Better option to resolve battery discharging

[Why Not]

I picked up my new Cali on 6th October. I haven't yet had an opportunity to camp in it, however I have noticed what I consider excessive battery discharging, both leisure and starter. Selling dealer is 170 + miles away. Their response to my email is below (actual salesman is on hols, response is from his colleague).

It would certainly be easier to take it somewhere locally, however I'm concerned this could be buck passing and once I have done so any ongoing issue could result in finger pointing between dealerships. Has anyone any experience which would confirm / negate my concern? I simply want it fixed.

Unfortunately I am not an expert on the Californias, however I have spoken to my colleague who is more knowledgeable on these and his thoughts are it would be best to get booked in to your local dealer for investigation.

 

[Chriskend]

I think he means your local vw Cali dealer

 

[Why Not]

Thanks Chriskend. That's exactly what it means. I guess what I am asking is if it is a quick and easy fix? I don't want a situation where the closer (not close) dealer has a go, doesn't fix it and they start pointing fingers at each other.

 

[cangyroo]

When you say 'new' do you mean brand new, or new to you (used)?
Any VW dealer should be able to investigate battery issues..... so it' would be okay to take it to your nearest VW centre ...any remedy could then be referred on to a California specialist dealership. The thing that needs establishing is clarification regarding campaign 27T7 and any other potential battery management updates. i.e. to establish that your van has had the software update related to 27T7. I would have thought that a 'new' T7 Ocean would have had this update.... but an older one may not.

 

[Chriskend]

I wouldn’t be worried about finger pointing as long as one of them fixes the issue

 

[dspuk]

The responsibulity to fix a warranty issue, which this is, is with VW through their authorised dealer network. As long as you use an authorised dealer for warranty, they will need to resolve it with VW.

As is mentioned, you are best with an Authorised Cali dealer. Any Authroised Van centre could look at it, but are unlikely to have had any specialised technician training. They will have access to the same info though.

If you use search I believe a number of people have discussed this and it is a software fix.

 

[Bongoloidfloyd]

I thought the same when I first took delivery.

However, once I turned off all the easy access stuff and actually used the van I found that it just works OK.

My usage is such that I plug in on campsites, on the drive there the leisure battery charges to 100% easily.

I was concerned that the vehicle battery rarely showed 100% but it never failed to start and I figured that on ‘normal’ cars I wouldn’t necessarily know the state of the battery so would not worry as long as it started when needed.

If you leave the fridge and easy access on for 2 days the leisure battery should run itself down and I would expect that to be normal. I would also expect the vehicle battery to start the engine.

 

[Why Not]

Thanks folks. I appreciate any VW dealership should fix it under warranty, however my recollection from threads here is that some have been trying to avoid doing so, brushing the issue off and/or having to be micromanaged through the resolution by the owner. If it's an easy fix now they know what they're doing I'm happy to drop in locally (40 miles). If it's a couple of days it's a bigger issue, unless they supply a courtesy car?

It's a new vehicle. It sat 3 days until yesterday, the leisure batteries had gone from 70% to 50%. Whilst driving it would certainly charge both batteries, this is not normal. I also realise the standard charge is to 80%, unless overridden.

I charged it yesterday; 100% starter, 90% leisure. I'll have a look in a couple of days and make my decision based on findings.

 

[Bongoloidfloyd]

Thanks folks. I appreciate any VW dealership should fix it under warranty, however my recollection from threads here is that some have been trying to avoid doing so, brushing the issue off and/or having to be micromanaged through the resolution by the owner. If it's an easy fix now they know what they're doing I'm happy to drop in locally (40 miles). If it's a couple of days it's a bigger issue, unless they supply a courtesy car?

It's a new vehicle. It sat 3 days until yesterday, the leisure batteries had gone from 70% to 50%. Whilst driving it would certainly charge both batteries, this is not normal. I also realise the standard charge is to 80%, unless overridden.

I charged it yesterday; 100% starter, 90% leisure. I'll have a look in a couple of days and make my decision based on findings.

How often do you drive it?

 

[Why Not]

So far not a lot, I've had it out once since picking it up.

 

[Bongoloidfloyd]

So far not a lot, I've had it out once since picking it up.

Have you turned keyless entry and the fridge off?

Have you been popping out to check on the battery quite often?

All of these actions run the battery down quickly, should start OK though.

 

[Why Not]

Fridge is off and I haven't been near it since starting this thread. I will check the batteries tomorrow.

Keyless entry is not off. If it can't go a few days without keyless entry draining the battery to this extent it's not fit for purpose . I don't doubt it will start tomorrow, however that isn't the point really. If there is parasitic drain it has to be addressed.

 

[Huddy]

Fridge is off and I haven't been near it since starting this thread. I will check the batteries tomorrow.

