urgent help

[suggs]

got a problem

just been out in the 90 (200tdi) parked it up at the shops for a few hours and come out and batterys totaly dead, i mean not a glimer of life no dash lights etc. its been fine all day and had no problems over the last week and been using most days.

this is were its getting worrying, there was nothing left on to drain it no lights radio etc nothing, i open the battery box and the battery was very hot, checked the levels in it and there ok, i was only 5 mins from home so got a jump start and it fired up and got me home ok.  checked when i got home and again the battery is mega hot to the point you cant touch it for more than a second or two, ive disconected it and its been half and hour and its still very hot but i think its cooling down now.


ive had a quick check of the main cables best i could in the failing light and cant see and problems as there all well out the way on the top of the chassis rail.

i recently fitted a starter motor so had a feel about and the cables arnt loose, i connected the earth to the block to the front of the starter on one of the bolts facing towards the front of the truck i take it thats correct, its been fine up untill now and its been fitted a few weeks, other than that nothing has changed and ive not been off road recently. cant make it out

battery is still flat but giving off about 11v. battery is about 9-10 months old

any ideas

[pux]

have u checked the alternator is charging ?? as mine went with no warning at all :-k

[suggs]

nah not yet mate to dark now, but would that cause the battery to get very hot..


whats the best way to check if its charging, volt meter on the battery with the engine runing? what should it be reading

[Rasbo]

if the batterys getting hot sounds like you've got a short somewhere. check your wiring, esspecially where it goes between the bulkhead and the gbox.

[suggs]

yeah thats the first thing i did, couldnt see anything out of place but  need to have a better look.

wonder if its the winch :-.

[SimonHarwood]

Try a continuity check between positive and negative with an auto-ranging multi-meter (with the battery disconnected). If you get a reading and you are sure that everything is off then there will be a short somewhere. You will need to physically disconnect everything that you know is powered when the ignition is off. You may also need to disconnect the alternator.

If you know someone who has an insulation tester (any electrician), you could ask them to test the insulation for you. You would definitely need the alternator, plus anything electronic (radio, CB, alarm, etc), disconnected for this even though the nominal test voltage would only be 250volts.

[piggysteve]

Could it be a short through the alternator ?

[Saffy]

Have you checked the voltage at battery with engine running - the alternator might be chucking out way too much voltage, though it usually the alternator you smell cooking first. You should be getting around 13.6 - 14.4 volts max. Then turn off engine and you should immediately a similar voltage across terminals which drops back a bit depending on the charge. Your 11volt is a flattened battery, might have internal fault if you getting only that after a charge. 

[bertie_bas205]

As Saffy said, though I'd try a different battery in. Could be a buckled plate in the battery...


Bertie.

[suggs]

cheers lads

ive got the battery on charge now so i can test the alternator, spoke to my local landy garage and they would put money on it being the alternator gone, as you say the voltage regulator if knacked will put way to many volts into the battery.

think the battery will be fryed now though,  its fairly new so should get it changed under warrenty as the garage said they will just back it so shouldnt be an issue..


ill update when the battery is charged and i get it running, thats if the battery will hold a charge to get it started, otherwise ill jump it.

[suggs]

decided to jump it and im getting a steady 12.8v with the engine running, took it for a 30 min drive to give the battery a charge. never got hot but got back and the battery was still flat and showing 11.9v..

[Mutz]

Think you will find that 12.8v isnt good enough, my Paj used to charge at that but was always dying after a while.
AA checked it out when it didnt start and said altrnator stuffed.
Dont own it now so dont know what outcome was, but my money is on the alternator.

[suggs]

not sure to be honest, but my Disco 2 V8 is the same 12.8v.

garage are giving me another  battery and will test the old one, its now showing 12v engine off but only just managing to start

[Saffy]

if other vehicle is same then possible your meter might be reading out of calibration so it's just an indicator rather than true representation of voltage.

[suggs]

yeah could be

today after battery being on charge all night  and going for a drive with lights and heater etc on im getting 12.5 engine off and 12.9 to 13v running, started fine too and not getting hot when driving.

seems to be normal at the moment, think this is a itermitant fault.

only other thing i can think of is i noticed my winch isolating cut-off was left on after my last off road trip, wonder if theres a fault in the winch electrics. the winch is working ok

[pux]

my 200tdi Def is running at 14.1 volts when driving ;)

[suggs]

wel been out for a about a 50 mile drive today with a few stops and had no issues, its running at between about 12.7 to 13.2 volts. think it depends on the load needed like if the lights are on etc.

but could be my meter as my Disco is the same.

still dosent clear up why the battery flat lined and boild up at the same time :?, but i did notice that silly little lead on the starter was a bit loose so that would give the impression that the battery is stone dead if it wasnt making a connection..

[pux]

Glad its working now mate, when she becoming a soft top :D <<<<love that guy lol

[suggs]

well im not convinced its defo sorted, but its ok at the moment but think it may come back to haunt me sooner or later lol.


soft top wise, ive got the canvas and ive got the bar to re-mount the seatbelts, im just on the look out for the sticks, probley have to order new ones so may have to wait a bit longer as spent a lot this month already.

wont be long though :dance: