D3 TDV6 won't start - maybe dead battery

[PCH]

Hi there,

For the past week my D3 was throwing up errors (HDC fault, transmission fault...) at start up but went away after it started.

This morning it didn't crank very quickly but still cranked and then threw up plenty of errors.

I tried to jump start off the Aux Battery but cranking slowly and won't start so I stopped and left in the SWMBO's car :o

I rang another place than my regular dealer to see if I could get a battery but they said it will really need more than just a battery - it will need to have all errors cleared and it is possbile the alternator will be damaged if the battery has short circuited requiring a new alternator (rebuilding alternators is not economic apparently) :eek:. They suggested they will install another brand "Bond?" which apparently won't internally short and possbily damage the alternator.

This is the second LR battery the D3 has had but I had the previous one changed during a service after noticing the errors at start up which I suspect was due to low voltage but this time I have not been so "lucky"

So I am interested to know if I should be going down the path recommended by this other LR repairer and is it likely that a "dead" or "dying" battery will kill the D3 alternator.

Lastly, is it okay to jump start the D3 off another car since the Aux battery won't start the D3? Any precautions I should take?

Thanks Chris.

[Ashes]

If you can get it started via a jump, I'd take it to a LR dealer. Surprisingly OEM LR batteries are one of the more reasonably priced items and they will be able to easily clear any codes and check the state of the alternator.

[brad72]

Just make sure when you jump start the car that the negative jumper lead is at least 1 meter away from the battery. This usually means attaching it to the big bolt protruding forward from the lower suspension arm on the passenger side. This is where my dealer told me to connect it when I bought the D4.

[PCH]

Thanks Brad72 about the tip on jumping the D3.

I did it with success but then needed to jump it to take it out to the repairers the next morning and it would not start. The battery was really stuffed. I called the RACV who jumped it using a booster and short leads but he did it off the positive and negative terminals - I didn't even think of telling him to earth it off the suspecion bolt as I did the night before. It appears no damage was done but I did drive with a led flashing on the dash and the rear PDC had stopped working.

All the errors were cleared, alternator checked and battery replaced and it starts like new now.

Chris

[Neil P]

...I called the RACV ......who jumped it using a booster and short leads but he did it off the positive and negative terminals - That's a NO NO these days . I would have
thought any roadside assist person would recognise it wasn't a
1976 Ford Escort , when you could do that .

[drivesafe]

Hi PCH and Neil, my RR spat the dummy a week ago and I had to called the RACQ to try to get it going.

I had to stop the service guy from using the battery’s neg when he went to jump start.

He looked mystified but did as I requested.

The problem is that these people are not being trained properly because not connecting to the cranking battery’s negative post for jump starting is actually not something special just to do with Land Rovers.

You should connect the positive lead first to the cranking battery’s positive terminal and then connect the negative lead to some earth point away from the battery on ALL vehicles.

This is done to avoid the chances of a spark occurring near the battery and potentially causing the battery to explode.

What really amused me was, after the RACQ could not get the RR started and removed their battery pack, I went to hook up my battery using my jumper leads and the guy told me “I hope they are suppressed leads”. THEY ARE NOT and don’t need to be!

There are big problems when you have mechanics carrying out auto electrical work.