Losing Power Defender 90

I have just bought a 1996 defender 90 2.5tdi. I have a real job starting it
each night when I take the dogs out, but if I jump it with leads from
another car, it starts no problem. Had a new battery fitted. It seems as
though it doesn't generate enough power on its own or something to top it
up. I use it every day and drive about 8 miles. I can't believe that
travelling that sort of distance each day, would cause such a problem. Any
ideas or help would be useful.

--
Alan

Alan wrote:
>
> I have just bought a 1996 defender 90 2.5tdi. I have a real job starting it
> each night when I take the dogs out, but if I jump it with leads from
> another car, it starts no problem. Had a new battery fitted. It seems as
> though it doesn't generate enough power on its own or something to top it
> up. I use it every day and drive about 8 miles. I can't believe that
> travelling that sort of distance each day, would cause such a problem. Any
> ideas or help would be useful.
>

Looks like something is wrong with the alternator or wiring.
First check the battery terminals while running. Must have at least 13,5
volts there.
Erik-Jan.

"Erik-Jan Geniets" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Alan wrote:
>>
>> I have just bought a 1996 defender 90 2.5tdi. I have a real job starting
>> it
>> each night when I take the dogs out, but if I jump it with leads from
>> another car, it starts no problem. Had a new battery fitted. It seems as
>> though it doesn't generate enough power on its own or something to top it
>> up. I use it every day and drive about 8 miles. I can't believe that
>> travelling that sort of distance each day, would cause such a problem.
>> Any
>> ideas or help would be useful.
>>
>
> Looks like something is wrong with the alternator or wiring.
> First check the battery terminals while running. Must have at least 13,5
> volts there.
> Erik-Jan.

If the battery warning light goes out when running and your not getting
13-14 volts at battery when running before condeming the alternator check
that the glow plug relay is cutting the power to the plugs it could also be
a duff battery

icky wrote:

> If the battery warning light goes out when running and your not getting
> 13-14 volts at battery when running before condeming the alternator check
> that the glow plug relay is cutting the power to the plugs it could also be
> a duff battery

He stated that is was a new one....
Erik-Jan.

Alan wrote:
> I have just bought a 1996 defender 90 2.5tdi. I have a real job starting it
> each night when I take the dogs out, but if I jump it with leads from
> another car, it starts no problem. Had a new battery fitted. It seems as
> though it doesn't generate enough power on its own or something to top it
> up. I use it every day and drive about 8 miles. I can't believe that
> travelling that sort of distance each day, would cause such a problem. Any
> ideas or help would be useful.
>

Check the current draw of the starter motor - if it's got duff bearings
or brushes it could be trying to draw stupid amounts of power from the
battery and only be cranking slowly. Any current draw that's much over
400A is a sign of something amiss.

--
EMB

Alan wrote:
> I have just bought a 1996 defender 90 2.5tdi. I have a real job starting it
> each night when I take the dogs out, but if I jump it with leads from
> another car, it starts no problem. Had a new battery fitted. It seems as
> though it doesn't generate enough power on its own or something to top it
> up. I use it every day and drive about 8 miles. I can't believe that
> travelling that sort of distance each day, would cause such a problem. Any
> ideas or help would be useful.
>
Not sure if this helps or not!

I have a 1990, 110 CSW with the 2.5TD.

My wife drives about 4 miles every day. Over the last week with the
cold mornings it has started OK. On Friday morning I started it and it
started (just)! I then put the battery on charge overnight and it was
fine the following morning. My battery is not new, but the alternator is.

I suspect in my case that the power taken out of the battery in starting
the engine in this cold weather is far more than the alternator can put
back in its relatively short journey, so by the end of the week, the is
a serious deficit of "umph".

Now you are doing twice the mileage as my car and if I read the post
correctly, having a problem every night?

As has been suggested, step 1 is check the battery voltage with the
engine running, it should be 13.8v.

If that fails check the leads to the starter motor and the earth lead,
also the connections to the battery itself. At the sort of current that
is drawn when you spin the engine, even a little resistance can loose a
lot of volts.

Cheers

Peter

On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 20:48:41 GMT, puffernutter wrote:

> At the sort of current that is drawn when you spin the engine, even a
> little resistance can loose a lot of volts.

And dissipate a fair bit of power making the dogey joint warm or even
hot. Good sound connections don't get warm under cranking currents, poor
ones do.

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

In message <[email protected]>
"Alan" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I have just bought a 1996 defender 90 2.5tdi. I have a real job starting it
> each night when I take the dogs out, but if I jump it with leads from
> another car, it starts no problem. Had a new battery fitted. It seems as
> though it doesn't generate enough power on its own or something to top it
> up. I use it every day and drive about 8 miles. I can't believe that
> travelling that sort of distance each day, would cause such a problem. Any
> ideas or help would be useful.
>

That sounds suspiciously like a bad earth. Next time you want to start
it, put a jump lead from battery -ve to the block (lifting brackets is
a good place). If it starts much better then the earth strap between
the emgine/gearbox unit and the chassis needs a claean-up under the
terminals.

Try that first anyway.

Richard

--
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Thank you guys, I will try all of your points at the weekend (hopefully) and
report back with the correct result/answer, it's bound to be one of those
suggested.

Alan
"beamendsltd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1cb0a7ff4d%[email protected]...
> In message <[email protected]>
> "Alan" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I have just bought a 1996 defender 90 2.5tdi. I have a real job starting
>> it
>> each night when I take the dogs out, but if I jump it with leads from
>> another car, it starts no problem. Had a new battery fitted. It seems as
>> though it doesn't generate enough power on its own or something to top it
>> up. I use it every day and drive about 8 miles. I can't believe that
>> travelling that sort of distance each day, would cause such a problem.
>> Any
>> ideas or help would be useful.
>>
>
> That sounds suspiciously like a bad earth. Next time you want to start
> it, put a jump lead from battery -ve to the block (lifting brackets is
> a good place). If it starts much better then the earth strap between
> the emgine/gearbox unit and the chassis needs a claean-up under the
> terminals.
>
> Try that first anyway.
>
> Richard
>
> --
> www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
> Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
> Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
> Boycott the Yorkshire Dales - No Play, No Pay