Primary battery replacement

[Wilbur]

I have a battery that doesn’t stay charged above 65%. The battery is however only charging at 1 or 2 amps when driving. I have been supplied a replacement battery under warranty as supposedly a faulty battery. My Grenadier has a factory plastic floor and I was wondering how much of the floor tray, covers etc will need removed to allow removal of the battery?

 

[Mitchell300]

If you’ve got the 2 seat utility the batteries are behind the front seat under a cover that hinges up, retaining bar on drivers side.
Station wagon batteries are under the rear seats.
Are you replacing it yourself ? I would rather the dealer or service agent replaced the battery under warranty in case there are other underlying problems.

 

[Solmanic]

Ha. I have exactly the same problem. Curiously I just got the software update and picked the vehicle up this afternoon. I mentioned the issue to the dealer and he assured me the battery never goes to full charge - but 60-65% and only 2-3A current draw still seemed weird.

THEN, 150km from home tonight I stopped the car to pick up dinner and it wouldn’t restart. Every warning light but no crank. I couldn’t even lock the vehicle but the screen still showed 65% charge in the battery and no red “dead battery” warning. Called roadside assist and he jumped it no worries and then the battery proceeded to recharge at about 150A right up to 85%.

We wait and see if it starts in the morning…

 

[trobex]

Ha. I have exactly the same problem. Curiously I just got the software update and picked the vehicle up this afternoon. I mentioned the issue to the dealer and he assured me the battery never goes to full charge - but 60-65% and only 2-3A current draw still seemed weird.

THEN, 150km from home tonight I stopped the car to pick up dinner and it wouldn’t restart. Every warning light but no crank. I couldn’t even lock the vehicle but the screen still showed 65% charge in the battery and no red “dead battery” warning. Called roadside assist and he jumped it no worries and then the battery proceeded to recharge at about 150A right up to 85%.

We wait and see if it starts in the morning…

65% - that is just generally low and voltage drop would be in play there (did you get a chance to see what voltage was available?). It would be interesting to see how the battery goes in future use or an extended no-drive period (if you get the chance of course).

 

[Voader - Oudersopzwier]

Ha. I have exactly the same problem. Curiously I just got the software update and picked the vehicle up this afternoon. I mentioned the issue to the dealer and he assured me the battery never goes to full charge - but 60-65% and only 2-3A current draw still seemed weird.

THEN, 150km from home tonight I stopped the car to pick up dinner and it wouldn’t restart. Every warning light but no crank. I couldn’t even lock the vehicle but the screen still showed 65% charge in the battery and no red “dead battery” warning. Called roadside assist and he jumped it no worries and then the battery proceeded to recharge at about 150A right up to 85%.

We wait and see if it starts in the morning…

I had the same problem. Battery dropped 10 to 12% a day. After 3 day's, not possible to start anymore. Had to use several times the jumpstarted. Seems to be a fault battery. Battery replaced under warranty by the dealer, since then, no problem anymore.

 

[Solmanic]

I had the same problem. Battery dropped 10 to 12% a day. After 3 day's, not possible to start anymore. Had to use several times the jumpstarted. Seems to be a fault battery. Battery replaced under warranty by the dealer, since then, no problem anymore.

Yeah, but this was after 2hrs of highway driving. I’ve not noticed any significant drop in battery level when stopped for a few days, just no charging beyond about 65%. It’s good to hear your new battery sorted everything so I hope Ineos can swap mine out too.

 

[lightning]

The vehicle should surely still start when the battery is below 65% charged.

Or is this another legacy of modern vehicles with their electronic systems and technology.

 

[Voader - Oudersopzwier]

Yeah, but this was after 2hrs of highway driving. I’ve not noticed any significant drop in battery level when stopped for a few days, just no charging beyond about 65%. It’s good to hear your new battery sorted everything so I hope Ineos can swap mine out too.

That was the same for me, driving whole afternoon on highway and secondary roads, the battery hardly loaded with 1 amp. That was another proof to give my dealer a reminder that something definitely was wrong.

 

[Jean Mercier]

That was the same for me, driving whole afternoon on highway and secondary roads, the battery hardly loaded with 1 amp. That was another proof to give my dealer a reminder that something definitely was wrong.

Just for the information of the forum, next image is the voltage of my battery during a day of rest (14 November). I didn’t check the % in the Grenadier, but according to my Chinese monitor this should be close to 100%, if you compare to a snapshot four days later.

I think I was also lucky in the fact that I accepted that my car was used in the showroom during the long delivery waiting time (almost 3 months), as I know that they did put my car on the trickle charger several times.

 

[Solmanic]

That was the same for me, driving whole afternoon on highway and secondary roads, the battery hardly loaded with 1 amp. That was another proof to give my dealer a reminder that something definitely was wrong.

The latest thoughts on our failure are that maybe the dealer disconnected and reconnected the battery and didn’t tighten the terminals enough. After 2+ hours driving something might have worked loose. When the roadside assist guy jump-started it, he commented that his power pack should then start taking charge from the vehicle but was not. He got under the back seat and popped off one of the terminals then reconnected it and did another start. His power pack then started to receive charge as expected.

