TDv6 sailed through MOT yesterday (expected)

The MOT tester advised that whilst not part of the MOT, the battery failed a drop test (the low battery warning was on the dash when I arrived anyway). Tester advised the battery should be replaced.

Like many, the car hasn't been used much during the past 3 months. I can use the CTEK smart charger, should that deal with any issues and sort the matter out?

Car does have RAC cover that includes battery replacement, although not sure how that would work because the car has never failed to start despite the low battery warning?

Thoughts welcome.

Thanks.

Can you drop test a battery whilst it's still connected ?

I always thought it was a bench test kind of thing.

Would be an admirable effort if he removed the spare to get to the battery......

a drop test normally indicates a faulty cell so a replacement might be needed Ryan....

the test sould be done with the battery terminals off so that the vehicle electronics arnt damaged.. ... - .- -.




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The CTeK should give you an indication of the battery’s health dependent on the model. Mines an old one but has a series of lights that provides an assessment of the condition after it’s been connected overnight. I’d stick it on charge and see if it fails again soon. In the current circumstances it’s more than likely to be undercharged.

I keep mine connected to a solar charger at the moment just to keep it topped up otherwise the battery light would soon come on. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

Alistair wrote:

Would be an admirable effort if he removed the spare to get to the battery......

Thanks for the replies all

Funnily enough, the spare wheel was out of the wheel well and sitting on the boot floor so access to the battery would have been easy (had the spare out to clean the wheel well the day before)... the manager did say they were all very impressed with the condition of the car in every nook and cranny so maybe they did access the battery in the well!

CTEK is only a few months old, an MS 5.0, seems like a good piece of kit and because of it, no worries the battery is going to die any time soon because when the CTEK‘s connected for a few hours, the low battery warning goes off...

I’ll take a new battery if the RAC breakdown covers it

Meantime, out comes the CTEK and I’ll use my recently purchased Multimeter to check the battery too

If it helps mine sits at about 12.5V when unused with the solar charger connected. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

Thanks Phil 👍🏻

Why would an MOT tester be drop testing your battery?

Anyway, bung it on the ctek overnight and see if it shows a green battery at the end.

It does work, I tried to charge someone’s “iffy” battery with my msx10 and it showed an orange light. We tried the recon setting and it still came up as fault.

Don’t know if the recon string works with AGM, will have to research....... But if it’s still the original battery it hasn’t done too badly. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

The MOT tester was drop testing the battery to try and sell me a new one, they were also kind enough to put a replacement quote of £211 on the invoice

Just put the main battery (located in the boot/ spare wheel well) on CTEK charge overnight. When switching on the CTEK, it simply indicated that the main battery is now on charge.

I’ve successfully used the CTEK a few times during lockdown although previously put it on charge via the positive and negative engine bay mounts. Might it make a difference now I’ve put it on charge from the boot/ wheel well (i.e is that “the proper way” to charge it)?

Also, because the car’s tucked up in the garage overnight with the upper tailgate nearest the garage door it means I can’t leave the upper tailgate open, so I’ve ran the CTEK cable from the boot/ wheel well and out of a (left ajar) back door to be able to plug in into an extension cable, meaning the back door’s ajar... is there a slicker way to do it?

Thanks

If you have towing electrics then the adaptor available from the Forum Shop is ideal, I got one for when my car was locked down, all fine. Only Range Rovers since 1988

It’s got the factory deployable towbar but never having used it, wouldn’t know if it has towing electrics or not?

From experience it makes little difference if you charge the battery directly or using the terminals under the bonnet. I charge directly most of the time. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

If it’s got the bar. It will have the electrics.

Should be a 13pin I reckon.

The “shop” sells the relevant plug to connect it.👍🏻 There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

Deployable has 13 pin electrics.

Workshop manual says to charge from the posts in the engine bay - I've attached a hard wired CTEK connector to the posts