Disco 3 (LR3) Dashboard Battery Light

Plus 1 what @lynall mentions

also a side note , I fitted a BM2 battery monitor box , ( plenty on Ebay ) plus the app on ur iPhone / iPad via Bluetooth , range about 20 feet and it can check ur battery volts and crank voltage test

as also mentioned

standing battery v should be a min of 12.6 Vdc

with everything turned on and engine running should see around 14.6 VDC

Plus 1 ref Denso alternator as there very sensitive

as a side note recently fitted a yuasa 019 battery , just fits and lasts a good month without disco being started

hope that helps

ps, u can get other apps to monitor up to 4 x batteries and fitting the BM2 boxes to each battery

Also if ur not using ur disco plus 1 ref CTEK

I did fit a charging point on the front of the house and charger is in the hallway

so can easily plug a lead into the 12s socket whilst on the drive

have also been doing an update , where if I accidentally drive away the lead will automatically disconnect

it’s a magnetic connection , will attach some wire to make the lead stronger in case I drive away and will also put the cable inside some flexible conduit

hopefully it may help

Cheers once again matey

andyschleckscheshirecat said:

Cheers once again matey

Click to expand...

Ur so welcome, just thought if u haven’t got a multimeter to do the crank test getting one of these boxes will allow u to test and monitor the battery

goes without question if I can be of more help plse feel free to give me a shout and also plenty here as well to help if u get stuck

After reading and watching vids about it i am certain its now slowly on its way out. I feel comfortable in my own ability to replace it myself just removing the fan is making me nervous in case i cant get it off ha ha

I'll do it in the next few weeks and update you as we are not using it now for a while

Cheers once again

andyschleckscheshirecat said:

After reading and watching vids about it i am certain its now slowly on its way out. I feel comfortable in my own ability to replace it myself just removing the fan is making me nervous in case i cant get it off ha ha

I'll do it in the next few weeks and update you as we are not using it now for a while

Cheers once again

Click to expand...

The viscous removal spanner kit is well worth the money.
Like many tools, you only have to use it once, and it has paid for itself.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rov...253761?hash=item3a9a628fc1:g:CcEAAOSwk5FUsZbl

lynall said:

The viscous removal spanner kit is well worth the money.
Like many tools, you only have to use it once, and it has paid for itself.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rov...253761?hash=item3a9a628fc1:g:CcEAAOSwk5FUsZbl

Click to expand...

If you have a decent pushbike and some tools for it the headstock spanner fits the fan too ....

Stanleysteamer said:

A bit surprised that no one has suggested switching all electrical systems on and to full power and then testing the voltage at the battery, with the engine running. This was always the test of alternator function in the old days. Do alternators now function in some magical fashion which means this is no longer a proper test? Used to be lookin for 14 odd volts under theses conditions to be sure.

Click to expand...

Yes and no!
The D3 one and I suspect on many other cars, the alt is told what to do by the ecu via a pwm signal.

Lots of the newer trucks also run pwms signals for all sorts, and apparently you need special kit to test the pwm signal, kit we do not have!

https://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=3801&pos=1

lynall said:

Yes and no!
The D3 one and I suspect on many other cars, the alt is told what to do by the ecu via a pwm signal.

Lots of the newer trucks also run pwms signals for all sorts, and apparently you need special kit to test the pwm signal, kit we do not have!

https://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=3801&pos=1

Click to expand...

Bless u as that’s some interesting info


Alternator and Regulator Wiring Diagrams, TDV6 and petrol V8 and V6
This is a three page pdf that shows the alternator and regulator wiring for the petrol V6, petrol V8 and TDV6. The pdf can be either printed or by right clicking on the displayed pdf, rotated as required for viewing.

Of interest its that, the regulator gets its instructions primarily from being the Engine Control Module (ECM) and only secondarily from the vehicles electrical buss. The conductor from the battery thru the 5 amp fuse F20E is to provide initial power to excite the alternator at startup and then secondarily, to instruct it if the PWM signals were not available. Primary instructions to and from the ECM are thru the two other conductors via a digital like Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal.

If F20E, the 5 amp engine compartment fuse box fuse is blown, the red alternator light on the dash will be illuminated. This means that the alternator could be OK, but if the F20E fuse is blown, no electricity will be generated. Hence check the F20E fuse if you get a red ALT light or some indication of the alternator not working.

Regarding operation of the red ALT light on the dash, it is not the regulator within the alternator that tells the red light to illuminate, or not, but instead the ECM. This is the reason the red light does not function in the same manner as with older vehicles. With the 3, sometimes you have illumination and sometimes not depending upon what the ECM is thinking. What this means is that you can have an alternator that is failing but the red light does not illuminate as the ECM is compensating for reduced alternator output - maybe by draining the battery and or cutting back on vehicle electrical loads such as shutting off or cycling the radio amplifier or heated seats.

gstuart said:

Bless u as that’s some interesting info


Alternator and Regulator Wiring Diagrams, TDV6 and petrol V8 and V6
This is a three page pdf that shows the alternator and regulator wiring for the petrol V6, petrol V8 and TDV6. The pdf can be either printed or by right clicking on the displayed pdf, rotated as required for viewing.

