So after about a week of no issues with the LR3 charging system, I was driving it today and the battery symbol came on again. I will check that 400 amp fuse you mentioned but I think I am going to swap the new AGM battery for the old standard lead acid one. I just don’t think my vehicle likes this new technology.

 

Battery shouldn't make a difference unless its faulty, LR changed to fitting AGM's in the D3 once the D4 came out .

 

Should have just kept quiet and not defied the Land Rover gods (I posted December 5 above).

Got the dreaded alternator whine, and a whiff of smoke/burning/whatever you want to call it. Battery voltage was yesterday 11.5 -ish, trying to recondition with a ctek didn’t seem to help, either. Vehicle did not want to start this morning at the local Indy. So - new Denso alternator and new battery (Exide EK960 this time) and all is well again.

Could have done without this Xmas present to be very honest. Happy I got it fixed in less than 24 hours and didn’t get stuck on the road with it, though.

 

That may be true, but the D4 has BMS. It is a totally different ballgame. With that said, I run both in my truck - literally since I have an aux battery. Probably not the best idea to mix, but no issues for years. So with the D3 I agree, the battery type should not matter. With a D4 though, there is a battery profile that should be set depending on what is put in.

 

Correct but since we are talking D3 the BMS is irrelevant , i had a genuine LR exide agm in mine when i bought it that lasted 6 years, aux is also agm.
During covid the exide couldnt cope with the lack use even with top charging so fitted an exide lead acid which has been in for 2 1/2 years but i doubt it'll last 6.
AGM has better longevity in these power hungry beasts.

 

Right, but you brought up the D4 for some reason and I wanted to clarify they are very different.

 

I'm sure if I drove my '05 - with the AGM - on a daily basis, or even a weekly basis, I'd have no issues. Like I said though, it sits for long'ish periods of time and if I don't drive it or charge it once every 2 weeks, the AGM battery is low. It's a datapoint. That's all.

 

My point was LR wasn't stocking both AGM and non AGM so they just fitted AGM's when a customer came in for a new battery D3 or D4, if your battery doesn't last 2 weeks you have a parasitic drain.
Last time i went overseas for 3 weeks came home and started up the disco on the first crank, maybe your cold conditions don't help.
Battery composition wont make any difference, could be lead acid, calcium or lithium as long as it meets the specs for CCA and AH it will do the job, obviously charging a lithium start battery will be the decider for that type but some companies do advertise them as drop in replacements.

 

I don't know for sure, but I don't think LR3s were ever equipped with AGMs from the factory here in the states.

 

That's pretty much what i said above, D4 came with AGM so the dealers had them in stock and fitted them to D3's that came in a new battery.