitted to a SE or Ocean that Post 4 is factually correct.
So it might be incorrect for a Factory fitted option on the Beach, but not so for a 3rd Party fitted controller for the SE, Ocean or Beach.

Webasto Parking Heater Remote Upgrade - Climate - Advanced In-Car Technologies

T91 Telestart Remote Upgrade for Webasto Multivan Heaters with Climate Control

www.advanced-incar.co.uk

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

The parking/aux. heater uses the leisure batteries, good for a few days off grid if fully charged, presumably your 2013 Cali is the SE not an Ocean.

Bit of a thread resurrection but had a minor issue this morning. Ran the Aux Heater for most of the (very cold) morning and when I went to start the van I had a warning that my Starter Battery was low and I should drive to charge it?! I’ve previously run the heater all night on Heat Continuously when camping with no issues but now have a niggling doubt that the heater fans are drawing power from the starter battery. Nothing else was switched on in the van.

 

[andyinluton]

Bit of a thread resurrection but had a minor issue this morning. Ran the Aux Heater for most of the (very cold) morning and when I went to start the van I had a warning that my Starter Battery was low and I should drive to charge it?! I’ve previously run the heater all night on Heat Continuously when camping with no issues but now have a niggling doubt that the heater fans are drawing power from the starter battery. Nothing else was switched on in the van.

Were you using heat continuously this morning?
I'm still not 100% convinced that the heat instantly function doesn't use the starter battery, hence the 2 hour lock out.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Were you using heat continuously this morning?
I'm still not 100% convinced that the heat instantly function doesn't use the starter battery, hence the 2 hour lock out.

Hi @andyinluton
Yes, it was on Heat Continuously. As I said, i’ve run it all night in the past with no issues however, this morning was extremely cold and it was on almost permanently. On previous occassions it’s switched on and off periodically.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Hi @andyinluton
Yes, it was on Heat Continuously. As I said, i’ve run it all night in the past with no issues however, this morning was extremely cold and it was on almost permanently. On previous occassions it’s switched on and off periodically.

Hi again Andy.
Going to run the heater again to test this and see if i get the starter battery low message again but I’m now thinking I may have jumped the wrong conclusion and the reason was just that the battery was very very cold and dropped voltage. What do you reckon?

 

[WelshGas]

Hi again Andy.
Going to run the heater again to test this and see if i get the starter battery low message again but I’m now thinking I may have jumped the wrong conclusion and the reason was just that the battery was very very cold and dropped voltage. What do you reckon?

Possible, but unlikely if the engine battery was properly charged prior to engine switch off, unless you have the electric sliding door which was used a lot, or repeated use of the dashboard radio while camping. One other possibility is vehicle lights being left on such as parking side lights, or if the indicator is left in the Turn position when Ignition is off then the side lights can be on , on that side.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Possible, but unlikely if the engine battery was properly charged prior to engine switch off, unless you have the electric sliding door which was used a lot, or repeated use of the dashboard radio while camping. One other possibility is vehicle lights being left on such as parking side lights, or if the indicator is left in the Turn position when Ignition is off then the side lights can be on , on that side.

Thanks @WelshGas
Possibly the electric sliding door then? I haven’t done any long trips in the last week or so and I probably have opened/closed the door a fair bit for various reasons, so maybe the battery wasn’t fully charged prior to the cold night. All seems good at the moment and my Epever charge controller is showing a healthy starter battery.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks @WelshGas
Possibly the electric sliding door then? I haven’t done any long trips in the last week or so and I probably have opened/closed the door a fair bit for various reasons, so maybe the battery wasn’t fully charged prior to the cold night. All seems good at the moment and my Epever charge controller is showing a healthy starter battery.

Apparantly doesn’t take many operations to flatten the engine battery if not on EHU . Why they offer that as an option on a camper without being able to switch off the automatic function AND making it as easy to use as the manual door, or have the ability to switch to Leisure Battery I just don’t know. Just the same as powering the radio from the engine battery in a camper.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Apparantly doesn’t take many operations to flatten the engine battery if not on EHU . Why they offer that as an option on a camper without being able to switch off the automatic function AND making it as easy to use as the manual door, or have the ability to switch to Leisure Battery I just don’t know. Just the same as powering the radio from the engine battery in a camper.

Actually I can switch off the electric door via a dashboard switch and open it manually. Might just have to bear that in mind in future.

 

[andyinluton]

If you even remotely suspect its the sliding door it should be easy to replicate if you've got nothing better to do one afternoon , just keep opening & shutting it to see if you can flatten the battery.

Actually there's a bit more to it than that, I assume everytime you operate it the interior lights are coming on, & its waking up the canbus system etc .