Set the scene - Monday morning and the battery is dead (has happened a few times recently). Call AA and after an hour of various checks, I get a printout saying dud battery wont hold a charge. Tuesday morning battery turns engine over without hesitation but I go to halfords (where I bought it originally) with the aa report to get a replacement. Halfords check the battery and give me a printout saying there is nothing wrong - so they wont replace it. The salesperson claims that they have had a number of people saying they have a bad battery after the aa and rac have tested it which then turn out to be ok with their machine. She made the comment that this was so that they could then sell their batteries at inflated prices. Wednesday morning and the battery is dead, borrowed the brother in laws booster. Tomorrow I am going to a local battery specialist to get their opinion. QUID FACIUM TIBI
ANTEQUAM ALIIS

2003 TD6 VOGUE Zambezi Silver
tows 2006 Lunar Delta 540/2

Neither. halfrauds i'd never trust for a diagnosis and the AA these days go on what the computer says.

If it starts one day but not the next then I'd opt for the alternator intermitantly charging Current
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Or loose terminals, or loose connection to the starter. .
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Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Simple check but have you checked the alternator is working properly? Ed

If possible take battery off car charge fully and test yourself if possible with multi meter see if it drops much over night

You may have a electrical drain, check boot, FSR ect

Should be getting 14+volts from the alternator on tick over at the battery terminals I think.

If not - alternator on the way out.


that said I would have thought the AA man would have checked that surely? 405 AB exec seats Baltic and Cirrus
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On my last two battery drains the LR Assistance view was that the battery needed to be fully charged before it could be tested, it was left overnight with the dealer in each case - in one case it was scrap, in the other it was OK. So maybe more investigation required than done to date. Only Range Rovers since 1988

Quote:

Who to believe - AA or halfords

The last garage I worked in (Large truck main dealer for 12 years) said AA and RAC "mechanics" were all blokes who couldn't do the job for real in a garage, and I reckon Halfords fitters are shop staff been promoted.

Who am I to argue with that, never saw anything to convince me otherwise

AA guy did check the alternator and it was ok. I dont know about rac, but the aa mechs I have come across (and that has been a fair number recently!) have given the impression of being keen to help, but not offering much in the way of alternatives to what their gadgets/google tells them. As to halfords, a previous assistant couldn't find the battery (it was actually quite amusing) and the latest one couldn't offer anything other than the test result. QUID FACIUM TIBI
ANTEQUAM ALIIS

2003 TD6 VOGUE Zambezi Silver
tows 2006 Lunar Delta 540/2

Hmm, seems not much has changed then over the last few years

When you say the battery is flat is it flat or is it just not starting the car - My old p38 had corrosion in the leads from the positive to the starter so it would start one day and not the next this could also be true of cable from alternator to battery worth testing or buy another lead about a tenner from a motor factors and just double it up may just solve the problem

I had the same thing got a new battery fitted as rac said mine was dead still went flat was the bm54 had that fixed no more problems with flat battery.

I had the same thing got a new battery fitted as rac said mine was dead still went flat was the bm54 had that fixed no more problems with flat battery.

bm54?

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