Discovery 2 TD5 - Slow Crank and Starting Problem

[Lemo]

The D2 TD5 has now had trouble starting a few times! 287000km and not 100% if original starter?

First notice when it wouldn't just fire up as usual, a little slow.
Then was like it had a flat battery but started.
And today wouldn't start at all!!! Had to get the jump pack out!!! Still no go measured battery volts and a little low at 11.7 so threw the charger on and was literally on for 5 minutes and bang away it went.

I've done some searching and am think it's the contacts in the starter?

Am I correct??

Cheers Lemo

[Rok_Dr]

How old is your battery? It could be on the way out as 11.7v is pretty low.

Cheers

Steve

[Lemo]

How old is your battery? It could be on the way out as 11.7v is pretty low.

Cheers

Steve

Less then six months old

Also posted this question in the D2 section and as thought I might get more action!

So have a few things to follow up!

Battery was flat and will need to chase why?? Something's now drawing power to make the battery go flat or might be the alternator not charging fully?? But I've measured alternator at 14.2 volts so assume it's ok?

Lemo

[AK83]

Less then six months old

Also posted this question in the D2 section and as thought I might get more action!

So have a few things to follow up!

Battery was flat and will need to chase why?? Something's now drawing power to make the battery go flat or might be the alternator not charging fully?? But I've measured alternator at 14.2 volts so assume it's ok?

Lemo

Just because it's pretty new at 6 months old, don't discount it from the equation!
While mine was a bit more when it started, it forced me to buy a ammeter addon for my multimeter to measure power draw with car switched off. Found nothing out of the ordinary, and the slowly dying battery syndrome continued for a few months till I took it back to the shop, for them to test it to show me it was fine(which I know it wasn't).
A month later I had a major starting issue, where even jump starting it would crank the Tdi over, and had to bypass the starter battery and start from the Aux alone.
Took battery in, luckily the Century rep guy was there at the same time, he tested, confirmed a dead/dying cell and I finally got them to replace it.

The previous issue I had was driving the car there with the battery connected, which gave the battery a half decent surface charge, so when they tested it they found it was OK.

If you have the ability to pull the battery out and keep the D2 going, charge it up, pull it out, leave it for a day or two to sit, see if it has any juice.
(doing something so simple saves your hair from being pulled trying to chase a problem that doesn't exist on the car! ;))

ps. the other thing I've now taken notice of:
I used to also get 14.2 or so on initial charging of the dying/dead battery, which would reduce to about 13.8v or a bit less(eg. 13.5-13.6v) after a long while(eg. 1-2hr min drive).
Sort of made sense, as the battery reaches capacity voltage is supposed to drop.
But now, with the same alternator/aux battery setup as previously, with the only change being the new main battery, I see a slightly higher initial starting charge(14.3 min, usually 14.4v) and it never drops below 13.8v.

Could a slightly lower than 13.8v charge displayed over the long term charging cycle, be an indication that a battery is failing?

[Rok_Dr]

Less then six months old

Also posted this question in the D2 section and as thought I might get more action!

So have a few things to follow up!

Battery was flat and will need to chase why?? Something's now drawing power to make the battery go flat or might be the alternator not charging fully?? But I've measured alternator at 14.2 volts so assume it's ok?

Lemo

Yep I agree that the Alternator's OK with those volts. And x2 Arthur's advice re giving the battery a good charge and see how it holds up before digging deeper.

Cheers
Steve