Battery Issue? AGM Lifetime?

[bbyer]

2.5 years so far on my AGM with no issues, I hook it up to a battery tender a couple times a year. Reportedly the LR4 doesn't do a good job of fully recharging batteries so I try to do a little maintenance.

I do not know about the LR4 but the 3 is designed not to fully charge any battery - something about emissions.

As such at least twice a year, I connect my CTEK US3300 to each of my two batteries for a week of nights to get the State of Charge up from the LR design number of 80% to close to 100%.

My Interstate AGM batteries last 3 to 4 years - nothing to boast about but I guess that is the way it is.

 

[bbyer]

I have a battery question as well - a couple of days ago my Eco warning light came on, at the same time heated steering wheel and heated seats stopped giving out any heat... The Disco 4 is 2015 and has a new Secondary battery, but I suspect it is still on the original main one. Could the main battery beginning to fail be the issue here? It seems a strange coincidence that all three stopped at the same time.

Unless I am imagining things, there may be a small amount of heat in the seats, but nothing like there was.

The ECO warning light is something to do with that START/STOP system. Per the link in post #7, there is a good discussion re the START/STOP system.

Yes, you probably need a new cranking battery as well.

The computers are designed to shut down or cycle the high amp draw devices when the electrical system is not functioning properly, hence it is not your imagination that the heater steering wheel, the seats and perhaps the radio amp as well and certainly the heated windscreen etc.

 

[BendRover123]

The LR4 has a battery setting that needs to be changed to AGM since it requires 0.3 or more Volts for charging. The LR3 does not have the setting so your essentially stuck with the lead acids batteries unless you want them to die prematurely. It's just chemistry an poor charging design by Landrover.

2.5 years so far on my AGM with no issues, I hook it up to a battery tender a couple times a year. Reportedly the LR4 doesn't do a good job of fully recharging batteries so I try to do a little maintenance.

 

[bbyer]

The LR4 has a battery setting that needs to be changed to AGM since it requires 0.3 or more Volts for charging. The LR3 does not have the setting so your essentially stuck with the lead acids batteries unless you want them to die prematurely. It's just chemistry an poor charging design by Landrover.

"Never designed for AGM" - that is an interesting thought.

It is one I never thought about but yes, per the jpg, my 2005 factory battery was one of those low maintenance lead acid batteries with the sort of removable flush caps, but not the older style screw caps.

I always wondered why the LR4 has a Car Configuration File (CCF) switch for battery type - never thought about the increased charge voltage that the AGM wish to see.

I also know that there was a change in "smart regulator" design re the 3's but never really understood what that was about. In saying that, my information is that the battery charge voltage is set by the car computer software and not the alternator regulator as it is/was in lesser vehicles - that is all but the Land Rover.

The different charge voltage would be consistent with that switch in the LR4 CCF - the car computer software dictates battery charge voltage.

At the same time, I note that in colder weather the system voltage is closer to 14.5 VDC measured at the OBD plug so that seems adequate for the AGM charging. At the same time, 13.3 VDC is a number I see in hot weather and I suppose that is too low to charge the AGM..

Below is a link listing the various battery types and suggested charge and float voltages.
Maybe I should stop buying their Interstate AGM and go back to the older style low maintenance battery - an interesting idea as the way the AGM fail does not impress me - kind of instantly; I much preferred the "Gee, the battery is getting weak - should change it before winter," kind of thinking.

https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/5-battery-types-explained-sealed-agm-gel.html

 

[avslash]

The charging system on these trucks sucks. Period. I have cycled through all of the ccf profiles, and never noticed a measurable difference within a few days after the ccf reset.

My solution was to mount a charger under the hood with a receptacle mounted in the front bumper so I can easily plug it in, and then also mount a solar panel so it gets a constant charge anytime the sun is out.

Doing something like this is the only way you are going to get these things to maintain anywhere near a full charge.

The crap charging has been my biggest complaint after 9 years of ownership.

