Overnight discharging

Mark Pinsent · Dec 20, 2021

Hi

I am looking for advice on a battery discharge over night that has recently appeared on my 1998 Disco 2 V8.

I have checked the drain when everything if off using my ammeter between the battery terminal and battery post, its very small so not likely to be the problem unless something is coming on during the night to take power.

I have checked the alternator output just in case the battery was already low on charge but no issues there

I have found the weird ABS issue and thought I had solved the problem but after an hour or so the quite click on the abs and also its relay stop so its not that.
Its not the air suspension as thats all be disconnected now and relay and fuse removed

I wondered about water ingression causing shorts but its generally drive at the front end now I always park it up hill to get the sunroof leak to drain the other way. (Typical Disco 2)

I never look it with the alarm as it will trigger so It is always locked on the key. Clearly the issue could be something linked to the alarm etc but this issue has been present for a year and the battery drain is a new problem out of now where.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Turboman · Dec 20, 2021

Mark Pinsent said:
Hi

I am looking for advice on a battery discharge over night that has recently appeared on my 1998 Disco 2 V8.

I have checked the drain when everything if off using my ammeter between the battery terminal and battery post, its very small so not likely to be the problem unless something is coming on during the night to take power.

I have checked the alternator output just in case the battery was already low on charge but no issues there

I have found the weird ABS issue and thought I had solved the problem but after an hour or so the quite click on the abs and also its relay stop so its not that.
Its not the air suspension as thats all be disconnected now and relay and fuse removed

I wondered about water ingression causing shorts but its generally drive at the front end now I always park it up hill to get the sunroof leak to drain the other way. (Typical Disco 2)

I never look it with the alarm as it will trigger so It is always locked on the key. Clearly the issue could be something linked to the alarm etc but this issue has been present for a year and the battery drain is a new problem out of now where.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

What is the battery itself like?

discool · Dec 20, 2021

I’d also go a long with the battery as you have clearly done the basic tests, it may have an iffy cell or two but with modern sealed batteries you don't have the provision to test. But with a fully charged battery a ‘drop test’ can be done which will give a clue on the battery condition, being charged and showing fully charged quicker than normal is also a clue.

So if your existing battery is out of warranty your on borrowed time, the original LR Lucas battery on my disco only lasted four years, it was replace with a Lucas battery purchased at Halfords and that lasted just over nine years, then replaced and now sealed which lasted 5 years, and that was replaced but now only lasts three weeks max but and usually the engine fire just, that is if I don't drive the disco… which I don’t so much now.

Also with your sunroof, replace the glass seal and u should be ok in any direction on a a hill

Mark Pinsent · Dec 21, 2021

I have been considering it might be the battery. I don't know its exact age although I have had it on the car for four years now and it looked newish when I first got it with a disco I scraped then. I was going to get a drop tester as I have needed one some many times over the last 40 years. Like you say, the fact they are all sealed for life now, you can't do the old flatten battery test to see if any cells are gasing.

I have been meaning to change the seals on both sunroofs for four years now, both have been sealed by someone before that with silicone and I still haven't got around to sorting it all out. I even have too spare sunroofs, crazy how difficult it is to find time to get round to sorting stuff out.

My disco has had a few bad months with things going wrong. Firstly ACE gave up, then the props needed UJs and then the air suspension decided not to work anymore. I think it owes me a few reliable months now!!

Thanks for you suggestions

Mark

Turboman · Dec 21, 2021

Mark Pinsent said:
I have been considering it might be the battery. I don't know its exact age although I have had it on the car for four years now and it looked newish when I first got it with a disco I scraped then. I was going to get a drop tester as I have needed one some many times over the last 40 years. Like you say, the fact they are all sealed for life now, you can't do the old flatten battery test to see if any cells are gasing.

I have been meaning to change the seals on both sunroofs for four years now, both have been sealed by someone before that with silicone and I still haven't got around to sorting it all out. I even have too spare sunroofs, crazy how difficult it is to find time to get round to sorting stuff out.

My disco has had a few bad months with things going wrong. Firstly ACE gave up, then the props needed UJs and then the air suspension decided not to work anymore. I think it owes me a few reliable months now!!

Thanks for you suggestions

Mark

Highly likely it is the battery, these vehicles are very sensitive to low voltage, and the cold weather kills batteries.

You can still get unsealed batteries. I like Yuasa best at the moment.

Hellastony · Dec 21, 2021

If however, you still feel there is a drain somewhere, try removing each fuse and fusible link whilst having your ammeter attached. The drain will disappear when you pull the fuse on the circuit that the drain is on. You can then concentrate on that circuit, rather than the whole system.

Mark Pinsent · Dec 21, 2021

All a good plan. I have a drop tester on order and I will also do a battery substitution to help confirm before ordering a new battery. I will do the circuit by circuit test next if the battery proves ok, currently I am using the disconnect overnight method of starting the car when I need it. All good fun.

Thanks

Mark Pinsent · Dec 28, 2021

Drop tester used with no issues on current battery.

Still getting very little current flow between the positive connection and terminal when I do a drain test. When the car is parked up and locked, I can hear a relay engaging and then clicking off about once a minute but I am not managing to get that to happen in terms of current changes when I do the basic terminal drain test.

It sounds like relay making the noise is somewhere in the centre of the car, either on roof or maybe under console but its proving very difficult to decide exactly where the noise is coming from. I obviously will need to slowly go through all the circuits one by one to see where current is flowing with ignition off and car locked. Its just finding time with all this 'Christmas and family stuff' happening!
Any ideas?

discool · Dec 28, 2021

So you can hear a relay switching, then locate the area where the relays are contained on your D2, the location is different from the D1 I believe, where they contained in both front footwells… No relays on either models at roof level when they left the factory, so makes it easer, if you do find one, then it’s been added at a later date.
Although you say that it sounds like a relay

PopPops · Dec 28, 2021

Mark Pinsent said:
Drop tester used with no issues on current battery.

Still getting very little current flow between the positive connection and terminal when I do a drain test. When the car is parked up and locked, I can hear a relay engaging and then clicking off about once a minute but I am not managing to get that to happen in terms of current changes when I do the basic terminal drain test.

It sounds like relay making the noise is somewhere in the centre of the car, either on roof or maybe under console but its proving very difficult to decide exactly where the noise is coming from. I obviously will need to slowly go through all the circuits one by one to see where current is flowing with ignition off and car locked. Its just finding time with all this 'Christmas and family stuff' happening!
Any ideas?

My 2004 Landmark did this, but didn't discharge the battery. The clicking was the solenoid on the suspension compressor. Mine, at some time in its life, had been converted to coils but the SLABS ECU hadn't been told so it would randomly activate the solenoid trying to level the suspension. Setting the SLABS ECU to coils with the Nanocom solved that one.

Good luck.

lynall · Dec 28, 2021

Youtube, testing for parastic battery drain, quite clever, think it was @gstuart who posted it here a couple of years back in the first place.
Drop testers can lie.

Mark Pinsent · Dec 29, 2021

Thanks again everyone, a few more things to think about.
I do now wonder about the air suspension side of things, I did the swap on mine about 5 weeks ago, 3 weeks before this fault started but clearly the relay charging could be related. I disconnected the main relay and fuse for the system when I did the swap but getting the EXU adjusted is one of the things on my 'to do list' I will get that sorted and then check the other points out.

Mark

Overnight discharging

Mark Pinsent

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Turboman

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discool

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Mark Pinsent

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Turboman

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Hellastony

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Mark Pinsent

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Mark Pinsent

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PopPops

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lynall

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