Of interest its that, the regulator gets its instructions primarily from being the Engine Control Module (ECM) and only secondarily from the vehicles electrical buss. The conductor from the battery thru the 5 amp fuse F20E is to provide initial power to excite the alternator at startup and then secondarily, to instruct it if the PWM signals were not available. Primary instructions to and from the ECM are thru the two other conductors via a digital like Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal.

If F20E, the 5 amp engine compartment fuse box fuse is blown, the red alternator light on the dash will be illuminated. This means that the alternator could be OK, but if the F20E fuse is blown, no electricity will be generated. Hence check the F20E fuse if you get a red ALT light or some indication of the alternator not working.

Regarding operation of the red ALT light on the dash, it is not the regulator within the alternator that tells the red light to illuminate, or not, but instead the ECM. This is the reason the red light does not function in the same manner as with older vehicles. With the 3, sometimes you have illumination and sometimes not depending upon what the ECM is thinking. What this means is that you can have an alternator that is failing but the red light does not illuminate as the ECM is compensating for reduced alternator output - maybe by draining the battery and or cutting back on vehicle electrical loads such as shutting off or cycling the radio amplifier or heated seats.

Click to expand...

Yeh I started to read it, and switched off after the first paragraph

I reckon the pwm signal is where the cheaper copy alts fall down.

lynall said:

Yeh I started to read it, and switched off after the first paragraph

I reckon the pwm signal is where the cheaper copy alts fall down.

Click to expand...

me being sad I read all of it, lol

indeed they certainally don’t like the cheap alternators and from reports it only seems the Denso is the one that works correctly without lighting the instrument panel up like a xmas tree

including reports if the alternator begins to fail of how it can also take the battery out

lynall said:

This is pretty much an indispensable bit of kit, leave plugged it at all times, quick visual is all thats needed, amazing what the volts can reach in winter.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-CAR-...164475?hash=item4d8f73103b:g:NrgAAOSwwPtcfmce

Click to expand...

Just a little note of caution I'm sure the product you posted the link for is a good item but check out the whopping negative feedback that the particular
Ebay trader has and that the product is in China, further searches for the same item reveal most are shoddy Chinese crap with more negative feedback

Madman2Swords said:

Just a little note of caution I'm sure the product you posted the link for is a good item but check out the whopping negative feedback that the particular
Ebay trader has and that the product is in China, further searches for the same item reveal most are shoddy Chinese crap with more negative feedback

Click to expand...

Tbh I never read the feedback, was just using it as an example of the item itself
I have four of them myself, and they are a at least 2 maybe 3 years old now, and at 3 ish quid must be classed as disposable?

Hi

Must admit when I bought one i didn’t have any issues with those plug in volt meters, did do an upgrade of fitting a better gauge panel

First bought one of these as it had temp as well , before upgrading, but indeed as @lynall mentions of them being such a cheap item

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-in-1-1...518639?hash=item2ce98749ef:g:vMAAAOSwBUtcvuPn

lynall said:

Tbh I never read the feedback, was just using it as an example of the item itself

Click to expand...

Yeah that's right but I am an avid Ebayer and having been burned and ripped off too many times the first thing I do when I see something that interests me is check the sellers feed back.
The reason I used the link that you posted was because I thought that it is a useful bit of kit, well it certainly would be if we were able to locate the real McCoy
sadly I wasn't able to but would probably do so with a lot more searching.

Madman2Swords said:

Yeah that's right but I am an avid Ebayer and having been burned and ripped off too many times the first thing I do when I see something that interests me is check the sellers feed back.
The reason I used the link that you posted was because I thought that it is a useful bit of kit, well it certainly would be if we were able to locate the real McCoy
sadly I wasn't able to but would probably do so with a lot more searching.

Click to expand...

hi @Madman2Swords

understand where ur coming from as there sure is plenty of crap around

found a link of one I first bought and indeed like ur good self look at the reviews

Edit

hang on link isn’t working

have a look on amazon as I find u can at least select products by star rating

Amazon product

gstuart said:

hi @Madman2Swords

understand where ur coming from as there sure is plenty of crap around

found a link of one I first bought and indeed like ur good self look at the reviews

Edit

hang on link isn’t working

have a look on amazon as I find u can at least select products by star rating

Amazon product

Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong although there's a hell of a lot of CRAPP coming from China there's loads of really cheap good stuff too , I often take a Punt on some cheep stuff coming direct from China knowing that if for some reason it doesn't arrive or if it does and it's a load Pony I'm prepared to take the hit but more often than not I receive the order and it's quite good or really good and worth the gamble.

Madman2Swords said:

Yeah that's right but I am an avid Ebayer and having been burned and ripped off too many times the first thing I do when I see something that interests me is check the sellers feed back.
The reason I used the link that you posted was because I thought that it is a useful bit of kit, well it certainly would be if we were able to locate the real McCoy
sadly I wasn't able to but would probably do so with a lot more searching.

Click to expand...

Me to, pretty much anything I want/need comes from ebay, house/car/boat repairs, all the parts via ebay.

I have the same cheapy spanner set, worked okay.