12,500 klm in 9 weeks get home battery problems

[Mjak42]

Well we arrived home after towing caravan to WA and up to Ningaloo from Victoria, what an awesome trip and an amazing car, no problems at all apart from a loose plug on r/f height sensor, 12,500 klms car says fuel usage 14.5L/100 kept a tally of fuel used and it’s really 16.5L/100 for entire trip.
Got home car sat for two days in miserable Victorian weather and flat battery, battery usually lasted 4 days of doing short trips to the shops and I’d give it a charge up but it’s not even lasting a day, charged overnight wife went to babysit granddaughter car sat in cloudy rainy weather so nothing much off solar panel on roof, went to come home this afternoon and it’s flat, jumped it and got it home, never had a problem on the trip, we had great weather so solar was charging it well plus 3-4 hours of driving, battery is 3 years old.
I think I’m in for a new battery, any tips on which battery for a 2011 4.4TDV8186018

[Laurie]

Get the battery checked, also check the alternator output, 4.4 alternators are a known issue. Battery type can also be an issue. I believe AGM was the original type; normal batteries etc need a different charging regime to AGM, if you have IID tool you can select the appropriate charging program to suit battery type and size.

Laurie

[Mjak42]

Get the battery checked, also check the alternator output, 4.4 alternators are a known issue. Battery type can also be an issue. I believe AGM was the original type; normal batteries etc need a different charging regime to AGM, if you have IID tool you can select the appropriate charging program to suit battery type and size.

Laurie

Thanks Laurie, alternator should be fine I replaced that February last year with genuine, battery on jump start was 13.5v once car started jumped to 14.5v wife drove home 4 klms parked in garage, I tried to start again and just clicked. I’ll use the gap tool to check and make sure of alternator output, what is it supposed to be ?

[Graeme]

I have a Varta G14 start-stop in mine. It even survived being flattened by a short-circuited alternator so its replacement has been sitting around for 14 months getting an occasional charge.

[Mjak42]

I have a Varta G14 start-stop in mine. It even survived being flattened by a short-circuited alternator so its replacement has been sitting around for 14 months getting an occasional charge.

Hi Graeme,

Battery definitely dead, had it on charge for two days, tried it and cranking voltage was only 6 volts, turned it off and couldn’t start again.
Why did you go with the Varta G14 start stop ? looked up Varta website and they recommended for my 4.4TDV8 the following
186042

cheers Mike

[Graeme]

I chose the start-stop as unfortunately I do mostly short runs so wanted as quick as possible recharge.