Power draining from battery (Fixed)

[BigA]

I have read through a similar thread in in Range rover section but i have a similar problem.

Got a 300 TDI, couple of weeks ago went to start it one morning and the battery was dead, just getting a click from the starter. Battery was a bit suspect so i brought a new one. Also recently replaced the alternator.

All seemed ok for a couple of weeks, and yesterday went out to the same issue. Charged the battery back up and all ok, but within a couple of hours it is flat again.

i have checked the alternator is charging, and getting minimum 13.7 volts when engine is running. I have tried the test with a bulb between the positive terminal of the battery, and the positive lead. the bulb doesn't light up when the ignition is off, if the door is opened i get a low glow, presumably from the internal lights coming on, and if i turn the ignition on the bulb lights fully.

only thing i havent/cant test is if its the alarm/immobiliser flattening the battery?


any help or suggestions greatly appreciated? :x

[Frankie-Boy]

Hi Andy,

Thinking about it your trouble started after you fitted that second hand alternator, it doesn't seem to be charging at a high enough rate and also might be causing a discharge.

If you are happy that your brand new battery is ok, I'd suggest another alternator before trying to find a fault which probably isn't there.

[BigA]

Hi Andy,

Thinking about it your trouble started after you fitted that second hand alternator, it doesn't seem to be charging at a high enough rate and also might be causing a discharge.

If you are happy that your brand new battery is ok, I'd suggest another alternator before trying to find a fault which probably isn't there.

Frank,

i have checked the alternator again, and it is giving a reading of 13.8 - 13.9 v, and when lights, indicators, wipers, heater etc. on still about the same. This i belive is an acceptable reading after some investigation and checking?


Also, the battery is draining now in about an hour from a sucesfull ignition, with the disco parked on the drive, not locked and not running? so i think i have ruled out the alternator, but i could be wrong? and..... even if i charge the battery for some time, e.g. overnight, it is still not showing on the charger as fully charged, which i would expect?

i am goin gto take the battery back and get it checked out, and go from there i think?

[Frankie-Boy]

Sounds like a good move Andy, the new battery could be faulty, it does happen sometimes.

[barmiebrumie]

Have a loan of someone else's battery for a night  :-k



John

[howlinmadmartin]

had a similar problem on a 300tdi defender at work the once, it turned out that the brushpack was shagged and was back feeding down to earth through the alternator. may be worth a few quid rather than an alternator or battery.

[BigA]

had a similar problem on a 300tdi defender at work the once, it turned out that the brushpack was shagged and was back feeding down to earth through the alternator. may be worth a few quid rather than an alternator or battery.

Also had a call last night from Lifteddisco who suggested a similar problem with the alternator so today have been out checking again. i get no difference in amps drawn (i think, doubting my multimeter now) with the alternator connected or disconnected, and i have completely disconnected it. also found today on another forum that the only likely causes of draining power as quickly as i am experiencing is the alternator, glow plug relay of heated windscreen. i dont have a heated windscreen so thats out. the glow plug relay is looking a bit past it, mud every where and cover loose, but again when disconnected no change.

having said all that, since jump starting it this morning, and about 3 hours have passed, it is starting ok still??

[adamdanshona]

I have the same problem with mine I have gone through two heavy duty batterys in six months!! Again alternator ok.
Car ok if used daily but if left a day has trouble starting,also I have to have the glow plugs on three times before it will start,ok when warm.
I am begining to suspect a bad earth or my factory alarm.
It is very slow to turn over when cold,faulty starter motor?

[BigA]

The saga continues......

Car ok if used daily but if left a day has trouble starting,also I have to have the glow plugs on three times before it will start,ok when warm.

I use mine daily, and on the Friday before it packed up was out and about all day? with the new battery on, it also starts (when it starts) without the glow plug, first turn?

Sat this afternoon with alternator disconnected, and after about 2 and half hours, flat battery again, starter slowly turning. Put on charge for 20 minutes and started perfectly.

I rang the place i brought the battery from this afternoon, and they suggested that i take it down on the vehicle and they would to a drain test, typical i thought after flaffing all day. So of i popped down to see the nice helpful chap.....


Got there, they tested the battery with the thingy that goes across the terminals, this almost melted so he says.... thast fine. He checks the voltage from the alternator, and again.... thats fine. so he packs his kit up and says.... must be your starter motor ???  I just started it twice with him ??? then i get the..... leave it hear overnight, and if it s flat we will get it in the garage and started trying to find the drain???

suffice to say, i politely turned down there offer.

battery is now off, and i will test again in the morning after it has not been connected all night.

[BigA]

A further update....

Connected battery this morning after being disconnected all night, and she started first turn no problem at all. The test i did yesterday were on the positive side of the battery. after further research last night it looks like i should be doing it on the negative side, so i start again.

with the meter set to 20amps i get a reading of 0.06 but this keeps spiking to 0.11. as far as i have read anything above 0.03 amps is too high, so as long as i am reading and checking correctly this is too high. so off i go again and start trying to discover the fault. i disconnect the alternator, no change, leave it a few minutes to be sure and still no change. Start removing fuses and no change until i remove the alarm fuse, and it then drops to 0.04. this i think could make sense it may explain the spikes, but the car is unlocked, key out and i dont think the alarm is on???

i start tinkering, i believe the alarm unit is in the center of the dash, so i remove the stereo for a for a peek. upon removal of the stereo, the amps drop to 0.03 and are now staying at that? if i reconnect all goes back up and jumps up and down?

have i found the cause?

is 0.03 amp s OK?
am i doing the test correctly?

sorry for going on so much

[BigA]

4 hours later, wont start again...... fresh charged battery on and turns over straight away.

I have tested with another meter and the drain is showing as 28.8 Ma ????

I think a can of petrol and a match is in need  :x

[weeone]

Sounds like the imobiliser is pooched.
(that's the black spider with a dozen black wires coming out of it....)

I know it can be hauled out & slung in the nettles.... but I've no idea which wires to what :(

[Disco Matt]

Land Rover sell a proper bypass dongle for the alarm spider, I forget the part number but it's worth just buying the proper part, less than the cost of a couple of pints and makes life so much simpler!

Mine had a similar infuriating battery drain a while ago which turned out to be a duff alternator, it wasn't charging the engine when running and it was draining the battery overnight.

[BigA]

OK, after much flaffing about, turned out to be the alternator after all. Only found this out after i thought i had found the problem with the cable from the alternator to the battery, and plugged all back together. went out after about 8 hours and battery flat again. Disconnected alternator lead from alternator to test again in morning and the alternator was nice and warm.

New alternator now and all OK.

Still reading the same amp drain from the battery, which was low anyway, but all seems ok now.

Cheers for all help.