Battery light confusion

[Hazell B]

On wednesday morning I arrived at an auction, turned off the Land Rover and took out the keys. So far, so good. Just as I was getting out of the vehicle, a friend appeared to chat so I stayed in the driver's seat.

Then I noticed the battery light was on.

How can it be, with the keys out and everything switched off?

Now we've found the wires that make the light work and disconected them, it's drained the battery, though the tiny light was only on for twenty minutes or so. It's on charge at the moment.

The light's only on while the ignition is off. It goes away as normal when the engine was running.

I'm gormless about this sort of thing and my partner's working, so here I am asking advice. Altinator (Sp?) or starter motor do you think?

The vehicle only has a month's MOT left then is almost certainly being scrapped :bigcry: so short term fix-it's are also welcome.

[J4MIE]

...leave the engine running?


:p :

[Erki]

The battery light can be a real beastie. My dad's 92' Passat has some trouble with the battery light as well. If I turn the ignition on but haven't yet started the engine, I have to make sure the battery light is on, if it isn't, the alternator won't run and it would drain the battery... I don't know if anyone else has had a problem like this one...

[oily oaf]

This is what we clever sods who know lots about cars call "a parasytic drain" Hazell. (blows on nails and buffs them up on lapel)

The likely cause is a knackered (bit more techno speak there) diode in the alternator which causes current to flow both ways.

An auto sparks will replace it for you fairly cheaply or a new diode kit will set you back about 6 notes and you can do it yourself. It's a lot easier than planting hedges. Trust me ;)

Another possibility is a broken return spring in the ignition switch but this is less likely to be the fault.

I suspect your stricken mud plugger overheard you discussing your draconian plans to bung it in the crusher and is exacting a terrible revenge in the only way it knows how :vader: .

Landies have feelings too you know :(

[oily oaf]

Absolutely nowt to do with your chariot Hazell but I just had to take this opportunity to wind you up by telling you that my daughter just rang me from Great Ormond Street Hospital where she's on shift to inform me that she just spent a rather sweaty minute or two in a lift with Jonny Depp whose little girl is in the ward next to hers.

Sadly for her he was flanked by a bevy of burly bodyguards at the time :D

One guess as to where she and her nursing chums will be visiting on the slenderest of pretexts. ;)

Don't know what they see in 'im to be honest :mad:

[J4MIE]

It's amazing how a car develops problems the moment it finds out you're thinking of getting rid of it :s

[draper]

yeah its the alternator diode, i blew one in my old escort once and it drained the battery when the car was turned off/keys removed

[Hazell B]

..... Jonny Depp ....

And Johnny Depp, where was he? :p :
Am on my way to London village in Mick's nasty clean-smelling 300 series Discovery with hospital uniform newly pressed .......

Thanks Oily, shall investigate diodes on my return ;)