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JackW

Member Since: 09 Jan 2017
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Posts: 115

1998 Defender 90 300 Tdi SW Coniston Green

Very weird problem - dead car

I stopped at the bank to make a car payment (ironically), put it in park and pushed the start/stop button and shut it down normally. When I came out of the bank and pushed the start button on my 2020 P300 D110 it was completely dead - no electrical power at all.

It was as if the battery was disconnected - I checked the connections at the battery and it seemed fine but there was no power getting to the car as if there were an electrical disconnect triggered somehow. Like there was some kind of inertial switch that cuts power in an impact. The car was completely dead.

Luckily I had jumper cables and another battery in the boot which was not hooked up to the car so I jumped the car off using the terminals under the hood (bonnet for you blokes). The car started up and lit up a bunch of warnings like ATPC not Accessible and HDC not accessible but it ran and got me home. I let it sit for a while and went out and it cranked and seemed like it was back to normal. I've checked battery voltage on the main battery (12.3 volts) and no clue as to exactly what happened or if its going to repeat this stunt.

Click image to enlarge

3rd Mar 2024 1:51am

Can_glu

Member Since: 18 Feb 2024
Location: Toronto
Posts: 11

12.3 is a bit low, especially after running for a while. I would check the battery and charging system.

5th Mar 2024 11:31am

lightning

Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 2825

l assume it's not like on older vehicles where a low battery will light everything up but the vehicle won't start.
l imagine if the ECU determines that the battery voltage is low it won't turn any systems on? Although l would expect at least a warning on the dash to advise.

Some people have had faulty batteries so it might be worth getting the battery checked.

5th Mar 2024 5:33pm

JackW

Member Since: 09 Jan 2017
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Posts: 115

The battery is a six month old replacement Odyssey battery - but the car died on the road on the way back from the grocery store this evening (in the rain of course). It had to be retrieved on a flat bed wrecker and is at the dealer for inspection and testing tomorrow. Even with a jump box and jumper cables the electrical system on the car is dead - nothing at all working. It sputtered once as the lights flickered and then went completely off leaving me coasting to a halt on the side of the road.

A real mystery that I hope has a simple solution.

6th Mar 2024 2:41am

JackW

Member Since: 09 Jan 2017
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Posts: 115

It turned out to be a loose ground connection on the battery - simple and embarrassing solution to a puzzling problem. And totally my fault for not doing the German Gut-n-Tite test on the connections after removing the battery for another project I was doing on the car. Oh well - lesson learned - keep a 10mm x 13 mm wrench in the car at all times.

7th Mar 2024 3:18am

Can_glu

Member Since: 18 Feb 2024
Location: Toronto
Posts: 11

Glad to know it ends simple and easy. Thanks.

7th Mar 2024 11:57pm

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