intermittent battery light on puma

[wally]

The battery light on my 2012 130 is coming on intermittently. When it comes on the temp gauge and tacho stop working (temp gauge goes straight to top & tacho goes to zero). When the light goes off both gauges bounce back again. Other than that it starts and drives normally. I've had the battery out recently - not sure if it's related. I haven't fiddled with anything else. The battery clamps / terminals are clean and tight. The earth cable is tight where it meets the chassis and gearbox. The little earth lead on the firewall is also tight. Vehicle has only 7000km. Any ideas?

[Naks]

Check your fuses?

[rangieman]

Been through mud lately ? Chops had something similar happen after playing in the mud , A couple of sprays with the garden hose might help if thats the case

[wally]

Check your fuses?

Well I fixed it but I'm not sure what happened. Checking the fuses with the multimeter, one of them showed slight resistance. I took it out, checked it, put it back in, held the multimeter on it with the engine running. Whilst doing that, suddenly the ultragauge sprang back to life (had said "scanning" the whole time) and now all's well again.

[patclan]

Well I fixed it but I'm not sure what happened. Checking the fuses with the multimeter, one of them showed slight resistance. I took it out, checked it, put it back in, held the multimeter on it with the engine running. Whilst doing that, suddenly the ultragauge sprang back to life (had said "scanning" the whole time) and now all's well again.

I have had the UltraGauge actually cause the same issue you are having more than a few times, I just unplug the cable and plug it back in and it is all good, only happens though when I plug it in after it has been running without it in, if you know what I mean.

cheers

[Lagerfan]

I found if you've unplugged the Ultragauge and plug it back it but start the engine without waiting for the "Scanning..." screen to finish you can get a random Xmas tree of lights on the dash, they blink and come on seemingly randomly, battery is a popular one though.

[wally]

It looks like the ultragauge might be the culprit then. So the lesson is probably - if you're disconnecting your battery, unplug your ultragauge first.

[29dinosaur]

It looks like the ultragauge might be the culprit then. So the lesson is probably - if you're disconnecting your battery, unplug your ultragauge first.


I had exactly the same problem last week. Took my battery out to be replaced with new one. Turned on ignition and started - battery light remained on, no tacho, power all over the place (I have a BAS remap). Twigged that could be ultragauge - disconnected it - started car and all back to normal. Replugged in UG and let it do its scan thing and then took off. What a relief to find such as simple solution when you have no electrickery knowledge at all....

[n plus one]

Wired, I run a SCII and have disconnected my batteries heaps of times with no issues?

Maybe I just lucky?

[rgty_kmj]

Yeah, I too have had this. From memory I had the ultra gauge plugged into my wife's VW. Then I plugged the ultra gauge into the defender and started it up and drove down the road about 3 kms then the battery light started flashing and the rev counter dropped down to zero. Also the traction control light came on and stayed on. Suspecting the ultra gauge I pulled it out as I was driving along. This solved the rev counter and flashing battery light. I didn't have time to stop and check it out immediately but about 40 km down the road I turned the engine off and waited for 2 minutes then switched the engine back on and the traction control light went out. Problem solved.

Probably best to let the ultra gauge finish its scanning mode thing before moving off?

Kerry

[maxisweeney]

Anyone else have the battery intermittently come on, which sends the temp gauge instantly straight to the top and stops the taco???.

This may just happen on a engine start up or half way down the road. Switching of and on the engine a couple of times and it will all go back to normal again or it may all just go back to normal whilst driving. I don't have an ultragauge in my defo.

I also have the TC and ABS on full time. They popped on after some beach driving...they may go away individually , but always come back ;)

Appearantly the TC and ABS lights on are a common problem...wouldn't you think LR would sort it :wasntme:

Mine is a 2009 Defender 2.4 88k km

[robharvey]

Check all the fuses and relays under the driver's seat.

