Restricted Performance - Gearbox Error

[Lukeis]

This is killing me..

Woke up Friday morning and my car battery was dead despite the car being locked and no lights on but there was a waeco fridge plugged in, we have been driving heaps (currently on Fraser Island) so one night running the fridge shouldn't be an issue.

Depite this the the car was jump started and the following happened:

car threw gearbox error and had limited power (didn't say restricted Performance)
car also had the yellow glow plug light illuminated, this stayed illuminated for the next hour while I waited for the battery to charge enough to turn the car off.

Turned the xar off, gearbox error disappeared but the glow plug light stayed on even once the car was locked and left alone for a few minutes.

After getting off the island I turned the car off, disconnected the battery and the glow plug warning light went - for good.

On my drive back to byron bay the car threw the error restricted Performance and gearbox error on the freeway and I had to pull over as I couldn't maintain speed.

The car car was restarted and the error went away.

I stayed the night in Byron and today while doing the long drive to Sydney this has happened twice more (I'm currently around Forster nsw so a way to go still)

ive jet washed as well as possible under the engine bay to clear any sand or salt just in case but no change.

Does anyone have any tips?

a couple of times lately including today I've all being getting the warning normal heaihht only for the suspension

thatd a lot of lights for one trip!

[Graeme]

A dying battery or alternator? The normal height only could be the bcu restricting power consumption in unnecessary circuits due to low voltage.

[mr_squiggle]

Do you have a IID tool/scan tool? If you've managed to flatten/kill the battery then the first place to start would be battery voltage and how stable it is under load.
Either a scan tool or a multimeter will do the trick. Alternatively one of those voltage displays that plugs into the cigarette lighter would also work.
It could be water in a connector but I wouldn't start there.

[Lukeis]

I have a multi meter, what voltage am I looking for? The car has now made it back to Sydney with multiple stops and the battery seems to be working ok each time I started it so would that not indicate both battery and alternator are ok now?

The last gearbox fault was near port Macquarie, then 4 hours of driving since.

While there has been lots of rain during the trip each time the fault happened it wasn't raining.

This might have been nothing but I feel like twice when I put it in reverse I heard some kind of brief metal noise, the sound was like driving over a metal plate or like an under car bash plate was loose, only none of them are. I checked the road and nothing which would inidicate a noise like that so it had to come from the car but i could get it to do it intentionally and apart from that quick noise the car drives perfectly without any noise or vibrations etc

After the run of issues I have just had the iid tool is my next purchase!

[mr_squiggle]

You're looking to test the voltage at the battery terminals. Write all of it down as you go to make things easier trying to make sense of it all.
First test is just a resting test - car is switched off & asleep.
Should be ~13.5v give or take.
Second test is cranking test - measure the voltage of the battery as the car is started. It will dip down as the engine cranks. Make a note of the lowest the voltage goes & how long it takes to get back over 13.5v. Big drops such as below 10v and/or long recovery times
(over a few minutes) are an indication that the battery is no good
Third test is a general observation on discharge & charge rates. Leave the meter connected (cigarette lighter socket is easiest here) and make a note of the voltage rise & fall over a drive of an hour or so. The smart alternator will allow the battery voltage to drop before recharging in earnest.
Disco's are pretty hard on batteries, there's lots of electrical stuff going on, but the system is well designed to protect itself. It just has a habit of throwing crazy codes up when the battery is nearly stuffed. BMW's do the same thing.

[DiscoJeffster]

Mr Squiggle, I have to disagree. A resting car can't be 13.5v? A fully charged battery is at best 12.6v I'm pretty sure. It's more typical to see around 12.0-12.6 on the battery.
13.5-14.4v is alternator in action which needs a running engine.

[mr_squiggle]

Mr Squiggle, I have to disagree. A resting car can't be 13.5v? A fully charged battery is at best 12.6v I'm pretty sure. It's more typical to see around 12.0-12.6 on the battery.
13.5-14.4v is alternator in action which needs a running engine.

Fair point, I could have been clearer. I was assuming the OP would check immediately after shutting the car off & letting it go to sleep.
Anywhere from 12.0 to over 13v resting will be ok. Depends on time from shut down.

[Lukeis]

Thanks guys, 12.18 resting and 13.65 while running so battery and alternator is looking good.

Is there anything else you would suggest to check? The fault is gone but conscious it came for a reason and has gone several times before

[scarry]

Thanks guys, 12.18 resting and 13.65 while running so battery and alternator is looking good.

Is there anything else you would suggest to check? The fault is gone but conscious it came for a reason and has gone several times before

!2.18 is a bit low if resting.

It should be around 12.3 to 12.6V i would have thought.

2.7 or 3.0L?

My 2.7 generally runs at around 13.8,13.9V.I don't think it has a variable voltage alternator,unlike the 3.0l.

I have a voltage reader that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket so i can monitor it while driving,available from Jaycar.

[mr_squiggle]

Thanks guys, 12.18 resting and 13.65 while running so battery and alternator is looking good.

Is there anything else you would suggest to check? The fault is gone but conscious it came for a reason and has gone several times before

Did you do the cranking test (the second test above)? What did the voltage dip to as the engine was being turned over? How long did it take to recover the voltage to at least 13.5v?