Member Since: 29 Oct 2011
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 502
Battery, I think I wasted my money
I run my car for only short trips on a weekend. I often get the low battery and please start engine notification sign, especially if I use the park heater, so I have taken to putting it on a condition charge every 3 weeks and that been a containment. The battery was a VARTA and clearly was a replacement part and looked new but I worried a lot that I had a battery problem.
I kept an eye on the state of charge using the cars workshop screen. Usually by the end of a weekend the car would be down to 12.1/.2 volts which is a bit low. Alternator was charging a little low as well at 14.3/.4 volts.
At the end of the other weekend the battery was down to 12volts, I put it on a cirtech recondition charge and something must have gone wrong because the next day it showed 11.9 volts and I got the bongs and systems shutting down.
Well blow it I thought, buy a new BOSCH battery. This is where it gets interesting, The Bosch was slightly different rating so I went into the CCF to set for this battery and also do the BMS reset. I found that the setting had been wrong for the Varta battery. Should have been set for 100/830 amp and it was set for 100/950 amp. Based on this I suspect that when the Varta battery was fitted the car wasnt reset to take account of this and so the car thought it was still charging the original LR battery.
My new battery is 95/800 amp, the alternator is now charging at 14.7/.8amp. At the end of this weekend the car was showing a 12.5 volt state of charge.
I bench charged the old Varta battery and it has been showing 13.17 volts now for 4 days. QUESTION:- COULD THE Varta battery actually be OK if it is holding its charge on the bench. Or is this just miss leading.
I am kicking myself a bit because I think that if I had just checked the CCF setting and done a BMS reset all would have been well and I wouldn't have had to buy another battery at all.Discovery 4 3.0 HSE 2010 year. I like it a lot. Now with winch 😂
Last edited by charlietortoise on 26th Mar 2019 3:00 pm. Edited 1 time in total
26th Mar 2019 7:05 am
robpenrose
Member Since: 12 Jan 2016
Location: Surrey / SW London
Posts: 2136
Don’t bother using the cars screen to test the voltage, you need to use a multimeter
Current: D4 HSE
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26th Mar 2019 7:59 am
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
If doing short runs, batteries become consumables.
I only do 2x5miles commutes each day and I plug in the trickle charger once a week or so during the coldest weather and its fine the rest of the year.
My cigarette plug in volt gauge shows pretty much 15 volts all day long so the lat is working full chat.
I wouldnt worry about spending the money as you didnt know the history of the battery, so it may have been on its way out just slowly.
I've had/got several batteries that charge and stay charged but are no use for high current delivery. You need to test how it recovers after being seriously loaded..
Dean
====================================
2011 D4 XS - OBD port protection, RLD spare wheel protector, All LED interiors lights, Timed Climate enabled, iiD tool paired.
2011 D4 Landmark - Stolen from same dealer before I paid for it
2011 D4 GS - Stolen whilst at dealer ... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
1996 300Tdi - Eaten by tin worms
26th Mar 2019 8:02 am
charlietortoise
Member Since: 29 Oct 2011
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 502
Volts
The volt meter readings were almost the same, as was the Iid voltages. ThanksDiscovery 4 3.0 HSE 2010 year. I like it a lot. Now with winch 😂
26th Mar 2019 8:02 am
smaskins
Member Since: 16 Jun 2009
Location: SE London/Kent
Posts: 295
Re: Battery, I think Inwasted my money
[quote="charlietortoise"]I run my car for only short trips on a weekend. I often get the low battery and please start engine notification sign, especially if I use the park heater, so I have taken to putting it on a condition charge every 3 weeks and that been a containment........
At the end of the other weekend the battery was down to 12volts, I put it on a cirtech recondition charge "
The Ctek manual says you should condition the battery onece a year or after a deep discharge
26th Mar 2019 9:04 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8073
The measurement in volts is only a guide of the state of volts charge of the part of the battery that will hold charge, it’s the amps that provide power(torque) to turn the engine.
For example I have a torch that is 13volts but it will not jump start a car It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
Just had to put a new battery on my D3, I did a recond charge with my ctek on the original battery and the charger reported its ok, checked the voltage about two hours later and it was still 12.9 volts.
I then tried to start my car and it would not even turn over, just clicking, checked the battery again and it was showing 12.2 volts.
I noticed then that the battery was getting hot, so with my multimeter connected to it I did a simple bulb test, just a side light bulb connected with two lengths of wire, this caused the battery voltage to drop rapidly down to 10.9 volts, so the battery although it would charge ok and even pass a recondition cycle was totally goosed.
New battery fitted and all ok now..so just goes to show you cant always rely on tech to test things, sometimes the old simple ways are the best..
Flack
26th Mar 2019 11:19 am
charlietortoise
Member Since: 29 Oct 2011
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 502
Thanks for the advice and info. The new battery cranks the engine much better,, noticably so even after the old one had had a full charge by battery charger. I did the ctech recon as I didnt know the history of the battery so thought I had nothing to lose.
I will try the bulb load, I have one at home. I suspect/hope it will drop voltage quickly, might make a better case with the missus then.Discovery 4 3.0 HSE 2010 year. I like it a lot. Now with winch 😂
26th Mar 2019 3:17 pm
charlietortoise
Member Since: 29 Oct 2011
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 502
I wouldnt worry about spending the money as you didnt know the history of the battery, so it may have been on its way out just slowly.[/quote]
My feeling was that it was on the way out, even after a full charge and trickle whilst away for a week the low battery start engine came on after just two runs of the fuel burning heaterDiscovery 4 3.0 HSE 2010 year. I like it a lot. Now with winch 😂
26th Mar 2019 3:28 pm
charlietortoise
Member Since: 29 Oct 2011
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 502
Charge
Hardware17 wrote:
I've had/got several batteries that charge and stay charged but are no use for high current delivery. You need to test how it recovers after being seriously loaded.
Yes, that was my thoughts, the fact it showed 13 plus volts suprised me.Discovery 4 3.0 HSE 2010 year. I like it a lot. Now with winch 😂
26th Mar 2019 3:30 pm
charlietortoise
Member Since: 29 Oct 2011
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 502
Re: Battery, I think Inwasted my money
[quote="smaskins"]
charlietortoise wrote:
I run my car for only short trips on a weekend. I often get the low battery and please start engine notification sign, especially if I use the park heater, so I have taken to putting it on a condition charge every 3 weeks and that been a containment........
At the end of the other weekend the battery was down to 12volts, I put it on a cirtech recondition charge "
The Ctek manual says you should condition the battery onece a year or after a deep discharge
Oops! Too many buttons to choose from.Discovery 4 3.0 HSE 2010 year. I like it a lot. Now with winch 😂
26th Mar 2019 3:31 pm
jonno1
Member Since: 16 Jun 2010
Location: SW London
Posts: 706
Flack said, and he would know:
..so just goes to show you cant always rely on tech to test things, sometimes the old simple ways are the best..
Could not agree more.
26th Mar 2019 8:50 pm
charlietortoise
Member Since: 29 Oct 2011
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 502
Bulb test
I did the bulb test, the voltage zoomed down from 13.1 to 12 in just a couple of minutes. And that was with a 21watt brake light bulb.
So pretty much as Flack said.Discovery 4 3.0 HSE 2010 year. I like it a lot. Now with winch 😂
31st Mar 2019 3:18 pm
discott
Member Since: 24 Sep 2010
Location: Harrow
Posts: 131
Battery issue
I just went through the exact same process that Flack described. Same outcome...new battery fitted and problem solved.
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... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
