AGM battery out of my Range Rover ...

Refueler

Refueler

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Just had the AGM changed out of my Range Rover .... still holds good charge etc - but when I left the RR at airport few weeks back - after 6 days - would not start. Luckily I had my Jump Pack with me ...

The old battery will now provide low demand service in one of my boats ..... 100 A/hr ....
 
Refueler said:
Just had the AGM changed out of my Range Rover .... still holds good charge etc - but when I left the RR at airport few weeks back - after 6 days - would not start….
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I’m confused. If it “still holds good charge” why would it not start your car after six days? To me, that would be an indication that battery is cream-crackered.
 
Cranking a Range Rover and supplying a low demand need in a boat are two totally different things....it'll be fine.
I.ve always done similiar, why waste a battery after all......
 
Alicatt said:
With all the low level electrical gizmos on the Range, in winter the battery can get depleted quite quickly to a level it wont start the engine,
Gone through quite a few batteries over the years with the Range Rover.
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Range Rovers are one of the few cars that even without Stop - Start require AGM. They really are heavy on the batterys.

If you are silly enough to fit a standard Lead Acid - its usual that the battery then only serves you for a year or so ... crazy but true.

Anyway - I've now got a 'reasonable' used AGM to use on one of my boats ...

Its interesting - another matter : The RR requires resetting the Computer when you change battery. Most Auto-Service cannot do it as it requires JLR OBD2.
Because of the awkward position the battery is in - looking from front of car - top left corner right under the bonnet hinge. It requires putting bonnet into 'service position' .... 90 degrees. Then you need to be TALL or on steps to be able to lift that sucker out !
I told Auto-service to do it .... it was in for replace two rear Parking Sensors (requires remove whole rear bumper), overall check before it goes for annual CSDD (MOT) ...
The service had already said they do not have the JLR program - they are a general service ... so battery coding would be my responsibility.

I have the Launch Elite x431 OBD2 unit with JLR program out of box ... I also downloaded Opel (for the two Opel cars I have) and Volvo for the Volvo I have as well. No problem ... service gave me 'key' .... In car - there was the Battery warning symbol meaning not initialised. Plugged in the Launch .. went through the sequence and bingo - all coded and initialised ...

I was a little concerned that I might need to buy the GAP tool - but the Launch has proven itself again. Before it proved itself on the DPF and Air . Gas sensors.
 
I don't have the "Full Fat" RR just the RR "Lite" RR Sport, it has the TDV8 engine and the battery is in the rear passenger side of the engine bay, current battery is 3 years old and still performing well, part of the issue with mine was not driving it enough and letting the battery discharge too often, the security package constantly draws current and reporting the car's location etc. I did not go for the dual battery option, I did think about it but it was a bit overkill for what is basically used as a long distance road car with some off road use.

I have a generic WiFi OBD2 to plug into the car, it is compatible with the Sport and also my MG ZT 260 which is the difficult one as the car is a hybrid of BMW and Ford electronics with a gateway black box to translate between the two, so you can read the BMW codes easily but not all OBD2 devices will work through the gateway to get the engine data or even reprogram the Ford ECU. Mine has been reprogrammed for the supercharger, it gave the engine a mild boost to 398bhp.
The BMW electronics in the car have been reprogrammed as I changed out the sat nav receiver and 4:3 head unit from the CD based one to a DVD one from a BMW M3 giving a 16:9 widescreen display.

I have a VAG diagnostic cable, it belonged to my brother, he used it on his Subaru, the Subaru had two engine maps in the ECU which you could swap between them by doing a combination of holding buttons and pressing pedals to change the map at start up, normal power was 305bhp at the wheels, don't know what the other map had but it was noticeably more powerful. Car was not that fast for top speed, reaching the limiter at 265km/h but it only took seconds to get there.
Banzai!
 
Refueler said:
Range Rovers are one of the few cars that even without Stop - Start require AGM. They really are heavy on the batterys.
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Refueler said:
Its interesting - another matter : The RR requires resetting the Computer when you change battery. Most Auto-Service cannot do it as it requires JLR OBD2.
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May I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the Bad Design thread in the Lounge?
 
