tweedandbriar · Sunday at 10:48

Hi, hope you all had a good Christmas!

I've a 1999 Disco II, she's been struggling to start over the last few weeks and yesterday wouldn't start at all. Full battery but symptoms of a dead battery. I have tried two other batteries just in case, and she will start with jump leads off my Defender, but I am wondering if it might be something else like the starter motor or Glow Plugs. All ideas welcomed, of course!

Tony

Stanleysteamer · Sunday at 10:58

tweedandbriar said:
Hi, hope you all had a good Christmas!

I've a 1999 Disco II, she's been struggling to start over the last few weeks and yesterday wouldn't start at all. Full battery but symptoms of a dead battery. I have tried two other batteries just in case, and she will start with jump leads off my Defender, but I am wondering if it might be something else like the starter motor or Glow Plugs. All ideas welcomed, of course!

Tony

In the weather we are having, and even colder weather than this, the glow plugs aren't really necessary and most cars will start without waiting for them to warm up, mine certainly does, as did my D1.
If it will start with a jump off your other car then it does sound like a dud batt. Don't forget a D2 will crank but not start if the batt isn't completely up to snuff, @sierrafery will tell you why, it is something to do with the ECM not sensing enough power.

If it was me I'd substitute the batt off the defender and see if that starts it.
Or take the batt to a shop and get them to test it properly.
Best of luck hope you had a good Christmas, and have a Happy New Year

tweedandbriar · Sunday at 13:15

Stanleysteamer said:
In the weather we are having, and even colder weather than this, the glow plugs aren't really necessary and most cars will start without waiting for them to warm up, mine certainly does, as did my D1.
If it will start with a jump off your other car then it does sound like a dud batt. Don't forget a D2 will crank but not start if the batt isn't completely up to snuff, @sierrafery will tell you why, it is something to do with the ECM not sensing enough power.

If it was me I'd substitute the batt off the defender and see if that starts it.
Or take the batt to a shop and get them to test it properly.
Best of luck hope you had a good Christmas, and have a Happy New Year

Thanks, good plan re the Defender battery…I did think about that but it’s such a faff and I don’t have the energy after so much food over the last week… I’ll get on it tho, all the best to your and yours too

sierrafery · Sunday at 16:32

Hi, measure voltage on the battery while cranking, if it drops below 10.5V it will not start even though it cranks well cos the ECU needs more power so first of all fit a powerfull battery and if the voltage drops with that too the problem is with the starter. Is it manual or auto?

tweedandbriar · Sunday at 20:52

sierrafery said:
Hi, measure voltage on the battery while cranking, if it drops below 10.5V it will not start even though it cranks well cos the ECU needs more power so first of all fit a powerfull battery and if the voltage drops with that too the problem is with the starter. Is it manual or auto?

Thanks, it’s an Auto. It tries, to crank but only once or twice and that’s really laboured, then won’t turn over at all. Started fine when jumped from the Defender tho. Would that imply the starter is likely ok and it’s the battery that’s duff. I will try with the good battery off the Defender.

sierrafery · Monday at 06:59

You dont have to swap the batteries for test just disconnect them both and connect the defender's battery with the jump leads to the D2's battery leads then try the other way around to see if the defender starts with the D2's battery

TheMunster · Monday at 07:04

Check the condition of the battery terminal connectors, classic problem on the td5 disco is the terminals go out of shape and don't tighten down on the posts properly which messes with the battery charging.

Stanleysteamer · Monday at 16:12

TheMunster said:
Check the condition of the battery terminal connectors, classic problem on the td5 disco is the terminals go out of shape and don't tighten down on the posts properly which messes with the battery charging.

Cannot over emphasise this.
(Ministry of Cr@p Design).
Various ways of ensuring the connectors/terminals are made to go right down to the bottom of the posts.
I personally unbolt them all the way then hammer them down with a socket, before retightening them.
I would also not expect jump leads to make as good a connection as a terminal.

tweedandbriar · Monday at 21:31

On this tomorrow, will try the jump leads straight from the Defender and get back to you

tweedandbriar · 2024-12-31T20:42:20+0000

So the Disco started with the jump leads coming from the Defender (which has a brand new battery bought only recently). It started first time but did labour a little, I suspect it may have been the, not ideal, connection with the jump leads crocodile clamps.

What do you think?

Stanleysteamer · 2024-12-31T22:34:25+0000

tweedandbriar said:
So the Disco started with the jump leads coming from the Defender (which has a brand new battery bought only recently). It started first time but did labour a little, I suspect it may have been the, not ideal, connection with the jump leads crocodile clamps.

What do you think?

Sounds likely.
You'll only really know if you take the Disco batt out and replace it with the one from the Defender.

Bantam1 · 2024-12-31T22:57:59+0000

Should have posted this earlier but I bought one of these recently, its a Kingbolen BM550 battery tester.
I saw it on TikTok and the mechanic said it was a great little tool and a fraction of the price of the big garage one they use but does all the essentials very well.
Anyway, I have used it and its been invaluable sorting out the motorbike and car batteries I have. It checks the cranking amperage available, the charge and the health of the battery.
I think I paid £15 for mine off eBay but you may find it useful yourself.

sierrafery · 2025-01-01T07:53:33+0000

tweedandbriar said:
So the Disco started with the jump leads coming from the Defender (which has a brand new battery bought only recently). It started first time but did labour a little, I suspect it may have been the, not ideal, connection with the jump leads crocodile clamps.

What do you think?

It's simple: you need a new battery for the D2 and make sure that the alternator is charging well after you fit it

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