Another leisure battery/auxilary heater issue?

[nknight]

We have a 2009 Cali (the one that originally suffered the earth shunt problem) which we purchased from new.

We’ve been getting some very curious battery level readings on the control panel when the auxiliary heater is turned on. The level drops alarmingly quick (which has been reported on other threads) but then when the heater is turned off, the level gradually returns to a higher level. This happened again last night. The reading went from 100% to 50% (12.5V being produced) over 5 or so minutes and then gradually back to 90% after the heater was turned off. It then showed 80% in the morning with no power drawn overnight which is only significant in that it is a long way from 50%. To complicate things some times when the heater is turned on the levels remain normal.

The batteries have in the last week received 36 hour charge on the mains. One of them is a new battery the other purchased with the one just replaced only a year ago. The dealer left a printout in the vehicle which confirmed the battery that was replaced was definitely defective and though the vehicle had been taken in because the control panel was showing rapid battery drain when the heater was being used the battery level wasn’t going down and then back up like it seems to be doing now!).

The earth shunt problem was rectified on the van (which we have had from new) 3 years ago and as the heater quickly blows warm air and there is no flickering of the lights or control panel display, this doesn’t seem to be a re-re-occurrence of that issue.

Does anyone have any suggestions about this?

We are off on hols for Easter and will have a hook up, so before returning to the dealer yet again, we won’t use the hook up until we see what is really happening with the batteries.

P.S. Our Calis is a lovely vehicle and great fun, but from an electrics perspective it has had more problems than the Alfasud Sprint I owned in the early 80s. Oh, I’ve just remembered, it’s also had the “rust” on the roof main and front panel, so it’s actually a lot like the Alfasud!

 

[Hotel California]

Do not know if it makes huge diffrence but think it is always best to change both lesure bats the same time ....if one is gone ...the other might as well be.
So could be the older ( even just one year) is suffering compared to the newer and causing trouble?
Are you sure they are connected correct , that they are both doing the job not just one and the other beeing faulty ....
Are you seeing the same things without the aux. heater running ?
Try to leave it of and just use the fridge , see if it does the same.

 

[sidepod]

We have a 2009 Cali (the one that originally suffered the earth shunt problem) which we purchased from new.

We’ve been getting some very curious battery level readings on the control panel when the auxiliary heater is turned on. The level drops alarmingly quick (which has been reported on other threads) but then when the heater is turned off, the level gradually returns to a higher level. This happened again last night. The reading went from 100% to 50% (12.5V being produced) over 5 or so minutes and then gradually back to 90% after the heater was turned off. It then showed 80% in the morning with no power drawn overnight which is only significant in that it is a long way from 50%. To complicate things some times when the heater is turned on the levels remain normal.

The batteries have in the last week received 36 hour charge on the mains. One of them is a new battery the other purchased with the one just replaced only a year ago. The dealer left a printout in the vehicle which confirmed the battery that was replaced was definitely defective and though the vehicle had been taken in because the control panel was showing rapid battery drain when the heater was being used the battery level wasn’t going down and then back up like it seems to be doing now!).

The earth shunt problem was rectified on the van (which we have had from new) 3 years ago and as the heater quickly blows warm air and there is no flickering of the lights or control panel display, this doesn’t seem to be a re-re-occurrence of that issue.

Does anyone have any suggestions about this?

We are off on hols for Easter and will have a hook up, so before returning to the dealer yet again, we won’t use the hook up until we see what is really happening with the batteries.

P.S. Our Calis is a lovely vehicle and great fun, but from an electrics perspective it has had more problems than the Alfasud Sprint I owned in the early 80s. Oh, I’ve just remembered, it’s also had the “rust” on the roof main and front panel, so it’s actually a lot like the Alfasud!

That's a first, comparing a Cali to a Sud!
Odd, I owned two Suds. One wouldn't stay in gear the other did but eventually fell over late one night as I ran out of talent mid corner on Exmoor.
Neither suffered electrical problems, bizarrely.
Remember the old Alfa F1 engines?
They often suffered electrical issues, as in, a con rod pierced the alternator !!

Anyway, to your problem, initialy the heater will consume a much greater load as the glow plug heats and fires the heater. Once it's up and running its only the fan and fuel pump demanding power.
It sounds to me as if the control panel is simply slow in updating what's actually going on.

Probably best to just try the heater and see how long it will run for then work out if it's about right for the size of batteries you have.

S.

 

[WelshGas]

As has been already said, it is advisable to replace both batteries at the same time as one suboptimal battery will drag the other one down. Are both batteries the same type?

 

[nknight]

Thanks for the replies. It turned out that when we used the heater whilst away there was no problem with the control panel showing the batteries were draining quickly. Very odd.

However, now the sink tap/water pump doesn't work so will have to investigate that this weekend. If the fuse is ok I see there are a number of threads dealing with the issue.

Sidepod: The other problem I had with the Sud was that the drive shafts would loosen. They never fell off but traction would be lost at inconvenient times and the Alfa 33 I owned melted our tarmac drive after the petrol tank rusted through! .

 

[sidepod]

Sidepod: The other problem I had with the Sud was that the drive shafts would loosen. They never fell off but traction would be lost at inconvenient times and the Alfa 33 I owned melted our tarmac drive after the petrol tank rusted through! .

Ha ha brilliant. Don't get me started on 33's.

 

[nknight]

....and the water pump problem sorted as well thanks to this excellent thread:
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...ap-and-water-pump-problem-and-solution.10211/
Managed to unscrew the top to the water tank by the hammer and wooden spoon method with relative ease.