Member Since: 26 Jun 2010
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 193
Battery killer!
I need some help folks, following on from a previous post I was having problems with the battery warning light appearing. It would generally go out after a few miles but the dealer told me to bring it in so they could check it over in case the alternator was at fault.
It went in yesterday and they found no problems with the alternator or the battery. The light was not coming on at the time so they advised that I could buy a new battery just as a prenentative measure. So I took it to halfords and had their best Bosch unit installed meeting LR's spec. This all happened yesterday with no issues until attempting to come home from work this evening, dead battery and the recovery guy could not start it with his booster pack. 1 hour later back home on the tow truck and I tried my original battery that was working fine before. It started then died very quickly after draining the battery. I now have the new Bosch battery on charge overnight hoping to drive it to the dealers tomorrow. What concerns me is if it is the alternator why is the engine killing batteries so quickly, or is this something else?1964 Series IIA SWB Truck Cab - gone
1981 Series III SWB Hardtop - gone
1982 Series III SWB Hardtop - gone
1997 300Tdi Defender 90 Hardtop - gone
1983 Series III SWB Station Wagon - gone
1979 Series III SWB Station Wagon - gone
2007 90 CSW - gone
2010 USW XS - gone
2006 Disco3 - awesome & gone!
1959 Series II Truck Cab
1984 Series 3 88" CSW
2004 Defender 90 CSW
2016 Disco 4 Landmark
16th Oct 2012 9:17 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72833
Sounds like alternator's knackered.
16th Oct 2012 9:20 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Yep, battery light means alternator, rather than battery - there is no warning light for the battery. Of course, if the alternator is goosed it will kill batteries.
Member Since: 26 Jun 2010
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 193
DSL wrote:
Sounds like alternator's knackered.
Thanks, I just hope it hasn't written off a brand new battery. I'll keep everyone updated once I work out how to get it to the dealers. The assist bods said they can only recover to one destination for the same issue, I chose home seeing as the dealers was closed.1964 Series IIA SWB Truck Cab - gone
1981 Series III SWB Hardtop - gone
1982 Series III SWB Hardtop - gone
1997 300Tdi Defender 90 Hardtop - gone
1983 Series III SWB Station Wagon - gone
1979 Series III SWB Station Wagon - gone
2007 90 CSW - gone
2010 USW XS - gone
2006 Disco3 - awesome & gone!
1959 Series II Truck Cab
1984 Series 3 88" CSW
2004 Defender 90 CSW
2016 Disco 4 Landmark
16th Oct 2012 9:47 pm
kidney wiper
Member Since: 15 Aug 2010
Location: In the Mere
Posts: 87
The alternator is the fault with the battery going flat. I beleive there is a short circuit inside the alternator that totaly discharges the battery as soon as it is installed. I would strongly advise against installing your new battery on to the vehicle as the the high discharge of the battery via the alternator could warp the plates inside it rendering it useless. Get it recovered & a new alternator fitted asap.
Last edited by kidney wiper on 17th Oct 2012 6:03 pm. Edited 2 times in total
16th Oct 2012 9:48 pm
mzplcg
Member Since: 23 Jun 2009
Location: Gone
Posts: 1087
Just to echo the post above, I have personal experience of this with another member on here. His D3 was doing this and we found that the alternator had turned into a 3 bar electric heater. The current draw was in excess of 20 amps, the point where my Fluke internal fuse blew when we were tracing the drain and it was way too hot to touch. All in less than 2 minutes from connecting up a new battery.
Connecting up a fully charged battery if the alternator has gone short-circuit could easily lead to a fire. The big fat cable, the one which services only the starter and alternator is NOT FUSED !!
17th Oct 2012 7:10 am
PhyrraM
Member Since: 03 Oct 2012
Location: California
Posts: 13
I'll also add that I recently had the alternator fail in a short circuit. Passed enough current to make that "burnt electrical" smell and smoke noticably from the alternator.2006 LR3 V8 HSE
Yes definitely alternator fault seen this a few times now and as said above can damage your battery with such a heavy drain on it..there is a fuse in the system, if you look at the text from the Workshop manual it virtually states that for any charging or heavy battery drain change the alternator..
