Is my garage lying to me ?

[TerenceWallis]

Before I disconnect these 2 wires, will you tell me what they do?  

 

[AGFalco]

2 hours ago, TerenceWallis said:

I'll have a go tomorrow if this is the one you mean ?

Yes that one.

 

1 hour ago, TerenceWallis said:

Before I disconnect these 2 wires, will you tell me what they do?

Measures the charge going in to and out of the battery.

This controls the smart charging aspect of the car.

The car by design will not fully charge the battery with this system working.

Disconnecting the connection will make the car behave like a 'normal' car.

The battery will then become fully charged.

This might help. 

 

Keep us posted if you do it.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[Stonekeeper]

21 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

Yes that one.

 

Measures the charge going in to and out of the battery.

This controls the smart charging aspect of the car.

The car by design will not fully charge the battery with this system working.

Disconnecting the connection will make the car behave like a 'normal' car.

The battery will then become fully charged.

This might help. 

 

Keep us posted if you do it.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

 

 

 

 

When cars had lead acid batteries and no battery management systems, you had to check that the plates were covered by removing half a dozen plugs along the top of the battery, the electrolyte inside could boil away because of constant unnecessary charging and you were able to replace it.

 

AGM batteries are sealed if you leave it to it's own devices attached to an alternator it will potentially be overcharged,

 

The battery management system is designed to prevent the overcharging, it also determines if the charge in the battery is enough to allow the stop/start to be activated.

 

To save fuel the bms also monitors the demand of functions operative in the car and in periods of high demand will focus the output of the alternator into running them instead of charging the battery.

 

Frequent short journeys with lights/heater blower and or air con on will prevent the battery from having time to charge up.

 

If everyone is saying everything is testing out as ok i think the car just needs a good run.

 

Next time the stop/start is not greyed out and is activated see if the cd player plays without the bongs

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TerenceWallis]

Thanks for info.  I'll disconnect it tomorrow & will report events.  

[J.R.]

13 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

AGM batteries are sealed if you leave it to it's own devices attached to an alternator it will potentially be overcharged,

 

Absolute nonsense, - potentially 🤣

Edited 6 March by J.R.

[TerenceWallis]

Please explain why it is 'absolute rubbish' ?

[J.R.]

Because the battery will not be overcharged using the standard alternator charging profile, in fact the start stop profile produces a higher voltage at times which if it were constant would definitely damage the battery.

 

Pretty much all modern batteries are the sealed gallery type and wont leak even if turned upside down, being the curious child I am I have cut my way through an old one no longer fit for service and found that the electrolyte levels had not depleted.

 

The vehicle defaults to the standard alternator charging profile whenever the start stop is disabled for any of the factors.

 

I have changed the wording from rubbish to nonsense.

Edited 6 March by J.R.

[xman]

8 minutes ago, J.R. said:

the curious child I am I have cut my way through an old one no longer fit for service and found that the electrolyte levels had not depleted.

 

One day you'll have used up all your 9 lives. 🐈‍⬛

[TerenceWallis]

Hello J.R.  The Varta battery was 11 yrs old when the cd player asked for the engine to be started.  I always drove on dipped headlights and still do.

The Varta has been replaced & has been registered.  Bolero still asks for a running engine.  Start/stop isn't working. 

On the 9th, the new Yuasa will have been registered for 2 weeks but the system doesn't seem to know about it.  A week ago Skoda said Give it time.  I think it's had enough time.  If you can throw light on my conundrum I'd be grateful.   

Edited 6 March by TerenceWallis
clarity

[TerenceWallis]

THAT wire from the negative terminal;  I've loosened the small grey holding pin, if that's what it's called, but cannot pull the rest apart.  I don't want to break it so have stopped trying.

The battery today had been inactive for 18 hrs when I checked it with a multimeter.  The meter recorded 12.61.   That implies a charged battery a watching neighbour commented, and Bolero is the problem. 

 

My reading is: the computer has not accounted for the battery registration despite having a charged battery on board.  Why is this after nearly 2 weeks ?

 

The problem is with Bolero - but what ?  Those bongs are warnings but of what ?  I take them as, Bolero has a problem.  A scan will hopefully diagnose the fault.

 

My neighbour helps to collect & deliver older people to a Lunch Club in a not new BMW that's new to the driver.  This vehicle makes the same bongs.  This new owner doesn't know why & simply igores them, because 'The important bits work'.   I must ask the neighnour to find out if the BMW Radio/Player works.......

 

[ApertureS]

This seems like a lot of going round in circles at this point….

why are we not physically checking voltage at the bolero and gateway, checking live data for voltage inside bolero and gateway, checking live data SoH and SoC for the battery at the gateway.

