Battery management issues VW New California T7

[kaifetzer]

Well we were beginning to think we were one of the Lucky Few.
NAH
Went out to the van this morning both batteries flats as pancakes.
Going by Vin no: our vehicle 'shouldn't' be affected

I think that if you drive the van regularly, you don’t really notice the issue because the batteries keep recharging.

But once you pay closer attention — or if you actually go camping without shore power — you will inevitably notice the problem.

I believe that many people are not even aware of this issue yet.

 

[Sacha1dog]

Our camper first had a software update, but then was the subject of another recall. They are apparently replacing 3 components, and it seems to focus on the “gateway” that manages the batteries.

Maybe ask your service partner about this gateway, there was another poster somewhere in this thread they seem to suggest his issue was solved by this too

 

[kaifetzer]

Our camper first had a software update, but then was the subject of another recall. They are apparently replacing 3 components, and it seems to focus on the “gateway” that manages the batteries.

Maybe ask your service partner about this gateway, there was another poster somewhere in this thread they seem to suggest his issue was solved by this too

Hi, thanks for your tip. I couldn’t find any detailed information about the gateway.

Could you please provide a bit more information, so I can explain the technical background to my service partner and know what exactly needs to be done?

 

[Sacha1dog]

That’s all I know I’m afraid. A google suggests as follows:

An automotive gateway is a central electronic module that acts as a router and security firewall for all data communication within a vehicle, connecting different electronic control unit (ECU) networks that use varying communication protocols like CAN, LIN, and Ethernet. It translates data between these diverse systems, filters and processes information in real-time, and securely manages communication between the vehicle's internal networks and external networks for features like over-the-air (OTA) updates and diagnostics

 

[HelenL]

We had the same issue, but since it discharged leisure and 12V batteries in its maiden trip it has not restarted even with a replacement 12v engine battery. We were lucky (?) only had the van for 12 days so rejected the vehicle and have our old T6 back and a full refund.

 

[kaifetzer]

That’s all I know I’m afraid. A google suggests as follows:

An automotive gateway is a central electronic module that acts as a router and security firewall for all data communication within a vehicle, connecting different electronic control unit (ECU) networks that use varying communication protocols like CAN, LIN, and Ethernet. It translates data between these diverse systems, filters and processes information in real-time, and securely manages communication between the vehicle's internal networks and external networks for features like over-the-air (OTA) updates and diagnostics

I spoke with the service department again, and they told me that my vehicle was apparently not affected by the Scaleways recall. It seems that only a few specific models were impacted.

 

[Jeanette E]

I had about a 20-minute conversation today with the VW service technician who is currently working on my vehicle.

He actually made a very competent impression and seemed well-informed, especially regarding the new battery management system of the T7.
I explained to him in detail everything I had already tested, tried, and checked myself. They are now trying to reproduce these exact steps in the workshop to better understand the issue.

The situation is actually quite simple:
Last weekend, I started my trip with 100% vehicle battery and 100% camper battery.

• After 24 hours of off-grid use at the campsite, both batteries were down to just 20%.
• During this time, the fridge was running on level 3, and of course, the doors were opened and closed occasionally — but nothing else was in use.

They are now trying to replicate this scenario in the workshop.
At the moment, there is no software update that I haven’t already installed. The workshop is at a loss and is being bounced around between different VW departments:

• Some recommend checking the software again.
• Others suggest re-measuring certain components.

That said, I do have the impression that the technicians know what they’re doing and are taking the problem seriously.
To come back to your original question: No, I do not have any written statement — this was what the service technician told me verbally during our discussion.
However, this statement is absolutely incomprehensible to me.
If it were really true that the vehicle is not suitable for off-grid use beyond 24 hours, then the vehicle would be a complete design failure.
It would be understandable if the camper battery eventually drained — one could possibly live with that.
But the fact that the starter battery also discharges to the point where you can barely start the vehicle and drive back from a camping trip is completely unacceptable and definitely not normal.

Additionally, there’s another serious issue:
Even when the vehicle is parked at home and not in use, both batteries still discharge — more slowly, yes, but after about five days, they are again in a critical range.

This is absolutely unacceptable for a vehicle of this class and price point.

Hi there,
I’m in the same situation as you. T7 hybrid Ocean totally dead after 4.5 days without use, it had to be towed back to the garage on Saturday and I think it could be a while before I see it again judging by Sacha’s experience.

Your comment about it not being suitable for off grid use longer than 24 hours is worrying. One of the questions I asked the dealer before buying the vehicle was how long it could be off grid for, he said about 3 days, this was fine, 24 hours is not. None of this was in writing needless to say.

