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Author Topic: EMERGENCY STARTING  (Read 1018 times)

w3526602

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EMERGENCY STARTING
« on: July 04, 2022, 05:44:38 AM »

Hi,

My Freelander TD4, has been idle for two or three weeks. Yesterday it gave all the symptoms of a flat battery .... death rattle from the starter solenoid.

I put that problem on the back burner, and used Barbara's car.

Recently, I have been wondering if I could hear an "electric motor" noise when I switched the engine off .... but too quiet to be certain that I COULD hear anything. This would not have been a problem in South Wales ... just phone a mate who was on the Black Economy, and therefore always available at a moments notice.

My immediate solution is to summon HOME START, but I can't keep on doing that, as they start to frown. Whatever, I think that will be today's solution.

I have a trickle-charger, but the nearest suitable 13A socket is in the garage, about 50ft from the car. I don't want to remove the battery, as it is HUGE (hernia provokingly huge) ... batteries seem to be sold by weight, although Halfords sold me a battery for my TD1 Disco, not particularly large, with a FULL four year warranty (full replacement if the battery fails after 3 years 364 days) Most battery warranties refund a pro-rata sum after the first 12 months. Halfords charged me £100 (then), and replaced it, with a muttered oath, a couple of days later.

Right ... can anybody tell me about these Power Pack thingies ... a sort of battery in a pretty case with a couple of jump leads attached. Are they any good? Will they start a two litre TD4 engine? What do they cost? And who will sell me one at a Club Discount, in Milton Keynes, or Mail Order. I can live without the Freelander for a couple of days.

602

PS, Inanimate objects seem to know when you have funds available, that can be spent on them.

In this instance, I (me) have had Attendance Allowance approved (daytime only), but cash is still in the pipeline. I anticipate it will be back-dated to when my entitlement was first queried. It was AGE UK who pushed me into making the claim, after watching me descend two 6" garden steps.
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diffwhine

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EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2022, 06:26:05 AM »

Its probably a lot simpler (and cheaper) to get somebody just to give you a jump start, or take the battery off the Freelander and charge it.

If you chose to jump start an old TD4 Freelander, do it with the headlights switched on as they reduce the power surge which can cause problems with some of the electronics. Its unlikely to damage anything, but you can introduce spurious faults into systems which would need a diagnostic tester to reset.

If you go down the route of a power bank jump pack, then you really cannot go wrong with Noco products. I have one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOCO-GBX45-UltraSafe-Powerbank-4-0-Liter/dp/B0924V8SPC?ref_=ast_sto_dp and happily started a TDV8 Range Rover with a completely dead battery two days ago. Having done so, I assumed I'd need to recharge the power pack. All it needed was 10 minutes on charge and it was back up to full reserve power again. I don't really know how they work. All I do know is that they do work and impressively. They certainly pack a punch, so it must be some sort of high current capacity discharge system.
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w3526602

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EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2022, 07:22:33 AM »

Hi Diffwhine,

Agreed! I plan to call out HOMESTART.

This truck has always been an instant starter, so I assume there has been a voltage leak somewhere, exacerbated by lack of use for a few weeks. But I won't know if there has been a rapid degrading until I don't try, if you see what I mean.

I see that the petrol version of the booster pack is about half the price of diesel version. I'm guessing a new battery will be about the same price as a diesel booster pack.

Whatever, thanks to you, I now have a bottom line to get under.

It's Monday morning. I think I'll wait till after lunch, before calling Home Start. Watch this space.

602
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Wittsend

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EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2022, 10:59:08 AM »

These emergency start booster packs are all the rage now with their Li ion batteries. Such a small thing packs enough whalop to start a Diesel engine found in most cars.





This is my Britpart device, similar units are on eBay for around £35  :first
I bought several for the family as Christmas presents.

Much easier to use than jump leads and they also double up as a power pack for your phone or laptop.
I keep mine under the seat and it has proved most useful - seems to hold it's charge for ages, but the wise should check them every few months.

The whirring motor noise after you switch off could well be the radiator fan which will keep spinning for a few minutes.


 :RHD
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w3526602

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EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2022, 09:06:52 PM »

Hi,

Solved! Called Britannia Rescue mid-afternoon, bloke arrived about an hour later, clutching a "sandwich box with a pair of crocodile clips". The Freelander fired instantly, less than a minute later. I ran the engine for a few minutes, switched off, then restarted without the booster. However, he told me to let it tick over for an hour.

The battery gave a reading of 11 volts, before being started, and 14 volts at tick-over.

