Yes, batting will indeed cause tension problems. If you are using a thin batting you may want to loosen the quilt on the frame. Make sure the back of the quilt is making contact with the bed of the machine. You may need to tighten the bobbin thread just a bit to accomodate for the thin batt. You may even want to go down one or two sizes in your needle.
Hope this helps and keep us posted on your progress.