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Battery help and suggestions please.


Trevorevans

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I've checked through previous posts via the search facility but the posts I have come across relate to split charge systems to power a winch or other auxiliary items.

Right my issue is with a 300tdi which part way through last winter was fitted with a new battery from the local tyre/battery supplier due to the old one failing to start the truck in the cold weather. However the new battery followed suit about 2 months later and was replaced by the supplier under warrantee and also updated to heavy duty. The rest of the winter and summer went by with no problems but during the recent cold weather I'm back in the same boat and am forced to use a jump pack most of the time for the initial start, after which it will start with no problems (unless you leave the radio on for a while when you change the rear brake pads lol). Now the vehicle is a second vehicle used for green lanes maybe once a month but the rest of the time the journeys are short start/stop hops about the place, pick up logs for the fire, pop down the local shop etc.

So does anyone have any battery suggestions for me? Been looking at optima but they're a bit steep in the price department.

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Battery must still be under warranty, get youre money back and either buy a genuine one or a Varta or Exide

Check earth connections

Check starter motor conections

Disconect battery when not using Landy

Use a battery saver charger when stood up

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Are you sure you haven't got another problem here... as you shouldn't have to be jumping just after a month, maybe after reapted starting and very short travel duration (due to lack of alternator charging time) - is the alternator healthy anf have you check for any voltage leaks per chance?

Mav

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Sounds like you have a voltage/current leak here. My Defender is temporarily stored, started once a month and there are no issues (its battery is 3 years old!)

With everything off, put a multimeter (on current) in series between the positive lead to the battery (take it off the battery) and battery and see what current is being drawn. Don't try and start it or put any heavy current draw items on though.....

Cheers

Peter

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i have exactly the same problem checked the earths on the motor all seem ok some one sain if it does it again in winter try an extra earth cable from the batterie negative sid too the engine if it starts well then it is the earth other wise it is the drain the only drain i have is my allarm system from landrover as standard .so i am going too get the maximum cranking power i can get which is an exide premium battery if that dont work then its plan b A VERY BIG HAMMER good luck .

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Last Winter as you will recall was pretty severe by our standards .

My brother has a 96 Discovery 300 Tdi and as soon as the temps dropped it wouldn't start in the morning .

Fitted new battery - still had problem .

Got battery exchanged for another new one - still no joy ; wouldn't start first thing in the morning .

Went to another source and got another new battery .

Problem solved ; never failed to start after that .

Was once told by a friend who deals in batteries that there is in fact a particular battery listed for the 300 Tdi .

I also noticed over the last 2 yrs or so the quality of batteries seems to have declined somewhat in the sense that they are not capable of producing what it states on the label . One guy told me that he had invested in an expensive device for checking the actual output of batteries - and was surprised to find that many fell quite a bit short of what was stated .

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Lots of stop start driving doesn't give your alternator time to recharge your battery fully, and I bet your running blowers lights etc etc. = reduced battery capacity

Cold weather needs more cranking time. = battery needs to supply more power.

Leaving the radio on (unless it's running big amps etc.), even for several hours, shouldn't drain the battery enough to prevent starting. Indicates lack of charge/faulty battery.

Have you had the alternator output checked, it might be getting a bit tired and not putting out enough amps.

Not forgetting the wonderful land rover wiring loom, poor connections under size wires etc etc.

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I remember when mine was acting in a similar manner, cold weather not enough juice to crank the engine but after the booster pack it'd run fine until left overnight and then back to the beginning.

New glow plugs solved it.

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Took the battery back today as it was still under warrantee and they checked it and told me it was charged and ok, I'd had to use the jump pack to get her going and went straight there approx 2 mins down the road so I'm guessing that short journey would not have injected much life into the battery. I told him I suspected that the battery was simply just not big enough, he then got his big battery book out and said there you go mate its the heavy duty one as advised in here, I looked and the suggested battery was only 450 cca, so I got him to exchange it for a 700cca, which I think is more like it, so fingers crossed eh?.

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My 200 is running an 069 battery, 570CCA, I occasionally have problems getting it to turn over in a morning. I've now found that if its very sluggish to turn, I stop, give it another long blast on the glowplugs, and then its fine, usually turning over much quicker and firing as it does in the summer, when I don't bother with the plugs.

I also drive down my quiet cul-de-sac without lights on, don't use the blower, and turn my headlights off as soon as I get on the works carpark. My journey to work is only 5 minutes, 5 1/2 if I get stopped by the traffic lights!

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Hi,

I have a similar issue at the moment but I've traced my problem. I would reiterate what the poster above said about checking current draw between the battery's positive terminal and the red cable with a multimeter - I have a drain of 3a.

This drains my battery overnight - obviously a bit more dramatic than yours but possibly a similar issue. I have traced my issue to the rectifier pack in the alternator - i seem to have a diode that isnt diodeing! It charges great but it drains at least as fast.

On my previous, veg oil powered truck, I had another similar problem that there werent enough cranking amps to get it going on a chilly morning - no preheater system or anything so it did take some oomph. I just added a second battery - £10 from a scrap transit solved the problem.

I would seriously get your meter out and have a check - if there is nothing to find you can cross it off the list if nothing else.

Stu.

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My 110 has got a Varta 072 battery on it, at 4 years old its never, ever presented a problem, I do 7 miles to and from work, until recently it had tones of lights on and a little alternator.. In the depths of last winter I would drive to work, park, fire it up 15 mins later to jump start the works van, then park it up until home time, then drive home. this got repeated for 6 weeks or so, 5 days a week. its never failed me yet. oh and its never seen a charger.

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This is what I do, as I use my 200tdi every day for a 5 mile drive to work, during the cold weather.

1, recharge battery every weekend

2, carry a spare battery and jumper leads incase I leave the lights on

3, recharge the spare battery weekly

4, have a 2nd spare battery in the shed and charge it weekly just in case.

I use a Gunson Auto charger which I have extended the cables on to 5 meters so I can have the charger in the garage and it is very reliable

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This is what I do, as I use my 200tdi every day for a 5 mile drive to work, during the cold weather.

1, recharge battery every weekend

2, carry a spare battery and jumper leads incase I leave the lights on

3, recharge the spare battery weekly

4, have a 2nd spare battery in the shed and charge it weekly just in case.

I use a Gunson Auto charger which I have extended the cables on to 5 meters so I can have the charger in the garage and it is very reliable

But if the battery , alternator and starting circuits are all working then this is unnecesary, surley better to solve the problem than go through this !!!!

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