Battery or Alternator?

[GSMblue]

Well, after some TLC my LR3 threw a wobbly at me!

After being sat out for a week the battery died. So I charged it over night and it ran fine for a few days. I did the 753 screen check on the voltage and it was all over the place, 12.0V to 14.0V.

The wife drove it to work on Friday and and on the way home she got the "low power mode" on the radio so I told her to leave it alone and get get a ride to the campsite...

Yesterday I tried to charge the battery, it was having none of it. I pulled it and the two end cells were low on fluid. I topped them up with distilled water and it still would not take a charge, it was sat at 6V.

So today I went to costco and got a new battery. At idea the 753 screen shows me 14V.

The question is, is the alternator actually ok? Well, is the regulator on the alternator ok? Any thoughts or suggestions welcomed.

 

[Houm_WA]

Could be that the batt got discharged too low and can't recover. I have had better luck with an AGM battery....where are you located?

 

[GSMblue]

I live in Bend OR these days. Costco did pull the AGM out first, but I cheeped out and got the wet instead.

The last one did last ~9 years so I am not complaining!

 

[Houm_WA]

@GSMblue: Beavs or ducks?

 

[GSMblue]

Hahahaa!

Ducks!

I am originally from London, so when I moved to PDX in 2006 I was told by a neighbor "You better be a Ducks fan if you are gonna live on this street" So that made that choice for me

 

[Houm_WA]

Last time I ever give YOU advice!!!! (just joking)

I post on an Oregon State message board and there is a poster there that goes by "GSMbeaver" and since you have an Oregon license plate on your LR3, I thought for sure you are one and the same. Whoops....I guess I can stop calling you "Tibs" now!!!

btw, you don't live on that street anymore and your neighbor was wrong. The ducks are crap...bunch of front runners who buy wins (and fans and players) with $ from Phil Knight. Back in the day....before you moved here from the UK, there was more parity and it was fun. Then Phil Knight took over.

As for your electrical issue: I'd watch the battery voltage closely. Don't let it die, but if it is losing juice I'd suspect the alternator. The old battery probably just got cycled too deep. If this new one dies, then yeah I'd suspect the alternator.

 

[GSMblue]

I need to update that pic, but that is the cleanest my LR3 has ever been, I spent a day in and out cleaning her.

Yeah, I left that street a few years ago to migrate to Bend. Mostly Beavers down here for sure. I follow both. Beavs for Baseball, Ducks for track and field both for football and basketball. Best of all worlds!

Also follow Huskies and Cougs for football, I love the PAC12 late games so much happens.

I have the LR3 booked in on Tuesday for diagnostics. Not going to chance cooking a new battery due to a failing regulator/rectifier.

On the 753 screen I am seeing 13.0V at idle, at the battery I am measuring 13.7. So something fishy is going on...

 

[Houm_WA]

It's funny, so many people complain about the night games; I love them! Funny thing is it's the sissies in Portland complaining because they get home so late...since I'm driving down from north of Seattle and staying two nights in town, they get no sympathy from me! Anyway, I digress....I do hope we get football this year and it doesn't also get obliterated by COVID.

Hope you have a good shop in Bend. I love that area, but don't know what's there as far as Rover shops. Honestly I might have made that migration myself if not for taking a job at Boeing 23 years ago and subsequently putting down roots up here.

I am an avid detailer. If you'd like some suggestions on products, I can oblige. This pic was just the other day. I'd gone off-roading the weekend prior so gave it a big treatment.

 

[GSMblue]

Mighty, mighty clean looking beast!

Moving down here was the best thing I ever did. 5 acres of land and all the outdoors to play in

Is there a "detailing thread" it would be good to exchange ideas.

I struggle with the plastic trim and the alloy wheels. Never look really good. The plastic is always blotchy and the wheels always have some embedded brake dust I can't remove.

 

[Houm_WA]

I use Vinylex by Lexol for the molded plastics; there are lots of suggestions though.