Starting Issue

[churious]

The positive battery cable is a long thing, but the negative, (part # YTB500063 for the LHD)I would say not even 18" in length. It starts at the negative post on the rear of the battery closest to the firewall and runs to a threaded stud welded to the inside surface of the right side fender interior metal.

There is also a second ground strap, (part # YTB500122 for the 4.4 petrol V8), installed between the engine and chassis somewhere under there but I do not know exactly where.

It is also possible that there is nothing wrong other than too many short trips. In the winter, I routinely put my CTEK Multi US 3300 charger on every night for a week or so every couple of months. These CA CA batteries just do not fully charge in cold weather as they need about 14.6 volts or so to get fully charged. The CTEK's provide about 14.7 VDC on the Snowflake setting. I think that NAPA charger you show in the jpg does the same thing - it looks like the good one and has an AGM setting which is OK for the Interstate CA CA battery in the winter.

I think you will find the 3 floats at about 14.1 VDC when all is happy but somehow cannot or does not quite charge the Interstates in cold weather with short trips.

Could just be short trips. I only live 6.5 miles from my office so its a short trip back and forth.

 

[jptruck]

Glad you worked it out. Just FYI, I did have a starter go bad on me and it was similar to your issue. It would just go "click, click" and then crank if I flicked it just right. If the battery is good, you may have a bad starter.

 

[churious]

Battery seems to be slowly getting down on power. Drove the car on a couple longer drives today and the starts seemed to not be as crisp. Ill report over the next couple weeks.

 

[churious]

Battery seems to be slowly getting down on power. Drove the car on a couple longer drives today and the starts seemed to not be as crisp. Ill report over the next couple weeks.

Seemed to last until this week. Had to put the battery on a tender for a few hours this weekend and now im back to 100%.

 

[churious]

Seemed to last until this week. Had to put the battery on a tender for a few hours this weekend and now im back to 100%.

I thought all was well until early this morning. Just got into the rig to go hunting and she wont start. The battery is 100% as I even checked it yesterday. Looks like I now have a dead starter. Just clicks when I turn her over. Both keys are good so I am assuming its gotta be the starter.

 

[bbyer]

Probably is the starter.

It took me months of assuming it was everything other than the starter, but for me, a year long starting fuss was solved by installing a new starter. Actually I think it is the starter solenoid that goes, but that is a bit academic.

I never had to walk, but a few times, there was lots of clicking before I got the engine to turn, and it never acted up when near my Land Rover dealer.

And yes, at least a couple of times a year for a week of nights, I do the CTEK charger thing just to get the battery back up to full charge.

 

[churious]

I'm gonna bite the bullet and replace the starter. I hear a slight strain when it's turning over like the celonoid is going.

 

[GeoRover]

BTW battery problems and full juice operation is not just a Land Rover problem, it happens on other cars too. I have two different BMWs and they both need full batteries and they do go out in 2-3 years time. Its the electronics and all those computer gizmos we sport in these cars that do the battery drain in shorter periods. Also short trips do not help either.

 

[churious]

BTW battery problems and full juice operation is not just a Land Rover problem, it happens on other cars too. I have two different BMWs and they both need full batteries and they do go out in 2-3 years time. Its the electronics and all those computer gizmos we sport in these cars that do the battery drain in shorter periods. Also short trips do not help either.

What year & model BMWs?

Im currently putting in a new starter. It will be done tomorrow.

 

[GeoRover]

They are listed in my signature:

BMW 750i 2007
BMW 530i 2002