I'm told by the dealership that this warning is due to the TCU backup battery being depleted - something that appears to be a rechargeable AA battery. Apparently, this battery is out of stock with no known date for restock. How in the heck can it be 2 years after COVID, JLR still has supply chain issues? Ridiculous.

End of rant.

 

My SOS battery just went out and my dealer was able to secure me one within the last week or so.

Initially I got the same open ended we can’t promise anything or have a timeline. So maybe just be patient with that in mind.

 

Because the whole world is still having supply chain issues.

The global supply chain was a highly efficient network of systems that had very little waste or excess capacity. That system was already severely disrupted prior to onset of the pandemic due to short-sighted trade wars. A global disruption of all points of that network for almost a year in many significant population centers doesn't get "fixed" right away. Supply Chain experts would have told you in the spring of 2020 that a disruption of this scale would take 4-5 years to work it's way out of the system, BARRING ANY OTHER MAJOR DISRUPTIONS.

Russian war in Eastern Europe, and the Israel-Hama (and Hezbollah) conflict each count as a major disruption. Our systems are going to be screwed up until a) world peace breaks out, or b) supply chains recognize that this uncertainty is, the new normal and redesign to account for uncertainty, disruptions, etc.

This concludes my Ted Talk.
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Hope this isn’t a dumb question, but please translate; what is the SOS system and where does this rechargeable battery go and what does it do? Also, what is the TCU mentioned here?

 

Try eBay. The part # is the same across multiple models. LR132077. I ordered mine from the seller: LRBRITISHPARTS. 5 minute DIY job. As long as you are okay pulling interior panels.

 

When the airbags deploy, the Defender initiates an emergency call. This can also be done manually, by pressing the red button located behind the cover in the roof console for 3 seconds. Should the battery become disconnected during the crash, the SOS system is powered be a small rechargeable battery. The Telematic Control Unit (TCU) manages communications.

 

 

@zac431
I went in for the wired software update today so while I was there I asked the dealer how much to replace the TCU battery and was quotes $475. I ordered the battery online and plan to just replace it myself. Any chance you could give me a quick tutorial on the process of replacing the battery? Order to pull panels etc….
regards in advance!

 

Pretty much all I did was pull that panel in the photo out far enough to get to the screw on the battery door. My goal was to disassemble as little as possible. Plastic clips like to break and I don't particularly enjoy pulling interior pieces.

 

Thanks appreciate the info. I managed to open it up enough to get a torx 10 on the battery door!