The starter battery rapidly draining it also a serious worry and will be a worry on future trips. I think when (or if) I get my Cali back I’m going to replicate camping at home, pop it into camping mode (off grid), turn the fridge on, open the doors a few times etc etc, and see how it copes. If it passes this test then it can go on holiday to somewhere with mobile reception just in case!

Anyway this gives me a new line of questioning with VW, the impression I’m getting so far is that they are looking to blame my wired in dash cam.

Do you sometimes want to wind back the clock and buy a different vehicle!

 

[kaifetzer]

Hi there,
I’m in the same situation as you. T7 hybrid Ocean totally dead after 4.5 days without use, it had to be towed back to the garage on Saturday and I think it could be a while before I see it again judging by Sacha’s experience.

Your comment about it not being suitable for off grid use longer than 24 hours is worrying. One of the questions I asked the dealer before buying the vehicle was how long it could be off grid for, he said about 3 days, this was fine, 24 hours is not. None of this was in writing needless to say.

The starter battery rapidly draining it also a serious worry and will be a worry on future trips. I think when (or if) I get my Cali back I’m going to replicate camping at home, pop it into camping mode (off grid), turn the fridge on, open the doors a few times etc etc, and see how it copes. If it passes this test then it can go on holiday to somewhere with mobile reception just in case!

Anyway this gives me a new line of questioning with VW, the impression I’m getting so far is that they are looking to blame my wired in dash cam.

Do you sometimes want to wind back the clock and buy a different vehicle!

Oh man, that sounds just as bad as my situation. In principle, I’m really happy with the Cali – if only they would finally fix this battery issue. In terms of layout, I think it’s an absolutely perfect vehicle for two people. It also drives beautifully, which is why I’m not giving up so easily.





The California T6.1 had similar battery issues at the beginning, but they eventually solved it with a software update. That’s what I’m hoping for here as well. At the moment, though, I get the impression that VW has absolutely no idea what’s going on and can’t get the problem under control because they simply don’t know what’s causing it.





The worst part is, you’re completely helpless. I get the feeling that my local service technician is really trying and knows what he’s doing, but he also says he’s being routed internally from one VW department to another. And the really frustrating thing: as long as there are no error codes in the system – which only occur when the battery is actually deeply discharged – VW just says everything is fine and doesn’t investigate any further.





I’ll definitely keep updating the thread about how things develop on my end and whether a solution might be found soon.

 

[Sacha1dog]

Oh man, that sounds just as bad as my situation. In principle, I’m really happy with the Cali – if only they would finally fix this battery issue. In terms of layout, I think it’s an absolutely perfect vehicle for two people. It also drives beautifully, which is why I’m not giving up so easily.





The California T6.1 had similar battery issues at the beginning, but they eventually solved it with a software update. That’s what I’m hoping for here as well. At the moment, though, I get the impression that VW has absolutely no idea what’s going on and can’t get the problem under control because they simply don’t know what’s causing it.





The worst part is, you’re completely helpless. I get the feeling that my local service technician is really trying and knows what he’s doing, but he also says he’s being routed internally from one VW department to another. And the really frustrating thing: as long as there are no error codes in the system – which only occur when the battery is actually deeply discharged – VW just says everything is fine and doesn’t investigate any further.





I’ll definitely keep updating the thread about how things develop on my end and whether a solution might be found soon.

We’ve decided to reject ours as not for for purpose. Also, it’s been with the dealer for a month so far. Shame, we really liked it, but until they can assure usthat the problem is fixed, I want my money back.

 

[stationmaster]

We’ve decided to reject ours as not for for purpose. Also, it’s been with the dealer for a month so far. Shame, we really liked it, but until they can assure usthat the problem is fixed, I want my money back.

Perfectly reasonable. We opted to cancel our order - from how things are developing it looks to have been the right call.

 

[Jeanette E]

Hi all,
I’ve looked into the rules / legislation around rejecting the vehicle so that I have the facts up my sleeve should I need it, hopefully it won’t come it as I do like the way it drives, looks et cetera but I do get the impression things are going to drag on.

When I spoke to VW today they said that they were waiting for ‘the factory’ to come back from annual leave and that this would be at the beginning of September meaning nothing will happen this week, not entirely sure who ‘the factory’ is. The lady I spoke to also alluded to the fact that it may take a while.

So irritating

 

[kaifetzer]

Hi all,
I’ve looked into the rules / legislation around rejecting the vehicle so that I have the facts up my sleeve should I need it, hopefully it won’t come it as I do like the way it drives, looks et cetera but I do get the impression things are going to drag on.

When I spoke to VW today they said that they were waiting for ‘the factory’ to come back from annual leave and that this would be at the beginning of September meaning nothing will happen this week, not entirely sure who ‘the factory’ is. The lady I spoke to also alluded to the fact that it may take a while.

So irritating

That’s just an excuse — there’s no way all the software developers at VW are on holiday at the same time.