 

The radio will be getting this warning from either seeing low voltage itself or from the gateway SoH, SoC or voltage reading.

 

We need the live data to be able to tell…

[TerenceWallis]

Thank you.  I must tell you, you are talking in Klingon although I do understand what checking data means.
I have asked Skoda in Bourenmouth to fix an appointment for me to go there for someone to do as you suggest.    I'll let you know what transpires.

[Warrior193]

@TerenceWallis Live data is obtained via the vehicles OBD port when a reader is plugged into it - it gives precise, real time information on all data from the vehicles various processor units.

Edited 8 March by Warrior193
typo

[TerenceWallis]

The problem is, I get shed loads of info but I don't know what to look for or have the kit even if I knew.   The inner workings of motor vehicles is mostly beyond me and especially the electrics.

 

I'm booked into Skoda Bournemouth on the 12th & have sent ApertureS's observations to the Skoda man who's looking after me.  He suggested giving the system time after the coding was done but I'd have thought 2 weeks is long enough.  Anyhow he can show these observations to the technician who will be doing the hands on stuff.

[J.R.]

On 07/03/2024 at 18:45, TerenceWallis said:

My reading is: the computer has not accounted for the battery registration despite having a charged battery on board.  Why is this after nearly 2 weeks ?

 

You are obsessing over a ridiculous comment made by either an idiot or wind up merchant that it can take a period  of time for long coding to be recognised by the ECU and have been doing so for 2 weeks now, its time to wise up and ask yourself does the claim make any sense whatsoever?

 

 

[xman]

Barking up the wrong tree comes to mind.

 

[J.R.]

Yes I agree, and a more diplomatic way of saying it 👍

[TerenceWallis]

Mmmmm.....obsessing & not making sense........

[TerenceWallis]

Today's plans to deal with Bolero have been scrubbed.
Skoda rang yesterday. My Greenline is included in a recall for a software update that will take a few hours to do & they want to do it next Tuesday.  While they do the software they will check out the Bolero radio/player problem.

[AGFalco]

On 12/03/2024 at 09:43, TerenceWallis said:

they want to do it next Tuesday. 

Any news?

 

Thanks AG Falco

[TerenceWallis]

My Skoda visit was delayed until yesterday.  They found the battery had been coded so didn't pursue that.  I should mention stop/start had been working all week until yesterday.

 

They checked the battery & discovered the voltage was 11 and not the expected 13.  The conclusion was the alternator needs to be replaced.   My ex-RAC friend thought that was a reasonable conclusion.   He had fitted many at the roadside but was shocked when they thought supply & fit might cost £500, as was I.  They said they would email me proper details & prices but booked me in on 08/04 for a loan car if I decide to accept their prices when I get them. I'm amazed they want the car all day.

 

I did a quick web trawl yesterday & saw a Bosch item at Europarts for £250 with £100 or so fitting. Prices are less than this depending where one shops.  If they really do want to charge £500 or anywhere near that I'll make alternative arrangements.   

 

 

[AGFalco]

On 24/02/2024 at 14:35, AGFalco said:

Battery tested and shows all good, with 12.9 V at rest and 14.9 V engine running.

Battery now coded.

So alternator was good when you came up to me and I tested it.

Perhaps it is working intermittently?

 

But yes, when the alternator stops working the voltage would drop and the Bolero warning would then strike.

 

Thanks for the update and keep us posted.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[TerenceWallis]

I've been checking voltages under different loads.  After an 18 hr overnight rest = 12.6v.  6 mile drive ign. off 12.92v.  Dipped h/l, 12.46v & cd player 12.29v.
At tickover with all equipment on  14.6v.  Just cd player 12.96v....off 12.85v.
I have been reproducing similar numbers all week.
I have noticed that if I hear bongs I can expect the cd-player to misbehave, otherwise I know it will play for 2 hours, which is all I want. I think the alternator is fine............

Skoda-man in Bournemouth thinks the alternator is playing up intermittently & has suggested a new supplied & fitted specimin could cost up to £500.   I saw this horse long before it left the stables & my answer is NO.   I have not seen one suspect voltage & I will keep the alternator as fitted.  The problem lies elsewhere.

[bigjohn]

Old school earth or main live issue?  Vibration can disturb the crimps re the thick wires between battery/body/engine/starter.

[TerenceWallis]

Right.  I'll check this out.

The problem is the cd player asking for the engine to be started to save the battery.  When this first ocurred I renewed the battery which has been recoded.   This request does happen now but far less often & only after some alarm bongs occur.  Before all this the player would play for 2 hours at least, and did so yesterday & the past 6 days.  As this will suit me again I'm happy to accept things as they are.   I tend to go for a non-battery cause as everything else works............now I listen for the bongs to warn me if I need to get my battery cd-player out.