Keyless entry is not off. If it can't go a few days without keyless entry draining the battery to this extent it's not fit for purpose . I don't doubt it will start tomorrow, however that isn't the point really. If there is parasitic drain it has to be addressed.

Had a demo Cali I bought last March. Had all software updated but drain is noticeable if you are not driving every few days.
What I have found after several months is that always when leaving 2/3 days is to put in camper mode to protect vehicle battery being drained by leisure batteries. Otherwise leisure batteries take charge from vehicle battery as they run low.
If in & out of vehicle whilst stationery they will drain quicker.
I have never yet turned off keyless entry.
If left in camper mode you can get roughly 1 week before you need to plug in to ensure they don’t run too low.
I am planning to leave vehicle for 5 weeks when away & think only option is to leave plugged in & on timer or use remote plugs that you can switch on & off whilst away as long as you remember to go to your app (like Hive) & do it.
We have hybrid & find VW instructions to 80% very strange & have ignored this & always charge to 100%. I have had two EV’s over 11 years (one 5 & current one 6 years) & always charge 100% & never have had any battery degradation. Of course could be VW batteries not as good as BMW
On long trip if you stay in hybrid & & keep charging when EV battery empty you get very good fuel consumption — around 43mpg on calculating petrol used converting price of your electric charge to petrol. I am old style as that’s what counts & not all the info they want to give you nowadays.

 

[WelshGas]

Had a demo Cali I bought last March. Had all software updated but drain is noticeable if you are not driving every few days.
What I have found after several months is that always when leaving 2/3 days is to put in camper mode to protect vehicle battery being drained by leisure batteries. Otherwise leisure batteries take charge from vehicle battery as they run low.
If in & out of vehicle whilst stationery they will drain quicker.
I have never yet turned off keyless entry.
If left in camper mode you can get roughly 1 week before you need to plug in to ensure they don’t run too low.
I am planning to leave vehicle for 5 weeks when away & think only option is to leave plugged in & on timer or use remote plugs that you can switch on & off whilst away as long as you remember to go to your app (like Hive) & do it.
We have hybrid & find VW instructions to 80% very strange & have ignored this & always charge to 100%. I have had two EV’s over 11 years (one 5 & current one 6 years) & always charge 100% & never have had any battery degradation. Of course could be VW batteries not as good as BMW
On long trip if you stay in hybrid & & keep charging when EV battery empty you get very good fuel consumption — around 43mpg on calculating petrol used converting price of your electric charge to petrol. I am old style as that’s what counts & not all the info they want to give you nowadays.

All manufacturers have a statement about charging EV batteries to 80%, not just VW. The charging rate between 80-100% slows down so is more important in a full EV which charges quickly from 20 to 80% and much slower 80-100%.
With the Hybrid it is much less important.
When visiting Australia I leave my Multivan Hybrid at Heathrow for 4 weeks, no problem. But I use the selection function on the Hybrid drive to arrive at Heathrow with 50% EV battery in hand.

Maybe with the T7 with keyless entry they didn't think of the fact that the key is within range of the vehicle for hours or days when camping unlike a non-camping Multivan and that Camping Mode is their answer, it disables the keyless function?

 

[Why Not]

Well, results are in...

I left the van alone for 4 days (or to be more accurate 91 hours) and on checking this morning discovered both the starter and leisure batteries have lost 20%. Starter dropping from 100% and leisure from 90%.

Before I call the most local service dept (no surprise the salesman from the selling dealership hasn't called on his return from leave this morning) can someone please give me an indication of their experience of loss on a T7 diesel.

TIA

 

[Toneb]

Well, results are in...

I left the van alone for 4 days (or to be more accurate 91 hours) and on checking this morning discovered both the starter and leisure batteries have lost 20%. Starter dropping from 100% and leisure from 90%.

Before I call the most local service dept (no surprise the salesman from the selling dealership hasn't called on his return from leave this morning) can someone please give me an indication of their experience of loss on a T7 diesel.

TIA

I've had issues, that twice caused me to abandon a planned camping trip. Last year the complete discharge of the batteries followed by the "ehu still connected" thing. A van centre fitted a new battery control module and did a SW update. Then this year I found the van dead again, even though it had been hooked up throughout the weeks left on the drive. The AA finally started but 3 days later ... same thing! - I investigated myself and discovered the stater bat was at 0v (literaly dead) ... AA came again and after a struggle managed to start the van but said that "at least 2 cells of the starter were U/S". The van centre (different one) said it was fine, indeed they even videoed them doing the multimeter test across the terminals (answers pse as to how it can be completely dead one minute and then completely alive after a 20ml drive to the van centre?).
BUT they found one of the leisure batts U/S. So they exchanged that and (guess what?) another SW update.
Upshot is that I still do not trust the van not to expire when on my drive - so I still have it on permanent hook-up. On regular checking the batts deplete a little and then go back to fully charged.