Thread: Urgent battery assistance please

If the car starts as per normal sometimes but you just get dash lights other times, I'd be checking connections. Particularly the battery terminals, starter connections and battery and engine earths.

Not sure on the ciggy plug jump starter. Is the plug you connect to connected directly to the battery or via accessories?
If straight to the battery then maybe it is a control power issue as the ciggy plug would smoke if you were using it to 100% start the car (or blow the fuse). If connected to accessories then normally that circuit is disconnected when starting so maybe it is a coincidence that it starts.

I don't know much about Defenders so someone with specific knowledge would need to help further.

Sound a little like a dirty or loose terminal to me.
I'd start with the basics...
Remove, clean and refitt the starting battery terminals.
Check fluid levels and top up, clean water at a pinch will work(prefebly while it's charging).
Check the wire on the alternator too and all the main earths.

Can the batteries be swaped over?
The ratings should be OK it's the casing that may prevent fitting.
Have you tried using jumper leads if you have them?

ha mate, not good news. I reckon its a dying or dead cell, as your battery monitor reads full when the engine is on, but low when off, to me this indicates a battery dropping a cell(s).

The engine cutting out could be not enough voltage due to the dropped cell, but once started the alternator will produce enough voltage for engine operation. If you have a 300tdi low voltage will prevent the fuel cut solenoid from opening up fully, if you have a td5 most computors need about 5 volts to operate.

I would use the second battery, that size should fit in and the CCA is fine for that job. Good luck mate.

Thanks for the prompt replies.

A multimeter showed the battery holding 12.8v this morning, which is enough to start the car. The battery has not been charged since I drove the car last night. The electroyte levels are a little low but are still covering the plates. The terminals are seated good and tight: there is nothing loose that I can see.

I don't know what voltages the hi med lo on my crap battery monitor represent. Think I will get a proper battery monitor when I get back to civilization.

The car has started twice so far today without any dramas but this not unusual. I will carry the Century battery with me just in case.

Any other ideas what might be causing the starting problems? When they occur all I get is the red battery light showing on the dash and nothing else. The starter motor will then kick over over but the engine will not come to life The other problem is the car starting as per normal and then stalling within 5 seconds.

If it cranks over fine but will not start then that is different.
If it is a 300 or 200tdi then find the fuel cutout solenoid and check it's wire. That seems a common problem and it would be accelerated in a salty environment.
If it's a Td5 or Tdci then I have no idea.

So what engine do you have?

Check terminals at the battery, then check the earth leads underneath the vehicle - in particular the connection near the transmission. By that I mean make sure there isn't a build up of crap underneath the terminal, so clean them and make sure the terminals are tight - but don't over-tighten them. If you have some vaseline put a smear on the terminals.

Once you know that they are all fine, grab the multimeter and check the battery voltage.

While you still have the multimeter connected get someone else to start the car while you watch the reading - if it drops down to say 11V then you've dropped a cell on that battery.

If it only dropped a small amount (say 12.2V or similar) then continue watching the multimeter and make sure that it starts coming up to above 13V - this will tell you if the alternator is working Ok.



From initial thoughts to your original post I was thinking earth lead straight away, but you need to do those checks with a multimeter as soon as possible.



Cheers
Chris

when you talk about it starting a couple of time was it, start shut down then start again. I have had a similar problem and it was an earth problem, when cold it was ok as resistance is low but when the engine has been running for a while heat creates resistance, so I ran a new earth wire from the starter motor to the chassis. Your problem sounds a little different though.

If the battery has a dead cell it will show full voltage but when under load it will drop right off, to test the battery condition have some one help you have one at the ignition to crank the engine over and have your self at the battery with the multimeter and measure the voltage when the engine is cranking over if it drops below around 10 volts its not healthy.

can you let us know what engine you have.
when the engine turns over but not starting is it slow or normal.

A quick look into some previous posts reveals we are talking about a Puma

Is it posible that like the TD5(that I'm used to) the ECU cuts out at a preset voltage?
The TD5 will crank and if the voltage drops to @ 11volts the ECU will shut down, even though the motor is cracking all be it it slower than normal.

Are the Puma's the same?