Battery light on, not charging

[mvw]

Hi,

Hopefully someone can help, I've just got back from a week away in the Van (T6 2017) and when I got to within a few miles of the house the red battery light came on. I turned everything off I could and got home no problems. When I put a multimeter on the starter battery (when the car was running) I can see it's not charging it was at something like 11.9v. I did a scan (only have Carly) and it has a 02252 fault. I can see the aux belt running and I had a new alternator fitted a few months ago. I've read as many posts as I can, I didn't have any start/stop warnings on the dash and I've pulled the wiring open from the alternator to the bottom of the sump and there's no obvious wire breaks.

When testing I can see that if I enable the leisure side of the electrics to work, the leisure battery is charging when the car is running (Stirling DC-DC charger), does that mean it can see 14v at the starter battery? It's a Fogstar Drift so I can see it charging in the app.

My starter battery has always been sluggish on startup and never sits at 12.6v (mostly 12.0v) so I was going to buy a new battery anyway. But even if the battery is bad, should I see it trying to charge when the car is running? At the moment my local garage is just a bit to far to risk driving there with a dodgy battery that isn't charging. Plus I do have that 02252 fault

I've also cleaned up the battery terminals and they all look fine.

Any help on what I could test myself with a multimeter would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Lee

 

[Anakin]

That fault has often been a broken wire.

X

Thread 'Error code 02252 - Battery Generator - error stop start on dash'

30 Nov 2021

hello


i have a 2017 transporter t32 shuttle and when i got it, it had a stop/start error code come up on the dashboard

i read the fault codes and it has 2 that keep comming back


01 Engine Control Module 1
U014000 Lost Communication with Body Control Module

5F Information Control Unit 1
B11A13 Antenna 2 For Radio - Open Circuit

61 Battery Regulation
02252 - Generator


It looks like its had a new battery recently fitted

I replaced the Battery regulater on the negative battery cable and the fault is still there

Any ideas what this could be, could it be a battery issue

i clear...

• xop32
• 02252 stop/start
• Replies: 39
• Forum: Vehicle Faults, Warranty Repairs Issues & Problems

You will not see a high voltage from the alternator at engine idle speeds as the smart alternator will only supply higher voltage when there is a demand on the supply. Try turning the headlights on and watching the voltage.

 

[mvw]

Thanks, typically one thread I didn't read! I think splicing a wire in to test could be a way forward, but will probably leave for a professional

 

[DXX]

Check the engine earth strap / connections near the free end engine mount.
If in doubt put a jump lead between the engine and the chassis at paint free points

 

[Dellmassive]

Also . How old is the battery.

3-5years is expected... Any older and it's due for replacement.

 

[mvw]

Check the engine earth strap / connections near the free end engine mount.
If in doubt put a jump lead between the engine and the chassis at paint free points

I just put a jump lead from the battery earth to the engine block and it still wont charge, but I will clean that earth strap up as well. Thank you

 

[mvw]

Also . How old is the battery.

3-5years is expected... Any older and it's due for replacement.

I think the battery was replaced when the van was converted in 2020, so it's definitely due a new battery. I think I'll order one anyway as even if it's not the problem, it's due a replacement.

The reason I'm not 100% sure on a break in the LINBUS wire was that most posts say that it defaults to charging when you blip the throttle and that you get a stop/start warning, neither of which happen to me. That's not say it isn't that, but I think a competent mechanic could test the continuity of that wire without splicing into it. So I think I'll order a new battery for tomorrow and then book it in. Now it's charged again (actually used my EC-155 to charge it), it doesn't seem to be losing much voltage while idling so I think I can risk a 5 min drive to my local garage

 

[Salty Spuds]

Auxiliary belt??

 

[mvw]

Auxiliary belt??

Aux belt seems to be ok and my leisure battery seems to be charging

 

[mmi]

the red battery light came on.

When I put a multimeter on the starter battery (when the car was running) I can see it's not charging it was at something like 11.9v.

a stop/start warning, neither of which happen to me.

it has a 02252 fault.

02252 is a generic code - need to read the subcode - the usual one is about communication via LINbus

02252 - 004 - Generator - No Signal/Communication
02252 - 012 - Generator - Electrical Fault in Circuit
etc.

the leisure battery is charging when the car is running (Stirling DC-DC charger)

DC-DC charger can take in lower voltage which its converted to higher voltage for charging.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Aux belt seems to be ok and my leisure battery seems to be charging

your leisure battery will be charging, it will be sucking the life out of the starter until the starter battery voltage drops to the cut off voltage.

 

[DXX]

I thought my 5 year old Varta starter battery was in good health, no problem cranking and solar keeping it topped up.
It was only when I was loading my leisure battery up with winter use that I realised the alternator was stuffing amps into what must have been a starter battery with an internal short.
Once the starter battery was replaced the leisure battery was much healthier.

 

[mvw]

your leisure battery will be charging, it will be sucking the life out of the starter until the starter battery voltage drops to the cut off voltage.

Thanks for this info, if/when I drive it to the garage I'll make sure I isolate the leisure battery so it's not draining the starter

 

[mvw]

02252 is a generic code - need to read the subcode - the usual one is about communication via LINbus

02252 - 004 - Generator - No Signal/Communication
02252 - 012 - Generator - Electrical Fault in Circuit
etc.


DC-DC charger can take in lower voltage which its converted to higher voltage for charging.

Thank you, this is all really helping me understand what's going on

 

[mvw]

Just to close this out, after the advice I got on here I was confident enough to drive it to the local garage and it turned out to be a faulty alternator. So the one that was put in about 3 months ago failed. They put a new one in FOC

 

[DXX]

Just to close this out, after the advice I got on here I was confident enough to drive it to the local garage and it turned out to be a faulty alternator. So the one that was put in about 3 months ago failed. They put a new one in FOC

Very unusual, any idea how it failed?

 

[mvw]

I didn't get a chance to speak to the mechanic, if I find out, I'll update here

 

[Dellmassive]

That's odd....

Not a VW OEM part?

 

[mvw]

When I'm back at home I'll look at the original invoice. I think it was Bosch