Freelander 2 (LR2) charging problems

Hi all I have been having a lot of electronic problems with my Freelander 2 recently, so I thought I would check what sort of charge my alternator was putting out. The results were weird.
The battery before starting was at 12.72 volts. I started the engine and was very surprised to see 16.52 volts coming to the battery.
On switching off the engine after a short run I was even more surprised to see the battery was registering 14.57 volts which climbed to 16 .59 ??? with the engine off.
The battery is about 18 months old and is a quality Duracell battery type 0963 a 74ah battery
Can anybody shine a light on my woes, should I change the alternator ? .
Your comments please.

The FL2 has a smart charging system. If the battery doesn't absorb the charge, the voltage can climb to the sort of levels you getting. So I'd suggest you're battery isn't as good as you think it is. I've never come across a Duracell vehicle battery, but if it's anything like there disposable batteries it'll be fit for the bin.

Jack Birchley said:

The battery before starting was at 12.72 volts.

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I'd say that is a healthy battery.

Thanks Nodge68, I may try and borrow a battery and swop it and see what happens. I bought the Duracell as it seemed to be a good recognisable brand but it may not be. I have had many electronic problems recently including burn out 4v heater plugs and the throttle body chewing its self to bits, plus many other unexplained things like the footwell lights flashing on and off and the mirrors adjusting themselves.
Thanks

Wimblowdriver said:

I'd say that is a healthy battery.

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But why the climb to over 16,5 volts ?

Jack Birchley said:

But why the climb to over 16,5 volts ?

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Dunno, not an expert. But been having to charge my battery up this week - less than a year old but voltage dropping through lack of regular use and having added after market security gadgets which have a constant draw on the battery. My battery will hold a higher voltage for a short period after charging before falling back to a steady 12.7-ish volts.

Wimblowdriver said:

I'd say that is a healthy battery.

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If the battery was healthy, the smart charging would be working an normal voltage levels. This high voltage is a very common symptom of a failing battery in a modern vehicle.

hi

don’t know if it’s any use , but have a look near the alternator and check the blue wire hasn’t been cut through from rubbing

gstuart said:

hi

don’t know if it’s any use , but have a look near the alternator and check the blue wire hasn’t been cut through from rubbing


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Thanks for that, I will check it out today.

Jack Birchley said:

Thanks for that, I will check it out today.

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never know it may be something simple , lol

pls let us know how u get on

ps, have u got one of these cheap plug in volt meters, not the same as a multimeter but does give u a rough idea

I have been using a digital multi meter but I am going to borrow another one from a neighbour to check out the readings as 16.5 volts seems excessive. But hey its a Land Rover anything can go wrong and often does. The car has been great until the last year and it has been fix one thing and another goes wrong, its only got 58k on the clock,this is my 5th Landy but it might be time to trade it in.

Jack Birchley said:

I have been using a digital multi meter but I am going to borrow another one from a neighbour to check out the readings as 16.5 volts seems excessive. But hey its a Land Rover anything can go wrong and often does. The car has been great until the last year and it has been fix one thing and another goes wrong, its only got 58k on the clock,this is my 5th Landy but it might be time to trade it in.

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indeed, mine will go up to 16 v max, but of course this blue wire may be contributing to the issue ,???

trouble is if the alternators start outputting very high voltages it can take the battery with it and cause all sort of problems

would u stay with another landy , seems a shame to trade it in , as we all know with landies , buy another one and just have different problems with that

will be interesting to see what ur findings are

gstuart said:

never know it may be something simple , lol

pls let us know how u get on

ps, have u got one of these cheap plug in volt meters, not the same as a multimeter but does give u a rough idea

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Those things are notoriously inaccurate Gary.
Use the live data for accurate voltages if a proper DMM isn't available.

Nodge68 said:

Those things are notoriously inaccurate Gary.
Use the live data for accurate voltages if a proper DMM isn't available.

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absolutely, no substitute for a multimeter.

Odd readings like that could be caused, along with the electrical gremlins, by a failing alternator.

Check the output under heavy load - lights and heaters all on.
Check the ripple (turn meter to AC volts) between the alternator B+ and block. 0.5V ac max.

Check battery voltage after an overnight rest - min 12.4V or thereabouts. Should be higher.
Check battery voltage under cranking (disable fuel pump) - no lower than 9.5V.

Do Halfords still do a free battery and alternator check? Might be worth a look, and soon - your charging system is putting surges into the electrics. These can cause untold damage.

Hi all many thanks for all of your replies, and helpful suggestions. I tested the cranking voltage for 3 mornings and that it was dropping to 9 volts and on one occasion just below 9.
I went back to Euro Car Parts who supplied the battery 20 months ago. They were fantastic and changed the battery for a new one, with no problems at all.
I am not getting the dreaded HDC message on the dash. I also put a new battery in my multi meter incase that was low.
All seems to be OK for now.
Thanks

Jack Birchley said:

Hi all many thanks for all of your replies, and helpful suggestions. I tested the cranking voltage for 3 mornings and that it was dropping to 9 volts and on one occasion just below 9.
I went back to Euro Car Parts who supplied the battery 20 months ago. They were fantastic and changed the battery for a new one, with no problems at all.
I am not getting the dreaded HDC message on the dash. I also put a new battery in my multi meter incase that was low.
All seems to be OK for now.
Thanks

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A new battery will fix a bad battery problem, but will also mask a bad alternator problem, at least temporarily. Do checks as above on the new set-up.

Hi, I should have put this in the reply about the battery etc.
I have now checked the input from the alternator and I am getting 14.46 at tickover which is similar to the 14.44 I was getting before.
I will keep an eye on it though in case it is an intermittent alternator problem.
My original problem of the footwell lights flashing on and off when driving at night, I have solved by taking the bulbs out.
Just waiting for the next thing to go wrong !!!.