View Full Version : Main battery performance causes random codes?
goldey
4th November 2022, 09:33 AM
Hi all
Been chasing random faults with rear door latch, suspension fault, transmission fault........
Could an under performing main battery contribute to this issue? No Gap tool to interrogate. Only a OBD2 reader. Supercheap sale on at the moment.
Cheers
Goldey
Barraman
4th November 2022, 10:11 AM
Possibly! I had a 6 mth old main battery drop a cell (as it turned out!) in the back of nowhere. The vehicle kept dropping into neutral and throwing up all sorts of faults on the dash. The Gap tool was awash with faults, in hindsight mostly electrical.
I limped to a roadhouse and called for help as I didn't want to get stuck in a more remote place. We got a tilt-tray truck ride some 300 km to home base. Dud battery replaced under warranty - all good!
Narangga
4th November 2022, 08:49 PM
Hi all
Been chasing random faults with rear door latch, suspension fault, transmission fault........
Could an under performing main battery contribute to this issue? No Gap tool to interrogate. Only a OBD2 reader. Supercheap sale on at the moment.
Cheers
Goldey
From my experience - Yes. Transmission fault was the main one although I did have a door lock do that with the last battery that was failing. HTH.
josh.huber
5th November 2022, 09:09 AM
Someone nearby with a gap can read off the codes mate, only need additional license for additional work. If you have someone nearby you can pay the additional $150 to have your licence added to their tool.
Door lock would likely be age, the rest of us are all changing them these days, 
Suspension fault could be just a blocked drier or something more serious
Transmission fault can also come up for an engine fault, as in the input torque is low so the transmission gives off the light first, I've had that.
The dead battery does get involved at times with the last two
Narangga
5th November 2022, 09:59 AM
Someone nearby with a gap can read off the codes mate, only need additional license for additional work. If you have someone nearby you can pay the additional $150 to have your licence added to their tool.
Door lock would likely be age, the rest of us are all changing them these days, 
Suspension fault could be just a blocked drier or something more serious
Transmission fault can also come up for an engine fault, as in the input torque is low so the transmission gives off the light first, I've had that.
The dead battery does get involved at times with the last two
Experience leads me to differ with you as the FLH started not unlocking with the fob along the Tanami in July and after a battery change due to failed starter battery when I got home it hasn't skipped a beat since.
Jpdv
5th November 2022, 11:59 AM
I've had transmission faults, epb faults, and others I can't remember when the battery is low...  Nary a one since going to a dual battery system and making sure I have at least one battery under 3 years old... Its only my experience, but I'm very confident that a low battery generates a ****load of errors in these vehicles... (or, at least, it's the first thing I'd check before chasing other issues, based on personal results.)
goldey
5th November 2022, 03:22 PM
Thanks all
Bit the bullet and bought a new Century DIN85LH AGM from Supercheap (on sale $369, not bad given it's got 36 mth warranty and almost identical specs as the old Varta coming out of the car).
As I don't have a Gap tool or access to one, can I do a hard reset prior to installing the new battery? Steps I've seen on the net for battery replacement are:
1. close the doors and wait for a few minutes for the screen and lights to disappear inside the vehicle;
2. disconnect the auxiliary battery negative, then positive;
3. disconnect negative lead off main battery;
4. disconnect positive lead off main battery;
5. Remove main battery;
6. Hold the negative and positive leads together for at least 2 minutes (this I assume is the hard reset where any residual voltage is removed from the collection of ECUs);
7. Install the new battery in reverse order as above;
8. Reinstall the aux battery arrangement in reverse order (ie positive first then negative).
Can anyone see any issues with doing this?
Cheers
Goldey
scarry
5th November 2022, 04:03 PM
FWIW,random codes are thrown up by lots of different brands of vehicle with faulty start batteries,or batteries with low charge.
Narangga
5th November 2022, 05:36 PM
Thanks all
Bit the bullet and bought a new Century DIN85LH AGM from Supercheap (on sale $369, not bad given it's got 36 mth warranty and almost identical specs as the old Varta coming out of the car).
As I don't have a Gap tool or access to one, can I do a hard reset prior to installing the new battery? Steps I've seen on the net for battery replacement are:
1. close the doors and wait for a few minutes for the screen and lights to disappear inside the vehicle;
2. disconnect the auxiliary battery negative, then positive;
3. disconnect negative lead off main battery;
4. disconnect positive lead off main battery;
5. Remove main battery;
6. Hold the negative and positive leads together for at least 2 minutes (this I assume is the hard reset where any residual voltage is removed from the collection of ECUs);
7. Install the new battery in reverse order as above;
8. Reinstall the aux battery arrangement in reverse order (ie positive first then negative).
Can anyone see any issues with doing this?
Cheers
Goldey
Above my paygrade sorry. My D3 only requires the clock on the radio to be reset after a new battery.
DiscoJeffster
5th November 2022, 07:46 PM
Thanks all
Bit the bullet and bought a new Century DIN85LH AGM from Supercheap (on sale $369, not bad given it's got 36 mth warranty and almost identical specs as the old Varta coming out of the car).
As I don't have a Gap tool or access to one, can I do a hard reset prior to installing the new battery? Steps I've seen on the net for battery replacement are:
1. close the doors and wait for a few minutes for the screen and lights to disappear inside the vehicle;
2. disconnect the auxiliary battery negative, then positive;
3. disconnect negative lead off main battery;
4. disconnect positive lead off main battery;
5. Remove main battery;
6. Hold the negative and positive leads together for at least 2 minutes (this I assume is the hard reset where any residual voltage is removed from the collection of ECUs);
7. Install the new battery in reverse order as above;
8. Reinstall the aux battery arrangement in reverse order (ie positive first then negative).
Can anyone see any issues with doing this?
Cheers
Goldey
A hard reset won’t do anything to avoid you needing a gap tool. It doesn’t tell it it’s got a new battery. The vehicle knows how many batteries have been fitted and records it (if you follow the reset process using a diagnostic tool) and when you reset it, it resets the charging process
goldey
6th November 2022, 04:10 PM
So, the only way to reset the BMS is to either buy a gap tool or visit the stealers, is that about right?
I understand there are some advantages in having a Gap tool, but the a bit of change from a thou is kind of better off going to something else.
DiscoJeffster
6th November 2022, 04:25 PM
So, the only way to reset the BMS is to either buy a gap tool or visit the stealers, is that about right?
I understand there are some advantages in having a Gap tool, but the a bit of change from a thou is kind of better off going to something else.
Correct. With everything you can do with it, if you do any work on your car, it’ll pay for itself. It’s not simply a fault reader.
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