Thanks, nicedayforit.
Absolutely clear, so now I know what to do, and more importantly what to hope for, I can do it. No need to Google now!
Have a great weekend! It's "bébéchoon", ackcherly, with accents. 'Steve' to my chums.
20 years ownership of Solihull products, ALL GONE NOW, sniff!
Current motor: Suzuki S-Cross 4WD auto, 1.4 petrol. Oh so reliable! 7 years now and no problems. Oh, all right then, a leaking shocker replaced under guarantee.
Previous:
TD6 HSE L322 Auto FF
2.5 TDi 4-door Classic
Disco II
And my 1st Rangie: in 1995, a 2-door VM 2.5 diesel Classic
Not to mention the Lada Niva before those. (I said not to mention it!)

Thanks nicecayforit, I think I will have to try that with my ammeter.

I checked the voltage after the run but before I unlocked the car again. It had been stood for a couple of hours and was only reading 12.4v. I don't think the battery is taking enough charge.

Sorry to jump on this thread but I've been having problems with low power and shutting down whilst radio on without engine on. Only gives me less than 5 mins. So checked battery voltage through sat nav display with engine running at it showed 13.8v. Checked it again with volt meter at battery too and it shows 13.97-14.01v. When I check it without engine running it shows 12.43v. Does this point to a poor battery and/or alternator not charging fully. Mileage is 70k. Think it's on original alternator but i think it's had the software update and replacement glass battery as the sticker shows 12v 90ah 850 A (en) AGM/VRLA/MF.

Mine hasn't let me down for a while but I am not convinced it is right as the voltage still hovers around 12.2v and over weekend when I didn't use it it went down to 12.0v.

This morning when I started up a message flashed on screen "Special Programs Off". I've just been researching this on the forum and it seems to point to a weak battery again.

Have been following this thread as had had some flat battery probs. New Varta Silver dynamic 110ah fitted last Thursday then away with tin tent for the weekend. Battery showed 12.83V (on my digital multimeter) about an hour after completing a 60 mile drive on Friday afternoon. Didn't move the car all weekend. had the doors open now and again.
Checked mid morning on Monday and reading was 12.66V so losing about 60mV a day.
Checked again an hour or so after getting home yesterday - back to 12.83.
I've got it rigged up through the 13pin Jaeger to my meter and will try to keep a log to see how it varies day to day (in case it might help to build a picture).
Did a few miles in it this morning - 12.83 on return. 12.79 when I looked half an hour ago - it gets obsessive!

there are so many things which can drain the battery down on the TDV8. Simply opening and closing the doors can flatten quickly and leaving the boot open is a no no.

never really had a problem with mine after changing the alternator and switching to a Bosch 020, would occasionally get a tiny bit sluggish if the boot had been open for a while, with the compressor on, but other than that it was fine. So long as you are getting a decent charging voltage when running, and 12.8v after a run then it seems things are running ok.

If you want to narrow stuff down you could start pulling fuses and monitor the current drains, but it gets a bit obsessive, i eventually figured that if it was working OK it was OK!  There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

Just picked mine up from Manchester Airport after nearly 3 weeks away in Canada (what a fabulous country !!) and the battery was absolutely fine

Me too, valet park I was sure he would struggle . Let me down week later! You cannot fathom these RRs

After several trouble free months (not without constant worry) mine let me down again. I spent an hour is so messing with interior lights swapping bulbs so had lights on and was locking and unlocking. The following morning it wouldn't start. 30mins on the charger and it fired up no problem. I couldn't give it any longer as I needed to get to work and worried it would fail again once I parked up but it's been fine since

I will have to do something before winter

If I need to have the doors open for any period of time I always make a point of connecting a battery charger first, never seems to fail.
Opening doors, unlocking/ locking doors continuously etc seems to be fatal on FFRR's, it's surprising how little time it takes to drop the battery voltage to a point where the engine won't start.

i think that statement applys generally to diesels david..

i mess with electrics often on mine and havnt had a problem starting.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

That's interesting, I would have thought they would be much the same as far as ancillary equipment causing a problem.
Could be the petrol engines just don't need the voltage to start as much as diesels.

that's my theory , less amps/volts.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Since I have had my dog, I have left my tailgate open all day most days with constant opening and closing of the doors etc and I have not had a problem so far.
Am I tempting fate here?