Thread: Car won't start!

Originally Posted by 350RRC

ALL the batteries I've ever had with the 'magic eye' have lasted 4 yrs max.

The ones I'm using now are old school, same as the one I replaced that went for 10 years and it wasn't new when I got it.

DL

The trouble with those 'magic eyes' is that they only monitor one cell out of six. I've had a few batteries die where the magic eye showed the battery was ok.

Originally Posted by Tombie

I’ve seen a battery go from functional to fault in 2 minutes.

Especially in a D2!

Originally Posted by superhet

The trouble with those 'magic eyes' is that they only monitor one cell out of six. I've had a few batteries die where the magic eye showed the battery was ok.

That is because they are a float like in ye olde battery electrolyte tester, and show different colours depending on the SG (specific gravity) of the cell they are floating in.

Originally Posted by Bohica

I went to remove the positive terminal. It was loose. I tightened it up, the car started. I could not lock or unlock the car. The the car would not start. I pit in the new battery same story. Tightened up the positive terminal and twisted it to get a good grip and could lock, unlock and start the car. Can the terminal be fixed? The old battery will go on the charger/recondition box, see how that goes.

Best option for the battery connector on the D2 is to remove the silly connector and replace with a proper connector that can clamp properly.
In the mean time if the connector doesn't clamp the battery post tightly and you can move connector by hand, you can wrap a small sheet of folded foil around the battery post to 'fatten' it up a little to get a bit more clamping force on the battery post.

Then organise a proper connector for the cabling which excludes the original type! Just about every other connector type is better(long term) than what LR thought was a good idea.

If you have an Aux battery, then you have an dual battery isolator of some type. Which type(brand/model).

Some allow for a switch connection that will allow you an easy over-ride method to jump start a dead main(starter) battery ... in future.
Works a treat say if you forget lights on, or some other reason that the start battery simply dies on 'ya.

And don't trust those magic eye doodads either. Like one reply mentions(superhet) they only monitor one cell, and it's always a different cell that dies.
If main battery dies such a death, the over-ride jump start feature of those aux battery manager devices can help(but not guaranteed too).

Also, don't assume your alternator is charging at full whack too, with all the tools you have recently acquired in having entered the LR world ... x2!! ... it's unlikely you don't have a multimeter to check charge voltage whilst you're at it.

When you did all that and car didn't start, did you at least hear the starter relay click on when you tried to start and it wouldn't.

I'd say for now(the quick fix) is use the folded foil around the battery post method to keep the connector and battery post both secured to each other tightly. You shouldn't be able to twist the lead by hand.

ps. if you require help to replace the positive lead connector, I have the hydraulic tool to attach proper connectors if you want. It'd just be a matter of arranging a time to meet to do the job.