Starting Issue

[churious]

Starting Issue - with Video

Hey guys... this week the LR3 developed a starting issue. Battery is close to 2 years old. Recently when starting the car this week I get a stutter and then I must manually turn the car over rather than the electronic quick start (or whatever its called) on the ignition.

Im wondering if this is battery issue or a starter? Its like it doesn't have enough juice to start but a two year old battery??? I know LR3s have battery issues but 2 years?

If you watch the video you can see and hear the issue. Im fairly sure that red light on the dash is the voltage light as well.

Thoughts?

LR3 start - YouTube

 

[tlt]

Electronic quick start? not sure what that is. I haven't gotten more than 2 years out of a battery yet, though some people do.

Seems like the battery would be the most likely culprit. How about testing the voltage, and put it on a charger to see if it starts properly.

You can also check the ground wire on the battery and chassis.

 

[churious]

Electronic quick start? not sure what that is. I haven't gotten more than 2 years out of a battery yet, though some people do.

Seems like the battery would be the most likely culprit. How about testing the voltage, and put it on a charger to see if it starts properly.

You can also check the ground wire on the battery and chassis.

There is a feature that allows you to just push the key over rather than hold it and it engages the starter. I don't know what its called.

Ill put a charger on it and see if that is the difference. I can't believe these rigs won't go more than two years on a battery. That is insane.

 

[thorgal]

Ill put a charger on it and see if that is the difference. I can't believe these rigs won't go more than two years on a battery. That is insane.

Well my battery is four years old and still going strong.

 

[bbyer]

Got a second key?

I am having intermittent starting problems as well and be darned if I can figure it out.

I initially thought maybe it was one of the key fobs, so I alternated keys for a week or so each time and basically same problem. I would say I first noticed the problem about a year ago and it started with that sort of autostart thing, (same as the video), where you just rotate the key fully against the spring bit, let go, and it cranks itself until engine start, but it did not. Now I tend to hold the key like I do for a Chev pickup but there is still sometimes a no turnover silence and I have to retry a few times.

Lately I am sometimes starting to hear a click noise from somewhere under the hood - have to have the door open or window down to hear it. I am hoping the solution is the starter as that is an easy fix. I am pretty certain it is not the battery, alternator, or charging system but could be the engine immobilizer bits downstream of the key fob. That would be bad as the fix becomes black art stuff.

In summary, start your investigation by using your second key if you have one as the electronics within the fob could be failing. Also the negative terminal of the battery tends to collect white corrosion stuff on it for some reason. You might look and see if there is any white stuff on the post and regardless, clean both posts with one of those circular wire brush battery post cleaning tools.

 

[Houm_WA]

The "quick turn" is just a bi-product of the LR3 having an electronic ignition. ...and @tlt if you are not getting more than 2 years out of your battery something is wrong. I got 3 years out of the crummy OEM battery and I even drained that one all the way down once playing the stereo and had to jump it. I've got 4 years on my Interstate.

 

[tlt]

I suspect it is because of the extreme heat where I live. The boat batteries average about 2 years as well.

As everyone is quite aware though, the battery voltage on the LR3 / DIII is quite finicky so it is something worth looking at first when weird issues start.

 

[churious]

Thanks guys for the input.

I tried both keys and yes it does it to both. Although the first time I went out to the garage today it didn't actually do it. Weird... huh... So then every attempt afterward it kinda lagged and would not turn over on first try with the electronic ignition.

I swapped my battery tender from my M5 (winter storage) and then all of a sudden.. BAM starts first try 100% healthy etc etc. I can't believe my battery might already be going after only 2 or so years.

Im gonna leave it on for a few hours and then pull it and see what happens.

PS. Where is the negative terminal ground at? I can't find any corroded cables anywhere.

 

[churious]

Well... after the battery charger was on for 2 hours I decided to go out and look at gun safes. Pulled the charger and the rig fires up with no hesitation! I seriously can't believe these rigs wear down a battery in two to three short years. Im still not 100% sure its the battery but Im beginning to think so. Its like these LR3s need a 100% perfect battery and once they lose a bit of gusto we start having minor issues.

 

[bbyer]

Negative cable about 18" long max.

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 flat plate Ca Ca batteries just do not fully charge in cold weather as they need about 14.6 volts or so to get fully charged, (14.4 in warm weather).

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 13.9 to 14.1 VDC when all is happy but somehow cannot or does not quite charge the Interstates in cold weather with short trips.