Thread: Staying power - and dual batteries

Not surprisingly, I agree with Drivesafe. Everytime you "äctivate" part of the vehicle, the car "wakes up" increasing the battery drain. This also happens with D3s.

Fortunately, you had the auxiliary battery, otherwise the "low battery" condition would have shown up much earlier.

In my D3, I too have a second battery controlled by a Traxide kit. Nevertheless, I have purchased a solar panel and accessories (still to be installed ) in order to keep the battery charged in circumstances such as you describe.

The alternative is larger and/or more auxiliary batteries.

Best Wishes,
Peter

Hi Jesse, did you find out if your mate’s phone still had Bluetooth active while you were camped?

When a door is opened the car wakes up as it thinks your about to start it.. even if u close the door the CAN systems are still active.. for at least 30 mins after the door is closed.. and left unlocked... also letting it idle will do bugger all at charging the battery... as this cars DON'T have aultenators.. they are a new type of generators.. I'm not going to bor you with how they work but simply to charge.the battery it needs to be driven..

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Jesse, did you find out if your mate’s phone still had Bluetooth active while you were camped?

Tim - not yet, but I've emailed him re this, and will post the answer when I have it.

Appreciate all other responses - again, this has been a learning experience for me, and I figured it might be useful for others to understand some more of what goes on with the electronics of these brilliant vehicles. Indeed I was very glad to have the second battery as it would have been a PITB to have this occur much earlier in the expedition. It's also useful to underline the way the alternator works (or doesn't work, when idling), as that too might be useful to be aware of - thanks Stig.

Hi Jesse B,
I have a D3 and also found out the hard way, I was doing some diagnostic work with my MSV unit and after a very short period of time I had all sorts of crazy bings and bongs going off, yeap the battery was flat, in my case flat as a tack. I recharged and then found out through this forum the incredible draw on the battery in the idle state with the ignition on.
Everytime I do diagnostics now I have my CTek unit hooked up to maintain the charge and limit the time I have the ignition on without the engine on to a minute or two max. You become a lot more proficient at operating computer software when you are under pressure.
As mentioned in your situation, I have been in a similar situation on the odd occasion, I now have a second battery (Optima) and a Piranha battery management system with the facility to hook up a 75W solar panel I now carry in the camper trailer. So far so good never been an issue. It's amazing how many times you actually go in the vehicle when you are camped, just accessing the fridge, maps, drawers to get a snack, just general checking on things.
At least you were able to start the vehicle, that was a bonus.

il try and do it as simple as posibul

basicly the my10 cars have gone away from aultenators, and now run a new type of generator, and as we all no a generator only works when its told to, as the new my10 cars have such a high power consumption they need a new type of battery witch means a new way of charging them,

basicly to make the battery last longer the car "flatens the battery' and recharges is, easyest way to explane,

your lap top battery, best chance is dead, (well mine is) and that is becose it has a constent charge going to it as its pluged in, and when i unpluged i only use a small amount of its charge and plug it back in, then its chagred but up, well the battery has a 'memory' and remebers how low it went and means when i unplug it again it will eventuly take less and less time to flaten it, so now my battery is flat in 10min,

this new battery basicly have the same memory ,, so what the car dose is flatens the battery to a point and charges it back up again, to make the battery last longer, dont think flat as in 3Vs flat it takes them down to about 12.4vs witch in landrover terms is a flat battery,

and charges it back up to about 14.7v, anymore then that and it will kill the battery, this is were the generator comes in as its able to presisly put out a set voltige, (what ever Vs the ECU tells it) now this is called the batterys drive cycle, and it verys all the time, no real 'set time' and thats why they have the battery monertring, it allso reads the current draw when the ING is off,

this is where dual batterys have played havic with cars systems, (not saying that yours has) but have had alot that have and we have proved it,

hope that makes a bit of sence as there is alot more to it but that is basicly as easy as i can explane it, ( plus it dosent help i suck a writing)

Dealers hook up a charger to the battery when they use the IDS as well.

Does it still wake up the systems if you switch the interior lights to not come on.
I usually leave the tailgate open during the day when camping, never had an issue I wonder if the systems just shut down if you leave a door open.

Originally Posted by CaverD3

Dealers hook up a charger to the battery when they use the IDS as well.

Does it still wake up the systems if you switch the interior lights to not come on.
I usually leave the tailgate open during the day when camping, never had an issue I wonder if the systems just shut down if you leave a door open.

yes as we need the Vs above 12.5 at least, but allso have problems if the Vs are to high,

it dose shutdown after a wile, but will make no diff with the lights on or off as to 'waking the car up'