Help needed - ‘Battery empty charge now’

[TheWanderer]

Hello!

We are currently away and in a very challenging situation I wonder if anyone can help me with.

On arrival at our campsite, the control unit displayed ‘Battery empty, charge now’. With that message displayed, I can not access any control panel functions and nothing works, it’s overridden / shut everything down (fridge, heater, roof control etc) However, things come back to life while I have the engine on! (Show 0 hours battery, with a red warning triangle over battery, but things function) But I can’t leave the engine running all night for the fridge/ heater etc, obviously.

I had AA out, via VW assist who confirmed both leisure batteries were in perfect working order and they reset both batteries and the engine battery. It was only after resetting the leisure battery under the passenger seat (after the rear one and the engine one and then turning the car off and on again a couple of times, it reset the problem. Phew. (Shows 60+hours with no red warning triangle over battery) However 2 days later, it’s happened again. So the ‘system’ / software or whatever it is, is not reading that the batteries are fully charged. Aside from taking into VW when I’m home (probably having to wait months for an appointment), has anyone got any thoughts on this/ experienced this also? Another software issue perhaps?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[yossarian]

To get your van working in the short term disconnect and reconnect the two pin plug on the battery sensor mounted on the battery negative. For each leisure battery.

In the long term you most likely have some charge source like solar miswired in a way that bypasses one or both sensors. Provide more info.

 

[TheWanderer]

To get your van working in the short term disconnect and reconnect the two pin plug on the battery sensor mounted on the battery negative. For each leisure battery.

In the long term you most likely have some charge source like solar miswired in a way that bypasses one or both sensors. Provide more info.

Hi Yossarian,

Thanks for your reply. I will try that tomorrow. Just to check, shall I disconnect everything from the negative terminals on both leisure batteries, wait a few minutes then reattach? Im not familiar with the battery sensor specifically? Is there a thread on that somewhere with images you know of?

Yes I do have solar on (a solar camper solutions kit), it’s been on for two years and this is the first time this has happened. It seems there is something stopping the sensors reading the battery level. A gremlin in the circuitry?!

Thanks

 

[yossarian]

Hi Yossarian,

Thanks for your reply. I will try that tomorrow. Just to check, shall I disconnect everything from the negative terminals on both leisure batteries, wait a few minutes then reattach? Im not familiar with the battery sensor specifically? Is there a thread on that somewhere with images you know of?

Yes I do have solar on (a solar camper solutions kit), it’s been on for two years and this is the first time this has happened. It seems there is something stopping the sensors reading the battery level. A gremlin in the circuitry?!

Thanks

Disconnect and reconnect this plug:


And take good photos of the connection of your solar system to the battery especially the negative connection. Post the photos here.