Member Since: 29 Nov 2005
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 255
Quiescent battery drain- leaving car in a long-term car park
Does anybody know what the mean electrical current drain from the battery is when the Disco 3 is left with the alarm set?
Situation: how long can I leave it in a long-term car park with a fighting chance of starting? Assuming that with a good run up to the airport it will start fully charged.
Thanks Ocsid.
HSE diesel
5th Oct 2006 3:42 pm
simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
Well mines been at the Airport for 1, 2 and 3 weeks at a time and never an issue. Cannot imagine why it would be either.
I once left our car (a nearly new Golf) at Bristol airport for one week during January and it was particularly cold and snowy. For some reason the planes were landing different (due to the weather) and flying lower over the long stay car park. The result was car alarms were going off all week.
When we got back to out car, the battery was flat. It was 2.0am in the morning and it was snowing. The airport staff told us that loads of cars had been suffering flat batteries all week, yet would not help at all, even though they were driving around in vans and I'm sure they had some jump leads somewhere. We ended up waiting for nearly two hours in the cold for the RAC to come out. In fact the RAC wouldn't come out, so finally sent some local garage. We had my daughter wrapped up in the back of the car in towels to keep her warm!
Since that incident we changed from the RAC to AA, as they offer a better service during the night.
So if you're worried, put some jump leads in the boot as a precaution.Matt
5th Oct 2006 4:12 pm
JakobVels
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Copenhagen
Posts: 223
d3matt wrote:
So if you're worried, put some jump leads in the boot as a precaution.
And park front out so battery is accessible.
Maybe get a booster pack, theyre really so cheap now so everyone should have one. These are 20 GBP here in Denmark. It has helped me a couple of times when my old RR classic was so low on battery that the only thing going of when turning key was small relays in the dash. Booster pack managed to fire it up. It will stay charged stoved in the car for 3 months easily.
These booster packs even have a small emergency compressor so the offroaders can get their tires reinflated for the trip home if you had to deflate.
Member Since: 29 Nov 2005
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 255
d3matt,
Thanks been there ourselves with a brand new Mk IV Golf TDI 150, hence the worry.
Can help you with that Golf; pull out fuse 42. This was the advice from the VW Assist man who came. Told me it would not last a fortnight unless I did and that it was a real problem. It works to.
Think to be safe its going to be the leads and a spare battery, equivelent of JakobVels good idea.
These new battery booster things are amazing. My father recently got one and it starts dead tractors, which need a lot of power. It's amazing what comes from these little packages.
Click image to enlarge
You can pick up cheap ones on eBay. But not sure how good they are. My father's was about £50. You can get them for under £20 on eBay.Matt
5th Oct 2006 4:50 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
I have the the £35 one, works very well. Essential piece of kit when you have a collection of cars.
Stupidly, I've never thought to leave it the car when parked at an airport
5th Oct 2006 5:33 pm
SN
Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
Posts: 13710
Now that IS a useful piece of kit to have on hand Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
5th Oct 2006 5:37 pm
zetecr
Member Since: 11 Aug 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 64
Can someone confirm whether one of these cheaper jump-start units WILL start a TDV6? I've been looking at some of the locally available ones, and they only have fairly puny batteries. Most claim cranking current of 200 to 400A range (with peak ratings of upto 900A) and from what I have read, this may not be good enough for a reasonably sized diesel...
