cold starting problems dicso & defender

Hi all,

A very happy new year to all unless your landy won't start!

I have had a problem over the past few weeks with regards to cold weather starting. We own both a 1996 Disco and a 1998 110 Defender. The Disco has a 12 month old battery fitted but I have no idea of the age for the battery on the 110.

Both vehicals in conditions below 2-3 deg+ refuse to start in the morning and have to be jump started. Anyone out there have any idea why? and how to solve the problem.

I have been contemplating a second battery on both vehicals with a split charging system fitted, however I can find no information with regards to haveing a switch in the cab for swapping over to the spare battery if required for starting. This switch would be the COLD START only and would require switching back to normal/charging running once the engine had been started.

Could anyone please point me in the correct dirrection. Its bloody cold starting one landrover never mind two!

Would Optima batteries solve the problem? if so advise will be required with regards to which ones.

Kindest regards to all,

Steve ALCO262

Optimas are ****e and a total waste of money. tryhaving your existing batteries tested, check output from Alternator is around the 13.5 to 14.4v mark, and if they both check out. Then buy some new glow plugs.

try the glow plugs did mine two weeks ago no probs now

Sounds to me like your glow plugs are knackered - or your engines have done high milages and the compression is way down.

If even two of the glows are dud it can make it much more difficult as you are relying on compression heat alone in a stone cold block igniting the diesel. Takes a bit of cranking to get the heat up enough.

When you turn the key does your engine turn over at a speed you would deem adequate? I take it you need to give it a jump is because the battery gets too flat before it dies. How much cranking are you getting out of the battery before it dies?

Unless you need dual batterys your messing about with a lot of nonsence you don't need they should start.

A few years back the Disco wouldn't start in the cold, it would crank until the cows came home and I gave up before ruining the battery. All the glows were dead - set of plugs and starts no bother each time. 90 takes a bit longer but the plugs fitted are rubbish £2 a piece ebay jobs.

with dual batteries a duff battery will kill the good battery too unless isolated.

Dear Discomania,

The engine in the disco has covered 216,000 and still goes well when started. The 110 only covered 70,000. Both engines start no problem when it is reasonably warm outside but come the cold thats another matter. The disco has only had one set of heaters that I know of, and that was at around 80,000. Will order and fit a good set tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

With regards to the cold cranking, both batteries are slow on first crank and just get slower and slower. Get around 6 attempts before giving up before I damage the battery.