Saving the battery of the Discovery 3 / 4
Land Rover Discovery is the perfect touring car due to its size, versatility and extreme off-road capabilities.
However, there are a few things that can make a car journey even more enjoyable. This concerns on the one hand a few preventive measures, for example related to the relatively sensitive battery behaviour of the Discovery, but also certain utensils and aids which one should perhaps carry along as a traveller with the Discovery in order to correct small errors.
We dedicate ourselves to these topics here in always new contributions…
Conserving the battery when “living out of the car
Who does not know the situation that after one or two days of standing time and regular access to the trunk or the interior, the error message “Battery voltage low, start the engine” lights up. This situation is very common and can even lead to the need for starting assistance.
The reason for this is (apart from actual faults in the battery or alternator) that the Discovery has to start up or shut down a number of control units each time it is locked or unlocked or, for example, operates the fuel pump. In addition, each time the doors are opened again, the cigarette lighters are also supplied with power and the interior lighting is switched on again. All these things consume energy and lead to the battery voltage gradually dropping and at some point the Discovery, which is relatively sensitive here anyway, responds with an error message.
Often, however, it is not only this warning that remains. If the battery voltage is too low, the engine will often start with a further voltage drop. This voltage dip can then be so large that the sensitive control units of the Discovery get confused and output a variety of errors (suspension error, HDC, emergency brake assistant, etc.).
Solutions to the battery problems of living out of the car?
- Switching off the interior lighting: By pressing and holding the lighting button (lighting in the front headliner, center button). The lighting flashes once briefly to indicate that it is permanently switched off.
- Avoid constantly opening/closing: With each opening or closing, control units are activated, which are then shut down again. Therefore, the trolley should be moved from one state (locked) to the other (unlocked) as seldom as possible. Many people do this, for example, by leaning the doors only slightly or by folding down the large tailgate, but leaving the small lower flap open. Then the car is quite “closed” so that less dust etc. can enter, but it does not change its condition.
- Of course there are also technical aids, we will talk about them in another article.
Press the middle button long until it flashes, then the interior lighting is permanently switched off.
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All information as always to the best of our knowledge and belief, but without guarantee!
