Battery Advice Needed

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
P

plook

New Member
Posts
87
Location
Sheffield
The battery in my D90 TDi300 is less than 2 years old but whenever it's cold it struggles to start the Landy. It's a Banner battery rated at 90Ah. The AA had to come to me today and said there is no drain in the Landy and the battery is charging up properly, but come the cold weather and it just doesn't have enough juice to cold start.

Do i need an expensive Optima battery or could this be the starter motor?

thanks.
 
yu say it struggles to start - do yu mean
a) it striggles to turn the engine over?
b) it struggles to get the engine running, but it turns over fine?

check starting cables to starter motor
check earths
check glo-plugs
 
It will initially turn over, the starter motor is working, but you don't get many goes at it before the battery is flat. When the AA came he attached a battery back and it started and then it stays on fine and the battery charges up, it's just that initial start when all is cold and the battery seems like it is not up to the job, i think.
 
Should i be waiting for the glow plugs to get hot? My D90 is a 1994 and i was told i didn't need to wait for the glow plugs to get hot. Could this be the problem?
 
You turn your ignition on and wait until the "wire light" ( glowplug preheater light) goes out, then immediately start the engine, if it doesn't start straight away, either some/all of your glowplugs are knackered, or / and even your injectors need looking at.

You should only need to do a cold start procedure as above, when the vehicle is stone cold, ie has been stopped for a good few hours or so.
 
I'll give that a go tomorrow morning. My dash does not have a coil light, it does have an ignition or choke signal light which comes on and goes off after a while though. I'm sure the manual said that i didn't need to do this, but i will tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.

I've added a couple of pictures which show my dash. The symbol bottom right looks like a choke symbol to me and not the usual coil symbol, and yet this is a diesel. That symbol lights up for about 5 or so seconds when i turn the ignition to just before turning the ignition on.
 

Attachments

  • DSC03140.JPG
    DSC03140.JPG
    56.8 KB · Views: 195
  • DSC03141.JPG
    DSC03141.JPG
    23.1 KB · Views: 233
Last edited:
It it's a diesel, then it does have this light, it's not a choke light, chokes are for petrol engines.
The light looks like 1 or 2 coils of a stretched spring and should go off after about 5 seconds, that's when you start the engine when it's cold. You don't need to use it once the engine has run for a couple of minutes.
When my lad gets back with the 90, I'll post a photo of it.
it's no wonder it's struggled if you've not been using the glowplugs!
 
What battery exactly do you have?

The standard spec LandRover battery is rated up to about CCA630 (Cold Cranking Amps)

Ive just fitted a Varta I4 which has a CCA680 rating. As soon as the cold weather came a few days ago, my battery was struggling to start, so Ive bought a new one.
 
tottot said:
On some older Landrovers the choke light is the indicator for when the glowplugs are on.I know i have one.
Click to expand...
There is no choke on a diesel engine! that light is for the glowplug cycle.

A choke is used on a petrol engine, and does exactly as it says, it "chokes" the air intake giving more petrol to the cylinders when cold.
 
Last edited:
This is interestting and conflicts with advice on lr4x4.com which I had asked about my 300tdi

My symptom is when cold turing from position II to III the starter motor can be heard to turn but almost immediately die. Resetting ignition and trying again always results in instant start. I thought this would be down to glow plugs but the other forum said no no - don't need glow plugs to get compression.....and most likely be poor earth (btw its got nerw battery and starter and ignition barrel !)

I'm now confused...


Gafferjim said:
You turn your ignition on and wait until the "wire light" ( glowplug preheater light) goes out, then immediately start the engine, if it doesn't start straight away, either some/all of your glowplugs are knackered, or / and even your injectors need looking at.

You should only need to do a cold start procedure as above, when the vehicle is stone cold, ie has been stopped for a good few hours or so.
Click to expand...
 
I recently fitted a 850CCA 100Ah battery to my D90 300tdi, I could drive it about on the starter motor the battery is so good!
 
Cypermethrin, what do you think diesel engined cars have this "preheat" for then if it doesn't need to be used? Why bother fitting glowplugs etc?
In warm weather you may well not need to use the glowplugs, I don't need to in all my diesel vehicles, but in this cold weather you should use them.
Cold weather like this will find all the problems that haven't come to light during the summer, just ask your local accessory shop how many batteries etc he's recently sold.
it's nothing really to do with compression.

The correct way to start a COLD diesel is as I've described, if your glowplugs are on their way out, sometimes they need a 2nd go on the glowplug cycle.

Your problem is either a bad earth, bad connection to the starter or battery, or just a poor battery.
 
Last edited:
My battery is a Banner rated at 90Ah.

I will try the glow-plug thing tomorrow morning.

yes, i know my diesel does not have a choke, but that is a choke symbol in my diesel motor which is masquerading as a coil symbol. An impostor.
 
I dont profess to understand the wonders of glow plugs but I do appreciate your counsel on what maybe the cause of the issue.

My money is on a poor exciter wire - job for the weekend !

Thanks


Gafferjim said:
Your problem is either a bad earth, bad connection to the starter or battery, or just a poor battery.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Handbreak Stuck on / Battery Smoking
Replies
13
Views
534
bluedog333
bluedog333
O
Electrical - starting fault/issue (seeking help/advice) - 1996 Defender 110 300TDI
2
Replies
27
Views
1K
tottot
tottot
Montyjohn
P38A Corrosion on battery terminals
Replies
5
Views
341
pwood999
pwood999
M
Relay R6 faulty
Replies
8
Views
1K
gstuart
gstuart
1
200DI problem.
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
lynall
L
Back
Top