Second battery

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Stanleysteamer said:
Short answer, yes. If both batteries are connected, in parallel, they would both act to start and run the car and would also be charged as you drive along. The thing then would be to simply remove the cut-off key to the second battery when you leave the vehicle. As the batt would no longer be connected to anything it could not lose charge to any residual leaking current. That would all leak out of the only batt which has a fully connected circuit.
In fact the problem you might have is remembering to leave the second batt connected when driving along. Just a question of generating a new habit.
Click to expand...
Would it be best to get a car battery or leisure battery for second one,
 
DanClarke said:
If you have no parasitic drains, wouldn't a decent wattage Solar charger wired in directly be enough to keep it topped up?
Click to expand...
Do you know what the daily drain on a healthy p38 is? I can't remember.
The small ones that you stick to the front window are in the order of milliamps
 
kermit_rr said:
Do you know what the daily drain on a healthy p38 is? I can't remember.
The small ones that you stick to the front window are in the order of milliamps
Click to expand...
I think it is in the the order of 50milliamps until the BeCM wakes up and then its a few amps. The larger panels 24 - 36W ought to be enough?
I think @Datatek has put one on his rear parcel shelf?
 
a panel of that kind of size will give over an amp in full sun but only for a short while, the current drops significantly if the panel isn't pointing directly at the sun, cloud doesn't help either
I've got solar to keep the battery topped up when i go on holiday, but also good for cool box, phone charger, lighting etc
 
kermit_rr said:
Do you know what the daily drain on a healthy p38 is? I can't remember.
The small ones that you stick to the front window are in the order of milliamps
Click to expand...

hiya

dont know how useful the enclosed pic is

im also going to install solar , just disconnected my t max split charge system, solenoid keep sticking

can’t install a VSR on mine, will get a 100watt panel for the roof and a dual MPPT controller , will get a bluetoooth one so can easily then monitor the panel via my phone

alas been trying to find out what maximum amps a 100 watt panel can produce so can size the amp rating accordingly for the controller, think a 15 x amp controller will be suffice

just changed the main battery for a yuasa 019, will keep my leisure battery so can use that for
Auxiliaries etc

have a CTEK but will be nice for the battery to last more than 3 x weeks seeing the D3 are so power hungry , so hoping fitting a half decent size solar panel on the roof will help keep the main battery topped up,

Assume the 100 watt panel is abit of an overkill but then thought of the dull days , think the optimum output is 18 Vdc



08EFD987-0088-4D01-B90A-DD1BB2D652A6.jpeg
 
Last edited:
gstuart said:
hiya

dont know how useful the enclosed pic is

im also going to install solar , just disconnected my t max split charge system, solenoid keep sticking

can’t install a VSR on mine, will get a 100watt panel for the roof and a dual MPPT controller , will get a bluetoooth one so can easily then monitor the panel via my phone

alas been trying to find out what maximum amps a 100 watt panel can produce so can size the amp rating accordingly for the controller, think a 15 x amp controller will be suffice

just changed the main battery for a yuasa 019, will keep my leisure battery so can use that for
Auxiliaries etc

have a CTEK but will be nice for the battery to last more than 3 x weeks seeing the D3 are so power hungry , so hoping fitting a half decent size solar panel on the roof will help keep the main battery topped up,

Assume the 100 watt panel is abit of an overkill but then thought of the dull days , think the optimum output is 18 Vdc



View attachment 199018
Click to expand...
Useful set of figures! Shame it doesn't cover the p38, but maybe it's similar

Why did you choose a dual mppt controller? Sounds overkill. You should get up to ~5.5A from a100w panel in full sun
 
kermit_rr said:
Useful set of figures! Shame it doesn't cover the p38, but maybe it's similar

Why did you choose a dual mppt controller? Sounds overkill. You should get up to ~5.5A from a100w panel in full sun
Click to expand...

glad it was useful and indeed couldn’t find P38 figures

Am currently 50/50 with relation to the dual controller , as I’m thinking with the dual controller can keep the main and aux battery topped up but then thinking in the same token is it worth bothering with the leisure battery

however the aux battery is currently running gauges etc but only when the landy is turned on, so wondering if it’s pointless , can easily move the wiring over to the main battery as it’s all currently done via an ign trigger wire anyway so will only come on when the ign becomes live

another thought was if I remove the aux battery I could use that space to fit my tyre compressor which would be more valuable to me than an aux battery , as it can serve by topping up the tyres and also if req can use it in an emergency situation for my air suspension, have a few shrieder valves which can be installed into the suspension and then easily hooked up to the compressor as a temp get me home measure

bless u ref the figures and I always seem to get confused, hopefully that amperage would be more than enough to at least keep the main battery fully charged , ie 100 A/H 900 Cca

