"Low Battery Please Start Engine" - I'm not sure whats going on. (Voltages look within Spec) correct me if i'm incorrect.

[machmike]

Hi,

Problem:
I'm getting the "Low Battery Pleas start engine" warning. I'm getting it within seconds of just opening a door.
It started while I was vacuuming out the car and had all 4 doors open for an hour or so. No lights were on, so I thought that was weird.



What I have tried / done:
- I charged my Battery using a trickle charger to 97%
- I have been driving around in the car (with a remote starter just in case)
- I have tested my Battery with a multi-meter
- Checked all connections - solid as a rock
- Checked for corrosion - Looks factory fresh.

Results:
----Resting Battery = 12.57v (after 30 minutes of sitting around)
----Running Car Battery = 14.27v

Alternator seems OK or within spec.





Question:
Could my battery actually be going bad? Its fairly new. Maybe 10k on it.


Of course I'm getting ready to go on a trip towing my trailer in a few days....isn't this how these gremlins start?

 

[f1racer328]

Normal message to see, it's just the vehicle load shedding. It'll eventually turn the center display off and not allow the radio to be played either.

How old is your battery, age wise? They go after around 2-4 years it seems.

 

[machmike]

I understand seeing it after a bit of the car Its doing it now even if the door is open for 2 seconds. After I trickle charged to 97%. more than a day later. The battery is about 1 year old. Something is not ok.

 

[Rover Range]

When the battery is replaced, you have to perform a battery monitor reset.
This will turn off the low battery message.
Not sure if this can be done with an aftermarket scan tool.

 

[machmike]

I didn't replace the battery recently JLR did it under warranty about a year and a half ago. I'll do a drive by at the JLR shop to see if they will look at it. I've owned this truck since I purchased it new late 2015 (its a 2016 model). I've not seen this particular behavior before.

 

[Waterndirt]

I just replaced my battery on my 2015. I get about 3 years out of them. My voltage was resting around 12.28 if I remember correctly.

Having the doors open for an hour will likely get you a low battery warning like that. Next time, make sure you remove your key fob from the immediate area so the car doesn’t stay in an “awake” state. That helps, at least I think so.

Another tell tale sign your battery is going dead is a random clock or date change. I’ve been around this forum long enough to drive directly to Costco and buy a new Interstate when that happens.

The low battery message will go away without a BMS reset, but it’s standard practice to reset it. The Gap IIDTool can handle a reset.

12.57 seems like a good voltage, I would let the vehicle sit over night and check voltage. And again, make sure you’re not storing your key fob too close to the vehicle.

 

[Nechaken]

Hi,

Problem:
I'm getting the "Low Battery Pleas start engine" warning. I'm getting it within seconds of just opening a door.
It started while I was vacuuming out the car and had all 4 doors open for an hour or so. No lights were on, so I thought that was weird.



What I have tried / done:
- I charged my Battery using a trickle charger to 97%
- I have been driving around in the car (with a remote starter just in case)
- I have tested my Battery with a multi-meter
- Checked all connections - solid as a rock
- Checked for corrosion - Looks factory fresh.

Results:
----Resting Battery = 12.57v (after 30 minutes of sitting around)
----Running Car Battery = 14.27v

Alternator seems OK or within spec.





Question:
Could my battery actually be going bad? Its fairly new. Maybe 10k on it.


Of course I'm getting ready to go on a trip towing my trailer in a few days....isn't this how these gremlins start?

One year seems pretty short, but there are some weird battery failure modes where they lose a large portion of their capacity but can retain a surface charge. Your multimeter also isn't applying a load to the battery. You could take the battery to an autozone / o'reily type place and they can test it under load.

 

[machmike]

UPDATE: My battery had bad cells or something. JLR said it was failing and replaced it under warranty (the batteries warranty).

 

[machmike]

I just replaced my battery on my 2015. I get about 3 years out of them. My voltage was resting around 12.28 if I remember correctly.

Having the doors open for an hour will likely get you a low battery warning like that. Next time, make sure you remove your key fob from the immediate area so the car doesn’t stay in an “awake” state. That helps, at least I think so.

Another tell tale sign your battery is going dead is a random clock or date change. I’ve been around this forum long enough to drive directly to Costco and buy a new Interstate when that happens.

The low battery message will go away without a BMS reset, but it’s standard practice to reset it. The Gap IIDTool can handle a reset.

12.57 seems like a good voltage, I would let the vehicle sit over night and check voltage. And again, make sure you’re not storing your key fob too close to the vehicle.

The keyb fob thing is a fantastic detail I have never thought about. Great suggestion.

 

[drivesafe]

Hi Machmike, there are a number of reasons for that message and one of the most common causes is your trick charging.

The vehicles BMS, for some unknown reason, will not reset in some D4s.

Also, have you been doing a lot of short drive trips?

These short drives actually help to flatten you cranking battery.

But first, to check the state of your cranking battery, try carrying out a load test, and this is simple to do at home.

Here is how to carry out the load test.



Have a note pad handy and test the voltage of the battery after the vehicle has been sitting for at least two hours after the motor was last turned off.

Next, turn your ignition on and turn your headlights on.

NOTE, DO NOT start your motor. With most new vehicles with a Push-Button Start, you need to have the brake pedal pressed to start the motor.

DO NOT press the brake peddle, just press the Start Button. This will turn the ignition on without starting the motor.

Again, in most new vehicles, the ignition needs to be on before you can turn your headlights on.

With the ignition and headlights now on, continually measure the cranking battery voltage over the next 5 minutes.

The voltage will drop quite rapidly at first but after a few minutes, it should taper off and stabilise.

NOTE, the voltages measured before and at the end of the Load Test are not critical, just a reference point for later.

Once it stabilises, note the voltage of both batteries and then turn off your headlights and ignition.

If the voltage does not stabilise and just keeps dropping, you most probably have a problem battery or batteries.



If your battery tests OK, then try carrying out a cranking battery HARD REST.