Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
Battery drain help
hi
apologies asking a daft question but wondering if i can pick ur brains plse guys
if i sometimes leave my D3 for 2-3 weeks the battery will drop to around 7 volts , is a new exide 100 amp 900 cca , therefore won't start the landy as i know it's power hungry
i intend to install a split charge system later but i'm currently having a few health problems so currently haven't got the energy so just looking for something quick until such times i can get back on my feet
was given a solar panel which i think is only around 5 watts , think the landies drain is around 22ma when it goes into sleep mode , so of course trying to work out what kind of wattage is actually needed to counter act this drainage and preventing the main battery from going flat
thought of a few ideas , maybe fitting the solar panel onto the boots side window with the suction cups it has and plugging it into the boots cig lighter, then making the connector permanently live with the quick fuse box mod , it has a reverse diode but know i've got to unplug it before i start the landy , or could i get a solar relay to allow me to leave it connected with the engine running
would be concerned leaving the solar panel on the dashboard in case someone thinks it's an ipad and breaks my window , haven't got sunroofs , where have u guys installed ur solar panels plse
the split charge system i'm going towards is the T max , looked at VSR relays but like the idea of having the manual switch on the T max to connect the batteries if the main battery gets low , which i believe the vsr system can't do
shame there wasn't a system that when the ign is turned off it would automatically connect to the aux battery and allow the main battery to be unconnected until the ign was turned back on and switch over to the main cranking battery
my neighbour kindly lifted my battery out and is currently on a trickle charge
aplogises once again asking daft questions, just looking for a temporary measure to prevent the main battery draining until i can get back to health
thks so much once again guys
Last edited by gstuart on 9th Oct 2017 7:35 pm. Edited 1 time in total
9th Oct 2017 5:21 pm
geoffsnook
Member Since: 13 Jun 2014
Location: south wales
Posts: 3169
Buy a ctek charger Discovery 3 se gone
Range rover sport supercharged here:)
9th Oct 2017 5:26 pm
L319
Member Since: 14 Dec 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 2080
Leaving it two or three weeks between use, assuming its fully charged should not be a problem. My D3 will do it. I wonder if the alternator is failing which is often the case and draining to 7 volts is a killer. You could disconnect the battery as a temporary measure until you are able to investigate further.
9th Oct 2017 5:29 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
hi geoff
many thks for the reply but not keen on leaving a power cable on the driveway but is room for thought
9th Oct 2017 5:30 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
L319 wrote:
Leaving it two or three weeks between use, assuming its fully charged should not be a problem. My D3 will do it. I wonder if the alternator is failing which is often the case and draining to 7 volts is a killer. You could disconnect the battery as a temporary measure until you are able to investigate further.
hi
i fully charged the battery prior to fitting it , currently got the battery off and is on trickle charge , the voltage when running is 14.7 volts as i also thought that concerning the alternator
9th Oct 2017 5:34 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72774
L319 wrote:
Leaving it two or three weeks between use, assuming its fully charged should not be a problem. My D3 will do it. I wonder if the alternator is failing which is often the case and draining to 7 volts is a killer. You could disconnect the battery as a temporary measure until you are able to investigate further.
Me too, Max is 10 weeks and started on the nose. Re alternator, they will put out decent voltage ~14v when the car is just idling. Try then switching absolutely everything (esp anything with the word heated in the description), see what the voltage then does. If it holds up, the alternator looks good, if the voltage dives then the alternator is looking distinctly iffy.
So I understand it. It's all technical and I may be wrong. I was once, it was a Tuesday and it was raining, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
9th Oct 2017 5:36 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
hi dsl
bless u for the reply , i done that and it drops to around 14.3 volts at tickover
maybe there is an intermittent residual drain somewhere , if the battery should last longer than a few weeks , know i read through the post concerning residual drains
9th Oct 2017 5:43 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72774
14.3 is a good number in my book.
9th Oct 2017 5:44 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
that's one good thing then, lol
think i need to link out the bonnet switch again wait 20 mins then test for any residual current again
i think i've been a doughnut though , no surprise there when i done the test i can't remember if i turned the alarm on or just locked the car manually via the passenger door
just remembered i've still got my old battery i took out , shame it didn't fit in the aux battery tray , kept the post concerning battery sizes and types
the T max does indeed look better than the vsr system, like the way some members have mounted the t max box, even the glove box lid was clever , or RH side of steering wheel
9th Oct 2017 6:01 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10360
A big solar panel on the dash. ppl won't think its worth nicking.
No need to disconnect when you start the car.
Connect a CTEK once a week ?
If you aren't driving at the moment, leave the battery disconnected.
Doesn't take long to connect up if needed and it will start straight away
9th Oct 2017 6:31 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
hi pete
many thks and appreciate the reply
reading the solar panel i see it was made by the AA and can get an obd2 adaptor for it so thinking i could get a lead as a temporary measure , better than nothing i suppose
always thought u had to disconnect them , all i know it has the reverse drain diode built in , has a blue flashing light so will put a piece or tape over that to stop drawing attention with it being on the dashboard
Ref the t max system do u happen to know if it comes with the 16mm battery cables plse , can't really see from the pics , just a black lead
spent a long time reading about the vsr systems as well , T max with the display does indeed look very good and see many of u go for the T max over the vsr
thks again
9th Oct 2017 6:42 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10360
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
thks pete
was given this solar panel , managed to find some instructions for it and gives out 4.5 watts, but will test the output when i place it on the dashboard
has been a mind field ref all the split charge systems and impressed with some of the rear boot electrical panels that some members have done
got some more reading to do ref , how to combine everything , i.e. split charge system, along with a solar panel connected to the aux battery , i.e. so when i go camping the solar panel can help the aux battery when the engine is off
think i will also buy a ctek as a back up
thks again pete
9th Oct 2017 7:31 pm
Compusmentis
Member Since: 18 Feb 2016
Location: Effingham
Posts: 237
I have a split charge relay charging a second battery.
The original battery is disconnected from the starter motor, the second battery feeds it.
So I always have a fully charged battery for starting. Camping weekends used to absolutely kill it, but now, no problemsNew gearbox & TC, 3 x front wheel bearings, belts changed, new oil pump, new battery, new rear prop, new front prop, new front diff, front arb refurbed, front cv boot kit, egr blank and BAS software patch, full rear suspension / drivelive rebuild, new front arms, LED trailer light fix, split charge.
Never had a 107, 90 or 127, but have had most of the rest!
9th Oct 2017 8:26 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13598
hi
many thks for the info , is appreciated , wasn't sure that ref the vsr systems so it actually uses the aux battery only when the engine is off , assume the T max works the same way
may i ask i.e. if the main battery went dead would the system automatically switch over to the aux battery or do u have to manually connect the batteries together plse
plus reading i see there are different types of vsr systems where some switch over at a higher voltage drop to ensure the main battery is protected
must admit i quite like the T max seeing you've got the small box to show u the battery status of each one , think they are around £90 , been trying to find out if the 16mm cables come with it , ore reading
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when i done the test i can't remember if i turned the alarm on or just locked the car manually via the passenger door 
