...but always pours.

Having to be recovered from the M42 near Coventry a couple of weeks ago for front suspension failure; which cost £600 for two replacement Dunlop struts, £24 for new arb links and £171 for fitting all seemed well.

Today, coming home from Reading, charge light comes on. Thinks to self that it will run on the alternator until I get home. No such luck. Everything died 1/4 mile from home.

Walked home. got wife's car and jump leads; thinking give it some charge, restart and drive the rest of the way home. No go. With jump leads on, max volts at 2000 rpm from her Mondeo was 10.2v.

Found +ve battery terminal loose. Unhooked jump leads from her Mondeo and drive home for spanners (not walking uphill all the way again!). Tightened battery connector. Tried jump leads again. Still no go. Is that smoke from the alternator??

Call Green Flag and settle down to wait. Wife leaves with her car and the frozen (just) shopping.

Wife comes back with coffee and Kindle (bless her, but why no biscuits?)

Green Flag arrived very promptly (less than 1/2 hour). Tries a jump start from battery pack - no go; his van - no go; his van AND battery pack - still no go (but no smoke either).

Can't get enough power to unlock the steering and move out of Park into neutral. Green Flag guy reckons battery - just over 2 years old, but hasn't got a spare as he sold it this morning. I reckon alternator as everything has dies and we should have got home on just the alternator output (and yes, wife was not happy to turn off heated seat to save power!).

Wait at home for recovery team to deliver. Looked on Ebay for replacement alternators - just in case. Also checking battery warranty but I am almost certain it was 5 years.

Ongoing plan.

Get vehicle delivered home
Disconnect battery
Charge battery and see if it holds charge
Probably give up and change alternator...

Good luck indeed mate, I do love our RR but they are mighty testing at times.........

Well, step one of the plan completed.

Euro Car Parts do an exchange Lucas alternator - was about £130 for my TD6 which I thought was quite reasonable. Not a bad job to do - couple of hours.

However, when my alternator was failing I was getting an intermittent chargeing lamp warning - when it went completely the battery was enough to get me quite a long way - probs 30 -60 mins before it failed. I was monitoring with IID and it only stopped completely once it got down to about 9v

Seems strange that it should shut down so quickly....

Cheers,

MM 2011 TDV8 AB
2006 TD6 AB (Gone to Wales)

If you lift the cup holders out there is a little panel. Remove it and pull the red rape. That will disengage the gearbox from park so it can be moved.

I suspect you have fried the regulator on the alternator. This can be bought separately, but it's a to get to, so you may choose to simply replace the whole thing. Too many toys, not enough time

2011 4.4 TDV8 AB Black

6-speed box should have a white tab below the right rear corner of the selector mechanism that has to be moved/held (up IIRC) to allow the lever to be pulled out of park. The red tape is for the 8-speed box.

Steps 2 & 3 completed - battery holding charge

So it's going to cost me money.

A replacement alternator and £360 for a mobile mechanic to fit it on the driveway...

Double post...sorry

That sounds very cheap! Has he done a TDV8 alt before? If not check, check and check again sir!

First time changing an 07 TDV8 Alt can take AGES as its NOT an easy 5 min job!

The £360 is the labour cost. So six hours at £60/hr.

The cost of the new alternator is on top of that.

Step 4 completed.

Back on the road now and charging again.

Alternator from here

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAND-ROVER-RANG...2749.l2649

Changed the top intercooler hoses at the same time as they needed to come off anyway. One of the old ones had started to spit underneath