 

[Balto]

Has anyone tried a group 31? 31’s have a reputation of being built better than standard auto batteries and will have more CCA and Res capacity than a H8/49 battery. A 31 will be more of the size of a H7 LxW but is about 2inches taller than a H8 or H7. Just not sure if the cables will reach and if there is room under the hood for the extra height.

 

[gsxr]

Two INCHES taller? Pretty sure that won't fit.

I'm not sure why most people would need any more than the H8/49 unless spending a lot of time running high-consumption accessories when parked for hours or days out of the sun.

 

[Balto]

Your probably correct on the actual need but I live in AZ and batteries tend to die out in 2-3 regardless. Thinking with a little more robust battery I could extend this a little or at least not have the so called electrical gremlins when batteries just can’t keep up do to age.

 

[gsxr]

For the people who routinely have batteries fail at 2-3 years... anyone try a full-time desulfator like the PulseTech PowerPulse? I use these on all my vehicles and batteries generally last 6-10 years, but I'm not in Arizona with 120°F ambients either. If the vehicle will be parked more than a few weeks, it must be connected to a trickle charger/maintainer, if using the PowerPulse.

https://www.pulsetech.net/pp-12-l-powerpulse-12-volt-battery-maintenance-system.html

https://www.amazon.com/PulseTech-PowerPulse-Battery-Maintenance-System/dp/B0176EZ3AO/

IMPROVE BATTERY PERFORMANCE AND EXTEND BATTERY LIFE

PowerPulse is not a charger. Charging doesn’t eliminate the main cause of battery failure – energy robbing lead sulfate deposits on battery plates. During this process, the plates gradually become more and more clogged with microscopic lead sulfate deposits. These deposits eventually limit the surface area available for energy transfer and cut back the battery’s ability to accept, store and release energy.

PowerPulse is a performance device designed to help batteries charge faster and provide maximum performance and power by generating an intermittent, optimized high frequency pulse that reduces existing sulfate deposits and keeps them from building up again. The patented Pulse Technology circuit has been scientifically proven by researchers at two major universities to improve battery performance and longevity.

This small weatherproof product can supplement your existing charging system and can be powered in two different ways. When the battery is being charged either by an onboard charger or a separate charging system, it will use the charging current as a power source. The rest of the time PowerPulse uses a small portion of the battery’s own energy so it is working 24-hours a day so you don’t need an electrical outlet. Accordingly, it should only be used on vehicles or equipment that is regularly used and frequently charged.

· Works on all lead-acid batteries including conventional flooded, sealed maintenance-free, Valve Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA), Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM), hybrid, antimony, and calcium-plate designs
· Ensures peak battery performance by eliminating the main cause of lead-acid battery problems and failure – sulfation buildup on battery plates
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· Includes an LED light that indicates the circuit is energized and the unit is working
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· Five-Year Limited Warranty​

 

[bbyer]

The charging system on these trucks sucks. Period. I have cycled through all of the ccf profiles, and never noticed a measurable difference within a few days after the ccf reset.

My solution was to mount a charger under the hood with a receptacle mounted in the front bumper so I can easily plug it in, and then also mount a solar panel so it gets a constant charge anytime the sun is out.

Doing something like this is the only way you are going to get these things to maintain anywhere near a full charge.

The crap charging has been my biggest complaint after 9 years of ownership.

I did much the same but only installed connectors (Delphi Weather Pack https://theelectricaldepot.com/weather-pack-delphi-connectors?zenid=afaad1bd8a5f7d715509337017d83253 ) and a switching box to toggle between the cranking and aux battery of my Traxide system.

The jpg's below show the switching box, the Weather Pack connector that can hang thru the grill and the CTEK US3300 maintainer. I usually connect up the batteries about twice a year. It takes a week of charging overnight for each battery to bring them back to where the maintainer just sits on float.

I do have a cigarette lighter connector type solar panel that I have used as a battery maintainer for my plane but do not use any longer as the plane is now hangared and is hooked to a power cart.

I could set the panel on the dash for when parked all day outside and plug it into the aux socket that is now connected full time to the battery independent of the ignition.