I think part of the issue is that with the key on the air suspension will be active, and the compressor might kick on. They talk about hooking up a battery charger while doing alignments too.

 

This is the tool Jaguar, and Land Rover use, Midtronics PSC550

http://www.jagrepair.com/images/TSB/...3/1-224NAS.pdf

 

Good info, thanks!

Too bad (for me anyway) it's $400

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002YKCQE2

 

Here in one cheaper than amazon: http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDi...up=MDTPSC-550S

 

The midtronics is good.

The big thing here, is you want a clean charge. Most chargers will induce voltage spikes, which can cause programming to fail. Same reason you don't want to use a jump from another car really either, but that shouldn't be as bad. You will need more then 7A. Midtronics used to make a 35A version that was cheaper then the 55A, but it is hard to find anymore.

I haven't been able to find a distributor for it, but BMW dealerships have one as shop tools that works very well, and is much cheaper. I just started looking into this for a personal replacement, and if I can figure out where to source it, I will let you know.

 

http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDi...up=MDTPSC-300S

 

That's it, sorry, it was 30A, not 35. I used to use one of those, and it was always good, but to stay above 12.5V, sometimes you will need to turn the HVAC, and radio off.

 

What do you guys think about one of those big old school wheel around battery chargers? Especially an older one with no smarts, just a switch to select amps? I figure it's running in the 20+ amp range, and doesn't try to cycle on and off like the newer smart chargers it would do ok. Any thoughts?

 

I have used them for programming, but never been entirely comfortable doing so. You would want to stay on low-medium, 15-30A, but the issue with those is the possibility of the voltage going higher then it should, which can shut down a module, and if that happens mid-program, you're in a world of problems(the Jag systems are much better then the older, like BMW, ones as far as being able to recover a module with only partial software in it, but it gets tricky)

Realistically, it would work, but there is a risk. Enough of a risk for LR as a manufacturer to say it will not work at all.

Also, keep in mind, the battery maintainers, such as the PCS300, are not meant to charge the battery at all, just to keep it at a safe voltage for diagnostics. These should not be used in place of a battery charger for a weak battery.

 

I'd be curious how you did it. I've had one for a year, and never got it to work. The software was bunk, and you can't download a new version. Perhaps I could get some tips/software... PM me..

I use the CTEK in supply, and it's important to use a charger because things may go wrong badly if the voltage drops. A lot of stuff needs to be done with the ignition switch on, and that draws a lot.