Battery lead loose, causing shutdown

[Jeff6667]

This is what happened to me today.

Dear Sir,

I am absolutely furious. I was driving my T6 transporter today and it totally cut out on me at a set of busy traffic lights,Lodge causeway Bristol. After 10 minutes I managed to get someone to help me to push it to the side of the road. Everything was totally dead. Unfortunately I had left the details on how to get roadside assistance at home as the day before I was still looking through the user manual. I did try to contact the AA through their website but the app needed more information that I did not have to hand. I do however know someone in the AA who I called. He diagnosed the problem. The battery lead was loose. Find attached photo. Lucky for me I was not on the motorway in the 3rd lane when this happened as I may not have been here at all to complain.

I find it difficult to understand how this was not fitted properly. I spent £34,000 on this vehicle and would have thought it would have been fully inspected before I took charge of it. The inspection on the service schedule has also not been cleared so I wonder if all you did was polish it and sell it to me?

As a result of the sudden cut out of electricity the Stop/start assist has generated a fault and no longer works and all my data reference mileage and fuel consumption has gone.

I do have a recall and a service scheduled in December but I am not sure whether I should bring it to you just in case you forget to tighten something else.

This really is not good enough and this falls well below the standard I would expect from an organisation like yours.

 

[The Ham]

people are starving in Afghanistan

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Shouldn't this have been sent to VW? It wasn't my job to tighten the battery clamp!

 

[DaveD]

This is what happened to me today.

Dear Sir,

I am absolutely furious. I was driving my T6 transporter today and it totally cut out on me at a set of busy traffic lights,Lodge causeway Bristol. After 10 minutes I managed to get someone to help me to push it to the side of the road. Everything was totally dead. Unfortunately I had left the details on how to get roadside assistance at home as the day before I was still looking through the user manual. I did try to contact the AA through their website but the app needed more information that I did not have to hand. I do however know someone in the AA who I called. He diagnosed the problem. The battery lead was loose. Find attached photo. Lucky for me I was not on the motorway in the 3rd lane when this happened as I may not have been here at all to complain.

I find it difficult to understand how this was not fitted properly. I spent £34,000 on this vehicle and would have thought it would have been fully inspected before I took charge of it. The inspection on the service schedule has also not been cleared so I wonder if all you did was polish it and sell it to me?

As a result of the sudden cut out of electricity the Stop/start assist has generated a fault and no longer works and all my data reference mileage and fuel consumption has gone.

I do have a recall and a service scheduled in December but I am not sure whether I should bring it to you just in case you forget to tighten something else.

This really is not good enough and this falls well below the standard I would expect from an organisation like yours.

View attachment 137032

You're quite rightly annoyed, but look on the bright side, your stop / start no longer works!

 

[Jeff6667]

people are starving in Afghanistan

Sorry you don't find this important. This may be a serious saftey concern for other new T6 owner. If this were to happen in the wrong traffic conditions this could potentially be fatal.

Shouldn't this have been sent to VW? It wasn't my job to tighten the battery clamp!

Yes, I just copied the email I sent VW. I thought it may be a safety concern.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Surely it is down to the dealer that sold you the van - it is obviously a secondhand vehicle not a new one from vw that has been built like that. It isn't something that is a safety concern on a new build that needs bringing to the attention of all purchasers of a T6, just a dealer balls up.

 

[Jeff6667]

Surely it is down to the dealer that sold you the van - it is obviously a secondhand vehicle not a new one from vw that has been built like that. It isn't something that is a safety concern on a new build that needs bringing to the attention of all purchasers of a T6, just a dealer balls up.

Agreed, but not everyone on here buys new. Just trying to keep everyone safe with a heads up. sorry. "other new T6 owner" ment new to owning a T6 not necessarily a Brand new one

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Unfortunately poor connections are very common theme on the forum, usually caused by poor quality converters but as you have found can be caused by anyone.

 

[Jeff6667]

Unfortunately poor connections are very common theme on the forum, usually caused by poor quality converters but as you have found can be caused by anyone.

But not expected from a main dealer. Who has so say inspected the van before you pick it up.

 

[DXX]

This is what happened to me today.

Dear Sir,

I am absolutely furious. I was driving my T6 transporter today and it totally cut out on me at a set of busy traffic lights,Lodge causeway Bristol. After 10 minutes I managed to get someone to help me to push it to the side of the road. Everything was totally dead. Unfortunately I had left the details on how to get roadside assistance at home as the day before I was still looking through the user manual. I did try to contact the AA through their website but the app needed more information that I did not have to hand. I do however know someone in the AA who I called. He diagnosed the problem. The battery lead was loose. Find attached photo. Lucky for me I was not on the motorway in the 3rd lane when this happened as I may not have been here at all to complain.

I find it difficult to understand how this was not fitted properly. I spent £34,000 on this vehicle and would have thought it would have been fully inspected before I took charge of it. The inspection on the service schedule has also not been cleared so I wonder if all you did was polish it and sell it to me?

As a result of the sudden cut out of electricity the Stop/start assist has generated a fault and no longer works and all my data reference mileage and fuel consumption has gone.

I do have a recall and a service scheduled in December but I am not sure whether I should bring it to you just in case you forget to tighten something else.

This really is not good enough and this falls well below the standard I would expect from an organisation like yours.

View attachment 137032

I’m guessing you haven’t owned a T6 long, give it a few months and you’ll have a list of fault codes and defects as long as your arm!

 

[Jeff6667]

Really, are they that bad?

 

[Pete C]

Not all of them ! 5 year old van and no issues here.
He’s exaggerating a little

Pete

 

[Jeff6667]

Not all of them ! 5 year old van and no issues here.
He’s exaggerating a little

Pete

Thank God for that. Was aready a bit worried.

 

[The Ham]

Sorry you don't find this important. This may be a serious saftey concern for other new T6 owner. If this were to happen in the wrong traffic conditions this could potentially be fatal.

You are right, I don’t find this very important, annoying yes, but obviously means a lot to you. not sure if a main dealer would be bothered to check every connection on a used van.

 

[Jeff6667]

You are right, I don’t find this very important, annoying yes, but obviously means a lot to you. not sure if a main dealer would be bothered to check every connection on a used van.

Here's hoping it happens to you on the M25.

 

[The Ham]

Here's hoping it happens to you on the m25

I hope you have good weekend.

 

[Jeff6667]

I hope you have good weekend.

Sorry you missed the point. Just trying to save someone the hassle by checking a simple connection before they drive away. My mate at the AA informs me he has had this on a few call outs. If a van is stood around for a while they swap the batteries and forget to tighten them back up. That was all.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

And the result of your checking over the vehicle before driving it was.............?

 

[The Ham]

Sorry you missed the point. Just trying to save someone the hassle by checking a simple connection before they drive away. My mate at the AA informs me he has had this on a few call outs. If a van is stood around for a while they swap the batteries and forget to tighten them back up. That was all.

No point missed, believe me, it came across loud and clear.

 

[Jeff6667]

And the result of your checking over the vehicle before driving it was.............?

Didn't spot it but then I didn't change or mess with the battery. Oh, I get it I'm supposed to check every connection even though they say they have fully inspected it.