Quote Morning all. Just joined this site. I've got a 2017 Bilbos conversion. I also had a flat battery issue.
I got Bilbos to check their installation, all well but they said the battery was basically down to 30% capacity. This explained why it charged up quickly for me off the vehicle. I took it to the local VW van centre. They kept it overnight did some checks and replaced the battery. From speaking to them and the guys at Bilbos although no one will admit it, there is a problem with the OEM batteries. I've had no problem since with a different battery Quote
I hope your new battery lasts, but odds are it will end up same as the other if the vehicle is being driven the same, it will slowly loose its charge voltage over time, neither Manufactures or suppliers will admit this but the battery problems are down to two things, stop/start and smart charging, ask yourself, did you have this problem on an earlier none stop/start vehicle.
It is very simple to check whether my statement is correct or just garbage. Take the cover off the starter battery , you will see a small box attached to the negative battery clamp, this is the battery sensor the EMU uses to gauge the SOC of the battery, without this smart/charging and stop/start will be deactivated, the EMU will now instruct the alternator to charge the battery continuously as before smart charging, this regime ensures the alternator will always attempt to fully charge the battery, disconnect the sensor plug and tape it up. Drive the vehicle and check the battery each morning.
Below is how smart charging works on Hyundai, other systems are probably similar, this is the only honest explanation of how the system works on the Internet, I wonder why manufactures are so secretive.
Attached is A PDF from Hyundai UK explaining about the (Alternator Management System ) AMS system. The text from this pasted below.
This model has an engine ECU controlled alternator and this is designed only to operate in a way that reduces fuel consumption and emissions. So effectively it will actually do very little unless it really needs to, which means that until it detects an electrical load from things such as headlamps, HRW etc it will do the bare minimum to charge the battery up. If the customer is only doing those sorts of short journeys and not using any electrical items then the starting of the engine has taken charge out of the battery, but without any electrical items being used it won’t put that much back into the battery again. The Alternator Management System (smart charge) works in a very different way to a conventional alternator. The conventional alternator is charging at all times whenever the engine is running, and will increase its output back to the battery depending upon electrical load and the speed it is being rotated at. In the AMS system the charging function of the alternator is controlled electronically by the engine control ECU based upon various sensor inputs and how the vehicle is being driven, so it can be that the alternator will not be charging the battery at all dependent upon the circumstances at that time. Effectively as the alternator is controlled via the ECU it will only charge the battery when necessary, this is to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. In certain conditions the system will only charge the battery in small amounts.
So if the vehicle is only used for short journeys, and as the system often does not charge at all after a cold start, if you are only doing low mileage the starting of the engine can take more charge out of the battery than the system will put back in again.
Start stop (ISG) and AGM brattery
I got Bilbos to check their installation, all well but they said the battery was basically down to 30% capacity. This explained why it charged up quickly for me off the vehicle. I took it to the local VW van centre. They kept it overnight did some checks and replaced the battery. From speaking to them and the guys at Bilbos although no one will admit it, there is a problem with the OEM batteries. I've had no problem since with a different battery Quote
I hope your new battery lasts, but odds are it will end up same as the other if the vehicle is being driven the same, it will slowly loose its charge voltage over time, neither Manufactures or suppliers will admit this but the battery problems are down to two things, stop/start and smart charging, ask yourself, did you have this problem on an earlier none stop/start vehicle.
It is very simple to check whether my statement is correct or just garbage. Take the cover off the starter battery , you will see a small box attached to the negative battery clamp, this is the battery sensor the EMU uses to gauge the SOC of the battery, without this smart/charging and stop/start will be deactivated, the EMU will now instruct the alternator to charge the battery continuously as before smart charging, this regime ensures the alternator will always attempt to fully charge the battery, disconnect the sensor plug and tape it up. Drive the vehicle and check the battery each morning.
Below is how smart charging works on Hyundai, other systems are probably similar, this is the only honest explanation of how the system works on the Internet, I wonder why manufactures are so secretive.
Attached is A PDF from Hyundai UK explaining about the (Alternator Management System ) AMS system. The text from this pasted below.
This model has an engine ECU controlled alternator and this is designed only to operate in a way that reduces fuel consumption and emissions. So effectively it will actually do very little unless it really needs to, which means that until it detects an electrical load from things such as headlamps, HRW etc it will do the bare minimum to charge the battery up. If the customer is only doing those sorts of short journeys and not using any electrical items then the starting of the engine has taken charge out of the battery, but without any electrical items being used it won’t put that much back into the battery again. The Alternator Management System (smart charge) works in a very different way to a conventional alternator. The conventional alternator is charging at all times whenever the engine is running, and will increase its output back to the battery depending upon electrical load and the speed it is being rotated at. In the AMS system the charging function of the alternator is controlled electronically by the engine control ECU based upon various sensor inputs and how the vehicle is being driven, so it can be that the alternator will not be charging the battery at all dependent upon the circumstances at that time. Effectively as the alternator is controlled via the ECU it will only charge the battery when necessary, this is to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. In certain conditions the system will only charge the battery in small amounts.
So if the vehicle is only used for short journeys, and as the system often does not charge at all after a cold start, if you are only doing low mileage the starting of the engine can take more charge out of the battery than the system will put back in again.
Start stop (ISG) and AGM brattery