[2dae]

Hi guys ive git the same problem taco dead battery light on temp goes to full
I havent got a scangauge hooked up
This seems to be quite a random problem
Also when this happens fender seems to go into limp mode no go
Any idea s would be helpfull all my earths seem ok
Need to get this sorted as we off to the kimberliies soon
Thanks

[wrinklearthur]

Hi guys ive git the same problem taco dead battery light on temp goes to full
I havent got a scangauge hooked up
This seems to be quite a random problem
Also when this happens fender seems to go into limp mode no go
Any idea s would be helpfull all my earths seem ok
Need to get this sorted as we off to the kimberliies soon
Thanks

Something is causing the logic circuits to latch up? Sounds like intermittent stray currents and poor earth's to me.

Go through each earth point ( black wires ) in turn, solder the lugs to the wires, then making sure for where the lugs fasten onto the body or chassis there is 'bright' metal to metal contact, after cleaning any paint or corrosion add some copper coat between the surfaces and then seal over the joints with grease or chassis paint, both are good.

It doesn't need much resistance to upset a low current circuit, the path to earth could then be via a light bulb or a relay coil.
.

[Lorryman100]

@2dae, do you you use a remap interface, scangauge or any type of tool that is plugged into the OBDII socket? I have had the battery light come on and the rev counter drop to zero the odd time in the past, usually after either putting on a remap file or when using a nanocom evo mk1. Before I change any map file I check and save any DTC's logged before resetting them, that way the PCM/IPAC modules are clear of any DTC's before I write a new fuelling file onto the PCM with the remap interface. After the writing process has finished I rescan the modules for DTC's and clear the lost communication DTC's. Once in the past I remember putting on the remap file after leaving the dealers only for the battery light to come on, temp gauge into red and the Puma to enter limp mode. I pulled over and as I carry a scan tool checked the PCM/IPAC for logged DTC's using a MSV2 and found the following tested/untested dtc's even though the fault code history was cleared after writing the new fuel file.

Tested DTC's
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/09/530.jpg

Untested DTC's.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/09/531.jpg

So the above fault codes explained the limp mode and what I was seeing on the IPAC so I saved them and then cleared them with no further re occurrences of the problem. The other times I have seen the battery light and rev counter go to zero was on my mates 08 plate Puma when ever I used the nanocom to check for DTC's. No issues using the tools functions however 90% of the time after shutting off the ignition and removing the OBD plug then reenergizing the ignition circuit the battery light would come on and the temp gauge would shoot up into the red? Which is a common sight when the alien tech remap interface was writing a remap file to the PCM. SO a quick check of the logged DTC's showed the following codes:

NANOCOM - PUMAENG.APP - PUMA ENGINE fault file

C001 - 88
High Speed CAN Communication Bus

---
1643 - 87
Controller area network (CAN) link engine
control module/transmission control
module circuit/network

---
0606 - 49
Engine control module (ECM) processor

internal
electronic failure

---
068A - 00
Engine control module (ECM) power
relay deenergized - too early

---

Again I saved them then reset them. Once the DTC's were cleared the IPAC returned to normal. :thumbsup:

So what was the cause of the issue? On my Puma it was the OBDII socket which I replaced and moved a couple of years ago, and have since then never had the issue. My mate changed his OBD socket but still occasionally gets the temp needle into the red when using certain tools that plug into the OBD socket. Also a point worth noting is that the MSV, IDS, ultragauge, scangauge and Autel units I use regularly have never given any of the above symptoms, only the remap interface and nanocom evo mk1.

HTH Brian. :thumbsup:

[2dae]

No i havent got a scan/ ultra gauge in the vechile
Only have a stienbeur chip
Recently had a earth drama took a bit to track the fault
During the track i removed the dash /insrtument cluster
I removed it again to check the plug on the back of the instrament cluster noticed that the wireing loom has a channel that it sits into it seemed to be sitting across it , maybe kinking the connector making maybe a bad connection
Went for a six hour drive on sunday gone fendr drove well no prob will keep an eye on it
2dae out

[Tikka7mm08]

Just had temp gauge high and battery light on...switched off and left 10 minutes and came right. I have OBDII bluetooth attached. Will check fuses tight and see if it happens again. No faults recorded on the fault scanner.