pwheeldon
Member Since: 15 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1461
  
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To get the additional sockets in the boot etc on the second battery is fairly simple, not so sure about the courtesy light though. With some of tge dual batteries you can link them if the main battery goes flat. Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
Discovery 3 s 2005 Auto Bonatti Grey Gone
Discovery 3 SE 2005 Manual Zambezi Silver Gone
Range Rover Sport HSE 2006 Black
Aston Martin DB7 VV
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 28th Aug 2020 12:36 am |
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loanrangie
Member Since: 18 Jun 2017
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 652
 
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djcleckie wrote:Last weekend I was away camping and I ended up with a flat battery on my D3. It was parked for 2 days without the engine being run but the doors were open/closed a lot as the weather was bad and we need to use it for shelter. Just the courtesy lights coming on/off would over a few hours would not flatten a 120AH battery. Something must have been "waking up" the electronics. Ignition was never turned on but something drained the battery.
Does opening/closing the doors "wake up" the electronics?
Its a fairly new battery and even when left unused for a week without touching the D3 it normally starts it OK.
I have been reading up on this forum about a 2nd battery and a split charge system but I am correct in thinking that with all these systems the courtesy lights, power sockets and electronics still come off the primary starter battery?
In the pictures on this forum of a split charge system the thick lead to the fuse box is still attached to the primary battery.
To get these to come off the 2nd battery would involve a lot of re-wiring?
Dave
No you don't touch the original wiring, you wire in some sockets to the auxiliary battery so that they are powered independently to the main which will be isolated once engine is off.
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| 28th Aug 2020 2:02 am |
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pwheeldon
Member Since: 15 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1461
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You could fit some additional lighting in the boot, which is what I've done, that was easy enough. Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
Discovery 3 s 2005 Auto Bonatti Grey Gone
Discovery 3 SE 2005 Manual Zambezi Silver Gone
Range Rover Sport HSE 2006 Black
Aston Martin DB7 VV
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| 28th Aug 2020 10:26 am |
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James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Posts: 3077
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Opening the doors does wake up the vehicle and draws a surprising amount of amps. I have a split charge but when on camp I leave one door just 'on the latch' permanently so that opening any other door doesn't wake the car up again. I do this all day, or if I can't (ie I have to lock the car) I make sure anything I'm likely to need is in the boot and then pop the boot using the remote button which also prevents the rest of the car from unlocking and waking up.
The power hungry wake up process is a real Achilles heel for a Disco in an expedition setting, I wish there was a low-power option setting for on camp, I'd be happy to protect starter battery at the sacrifice of waiting a min for the radio D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it 
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
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| 28th Aug 2020 12:53 pm |
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djcleckie
Member Since: 08 Feb 2010
Location: Highlands
Posts: 189
 
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Hi
That's an intersting idea to leave one door on the 1st latch.
During the day when camping I normally have the tailgate open with the top as a "roof" and the bottom as a table.
I thought that you needed to put the key in the ignition to "wake up" the electronics but apparantly not.
Anyway a 2nd battery and a splt charge is not my answer as the couresy lights and the electronics would still be coming off the primary battery.
However if I can find a way to keep the electronics "asleep" with the tailgate open then some lights and 12V sockets in the back coming off a 2nd battery would be very useful
Thanks for all the advice
Regards
Dave 2005 SE Manual Cairns Blue
Faultmate MSV2
Series 2 - long gone
RR Classic long gone.
Disco1 believe its still going as a farm vehicle in France.
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| 30th Aug 2020 7:51 pm |
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snowmonkey
Member Since: 28 Jan 2012
Location: right of the middle
Posts: 195
  
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The 2nd battery can be used to “jump start” the main battery if it goes flat. T-max system and similar allow you to manually link them.
I’ve done it, and sure you’ll find plenty of others have too!
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| 30th Aug 2020 8:22 pm |
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