D4 AGM Batteries - How Long do they last & how do they fail?
Yesterday at 35k miles and nearly 38 months old my D4 AGM battery failed.
What I found interesting is that it must have been fully charged as I did a 4 hour trip in daylight the day before and there was no sign whatsoever of impending failure.
I simply drove 4 miles from home, parked in a supermarket car park, returned to the car 15 minutes later & it would no even turn over. No lights left on etc...
LR Assist were very helpful, diagnosed "Battery Flat 9.5 v with bad cell"; they then told me that battery replacement was not covered under the extended warranty which ran from when I purchased the car 22 months ago. So off to Halfords for a new AGM battery @ £184 discounted to £147.20 with a trade card.
Is a sudden failure, with no warning, normal?
Is 38 months a typical life?
What concerns me is that had this happened a few weeks earlier or later I could have been overseas, or in a very remote area of the UK probably with no 'phone signal.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
28th May 2019 9:29 am
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5053
Quote.
NJSS wrote:
"What concerns me is that had this happened a few weeks earlier or later I could have been overseas, or in a very remote area of the UK probably with no 'phone signal."
I have on occasion come across apparently healthy batteries that do suddenly fail despite the fact that they were performing perfectly right up to that point. I think there are many factors/reasons for what seems sudden failure, from which you can take your pick as to the cause!
This is one reason I always carry a booster pack which is permanently charged at the cig lighter socket.
Its a paranoid consideration I know, but then it is a Land Rover There is a certain comfort in knowing its there though!yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
28th May 2019 11:52 am
DiscoJeffster
Member Since: 27 Feb 2016
Location: Perth
Posts: 204
Very common for them to only last three years. If you put them onto a good charger like a ctek once a month for 24 hours or more, you can get an extra year or two out of them
28th May 2019 11:57 am
knwatkins
Member Since: 19 Sep 2018
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 716
I tend to find that these days batteries do tend to seem to be 'good' up until a point where they just give up the ghost.
On older cars, you could tell if the battery was on it's way out as it would struggle to crank over. This would give you enough time to get around to buying a new battery and fitting it. Not anymore.
I'm not sure whether the reason is down to battery technology or just modern engines.Kev
MY2014 L405 RR Vogue SE 4.4 SDV8 in Corris Grey
MY2010 L320 RRS HSE 3.0 TDV6 in Stornoway Grey
28th May 2019 12:01 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23833
I had both batteries replaced under warranty at approx. 32 months and 45k miles.
Vast majority of its use is longer distance journeys.2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
I should have added that I have a CTEK lead permanently on the car & normally charge it, as DiscoJeffster suggests for 24+ hours once a month; BUT I only do this in the Winter months when the battery is used with the FBH to warm the car & it's generally dark & dreary.
I have not, to date, used the CTEK on a monthly basis, from March to November - maybe I should charge monthly through the whole year?
Thanks for your comments to date - please keep them coming.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
28th May 2019 12:50 pm
Brian_DL13
Member Since: 25 Aug 2013
Location: Teesdale
Posts: 1418
Not directly comparable, but I recently had a caravan leisure battery suddenly fail after 2.5 years. Very similar events - 100% OK one day, 9v and wouldn't charge the next. Asking around it does seem that one cell suddenly going is quite common.
In contrast the AGM crank battery on my MY14 D4 is still going strong (fingers x! ) after 5 and a half years. I use a CTEK on it about once a fortnight over the winter, nothing over the summer.
28th May 2019 1:16 pm
Asa
Member Since: 03 Jul 2016
Location: Essex
Posts: 178
I have always put an Optimate charger on all my automotive batteries, cars and bikes at least once every 6 weeks or so. The charger is a 12v motorcycle one and does no harm to the car batteries just takes longer!
I was told it was almost similar to giving the batteries a refresh busting out any sulphur build ups.
The only total fail was with the current Discovery 3 last year, which was the alternator failing and goosing the new battery from June 2016.
I have just bought a traxide kit from a forum member to address being battery less when touring (just what you fear along with me!)
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
28th May 2019 2:48 pm
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5053
I forgot to mention earlier I have a 19' boat which is used from Jun - Oct to and from the offshore mooring.
It was bought around 1994 with a Tohatsu 40HP electric start. The battery it came with when new is still in the boat after all these years, and has served every year since new without fail.
And here's the best bit........Its an AC Delco
Now you couldn't make that up could you?yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
Washwipe - that's what I am beginning to realise; hence my interest in Jump Starters, which I probably won't need for the D4 in the next couple of years, but which may be useful for the other cars in the family
Quote:
Please also see this thread on Jump Starters & maybe respond there:-
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
28th May 2019 6:25 pm
dgardel
Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: Greater Venice
Posts: 2025
Re: D4 AGM Batteries - How Long do they last & how do they fail?
NJSS wrote:
......
What concerns me is that had this happened a few weeks earlier or later I could have been overseas, or in a very remote area of the UK probably with no 'phone signal.
NJSS
This nice object always with you!!!!
Click image to enlarge
Especially during trips in "remote regions".
It allows you to start the car and move to "assisted" areas.....
AND, for the D4 YOU MUST BUY The GB150, our 3.0L V6 Diesel need juice. Smaller is wasted moneyDiscovery 5 tdv6 HSE Corris Gray Outback Engineering Limited Edition IID Pro MV License
29th May 2019 8:12 am
leeds
Member Since: 30 Aug 2010
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 4314
Well it looks like our 2016 D4 battery is goosed at 39 months. Off to local independent on Tuesday to have everything checked out. We bought the D4 about 3 months ago
The start stop effort has never worked and I understand this is probably battery related.
Reading the manual it states that the D4 battery should be charged off the vehicle but I do not understand the reason behind that. Now does the vehicle electronics pick up that the alternator is not working and does not like it or am I missing something?
What are current recommended batteries for a D4?
Brendan
27th Jul 2019 2:14 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23833
If you intend to keep it, one with a 5 year warranty from a factors you can easily return it to.2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
There is a certain comfort in knowing its there though!
