Thread: LR Defender Battery Issue

just charging the main one will suffice however I recommend getting some charge in both batteries as the full amps of the alternator being dumped into a battery will cause it to heat up significantly.

Dave makes a good point. If time is an issue, you could slow charge the second one to 25% or so, then fully charge the main one. That would be a lot better than charging the second in vehicle from dead flat.

Why don't you just buy a cheap charger and charge them in situ, have be less costly and hassle of having to take out the batteries and pay a workshop to charge them, Regards Frank.

I'm not sure what you mean by an in out cut out switch. If this is a solenoid to switch alternator output to the Fridge battery and it is still working then you only need to charge your cranking battery. If the cranking battery is fitted to the vehicle fully charged then alternator output will be directed to the Fridge battery by the solenoid almost immediately the engine is run. However, if the battery is flattened completely you may generate some heat from this method and it would be adviseable to get some charge into it first. I am assuming that the fridge battery is the same genre as the cranking battery and not an AGM or gel type as dissimilar batteries are supposed to create issues when charging in car. Buy a smart charger! you can leave this charging even the most sensitive batteries forever and they will only float it but if you leave your car stationary again in future your batteries would be in peak condition for when you want it. Good luck

IIRC Popolta is in Germany with only on street parking. Charging batteries from the mains is probably not an option.

With regard to my original post, thanks for answers. My vehicle is a Td5 110 CSW and the batteries are Land Rover originals, fully-sealed "no maintenance" type (12v 110 A hr.; RC 195 MINS; 800 AMpS (BCI) YGD100860. There is a round plastic "window" on top of a battery. The handbook tells me that if this shows yellow, "do not attempt to recharge" but if black, OK, can be charged. Both were black. To cut a long story short, the batteries are now on trickle charge at a filling station and will have been charged, when I collect them tomorrow evening, for 30 hours. I was assured that this would be slow enough, so hope this is in fact the case.
The handbook also tells me that if tilted more than 45 degrees, "damage will occur" (or "damage can occur" - I'm not sure which). Unfortunately, one battery fell (inside the vehicle) from the seat frame to the foot-well, a height of a few inches, and lay on its side for about three minutes until I discovered what had happened. So I'm hoping no damage has occurred. (Any opinion on that, please?)

Yes, as the previous poster said, I'm in Germany (Berlin), on-street parked.

If no spillage occurred then this is good for the vehicle and your battery. If they are trickle charging then it appears that none of the plates were bent in the fall which is also good as this woud short out and give you a "Sick Cell" If the garage are happy there are no leaks and the battery has accepted a charge without overheating then I would bet you have been lucky here. Good luck.

Thanks. The batteries are sealed "non-maintenance" type, so no spillage is possible, I think. It was certainly a pretty gentle tumble onto a fully matted and padded floor, from a height of only a few inches. The handbook suggests that damage could occur merely through tilting. I don't know why this would be.