Thread: Lithium Crank Battery

Well Looks Like I learned something today, its a 2013 2.2 Puma and if it has a smart alternator, maybe its not the way to go after all, due to my work commitments it does not get driven too much of late and I don't want to be chasing my tail with battery issues. I will see how the aux batteries pull up after they were discharged a few weeks ago at the mechanics, those too are 9 and 10 year old FullRivers so had a very good run from the lead lumps, just heavy.

All that being said has anyone got a part number for the replacement Varta battery? Their website is not the most helpful.

Thanks for all the honest answers

Garry

Originally Posted by drivesafe

By about 2008, all Land Rovers were supplied with SMART alternators.

The D3s were the first, but everything else followed.

I've got a 2010 Defender 110 and I can say that it does not have a Smart Alternator. The Alternator quite often charges at 14.4v and I've never seen it below 13.5.

It was my understanding that ALL Puma Defenders do not have Smart Alternators... Happy to be corrected...

I thought the last of the Pumas were equiped with SMART alternators.

But I too will stand corrected.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

I thought the last of the Pumas were equiped with SMART alternators.

But I too will stand corrected.

Hi Tim,
You might need to stand.
I don't know if my alternator is "smart".
I have a late 2012 defer and the battery voltage sits around 14.4 - 14.6v while driving.
Using cheaper led voltmeters so they maybe 0.1 or 0.3 of a volt out but have checked against my fluke and they are not more than that.


Cheers Glen.

Originally Posted by loanrangie

So that begs the question Tim, are you working on a Traxide DCDC suitable for LR's ?

So how do you go with an Aux lithium in something like a New Defender,as it will have a smart alternator,to get it fully charged?

I suppose a Lithium crank battery is out of the question?

Originally Posted by scarry

So how do you go with an Aux lithium in something like a New Defender,as it will have a smart alternator,to get it fully charged?

I suppose a Lithium crank battery is out of the question?

For those with Pumas and they know the voltage is constant at around 14+v, you can easily fully charge a set of lithium batteries. One as a cranking battery and one ( or more ) as an auxiliary battery.

The only problem is that you MUST separate them when you turn the ignition off.

This crap they peddle, where they use a device to separate them when the voltage drops below 12.7v or what ever, is a recipe for disaster.

A lithium battery at 12.7v is almost flat and will have as little as 10% of its capacity left.

As long as you don't go near the vehicle, this would be OK to start the motor, but if you are camping for a few days and your isolator separates the batteries at 12.7v, with the little amount of battery capacity that remains, you only have to open the doors a few times, and you will have a flat cranking battery.

Even with my isolators isolating the cranking battery when it has 50% capacity. I have lost count of the number of times customers have rung up saying they had a flat cranking battery after camping over a weekend and they had to jump start off the auxiliary battery.

The first thing I ask is do they have your children, and almost every time, the answer is yes.

My next question is how many times did they go to the fridge in the vehicle.

The answer is "Lots of times, but the fridge is running off the auxiliary battery, isn't it?"

And my answer is " Yes, but your door switches and interior lights are powered by the cranking battery and is the reason you had a flat cranking battery.

The penny drops.

That's with a cranking battery left with 50% so how long will a battery with only 10% last????????

Originally Posted by loanrangie

So that begs the question Tim, are you working on a Traxide DCDC suitable for LR's ?

Originally Posted by scarry

So how do you go with an Aux lithium in something like a New Defender,as it will have a smart alternator,to get it fully charged?

I suppose a Lithium crank battery is out of the question?

I am working on a solution for this type of setup.

Pretty sure our 2009 Defender does not have a smart alternator as it seems to sit on a constant 13 volts no matter what.
Am I right in thinking lithium batteries need to be charged at 14 volts to fully charge?
Isn't there a difference in battery construction between starting batteries, which are designed to give a short, sharp, high current for starting and recharging, and lithium and deep cycle batteries, which are designed to give slow discharge for running fridges etc?
If the OP got 9 years out of a starting battery that is a very good performance.