21st Oct 2006 9:00 pm
Tim in Scotland
Member Since: 27 Jun 2005
Location: All at sea
Posts: 496
If it's any help I leave my RRS unused on my drive beside a busy main road for 2-3 months at a time when I go back to sea, without ever suffering a starting problem. During that time when I'm away it gets started a couple of times, but maybe only run any distance twice during my absence. Did the same with my FFRR, Freelander, TD5 D2 and V8ESi D1 and never suffered a flat battery. I ran an Audi 1.9tdi Avant for a couple of years and that used to flatten it's battery within a month.Now a disillusioned new Land Rover buyer and have jumped ship to something less expensive and more reliable that hugs trees.... now driving a Mini Countryman PHEV as well as my trusty and brilliant 1996 Epsom Green Defender90 Tdi300
I managed to run my battery down by leaving the ignition in the "dashboard lights on" position when cleaning it. I wanted the radio on and the doors open without getting the bong while I cleaned the sindie of the car. Yes, i know - you can have the radio on without the key in but I didn't go for that option. Amyway, after only about an hour, all I got was the lights on and the relays behind the dash clicking. I left the car for about half an hour and it did start after taking this breather but I was horrified that the battery could be run down so quickly. Must be the brain and SatNav draining the battery down.Java TDV6 HSE with Alpaca and a few other fancy bits
BMW C1 200 with too many options to list and the world's worst image
25th Oct 2006 9:04 pm
noizeman
Member Since: 14 Oct 2006
Location: Wirral
Posts: 133
Well, I have my doubts about these booster gadgets and I would definitely require proof before I spend serious money. Two summers ago we took our (then) brand new X-trail on the cross-channel ferry with caraven in tow. I left all the plugs connected as I had always done with my previous car but when we came to start up the following morning after the nine hour crossing - nothing. Turned out that the who'd wired the accessory socket had failed to wire it so the caravan fridge was only powered with the ignition on.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, we could NOT start the car and then a helpful fellow caravanner tried to start us with his booster thingy - NOTHING! Just a few clicks. Then the car deck attendants came along saying "Oh this happens all the time", and produced a big booster thingy on a wheeled trolley - still NOTHING! In the end we had to be tow started with a tractor unit and that took two attempts as the first time I let the clutch out the nylon tow strap (about 2 tons breaking strain) snapped in two.
Now maybe the X-trail is something special and has a 9 million to one compression ratio. But I don't think so. Be warned! To me, carrying a set of heavy duty jump leads is the answer.
Noizeman
30th Oct 2006 12:20 am
crasha
Member Since: 25 Oct 2005
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 67
WARNING: I left my keys in the ignition for about 2 hours with nothing on, no radio, fans, lights or anything and it went flat with odd effects
When the battery does not have enough juice all sorts of disturbing messages come up, with a Christmas tree blinking effect. If I had have known it was just the battery then "transmission fault" would not have worried me.
Land Rover assistance to the rescue but they have no diagnostic skill they were acting just as a call centre.
The chap that came out was excellent... he commented that the battery will go flat quickly as the ignition turns on all sorts of computers and systems. He also mentioned that even the larger battery starter packs were unlikely to start a Disco with a well and truely flat battery.
The moral of this story
1. Take your keys out of the ignition when staying in or with the car for even an hour.
2. Don't rely on battery packs with not enough power to kick a Disco into life.
Only other challenges I've had with my car over 7 months has been dicky bluetooth PTI, shuddering wipers, steering column knocking and a rear seat that needed minor adjustment. Happy motoring otherwise, the smoothest most comfortable car I have ever owned.
2nd Nov 2006 9:40 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
I have done this too. The LRA man should have told you to visit your dealer to get the battery properly recharged. You need a special charger to fully recharge it.
Mine gave a "Transmission Fault - Limited Traction" message this morning. It goes in for service soon, and I will get the battery checked as it seems to be cranking a bit slow since it went cold.
Just out of my experience: my earlier TLC was used only occasionally (sometimes not for 60 days or so) and surprised me more than one time with flat battery. Ended up buying a cheap "trickle charger" (the small wall-plug unit with alligator clips) which was always on the battery while leaving the car for an extended period. Same units are available for motorcycles, where it was a royal PITA to start the engine after a long winter sleep.
Lead-acid batteries have a considerable self-discharge ratio, which may be as high as 1.5 percent per day. Also, modern cars (like the D3...) has a ton of on-board electronics which never left unpowered just sent into "sleep-state." These still drain power (IMHO totally uselessly) while parked.
For long-term parking where no power outlet available I would disconnect the main battery at the terminals, optionally connect a small 12V gel-type to keep alarm and radio memory on, or have a "real" fully charged backup battery in the trunk...
And forget those small "jup-start units", useless if you really have to crank the engine. At 12V you need HUNDREDS of Amperes sustained to crank your cold Diesel engine, nothing that flimsy stuff can even come close to... TDV6 HSE Java Black, auto, difflock, fridge, winter, 7-seater, PDC, privacy, AHL, sunroof - 3rd row fixed
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These booster packs even have a small emergency compressor so the offroaders can get their tires reinflated for the trip home if you had to deflate.
who'd wired the accessory socket had failed to wire it so the caravan fridge was only powered with the ignition on.
