dead battery - drain or duff battery?

[v8bobber]

I have a 98 Range Rover 2.5 DT (manual)

I have a problem which is progressively getting worse. The battery is going flat, or draining if it is left for a couple of days. if you use it everyday it seems fine.

I have had the battery tested at the local battery centre and they said it seemed fine, although it seemed as if it was flat.

If you put a set of jump leads on it to another battery it starts then straight away. I have read on the rangerovers.net pages about testing for drain at the earth lead but can't work out how to activate the alarm and lock the doors etc etc if the battery earth lead is disconnected?? Am i missing something?

I also read that it if it is the alarm reciever then it is possible to disconnect the aerial on it then that can help however looking on these pages i can't see that there is one on it, it is internal then?

I hope someone can advise as I'm carrying around a pair of jump leads and a spare battery at the moment!!

Dave

[LandyManLuke]

Putting an ammeter in either the supply or earth will show you what current is being drawn, just don't draw more than 10A as most multimeters are fused at that.

An ammeter is wired in series, as apposed to a voltmeter which is wired in parallel.

Normally, it's easier to use the single earth wire, than the multiple live wires, for the test.

If the alternator is charging ok, you don't have excessive drain, and the battery condition falls over a short period of time, it's knackerd.

[David Sparkes]

False call signals to the Receiver is the most likely cause.

Search the Rangerovers.net 38A Forum where this will be mentioned. I'm surprised it hasn't made it to the main site, but I haven't looked.

Try this for the sleep test http://www.landywiki.co.uk/index.php?title=BeCM

The Alarm Receiver aerial is the smaller of the two in the rearmost RH side window.

The receiver itself is under the plastic shelf just inside that window.

The receiver only has two connections, and it's pretty clear which is power and which is aerial.

As you aren't comfortable doing drain tests (and the 38A is a bit more complex than most wrt what is normal and what isn't), disconnect the aerial for a first step. The key remote will still work if held close to the glass of the particular window.

If this proves to be the cure, new receivers that ignore false calls are available, but the price of about £150 puts most people off. Details are here (scroll down) http://www.landywiki.co.uk/index.php?title...ys_and_Security

In the UK you want the 433MHz version.

Beware buying one second hand. The units don't (didn't) have the part number on, so I could sell you my old one as a new version, and you would never know, until the problem wasn't cured, when I'd just tell you it must be your diagnosis that was wrong, tough.

Forgot to say that the most likely cause of false calls is domestic 'wireless' equipment. NOT repeat NOT a home WiFi network, or Bluetooth, but cack like external weather stations signalling the base station, or wireless door bells, or wireless baby monitors, or garage door / gate openers, that sort of thing. These might be yours or your neighbours.

HTH