Looking at the battery (huge), I would rather not lift it out. (My knees hurt). My 1927 model fuse box, (using real fuse wire) is high in the front corner of the second bedroom. Surely that should not have been allowed in a house built in 1984? Electricity and gas meters are in boxes, same as I built into my self-build, also in 1984, but in South Wales. I suppose I had better drag this house into the 19th Century, convert the consumer unit to MCBs, etc, and think about installing some sort of charger for a battery powered car, but where? Front corner of the bungalow, where it could serve three different cars, albeit one at a time?

My builder has just installed an exterior 13A socket on the back wall of the garage, to serve my electric rotary mower. It would be sensible to add a similar socket at the front of the garage. It's a PITA having to unroll a 12M reel of cable whenever I want power in either front or rear gardens, and now I have a "secret" 12M garden on the other side of the bungalow. I'm anticipating "words" when I tell my builder that a 2M gate is not wide enough for a caravan, not that I have a caravan. He's a lovely bloke, keeps trying to save us money, while I'm trying to add value to our
"Estate".  We have difficulty persuading him to present his accounts.

Did I mention that I've had my application for Attendance Allowance approved, but only for daytime.

602

PS. The whole of my secret garden is illuminated by a street lamp, despite the 2M hogh fence.
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Wittsend

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EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2022, 09:19:27 PM »

You shouldn't be lifting batteries at your age.

Buy a new battery at any Halfords and they'll fit it free. You have a 10% off discount coupon from the CSMA  :first

Consider a solar panel trickle charger - about £30 off ebay ???
auction: #325176434195
No mains leads required.

Jump leads are yesterday's news  :shakeinghead
Everyone use these Li-ion power packs - take up far less space than jump leads and (almost) idiot proof.


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ChrisJC

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EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2022, 09:29:18 PM »

If you have had a flat battery more than a few times, the act of jump starting the vehicle will have knackered the battery.

I measured my P38 charging at over 100A, which will quickly knacker any battery.

Buy a new one. Then, if it goes flat in the future, charge it up with a proper charger, and then start the car.

Chris.
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w3526602

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Re: EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2022, 05:15:07 AM »

You shouldn't be lifting batteries at your age.

Hi Alan,

Thankyou for your concern ...

... and I agree.  In recent years I've had a hole drilled in my head for a SUB-JURAL HEAMATOMA (Barbara phoned the hospital to ask about me, and heard me chatting up the nurses. Oops!), an APENDOCTOMY, a HERNIA, and a pair of NEW EYES.

I took one look at the Freelander's battery and decided that I didn't want to lift it while stretching over the front of the car. A straight lift, off the floor would be a different matter.

Whatever, today will be the moment of truth ... she normally starts instantly, so fingers crossed.

I somehow have got it into my head, that Halfords stuff is good quality, which is why I bought the new battery for my Disco from them. For mundane motors, I usually buy the cheapest ... with a £20 9then) battery for a Mini being able to start a petrol 2286cc Series, and no quibble exchange if it doesn't. I once lent such a battery to somebody on a caravan site. It failed, but maybe asking it to turn a V8 Range Rover, was a bit much.

602



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alchad

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Re: EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2022, 09:42:27 AM »



If you go down the route of a power bank jump pack, then you really cannot go wrong with Noco products. I have one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOCO-GBX45-UltraSafe-Powerbank-4-0-Liter/dp/B0924V8SPC?ref_=ast_sto_dp and happily started a TDV8 Range Rover with a completely dead battery two days ago. Having done so, I assumed I'd need to recharge the power pack. All it needed was 10 minutes on charge and it was back up to full reserve power again. I don't really know how they work. All I do know is that they do work and impressively. They certainly pack a punch, so it must be some sort of high current capacity discharge system.

Another vote for the NOCO, I’ve got the GB 40 model and they are very useful and powerful, have used it to start my tractor before now.

Alchad
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Wittsend

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Re: EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2022, 04:56:42 PM »

Your TD4 Freelander is a 2004 model, so if on the original battery it's done well.

Go to Halfords and get as new one with your 10% off vouchers.



 :old_battery
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w3526602

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Re: EMERGENCY STARTING
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2022, 05:29:38 PM »

Hi Alan,

I had to replace the battery on my Disco several (lots) years ago. I chose to go to Halfords, and paid £100 (then), for a smaller battery than is fitted to the Freelander.

It may not be good sense, but I think I'll give the current battery one more chance ... it's started four times today, firing virtually instantly.

Thanks for the "heads up" about Halfords 10%. They seem to have a reputation for selling quality tools.

602
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