S

snerkler

Member
Hi,

My wife's 2019 Evoque had the "low battery please start engine" warning when we first bought it a couple of years ago and the dealership said it's because the car was stood, they charged the battery back up and it was fine,...... for a while.

It came back on and we took it back and they said because my wife only does short journeys this will keep on happening, which is not ideal. I don't mind charging the battery periodically, however it says in the manual not to do this yourself as it can mess up the electronics or something.

I've just been in it today and taken it for two 50 minute journeys, 2/3 of which was motorway and when I got back the warning was still there (not whilst driving) so it appears that driving is not charging the battery.

So what's the issue, bad battery, bad alternator, something else?

Any help would be appreciated. Also any info on whether I can charge it myself at home would be handy too please. I have an optimate charger that I use for my motorbike that I could use. I have the plastic plug attached on my bike, but I can use the charger with crocodile clips.
 
I'd bet being stood while for sale has killed the battery.
Fully charge it overnight on a charger, take the charger off then check the voltage after its sat for an hour. Should be over 12.4v and a decent battery will be 12.7v.
Measure the voltage across the battery terminals while someone else starts the car. It shouldn't do much below 11v, maybe 10.9.. if it does then the battery is dead
 
IMG_20220617_181502_2~2.jpg
 
kermit_rr said:
I'd bet being stood while for sale has killed the battery.
Fully charge it overnight on a charger, take the charger off then check the voltage after its sat for an hour. Should be over 12.4v and a decent battery will be 12.7v.
Measure the voltage across the battery terminals while someone else starts the car. It shouldn't do much below 11v, maybe 10.9.. if it does then the battery is dead
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, unfortunately I don’t have a way of testing the voltage.
My thoughts are that the battery’s shot, it’s just after what the dealership said in that if they replaced the battery the new one would just do the same due to the short journeys o_O
 
snerkler said:
Thanks for the info, unfortunately I don’t have a way of testing the voltage.
My thoughts are that the battery’s shot, it’s just after what the dealership said in that if they replaced the battery the new one would just do the same due to the short journeys o_O
Click to expand...
I think the dealer is calling your bluff, or is ignorant.
What do you call a short journey, less than a mile or 2? Assuming the car travels long enough to get hot then it's probably getting sufficient charge, unless of course you also have every electronic device switched on at once.. lights, heated seats, both heated screens, radio, etc etc
Get yourself a digital multimeter, even a cheap one works and it's a lifesaver even if you don't own a spanner. Get yourself a decent multi stage battery charger too, they are worth their weight many times over, even if you only put it on charge once a month
 
Go a local garage, ask them to test the battery and altenator. This is quick and easy to do, and will give you a definite answer rather than us speculating.

Like others, I'd suspect the battery first. Standing for a long period may cause it to partially collapse, at which point it won't fully charge or hold charge well. It could be the altenator though.

If it's the battery, and it was an issue when you bought the vehicle, I'd suggest approaching the dealer to replace it as they have acknowledged it was a problem at POS.
 
kermit_rr said:
What do you call a short journey, less than a mile or 2? Assuming the car travels long enough to get hot then it's probably getting sufficient charge, unless of course you also have every electronic device switched on at once.. lights, heated seats, both heated screens, radio, etc etc
Click to expand...

The first sign our battery was US was when, We stopped at a shop and M went in I stopped engine and was listening to the radio then got the message as above, then on a more regular basis, then started other weird messages. We by no means do short journeys, its probably 10miles to get fuel 1 way;).

J
 
Thanks for all of the replies, much appreciated. I'll definitely get it checked by an Indy, but I will also get a multimeter and charger I think.

As for journey's, sometimes it can be 1-2 miles, sometimes it's 6-8 miles.
 
We all have to do short trips, if only to do a 'big shop', but on these occasions, the engine doesn't get up to temperature and condensation sets in. Working out a longer trip can be beneficial
 
1 hour after charging the battery, it should read 12.7 volts, 12.4 is half charged anything less is as good as flat. I agree with the others, the battery has had it, modern batteries die quickly if left partially charged. No problem connecting a modern smart charger with the battery in the car.
 
Because some chargers are not suitable probably. The alternator charges the battery, so as far as I'm aware there should be no problem connecting a modern smart charger.
Does the manual give instructions for connecting jump leads? If so, that confirms you should have no problem.
JLR also like to keep the customers coming in:rolleyes:
 
Datatek said:
Because some chargers are not suitable probably. The alternator charges the battery, so as far as I'm aware there should be no problem connecting a modern smart charger.
Does the manual give instructions for connecting jump leads? If so, that confirms you should have no problem.
JLR also like to keep the customers coming in:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

kermit_rr said:
I'm no expert on this particular car, but it's probably ass covering, in the same way you get 'fire hazard ' on a box of matches
Click to expand...

Cool thanks, I thought it sounded a bit odd. Yes it tells you about jump starting, and about connecting the black clip to the earth point for which the diagram is typically clear as mud (although I'm sure will be obvious when I open the bonnet ;))

I do think the battery is shot though the fact it's not charged after 1h 40 mins of driving, however I will buy a smart charger for keeping it maintained in the future.
 
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