 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > New Defender Owners - Is this true? |
 
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| Nick-St Member Since: 23 Apr 2013 Location: Surrey Posts: 267   
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PowerfulUK have some YouTube videos on this - when it powers up (by opening a door / unlocking etc) it draws a fair amount of current for about 10 mins when not appearing to be doing anything... |
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7th Sep 2023 7:25am |
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| BruceT Member Since: 01 Nov 2010 Location: South Africa Posts: 517 
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correct but to add if you leave a door open or at least un latched (so closed but not latched) the system shuts down completely and you can open and close the other doors without it starting up. "Overlanding With Bruce" - Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@OverlandingwithBruce
11MY Defender 130 23MY Defender 110 D300 HSE X-Dynamic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrHKcjA-LJ470_H4QwPgVA |
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7th Sep 2023 7:29am |
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| BruceT Member Since: 01 Nov 2010 Location: South Africa Posts: 517
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Here is an example of what im talking about, while camped in Southern Zimbabwe. Please note the drivers door.
 Click image to enlarge "Overlanding With Bruce" - Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@OverlandingwithBruce 11MY Defender 130 23MY Defender 110 D300 HSE X-Dynamic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrHKcjA-LJ470_H4QwPgVA |
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7th Sep 2023 7:51am |
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| Moo Member Since: 01 Oct 2021 Location: UK Posts: 1338 
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That's useful to know.  Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy. |
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7th Sep 2023 9:26am |
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| WizzardPrang Member Since: 05 Nov 2020 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 153 
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Interestingly, Lucky8 have just posted a video showing how to make the loadspace 12V socket always on. https://youtu.be/we29ShUfaWM?si=FF-SlROixU9haYmH
To be used with caution.  Current vehicle: 2020 Defender 110S
Gone: Defender 90 HT 200Tdi, Discovery Sport, Freelander 2 Insta: wizzardprang |
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11th Sep 2023 9:32pm |
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| BruceT Member Since: 01 Nov 2010 Location: South Africa Posts: 517
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Why would you want to do that? That's just risking a flat battery on a battery that is already under strain just from opening and closing doors. "Overlanding With Bruce" - Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@OverlandingwithBruce
11MY Defender 130 23MY Defender 110 D300 HSE X-Dynamic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrHKcjA-LJ470_H4QwPgVA |
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12th Sep 2023 6:07am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2706
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The battery is 110Ah
lt should last a while before becoming depleted if it's fully charged. And as all the interior lights are LED that shouldn't cause a problem. |
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12th Sep 2023 7:50pm |
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| BruceT Member Since: 01 Nov 2010 Location: South Africa Posts: 517
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I have got low battery warnings on both my D240 and D300 while camping and opening the doors too much (ive since learnt to overcome this) and that is after a few hours of being parked without a fridge running.
We also dont ever park for days on end when on a trip and drive every day on game drives etc. It is also widely known that it's a really silly feature of the entertainment system and dash starting up every time a door is opened and then staying on for 5 minutes plus. Every time this happens it draws up to 15amps IIRC. A fridge runs at between 5 and 8amps depending on the brand, some even more, up to 15amps on startup. If it's a 110ah battery and it is lithium (which I doubt) you can go down to about 20% capacity. If it's a normal high cycle battery then you will damage it if you continually go below 50%. That leaves 55ah available if your battery is 100% perfect and charged. That means at best you have about 3 hours before your battery is flat if nothing else draws power, if your battery is 100% condition and you only draw 20amps an hour. Also note that continually depleting the battery to its lowest levels actually shortens the life of the battery significantly, so after doing it a few times im willing to bet you have less than 100ah capacity in the battery. With my experiences I would not risk it especially on a power hunger defender unless help is nearby. Rather get a stand alone battery pack that can be charged off of the cigarette socket when driving or a proper auxiliary battery fitted. If you dont want to do that then get a fridge that can run off of shore power and be sure to use that when you can. "Overlanding With Bruce" - Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@OverlandingwithBruce 11MY Defender 130 23MY Defender 110 D300 HSE X-Dynamic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrHKcjA-LJ470_H4QwPgVA |
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13th Sep 2023 5:14am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2706
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Ah yes the built-in fridge, l forgot about that.
A solar charger may help, although an average 100w panel will only charge at around 5A so won't keep the fridge going. |
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13th Sep 2023 6:55am |
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| RDR Member Since: 27 Apr 2018 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 592
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I don't think interior lights are the root of the problem its the ECUs and other gadgetry, when you open the door after its gone to sleep and listen near the engine bay you can hear clicking and whizzing. It's as if its priming itself for a full startup. A software update to add a new feature allowing you to put the car in "Camp mode" a bit like the Valet mode with a pin would be a great move. 110 MY23.5 X Dynamic HSE
RR MY23 HSE PHEV D5 MY19 HSE - Now Sold D4 MY16 HSE Luxury - Now Sold D4 MY12 HSE - Gone D3 MY06 S - Gone but not forgotten |
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13th Sep 2023 7:20am |
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| J.Christopher Member Since: 24 May 2021 Location: London Posts: 9
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I watch ASW’s videos now and again for a laugh mainly, he borders on demented when talking about the defender. I use my 110 for work (like a Van basically) some days I must open the doors 20 or more times a day, especially the boot getting tools, materials out. If you use the tailgate button, Pivi and dash doesn’t fire up, and as mentioned before, if you leave a door open, everything turns off after a minute or so. I’ve had doors open and boot all day as my dog is sometimes in the back whilst I work nearby, never had low battery warning in nearly 3 years of owning it.
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13th Sep 2023 10:42pm |
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| BruceT Member Since: 01 Nov 2010 Location: South Africa Posts: 517
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It would be interesting to see if you guys and the USA guys have the same batteries as we do. If im not careful I honestly get warnings all the time. We recently camped with a mate in his D240 and he and his wife also constantly opened and closed doors and about halfway through the day he got a warning on his dash too.
The guy in the US (Lucky8) who has just made the rear cigarette socket permanently live says he runs a ARB fridge off of that and never has problems with flat batteries. This I find hard to believe but maybe there are different spec batteries for different markets. I dont know. "Overlanding With Bruce" - Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@OverlandingwithBruce 11MY Defender 130 23MY Defender 110 D300 HSE X-Dynamic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrHKcjA-LJ470_H4QwPgVA |
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14th Sep 2023 5:04am |
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| G&T Member Since: 13 Jul 2021 Location: Shropshire Posts: 38
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I enjoy your videos Bruce and that action is one of life’s great little hacks. Great finding. |
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27th Apr 2024 4:18pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2706
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Same here, 90 Commercial in and out of the vehicle all day, sometimes several times at one customer (although only the tailgate) Also touring with the caravan, the Defender can sit for days without being driven and l open it several times a day as we use the rear for storage. Never had a low battery warning Would a solar panel help to reduce the "low battery" warnings? An average sized one will charge at 5A in the sun, which should make quite a difference. Well, not in the U.K. as we don't get any sun. But certainly in Tanzania |
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29th Apr 2024 12:22pm |
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