From what I’ve read , the MPPT is suppose to retrieve 30% more from the panel than the PWM controller can

alas I know I’m terrible making decisions and my own worst enemy , just trying to weigh up all my options but ultimately my main goal is to keep the main battery charged as it drives me insane when the main battery goes flat after not using the disco for a few weeks

many thks as always for the help
 
If you have a Nanocom or know someone with one you can turn off the alarm and immobilizer then you will not get all the problem with codes.
there are a few things that drain a battery on a p38.
You can get marine start charging battery's i use one.
you may be better asking this in the range rover section.
 
gstuart said:
glad it was useful and indeed couldn’t find P38 figures

Am currently 50/50 with relation to the dual controller , as I’m thinking with the dual controller can keep the main and aux battery topped up but then thinking in the same token is it worth bothering with the leisure battery

however the aux battery is currently running gauges etc but only when the landy is turned on, so wondering if it’s pointless , can easily move the wiring over to the main battery as it’s all currently done via an ign trigger wire anyway so will only come on when the ign becomes live

another thought was if I remove the aux battery I could use that space to fit my tyre compressor which would be more valuable to me than an aux battery , as it can serve by topping up the tyres and also if req can use it in an emergency situation for my air suspension, have a few shrieder valves which can be installed into the suspension and then easily hooked up to the compressor as a temp get me home measure

bless u ref the figures and I always seem to get confused, hopefully that amperage would be more than enough to at least keep the main battery fully charged , ie 100 A/H 900 Cca

From what I’ve read , the MPPT is suppose to retrieve 30% more from the panel than the PWM controller can

alas I know I’m terrible making decisions and my own worst enemy , just trying to weigh up all my options but ultimately my main goal is to keep the main battery charged as it drives me insane when the main battery goes flat after not using the disco for a few weeks

many thks as always for the help
Click to expand...
Maybe worth starting a new thread on solar? lol

I understood dual controllers were for 2 different solar inputs, where you have different orientation to the sun or different rated panels etc
Mppt is better tech than pwm but they only really come into their own when you have 2 or more panels in series to ramp up the voltage.
I've got 2, 50w panels and a mppt controller. Waiting for some decent sun to compare battery input from parallel vs serial solar connection, it seems difficult to find cold hard facts online
 
kermit_rr said:
Maybe worth starting a new thread on solar? lol

I understood dual controllers were for 2 different solar inputs, where you have different orientation to the sun or different rated panels etc
Mppt is better tech than pwm but they only really come into their own when you have 2 or more panels in series to ramp up the voltage.
I've got 2, 50w panels and a mppt controller. Waiting for some decent sun to compare battery input from parallel vs serial solar connection, it seems difficult to find cold hard facts online
Click to expand...

Hi

many thks and indeed will do that ref a new thread so doesn’t take up room in this one
 
+1 RR section.

There is existing wiring in the boot that you can wire a 2nd battery into. Is usually kept to run the gadgets only and main one for cranking. There is a management system you can use so the draw/charging is sorted. Is on here somewhere, I read up on it but managed to fix it without a 2nd unit in end.

Have you disconnected the RF unit? this normally stops drain.

You could wire a ‘dead man’ into the dash for ease of use but will have the beepbeeps to contend with every time
 
I don't think a second battery would solve this, I think you would just have 2 flat batteries instead of 1. Split charging, even with a smart relay, is not that effective. I run a main and leisure battery and it takes quite a drive to get 2 batteries charged up. I used to have to park or lay up vehicles and I've tried various ideas, the CTEK type chargers really work but I get that this is not possible, I use solar on the camper (and now the mower too) but its easy on a camper as its up on the roof, you may only get room on the dash. You could do what they do in the military - a trolley with a battery that's kept charged and a sodding great 2 pin NATO starting plug, they are rated at 400amps. Mount the socket inside the wheel arch near the battery and wire it in with battery size leads.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nato-180...131272&hash=item19dc5605d5:g:UV4AAOxyJ-FRkiER
Trundle over, plug it in and start. Then get someone else to trundle it away, but that's the army for you!
 
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