Flat Battery after just a couple of days

Y

YellowHound

Photographer
VIP Member
T6 Legend
I have noticed that my battery has been starting to struggle when the van has not been used for a few days. Van is an 18month old EU6 150.

I have been away working over the weekend so the van was parked up from Friday afternoon until late Sunday evening. Low and behold it wouldn't start - not enough juice in the battery to spin it fast enough.

Managed to get a jump start to get on my way.

About 50 miles in to my journey the emissions warning light comes on. I have absolutely no symptoms of a problem in the way the van is driving - everything feels as it should.

Are the two related, or pure coincidence?
It seems ridiculous that my battery is failing after only 18months and 14k miles.

A quick look with Carista today shows various codes - the only engine one is '31103 Manufacture-specific code'
 
Yes, it is an MOLL battery.
Hoping that the battery is the cause of the emissions light on, but that may be a forlorn hope.
 
Can't comment on the emissions light (but can't see how it's battery related either) but as I commented on another thread today, I've just had a MOLL battery replaced on a March 2017 T6.
 
MikeB said:
Can't comment on the emissions light (but can't see how it's battery related either) but as I commented on another thread today, I've just had a MOLL battery replaced on a March 2017 T6.
Click to expand...

Did you have to fight to get it replaced?
I assume that a different manufacturer battery was fitted?
My van has been sat on my drive since I got back Sunday night. Haven't had the time to do anything with it. I'm kinda hoping that when I go to try it tomorrow it's flat and I can call assistance.
When I first tried to run Carista it failed with the app flagging up insufficient battery voltage.
 
YellowHound said:
Did you have to fight to get it replaced?
Click to expand...

Not at all - no issue - it was very clear from the tests the tech ran than the battery was fecked. I'd rung VW Assist on Friday - they arranged to come when it was convenient for me, which was today. By which point the van wasn't for starting at all. Tests were run to check for any drain, which came up negative. There was a brief discussion about the split charge used and it's suitability for the T6. I'd asked the converters, Exploria, about this when we had the job done and was confident they'd used an appropriate set-up. The tech had done his own camper conversion some years ago on a T5 so I think this was more of a general interest conversation than any suggestion of finding something at fault. As I noted, there was no evidence of any parasitic drain and the leisure batteries were fine anyway, with full charge.

I do gather that VW say there isn't an issue with the batteries in (some) T6's - -


I assume that a different manufacturer battery was fitted?
Click to expand...

Yep. Varta.

Overall, I was very impressed.
 
So this strikes me as a rather ridiculous situation.
Van battery not capable of starting my van Weds morning, so I call out VW Assistance. After about 45 mins checking the battery the tech from VW Assistance pronounces it failed and refers me to my local dealer.
Booked van into local dealer - going in tomorrow.
This afternoon I get a courtesy call to confirm the appointment. I ask them to confirm that they have a battery in stock and they will fit tomorrow.
So, firstly they don't have a battery (back order from VW, could be 8 days or so) and secondly the pronouncement by VW Assistance means nothing to them; they have to go through their own checks.
What a waste of my time :(
 
I got a courtesy call and a vehicle check video the other day about my 64 plated golf that was booked in for a service and work.

The only problem with that was I don't own a 64 plate golf :mad:

VW never cease to amaze me
 
I had to call out VW assist due to a flat battery last week. Tests checked out fine on mine (I’d inadvertently left a dash cam connected to one of the lighter sockets), but technician told me there is a problem with some MOLL units with certain date codes. He told me he had replaced 6 in the last week and now they were on back order and he didn’t know when they were getting them.

As I say, I didn’t need a replacement, but technician was very helpful and friendly
 
What I find ridiculous is the the dealer is basically saying that they don't trust VW Assistance conclusion and must waste my time by doing their own analysis.
Why didn't VW Assistance simply refer me to the dealer?
 
YellowHound said:
What I find ridiculous is the the dealer is basically saying that they don't trust VW Assistance conclusion and must waste my time by doing their own analysis.
Why didn't VW Assistance simply refer me to the dealer?
Click to expand...
If the dealer needs to submit a warranty claim, they have to include the test results printout from their tester.
 
