T7 battery management update

[nickyboy83]

VW van centre Northampton were unable to fix the problem. Software update done but I got the impression they were unwilling to do a thorough test and didn’t quite understand my issue that the battery isn’t getting any power from the engine. They said it’s the first time they had seen the new California! We were away in the peaks for one night this weekend with the fridge on and the leisure battery was down at 20% when we got home after a 2.5 hour drive. Display in test control panel always shows Engine power at 0W/0A when engine is ticking over no matter what the battery percentage is.
I’ve booked in at my nearest Campervan specialist VW centre (Wooburn Green) in December, hoping for better luck.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

VW van centre Northampton were unable to fix the problem. Software update done but I got the impression they were unwilling to do a thorough test and didn’t quite understand my issue that the battery isn’t getting any power from the engine. They said it’s the first time they had seen the new California! We were away in the peaks for one night this weekend with the fridge on and the leisure battery was down at 20% when we got home after a 2.5 hour drive. Display in test control panel always shows Engine power at 0W/0A when engine is ticking over no matter what the battery percentage is.
I’ve booked in at my nearest Campervan specialist VW centre (Wooburn Green) in December, hoping for better luck.
View attachment 142053

It seems for some that there is no end to the T7 battery saga. If an actual VW garage can't help, who are you supposed to turn to? I'd be disgusted and insisting on a full refund.

I can see why the 2024 / 2025 T6.1 prices are still absurdly high, given the ongoing issues many months after being reported.

 

[nickyboy83]

It seems for some that there is no end to the T7 battery saga. If an actual VW garage can't help, who are you supposed to turn to? I'd be disgusted and insisting on a full refund.

I can see why the 2024 / 2025 T6.1 prices are still absurdly high, given the ongoing issues many months after being reported.

I know. VW Northampton basically said they didn’t know how to fix it I bought the van from Breeze 8 months ago who have been really helpful but it’s a long way to go every time I get a problem. Just so surprised how little knowledge there is across the rest of the network.

 

[Toneb]

VW van centre Northampton were unable to fix the problem. Software update done but I got the impression they were unwilling to do a thorough test and didn’t quite understand my issue that the battery isn’t getting any power from the engine. They said it’s the first time they had seen the new California! We were away in the peaks for one night this weekend with the fridge on and the leisure battery was down at 20% when we got home after a 2.5 hour drive. Display in test control panel always shows Engine power at 0W/0A when engine is ticking over no matter what the battery percentage is.
I’ve booked in at my nearest Campervan specialist VW centre (Wooburn Green) in December, hoping for better luck.
View attachment 142053

This sounds like the experience I had with my Ocean diesel at the VW van centre in Lincoln. It took a month after the first failure to upload SW 2650 before something happened ....... and it happened because I got in touch with VW customer care ( actually it needed 2 goes 2 weeks apart). The second time they said that if they do not fix it they would "escalate to management level".
By the way it need a new ECU before the SW would take (something that 2 other dealers have also told me).
So do that - VW Customer support Tel: 0800 333 666 ( a stupid AI voice I'm afraid)

I still have some battery drain while stood but notice that any entry into the van causes something to activate and draw current - whether normal or not I continue to monitor.

 

[jam_hod]

I'm also booked in to VW Van Centre Northampton as most days my vehicle battery drains 10% sat still. They already told me they have no training and haven't seen a T7 yet (however now they've seen @nickyboy83 's) so would need it for 5 days and courtesy car was £35 a day and my insurance is not valid on it as already checked as I'm named driver and my wife is policy holder on this one. Called VW CS and they said they can't help unless I'm at the van centre. This obviously went round in an argument with them saying that and they just repeated we can't help unless you're at a van cente! I have to drive 45mins to Northampton who are my nearest California Van centre and then call VW CS again so they can tell the dealer not to charge me £35 a day to keep my California Ocean which by the sounds of it they can't fix anyway!
Madness all round.
Out of interest what are the options for rejecting? If you reject which I believe you can do within 6 months if they cannot fix it, can you ask for a new vehicle or is it only your money back?

I want the van but I want it working which I don't think is too much to ask!?

 

[stoobthealien]

I'm also booked in to VW Van Centre Northampton as most days my vehicle battery drains 10% sat still. They already told me they have no training and haven't seen a T7 yet (however now they've seen @nickyboy83 's) so would need it for 5 days and courtesy car was £35 a day and my insurance is not valid on it as already checked as I'm named driver and my wife is policy holder on this one. Called VW CS and they said they can't help unless I'm at the van centre. This obviously went round in an argument with them saying that and they just repeated we can't help unless you're at a van cente! I have to drive 45mins to Northampton who are my nearest California Van centre and then call VW CS again so they can tell the dealer not to charge me £35 a day to keep my California Ocean which by the sounds of it they can't fix anyway!
Madness all round.
Out of interest what are the options for rejecting? If you reject which I believe you can do within 6 months if they cannot fix it, can you ask for a new vehicle or is it only your money back?

I want the van but I want it working which I don't think is too much to ask!?

I guess what we don't know is if a newer van is any better - I'm waiting for delivery of mine (hopefully in the new year!) and fingers crossed it's working fine out of the factory. If you knew for sure that a batch of the early ones were duds then rejecting on the basis they can't fix it and wanting a new one that works would seem like a sensible option. If you bought it on finance then you have a lot more power in terms of reject and complaint than if you bought it cash

 

[dspuk]

Having, many moons ago, worked on a production line for Nissan, it's interesting somewhat to watch these posts every few years.

At Nissan once into Management we got a new car every 6 months, including the new releases (order bank permitting).

The un/written rules (and I worked in Warranty) we all realised quite quickly were:

- Never buy a new car in the first 12 months of production
- But if you do, it will get fixed, eventually, but takes time

Same for key feature changes as well (eg Bellows). I will say though, Covid and War excepting, VW handled the Bellows issue attroctiocly. They don't seem any better on this. Communication is always the key, but with PR breathing down your neck and the Daily Mail looking for a headline, it's hard to be honest with customers. Reducing their capable Cali network is also an own goal.

If you hold your nerve though and don't spit out any rejection dummies, your car/van/feature will eventually work its way through the engineering/quality/warranty cycle. Easy to say, but just as easy to loose you sh1t in the heat of the storm.

Life is built on a std distribution curve, but for new cars, that 80% skew is in the first year. After that, apart from when there was a minor model change and something kicked off again, you're pretty safe.

The later Qashqais were as solid as Marsden Rock.

 

[umphrey1012]

I guess what we don't know is if a newer van is any better - I'm waiting for delivery of mine (hopefully in the new year!) and fingers crossed it's working fine out of the factory. If you knew for sure that a batch of the early ones were duds then rejecting on the basis they can't fix it and wanting a new one that works would seem like a sensible option. If you bought it on finance then you have a lot more power in terms of reject and complaint than if you bought it cash

@jam_hod My Diesel was built in the last couple of weeks and is still seeing this same issue. So no point in rejecting just to get a new build.