 

[DenisM]

The latest thoughts on our failure are that maybe the dealer disconnected and reconnected the battery and didn’t tighten the terminals enough. After 2+ hours driving something might have worked loose. When the roadside assist guy jump-started it, he commented that his power pack should then start taking charge from the vehicle but was not. He got under the back seat and popped off one of the terminals then reconnected it and did another start. His power pack then started to receive charge as expected.

The problem was certainly terminal... in more ways than one..

 

[Solmanic]

Well we’ve conclusively determined it’s the battery that’s stuffed. Drove for an hour and a half yesterday and stopped with the fridge switched on in the back for a short while. This is a very small fridge which we’ve run for hours in the G-Wagen with no noticeable drop in battery voltage. The Grenadier wouldn’t start again.

I jump started with our power pack and the battery monitor said 0% but promptly started charging at around 40A. The car then drove home fine for the next hour but the recharging was totally weird. Battery charge went from 4% straight up to 48% and by the time we got home it was back up to 74%. I’m pretty sure it won’t start again in the morning so it’ll be on a flatbed back to the dealer for a new battery this time.

 

[Solmanic]

Car on flatbed back to the dealer this morning for diagnostic and probable new battery.
I did a test again this morning. The car was still showing 70+% charge and started fine. I plugged in the small 12V cooler for half an hour and then - dead flat, no start. The car still jump starts OK but in the end it was easier to take the roadside assist offer of a tow truck back to the dealership than drive it up there without a lift home.

When I initially queried the constant indicated low state of charge the dealer has been telling me that the "no battery fully charges". I'm not so sure about this. The internet tells me that AGM batteries are damaged by constant under-charging and unless fully charged, their full charge capacity diminishes. Can anyone here back this up?

 

[DenisM]

Car on flatbed back to the dealer this morning for diagnostic and probable new battery.
I did a test again this morning. The car was still showing 70+% charge and started fine. I plugged in the small 12V cooler for half an hour and then - dead flat, no start. The car still jump starts OK but in the end it was easier to take the roadside assist offer of a tow truck back to the dealership than drive it up there without a lift home.

When I initially queried the constant indicated low state of charge the dealer has been telling me that the "no battery fully charges". I'm not so sure about this. The internet tells me that AGM batteries are damaged by constant under-charging and unless fully charged, their full charge capacity diminishes. Can anyone here back this up?

Probably correct re. undercharging -depends on how you define "under charged" - but it should get to 90+% charge. However I don't think it's an AGM, rather a Moll "EFB" "enhanced flooded (wet cell) battery", optimised for Stop/Start equipped engines.
It is touted as being leak-proof. There are vent tubes from the battery through the IG floor nevertheless, to conduct the H2 from charge-gassing away from the passenger compartment.

 

[ECrider]

Car on flatbed back to the dealer this morning for diagnostic and probable new battery.
I did a test again this morning. The car was still showing 70+% charge and started fine. I plugged in the small 12V cooler for half an hour and then - dead flat, no start. The car still jump starts OK but in the end it was easier to take the roadside assist offer of a tow truck back to the dealership than drive it up there without a lift home.

When I initially queried the constant indicated low state of charge the dealer has been telling me that the "no battery fully charges". I'm not so sure about this. The internet tells me that AGM batteries are damaged by constant under-charging and unless fully charged, their full charge capacity diminishes. Can anyone here back this up?

Tks for the update and sorry to hear about your woes. Seems very time consuming. Hopefully new battery will sort it once and for all.

Quick question and relates to towing. If the vehicle was 'dead' (perhaps it wasn't fully dead) how did you go about towing it up on to the truck. Did you get under and twist the bolt on the transmission case to select 'N'?

Tks.

 

[Solmanic]

Tks for the update and sorry to hear about your woes. Seems very time consuming. Hopefully new battery will sort it once and for all.

Quick question and relates to towing. If the vehicle was 'dead' (perhaps it wasn't fully dead) how did you go about towing it up on to the truck. Did you get under and twist the bolt on the transmission case to select 'N'?

Tks.

I didn't need to as I was still able to jump start it using a power bank to drive it up on to the truck. But the fall back was just to put the transfer box in neutral as it's all mechanical.

 

[Netzhetz]

Has anybody though about changing the main-batterie to Lithium?

 

[Solmanic]

The main battery has been changed and now seems to be charging more logically. On the 30 minute drive home it was charging at 9-10A and happily went from 87% up to 92% - the highest it's ever shown. There were also no random discharge events. Previously with the old battery I noticed turning the steering wheel at low speed would show massive discharge as if the alternator was solely driving the power steering. It seems the original battery dropped a cell.

I am load testing it now with the fridge on for a few hours to see what the resulting state of charge is when the car is off.

 

[Solmanic]

Update: 5hrs with small fridge on in the back, car off. Battery at 81% and no issues starting. Solid 40-50A recharge rate.

 

[DenisM]

Update: 5hrs with small fridge on in the back, car off. Battery at 81% and no issues starting. Solid 40-50A recharge rate.

I accidentally ran mine down to <31% ( wrong setting on the dashcam sensitivity while it's parked in the street ).
I started the engine and while idling, the charge rate was 109A! Later that day we went to the airport (20km one way). 5-7A cruising at 75kmh, 70A+ while on over-run and idling at the traffic lights.... "intelligent" alternator indeed...