 

[Sacha1dog]

I agree with Kaifezter, that’s just an excuse.

We decided to reject because there are just too many issues currently, and I would rather get my money back and wait for the issues to be fixed - then we will buy a new van. This long period of “nithing” just highlights that there are problems that currently have no fix.

Out of the 48 days that we have owned this vehicle, we only had use of it for 13 days. That’s just crazy.

 

[sticky1]

Like everyone else I don’t understand the link between the leisure battery and the starter battery. I can understand that the alternator serves both but would assume there’s a relay that protects power leaching back to the leisure batteries.

I have used off grid 12v fridges for years and they are getting so much more efficient, I don’t have the stats for the VW one but I suspect it consumes 50/60 watts per hour, so you can see how your 80amp (circa 900watts capacity) lithium would drain if you leave the fridge on.
This is why I installed solar panels immediately, as it isn’t practical to leave the fridge on without regularly running the engine.

I know this doesn’t explain away the 12v starter issue but my guess is the way they have implemented the charging from the alternator is going to be the issue.
I really want to put a data logger on the starter battery (some of you will know we couldn’t even find the starter battery when installing the solar, we now know it’s under the passenger seat but requires the seat taking out)
When I started reading about 12v monitoring systems for diagnosing intermittent power loss it became clear that it’s a highly specialised area with only a few companies making the tools that can provide longer term analysis - over a 24hours or more. It wouldn’t surprise me if VW garages don’t have the expertise or tools in many workshops, which may mean they just have to recreate the issue and report back to the factory.

I regularly check my starter battery voltage via the California app and haven’t seen it drop below 12.1v, which I think the app reports as 60% capacity.

 

[kaifetzer]

Like everyone else I don’t understand the link between the leisure battery and the starter battery. I can understand that the alternator serves both but would assume there’s a relay that protects power leaching back to the leisure batteries.

I have used off grid 12v fridges for years and they are getting so much more efficient, I don’t have the stats for the VW one but I suspect it consumes 50/60 watts per hour, so you can see how your 80amp (circa 900watts capacity) lithium would drain if you leave the fridge on.
This is why I installed solar panels immediately, as it isn’t practical to leave the fridge on without regularly running the engine.

I know this doesn’t explain away the 12v starter issue but my guess is the way they have implemented the charging from the alternator is going to be the issue.
I really want to put a data logger on the starter battery (some of you will know we couldn’t even find the starter battery when installing the solar, we now know it’s under the passenger seat but requires the seat taking out)
When I started reading about 12v monitoring systems for diagnosing intermittent power loss it became clear that it’s a highly specialised area with only a few companies making the tools that can provide longer term analysis - over a 24hours or more. It wouldn’t surprise me if VW garages don’t have the expertise or tools in many workshops, which may mean they just have to recreate the issue and report back to the factory.

I regularly check my starter battery voltage via the California app and haven’t seen it drop below 12.1v, which I think the app reports as 60% capacity.

Hi, thanks for your update. I’m not really that deep into the technical details, but what the technician explained to me is that the concept in the new T7 is fundamentally different from what it used to be. There is a separation relay, but it serves a different purpose now. The basic idea behind it is that – if the starter battery discharges for any reason – the leisure battery can step in and charge the starter battery.
That said, in my opinion, it really shouldn’t happen that if the camper’s leisure battery gets drained, the starter battery is automatically depleted as well. That could be a problem.
Alternatively, we might be thinking in the wrong direction entirely, and the issue might not be related to the connection between the two batteries at all. It could be that certain consumers aren’t shutting down properly and are draining the starter battery instead – for example Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or some control units.

 

[sticky1]

Hi, thanks for your update. I’m not really that deep into the technical details, but what the technician explained to me is that the concept in the new T7 is fundamentally different from what it used to be. There is a separation relay, but it serves a different purpose now. The basic idea behind it is that – if the starter battery discharges for any reason – the leisure battery can step in and charge the starter battery.
That said, in my opinion, it really shouldn’t happen that if the camper’s leisure battery gets drained, the starter battery is automatically depleted as well. That could be a problem.
Alternatively, we might be thinking in the wrong direction entirely, and the issue might not be related to the connection between the two batteries at all. It could be that certain consumers aren’t shutting down properly and are draining the starter battery instead – for example Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or some control units.

Thank you, I leave the keyless entry turned on and Bluetooth but do put the keys in a ‘Faraday’ pouch when I’m camping in it.
I also noted when I first got it and used the Bluetooth to connect to the infotainment system it stayed on all night.
I don’t know the range of the keyless entry and wonder if people have it parked near where the keys are stored and if this is an issue. I know WelshGas recommends turning keyless entry off.

 

[Sacha1dog]

But you shouldn’t have to do any of this on a vehicle of this calibre.