P062200 Generator Field
Terminal Circuit
ï¬ Generator circuit fault
ï¬ Generator failure
Refer to the electrical guides and check the
generator circuit. Repair/renew as necessary. Refer
to the relevant workshop manual section.
P062500 Generator Field
Terminal Circuit Low
ï¬ Voltage sense circuit high
resistance
ï¬ Generator B+ circuit high
resistance/intermittent
ï¬ Generator monitor circuit
short circuit to ground
Check the main charging circuit fuse. Check the
charging voltage. Check the charging system
circuits. Refer to the electrical guides. If no fault is
found in the circuits, install a new generator. Refer
to the relevant workshop manual section. Clear the
DTCs and test for normal operation.
P062600 Generator Field
Terminal Circuit High
ï¬ Generator connector
loose/not connected
ï¬ Generator monitor circuit
short circuit to power
ï¬ Generator monitor circuit
high resistance
Check the charging voltage. Check the charging
system circuits. Refer to the electrical guides. If no
fault is found in the circuits, install a new generator.
Refer to the relevant workshop manual section.
Clear the DTCs and test for normal operation.
P065B00 Generator Control
Circuit
Range/Performance
ï¬ Generator control circuit
short circuit to ground
ï¬ Generator control circuit
short circuit to power
ï¬ Generator control circuit
high resistance
Check the generator and circuits. Refer to the
electrical guides. Repair/renew as necessary. Clear
the DTCs and test for normal operation.
Page 2 of 2
Flack
17th Oct 2012 7:39 am
MarkOne
Member Since: 23 Jul 2011
Location: County Antrim
Posts: 3345
What's shocking about this is that you explained to the dealer the problems you where having and they still sent you away. Wonder what they would have said if she had went on fire on you.
It seems the difficulty is with the alternators and not the dealers. When I had similar problems and I was told by dealer and by Land Rover Assist that "the alternator is fine" so I asked "Show me the readings" which both did and they were fine - at that moment in time. Didn't stop altenaror destroying itself shortly afterwards!!A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
17th Oct 2012 5:29 pm
hgbosch
Member Since: 25 Oct 2010
Location: Pretoria and Zürich, Switzerland
Posts: 188
Hi MrWoo
was the battery fitted to your vehicle by any chance a silver calcium battery?
We have had this phenomenon here in SA where the alternators burnt a zener diode when the battery in question short circuited. In every case, it used to be a silver calcium battery.EX AFRICA SEMPER ALIQUID NOVI
SEMPER IN FAECIBUS SUMUS SOLE, PROFUNDUM VARIAT
with kind regards
George Bosch
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
2003 Range Rover Td6
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi (sold)
And some more serious stuff
19th Oct 2012 2:14 pm
MRWOO
Member Since: 26 Jun 2010
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 193
Just to complete the story......the problem has now been resolved with a new alternator. So what started as an intermittent battery warning light that went away turned into something that drained batteries on the turn of the key. Thanks for all the brilliant advice.
Biggest pain in the butt was getting it recovered to the garage as the recovery people had recovered me home the previous evening, they would not recover me again to the dealers! The dealers paid for one of their own recovery firms to take it in.
Top notch service to Hunters Chester, and as a previous reply says I'm not sure they would of guaranteed what the problem was first time when the diagnostics were clear.1964 Series IIA SWB Truck Cab - gone
1981 Series III SWB Hardtop - gone
1982 Series III SWB Hardtop - gone
1997 300Tdi Defender 90 Hardtop - gone
1983 Series III SWB Station Wagon - gone
1979 Series III SWB Station Wagon - gone
2007 90 CSW - gone
2010 USW XS - gone
2006 Disco3 - awesome & gone!
1959 Series II Truck Cab
1984 Series 3 88" CSW
2004 Defender 90 CSW
2016 Disco 4 Landmark
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