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dilukabey



Member Since: 17 May 2011
Location: Sri Lanka
Posts: 173
2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Keswick Green
Tdci puma Boiling battery
Happened twice now. The original 5 year old battery started to heat up and boiled about 1 1/2 years ago and now the 1 1/2 year old after market battery (quality is not as LR genuine) started to boil again. This happened after came out from the motor way and felt a bad acid smell and then checked the battery and found the battery water was boiling. So showed it to the battery technician and told the battery cells are swollen so need to replace. The alternator voltage shows stable 14 volts through out when running with scanguage. Could this is be due to faulty battery or a faulty alternator? Cheers.
Post #518879 29th Mar 2016 4:43pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19560
United Kingdom 
Alternator charges at 14.2v approx. 12.2v approx at rest.
Post #518893 29th Mar 2016 5:12pm
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hornet



Member Since: 04 Jan 2010
Location: Western Europe
Posts: 323
Of course it could be a quality-problem of the battery, but as it happened twice to you it is strage. It could be a failure that occurs only temporarily. If not too much effort, i would check/change the controller that is responsible for charging. The manual says, that depending on the temperatures the necessary voltage for charging is calculated.
Did boiling occur in similar but special situations (long run on motorway)? Then use scangauge for a longer term to check if the voltage is stable. I do not know if you can write alternater-voltage into a file with nanocom, but that would make sense as long as the problem is not finally detected.
Post #518898 29th Mar 2016 5:24pm
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K9F



Member Since: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 9610
United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
If a battery loses a cell it will be 2.2 volts down and never reach full capacity, the charging circuit will continue to apply a full charge and the electrolyte will boil. Do a terminal voltage check on the battery to see what you have with ignition off. Then start the vehicle and see what the charging voltage is. The readings should be 12 volts and about 14.1 to 14.3 accordingly. You may need to get a load/capacitance test carried out if the findings above do not reveal anything. If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!

Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!!
Post #518899 29th Mar 2016 5:24pm
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dilukabey



Member Since: 17 May 2011
Location: Sri Lanka
Posts: 173
2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Keswick Green
Hi. Many thanks for useful replies guys. Now I have already replaced the battery to dry type maintenance free this time since I didn't want to take any chances as my old boiling battery could reach to explosion. Also I have experienced low level of battery water every 2 months with older battery so and had to refill. If i remember the voltage of the faulty battery read 11 ish volts when not running and 14.2 when charging.
Also I am happy to change the charging controller if that exists and appreciate the LR part number. Cheers.
Post #518905 29th Mar 2016 5:52pm
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dorsetsmith



Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: South West
Posts: 4554
higher temperate also improve battery proformas but shorten working life of the battery
Post #518916 29th Mar 2016 6:16pm
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Cupboard



Member Since: 21 Mar 2014
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 2971
United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 HT Corris Grey
According to my Ultraguage the voltage cycles from about 13.8 to 14.3 whilst running, then if I switch a large electrical load on it will drop briefly before picking up again (like a second). Is that right?
Post #518988 29th Mar 2016 8:14pm
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Rickydodah



Member Since: 14 Jul 2014
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 1091
dilukabey wrote:
Hi. Many thanks for useful replies guys. Now I have already replaced the battery to dry type maintenance free this time since I didn't want to take any chances as my old boiling battery could reach to explosion. Also I have experienced low level of battery water every 2 months with older battery so and had to refill. If i remember the voltage of the faulty battery read 11 ish volts when not running and 14.2 when charging.
Also I am happy to change the charging controller if that exists and appreciate the LR part number. Cheers.


I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has experienced problems with "dry type" (calcium and AGM) batteries. Mainly that they seem to fail if the charge rate is not constantly at the top of the charge rate. I'm aware that some won't bench charge at less than around 18v but can't recall a 12v system that will charge that high on an engine. Not being an electrician the chemistry is over my head but don't understand why it will charge when fitted but not on the bench. Is it then pointless spending more for a premium battery if the vehicle can't support it? Confused I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Post #519025 29th Mar 2016 8:43pm
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HardCharger



Member Since: 03 Mar 2013
Location: Manila, SFO, Amsterdam
Posts: 673
2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Stornoway Grey
Hi All!

Resurrecting this as my inquiry had to do with voltage ranges and it was being discussed. Unloaded, on idle, I get 14.0-ish volts. When loaded, goes to about 13.0V-ish and normally no flux. Recently had to change out the alternator clutch (annoying squeak) and the IC (voltage fluctuations). But the fluctuations didn't really go away. On occasion, I have a variance of about 0.1V to 0.2V and sometimes it can be a difference of about 0.6V. Is this normal behavior? I'm basing my readings on a USB hub with a built in voltmeter. Used to be voltage is stable and only goes down about 0.1V per accessory plugged in. But now voltage plays.

Am I worried about nothing or is there something I still have to look into.

Thanks.
Post #650209 14th Sep 2017 3:50am
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Crofter



Member Since: 19 Feb 2015
Location: Peterhead
Posts: 169
United Kingdom 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Baltic Blue
I am still on my first battery, my defender has only done 41,000 miles although if it was running hours it would register a lot higher as I used to use it on short journeys checking and feeding sheep. I have never looked at the battery only found out where it was a few weeks ago when someone needed a jump start. What do you think the life of a battery is? Should when I change it go for the Dry type?
Post #650661 16th Sep 2017 5:17pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16868
United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
My '07 is on its original battery, 10 years and 220,000 miles. They don't like not being used!
Post #650664 16th Sep 2017 5:42pm
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Merlin



Member Since: 30 Oct 2010
Location: Newmarket
Posts: 980
United Kingdom 
Plug in one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Digital-LED-A...SwRMtZZ0uJ

Great little mod and cheap too.

Merlin
Post #650765 17th Sep 2017 11:45am
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ChrisCM



Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572
United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Santorini Black
My ultragauge shows from 13-14.3 volts when running but a direct measurement with a voltmeter at the battery can be up to 14.6 V. Is this normal? Same on SWMBOs 90 with the smaller alternator. I understand that AGM & Calcium type batteries require a higher charge voltage than the older style lead acid batteries so maybe this is the reason? 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.
Post #650961 18th Sep 2017 11:38am
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HardCharger



Member Since: 03 Mar 2013
Location: Manila, SFO, Amsterdam
Posts: 673
2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Stornoway Grey
Merlin wrote:
Plug in one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Digital-LED-A...SwRMtZZ0uJ

Great little mod and cheap too.

Merlin


Hi Merlin,

Mine is something like this but connected to a switched hub with 4 additional sockets. Each socket has a switch so you can turn off the socket if not in use. This is how I know I have fluctuations. If it was not on there, I would be none the wiser. It's time to invest in a dedicated voltmeter wired to the battery as it should be?
Post #651189 19th Sep 2017 4:59am
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Merlin



Member Since: 30 Oct 2010
Location: Newmarket
Posts: 980
United Kingdom 
Hardcharger, any chance of a picture? Merlin
Post #651243 19th Sep 2017 11:19am
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