Loz said:
If the dealer needs to submit a warranty claim, they have to include the test results printout from their tester.
Click to expand...
So why did VW Assistance waste my time? Why didn't they just jump start me and direct me to the nearest dealership? I just don't understand the purpose of spending almost an hour doing their own tests.

Anyhow....
Got a result this morning. Dealer fitted a battery that came into stock whilst I was there - so I am sorted without having to waste another couple of hours there on another day.
Oh, and my dash light is off. Forgot to ask about this but looks as though they associated it with the battery shenanigans.
 
And another duff Moll battery... on our December 16 204PS Kombi/camper conversion, with 10K miles, bought in June this year, so still within its complimentary year's VW Assist package.

The vehicle battery conked out when I collected it from the converter, failed again after being left undriven for 1 week, (used my trusty little lithium starter - cost £70 approx from Amazon).

I rang my dealers, Lookers, who said, when it failed again, ring VW Assist and they'll come out and fit a new battery for you.

So, when I tried it again today and it failed to start, I rang VW Assist. Explained the problem, and said I wanted a new battery fitted. They said fine, the guy would be there in two hours - and he was. He was the AA, rather than VW - apparently Cumbria is a 'black hole' for VW Assist, so they sub-contract to AA.

Very helpful chap - asked if I was expecting a new battery - he explained he wasn't allowed to fit one (though he had a suitable battery in his van and all the suitable diagnostic gear and equipment to keep the van 'alive' while the battery was changed). He showed me the instruction - a new battery is free to those under warranty with duff battery - but the AA aren't allowed to fit it!

He ran the check, and the battery is indeed U/S and needs replacing. Nowt to do with the campervan electrics, he confirmed.

I will now have to ring Lookers at Carlisle, check if they have one (suitable replacement batteries are apparently widely on back order, as they are failing tag lag), and then do an 80 mile round trip and waste half a day, while they (doubtless) run their own check and then, if the battery hasn't recharged itself on the journey, fit a replacement. Grr!

As an aside, our Kombi side windows are leaking badly - that is only 14 years after we had three sets of replacement side windows on a, (then-new), 2004 T5! We have taped the windows ('Vorsprung durch Ducktape'), while waiting to have new windows fitted next year, when the weather improves. Does VW NEVER learn ANYTHING?
 
VW has learned that no matter how flawed the product, no matter how much they cut production cost, people will still pay over the odds.

It isn't VWs fault; it is our fault for continuing to buy the shyte they crank out.
 
battery went flat yesterday on holiday in Ireland took van to dealer after a jumpstart from AA,still havent got the van back they said might have it tommorow as they are busy!!!! VW are a disgrace and yes a MOLL battery.Genuinely sorry I bought this van (they have a battery in stock but have to do the tests BS
 
Having had my van a few days (it's 18 months old) I took it for it's first service, they day before however I noticed the it didn't feel to start quite right and thought my foot wasn't on the clutch or something, during that journey the cruise control wouldn't work and had an exclamation mark instead. Got home switched off restarted all as good as new so put it down to my error.

Mentioned it to the dealer when I dropped it off, on collection when paying the bill, I was asked to sign a warranty card, I thought there had been a recall but they said 'oh no, that's just for the new battery' so full marks for sorting that out without a fuss. Especially on the back of a very cheap first service.

Reading this post is highlighting that there is obviously a bad batch out there and it is knows.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Battery drain or dodgy battery?
Replies
7
Views
695
Scotti8
S
M
HVAC / Recirc clicking after battery died.
Replies
0
Views
187
Mrbird
M
Maarten1
EHU under bonnet - flat battery
Replies
19
Views
653
Dellmassive
Dellmassive
foss
Flat battery after 3 days parked up.
Replies
10
Views
853
foss
foss
L
04194 - Vehicle Status with Under-Voltage fault after flat battery
Replies
8
Views
1K
xop32
X
Back
Top