Yikes.....I Think
 

Started up this morning and noticed my Battery Charging light on the dash stayed illuminated. Manual says Seek qualified assistance urgently. ?????

We need more info -

Did you start it, see the light and turn it back off?
Did you put it in gear, hit the gas and the light went off?
Did you put it in gear, drive say, to work, and it stayed on the whole time...?
Is yours or the pass seat getting warm?

I started my daughter's Disco about a month ago (before we gave it to her) to take it to do some fluid changing, and the Batt light was on. It went out immediately when I bliped the gas, and back on again at idle. It was then that I noticed the pass seat heat button pushed on. Pushed the seat heat button off and no more light. I think mine was a combination of high current draw and low vehicle usage. I haven't seen that light on since she started driving it.

First of all, no heated seats. I started it, got about a mile down the road and noticed the light. Returned home, shut it off and restarted it. Still had the light.

This is not rocket science, go to you local auto parts store and let them do their free battery/alternator test and see what's wrong.
Get the voltage from the battery with the engine off, at isle and at 2000 RPM's and get back to use with those numbers.

Thanks Mike. I just havn't really had any problems with it yet, and after reading some of the stories on here, I tend to have a knee jerk reaction when something is amiss. Going to check for loose cables and corrosion, and also disconnect the battery while it's running and see if she stays lit.

Shuts off when I disconnect while running, so, alternator?

As Mike said, take it to an auto parts store and have them do a free check on the charging system. I don't know about the Disco, but I know some vehicles will not run without the battery hooked up even if the alternator is fine.

yes, that would be the alternator. you just verified it! I have never seen a vehicle that can run without the alternator. This provides the 12v for the vehicle and charges the battery. Nothing else converts to electric power. it will use up all the juice in the battery if the alternator goes dead, the battery may get you where you need to go if it is a short distance, obviously don't use stuff like a/c or any additional electrical drain

Check the routing of your serp belt.

http://www.roverparts.com/TechTips/s...g_defender.cfm

If your battery light is coming on at idle then you have a low voltage output from the alt.
Even with all the acc on and idling for 8 hours the battery light should not come on.

Yeah, got it tested, and it was definitely the alternator. About 1 1/2 blocks from the shop, my dash lit up like a Christmas tree and I coasted into the parking lot. Whew!