Refueler said:
Go get a Range Rover and then post again ...
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I use a LR Disco for towing plant at work (Building trade). It can be left for weeks and amazingly it starts right on the button. Interestingly, the newer one we bought to replace that tired old TDV6 ground to a halt when the crankshaft snapped in half (seriously!) - a very common thing apparently. The local LR specialist (Landapart, Woodbridge) told us that was the 14th one they had dealt with that year (2024) with this fault. So I’ll have to decline your invitation to buy a Land Rover.
Crank shaft snapping
 
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The problem of modern cars with all sorts of electronic gizmos sucking the life out of batteries, can be solved by installing a very small (ie less than 6w) PV panel, and then if leaving the car for an extended period, parking where it should get some sun.
 
NormanS said:
The problem of modern cars with all sorts of electronic gizmos sucking the life out of batteries, can be solved by installing a very small (ie less than 6w) PV panel, and then if leaving the car for an extended period, parking where it should get some sun.
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Fine ..... but I live in Baltics and at the time of parked - weather was overcast every day and anyway - sun is very low on horizon here this time of year ... a trickle panel would not be any good .. I have a number of them which I used in UK ... but having tried them here ... useless except in Summer.

Even my Volvo XC70 will die if left more than a week or so ....

I know people who disconnect their battery and accept the loss of user settings of radio etc ....
 
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TDV6's are known for breaking cranks....... its actually a ford so you would think better.
There is a brilliant German couple on youtube that spend their spare time rebuilding them.
LR Time
 
Aquaboy said:
TDV6's are known for breaking cranks....... its actually a ford so you would think better.
There is a brilliant German couple on youtube that spend their spare time rebuilding them.
LR Time
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Middle son has been there too, new engine in his TDV6 Disco, he as sold it on, the bu99er sold my spare wheel with it, he had to go to Eindhoven and get it back :)
Now he has a EQC Merc and he misses the Disco badly, the Disco was a much better tow car.
 
Refueler said:
…Even my Volvo XC70 will die if left more than a week or so ....
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What the hell is going on with your cars??? A car that won’t start after a week unused has something wrong with it. It’s not standard practice for any car manufacturer to design a vehicle that has enough current drain when left unused to flatten a battery in one week. Have you checked alternator outputs of these vehicles?
 
fredrussell said:
What the hell is going on with your cars??? A car that won’t start after a week unused has something wrong with it. It’s not standard practice for any car manufacturer to design a vehicle that has enough current drain when left unused to flatten a battery in one week. Have you checked alternator outputs of these vehicles?
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20 years ago my brother's colleague had a 3series BMW, it's battery was always flat after his 2 weeks off shore, it was down to the alarm system in it
 
Alicatt said:
20 years ago my brother's colleague had a 3series BMW, it's battery was always flat after his 2 weeks off shore, it was down to the alarm system in it
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Why do modern cars not have built-in PV panels, maybe on the roof? I am aware that they don't do well if you park in a dark place. My experience was after leaving my car for five weeks. The AA man said that I was the third that he had attended that morning for the same reason. It was his suggestion to fit the small PV panel, which now sits permanently on the dashboard.
 
fredrussell said:
What the hell is going on with your cars??? A car that won’t start after a week unused has something wrong with it. It’s not standard practice for any car manufacturer to design a vehicle that has enough current drain when left unused to flatten a battery in one week. Have you checked alternator outputs of these vehicles?
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Seems you are only one who questions it ...

Ok - maybe a week is a bit short on the Volvo - but because I have the two cars sitting at home - if I don't use the Volvo at least 1x in 10 days or so - I need a jump pack.

As another says - its the alarm systems and other low level crap installed in todays cars that are the reason. In the old days - you could leave a Cortina etc for months and still get it to start ...
 
fredrussell said:
I use a LR Disco for towing plant at work (Building trade). It can be left for weeks and amazingly it starts right on the button. Interestingly, the newer one we bought to replace that tired old TDV6 ground to a halt when the crankshaft snapped in half (seriously!) - a very common thing apparently. The local LR specialist (Landapart, Woodbridge) told us that was the 14th one they had dealt with that year (2024) with this fault. So I’ll have to decline your invitation to buy a Land Rover.
Crank shaft snapping
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Many Disco's - especially those setup for commercial work are twin battery .... the Disco I had before was Ex Builders and had the optional twin setup.

RR's also have this option.

Seems strange that an option like that should be offered if its not needed ??
 
Given the complexity of modern cars, surely it's time for all cars to have a battery that can be allowed to go flat - maybe it should be LiFePO - for the "domestics", and a dedicated battery for starting. Bad news for those who come out to airports to jump-start cars after a few weeks away, but good news for the owners.
 
I think no longer having to run a car is one of my favourite things about living on a boat 😂
I genuinely don't miss it at all.
 
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