Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
It is now more than just that...
As I am on duty today I could not go with my wife to pick up our eldest daughter...
My wife had the car started through the intervention of a mechanic... She drove about an hundred km on an highway... Stopped to take on fuel... And the car did not start AGAIN...
I guess that, as a minimum, the alternator is NOT doing its job... Thus it is L.R Assistance time, the car taken to a dealership, and renault Clio time for SWMBO...
To say that she is taking all that in a good spirit shows that the continuous reading of L.R Enthusiast website like this one and Landmania (In French) is doing some good !
Now, I would say that she truly is in the Land Rover spirit where EVERY trip can turn into an adventure !
5th Feb 2006 4:18 pm
BN
Member Since: 18 Mar 2005
Location: Here
Posts: 6463
You can say that again. With a LR every trip is an adventure, not knowing if you will ever arrive
5th Feb 2006 4:45 pm
Gurvan
Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
Quote Removed
Or, if you do arrive, not knowing if you'll leave again...
But still, I would certainly not exchange that Disco for, say, an XC90...
5th Feb 2006 4:52 pm
SN
Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
Posts: 13710
Quote Removed
(Groan...) So can someone explain to me why I just swapped an unreliable £21K French piece of tin which scored bottom of the Top Gear Satisfaction Survey last year for a £32K English monster which may be just as bad??? Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
The batteries that are fitted to our Disco's are not the same as are fitted to other vehicles. These batteries are Lead Cadnium and will not 100% charge with a standard battery charger. Also if the battery has gone flat and the car is boost started, which is not the sensible thing to do too, the alternator will only charge the battery about 80%.
The flat battery symptoms you are experiencing are common with under charged batteries. Find someone who has the correct type charger and get you battery checked. LRA should know this as should your dealer.
These batteries are like the vehicles they are intended for quite complex,There's no I in team and no F in bonus
5th Feb 2006 8:48 pm
Gurvan
Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
Quote Removed
Thanks for that information... The car should be at the dealership tomorrow...
We'll see what comes out of it...
5th Feb 2006 8:51 pm
Gurvan
Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
Just an update...
The car is still at the dealership where they are waiting for a battery coming from U.K...
That battery will not come before at least tuesday...
And I am still driving a Scenic...
Well I guess that if the news are'nt good on tuesday, it will be time for some legal action... I am not, never, in favour of such, but there are cases (More than a week, for a battery !) when they might be in order...
11th Feb 2006 3:37 pm
yosser395
Member Since: 11 Nov 2005
Location: Bridgwater,Somerset
Posts: 33
Gurvan - I would the dealer to take a battery off a new stock car , waiting a week for a new battery is not acceptable !!!
11th Feb 2006 5:33 pm
Gurvan
Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
They say they don't have one RRS or a DIII in the showroom...
11th Feb 2006 5:42 pm
Gurvan
Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
Just an update...
12 days of immobilisation and driving a Scenic...
They say that the battery has to be taken on the assembly line before being shipped to France and they don't want me buying a battery at a shop nearby (It seems that the battery for the DIII is a Varta Dynamic Blue Line at 110ah and it cost less than €150...) as then I "Would loose the warranty if there is any further electrical problems"...
I am now seriously considering replacing that D3 with something else not in the FORD group...
17th Feb 2006 10:46 am
Vo Rogue
Member Since: 16 Jan 2006
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 123
lew wrote:
The batteries that are fitted to our Disco's are not the same as are fitted to other vehicles. These batteries are Lead Cadnium and will not 100% charge with a standard battery charger. Also if the battery has gone flat and the car is boost started, which is not the sensible thing to do too, the alternator will only charge the battery about 80%.
The flat battery symptoms you are experiencing are common with under charged batteries. Find someone who has the correct type charger and get you battery checked. LRA should know this as should your dealer.
These batteries are like the vehicles they are intended for quite complex,
Anyone able to provide a link about all of this. The battery looks like a standard high capacity Euro Battery like most Volvos and the like. Not good Narelle for all of us if these are not standard type units and are temperemental as well.
17th Feb 2006 11:03 am
Gurvan
Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
According to Varta, they are the one who are supplying the batteries in the RRS...
If you follow the second link, you'll find those...
I am working on the assumption that the DIII and the RRS share the same batteries (Does'nt seem unreasonable as it seems that Varta is a main supplier for Land Rover...)
So, those batteries are (Advertisement) : "A class of its own!
More safety
The special labyrinth lid with central vent provides effective backfire protection. At the same time, the sophisticated, plugless lid construction serves as an important protection against leakage thanks to its high level of tilt resistance. This additional safety feature is enhanced still further by the closed system, making servicing faults a thing of the past.
Longer service life
The interaction of the calcium-silver alloy, optimized grid construction and labyrinth lid reduces the water and electrolyte consumption to a minimum. The result is an extremely low self-discharge, increasing the storage capacity to up to 18 months.
More comfort
The water consumption, which is well below the European (EN) standard, makes the VARTA BLUE dynamic absolutely maintenance-free. No need to top up the water, no routine checking, no recharging: the pre-filled and charged batteries are immediately ready for use on leaving the works. In addition, the VARTA BLUE dynamic High Performance has the PowerCheck feature, the tool-less way to monitor the state of charge."
Now... If someone can check it battery and tell me if I am wrong...
17th Feb 2006 11:15 am
Gurvan
Member Since: 02 Jan 2005
Location: Germany... Not far from both the US and Hard German rock...
Posts: 1089
Just an update...
This afternoon we drove using the rented Scenic the 90km that separates us from our beloved DIII...
The dead battery is "Made in France" !
Guess who was having a bizarre feeling at the idea that this 90Ah battery was made by Delphi in this country and that we are waiting for an hypothetic replacement battery to leave France, go to England and then come back...
I then proposed to swap the dead battery for a fresh one that I was willing to pay and fetch from a local supplier... But then I was brought up short by the dealership. "Any further electrical problem would then be out of warranty"... I am not running THAT risk on a DIII...
To add insult to injury, tonight I received an email from L.R UK regarding an access problem to the GTR Website subscription... Basically they are unable to refund me the 11€ that paid without receiving access and are offering 5 days free access to the GTR Website... Come on guys ! What I want and would like to get back in working order is my 56.000€ Car ! I don't give a F**K about 11€ that I paid two month ago at that stage !
It took them about two month to solve that access problem... I guess that Amazon would do it in less than 24H... I am clearly not impressed...
Buying a Land Rover was a boy's dream... They are turning it into a nightmare...
18th Feb 2006 10:11 pm
mehari
Member Since: 14 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Belgium and often in Brittany
Posts: 91
Gurvan (Geurvanne),
"en français dans le texte" on ne se laisse pas mettre à terre pour un si petit problème...
Did they confirm that the problem was the battery or is it still an open question ?
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