 

[Jeanette E]

Thank you, I leave the keyless entry turned on and Bluetooth but do put the keys in a ‘Faraday’ pouch when I’m camping in it.
I also noted when I first got it and used the Bluetooth to connect to the infotainment system it stayed on all night.
I don’t know the range of the keyless entry and wonder if people have it parked near where the keys are stored and if this is an issue. I know WelshGas recommends turning keyless entry off.

Hi there,
I do the same (or at least did before van hospital) leave keyless entry / Bluetooth on and put my key in a Faraday pouch. Camping hasn’t been the problem for me but I’ve had hook up and my longest stay has been 3 nights. It appears to be the 4-5 days of non use between breaks that has caused the issues. I’ve also been careful to ensure I’ve exited camping mode, fridge is turned off and so forth.

I’m not sure it’s connected but I had a problem the day I was due to collect my vehicle. I was contacted by VW to say that I couldn’t collect my Cali as one of the warning lights wouldn’t go out, this was on Thursday 19th June. They explained that when the vehicle is delivered there is a check list of things for the garage to do but one of the lights on the dash wouldn’t go out, I think it was to do with the engine but I don’t remember the details. Anyway I drove home with the test drive Cali and waited for mine to be fixed. It was fixed the next day by taking it for a decent length drive, so is this related to my current issues, I just don’t know but it was a bad omen.

I know it’s bull about the factory being on holiday, no modern firm would just shut down for their summer holidays, we’re not in the dark ages. They’re buying for time as you all say.




.

 

[Jeanette E]

Just a quick additional comment. I was getting the “Fresh water tank empty” message flash up on screen a lot. To get rid of the message I put about 5 litres of water in the fresh water tank but by this time the battery was too far gone to make any sense of this. If this message kept popping up over a few days then it may be one of the causes of the drain (it and its gremlin friends).

 

[kaifetzer]

Just a quick additional comment. I was getting the “Fresh water tank empty” message flash up on screen a lot. To get rid of the message I put about 5 litres of water in the fresh water tank but by this time the battery was too far gone to make any sense of this. If this message kept popping up over a few days then it may be one of the causes of the drain (it and its gremlin friends).

View attachment 139980

Good point, any idea can help

 

[WelshGas]

Hi there,
I do the same (or at least did before van hospital) leave keyless entry / Bluetooth on and put my key in a Faraday pouch. Camping hasn’t been the problem for me but I’ve had hook up and my longest stay has been 3 nights. It appears to be the 4-5 days of non use between breaks that has caused the issues. I’ve also been careful to ensure I’ve exited camping mode, fridge is turned off and so forth.

I’m not sure it’s connected but I had a problem the day I was due to collect my vehicle. I was contacted by VW to say that I couldn’t collect my Cali as one of the warning lights wouldn’t go out, this was on Thursday 19th June. They explained that when the vehicle is delivered there is a check list of things for the garage to do but one of the lights on the dash wouldn’t go out, I think it was to do with the engine but I don’t remember the details. Anyway I drove home with the test drive Cali and waited for mine to be fixed. It was fixed the next day by taking it for a decent length drive, so is this related to my current issues, I just don’t know but it was a bad omen.

I know it’s bull about the factory being on holiday, no modern firm would just shut down for their summer holidays, we’re not in the dark ages. They’re buying for time as you all say.




.

They do in Germany.

 

[Jeanette E]

VW has just been in touch to let me know that my Cali needs a new fuse unit and harness, the battery has been fried apparently. The parts are on back order from Germany, ETA 2 weeks. Not sure fixing this will be the end of the story but fingers crossed. Maybe the battery was fried by the breakdown services trying to get it started, anyway I’ll keep you posted and thanks for the support.

 

[Dodge1311]

What confuses me is not all vehicles are affected. Surely they just need to copy what they did with the vehicles with no battery issues?

 

[Coachella]

Reading this with interest.
Surely that in VWs tests - someone would have done the following by now - isolate the Leisure battery. Either disconnect battery - or remove the relay allowing the pass through to the starter battery.
Testing then to see if the leisure battery was impacting the drain on the starter battery.
If the leisure wasn't on / linked and the drain is still happening on the starter - then its something in the car/van draining it.
When you stop and camp - putting it into camper mode, isn't this then like disconnecting it from the starter circuit ?
It should be as easy that habitation and van battery operates its own function and in its own circuit (with the DC to DC smart charger giving battery power to the leisure for top up - one way).
I would be inclined to put a smart shunt on each to see what the actual draw is.

 

[DevonGuy]

They do in Germany.

I work with the Volkswagen group and they have a summer shut down every year. They close the entire production in one go with all personnel on holiday simultaneously or it doesn’t make sense.
Used to be the same when I was a lad growing up in Coventry and the factories went on their fortnight break.