Stop-Start battery replacement

[sophiecentaur]

I've had a Landrover Freelander 2 for many years and the battery is now a bit reluctant on cold mornings now. The car claims to be Stop - start with an 'Eco' setting. That never works and I just turn the option off. I rang KwIK Fit, (who I would usually recommend for other things) and they would only supply me with a stop start battery at twice the price of a regular starter battery. I guess it would be a deep cycle. The engine is a 2.2 Diesel.
'Your man' said that the charger would damage a regular battery. Can that be true or is it just another example of Landrover spares being expensive?

 

[Guineafowl]

It’s usually AGM batteries fitted to cope with the higher cycle usage of a start-stop car, and most likely a charging protocol to match. Once replaced, the battery management system (BMS) should be recalibrated, or left to recalibrate itself over a couple of days.

Safest thing would be to replace like-for-like. Batteries are usually identified by a three digit code such as 096 or 110. Main things to check are dimensions and terminal arrangement, as well as the usual Ah capacity and CCA. Tayna batteries offer a good online service, and are helpful over the phone. In contrast, I wouldn’t let my worst enemy use Kwik-Fit.

 

[sophiecentaur]

I wouldn’t let my worst enemy use Kwik-Fit.

They are a bit Marmite. Never had bad experiences with their tyres or exhausts over the decades of occasional use. They will refund you if there are problems.

 

[Guineafowl]

They are a bit Marmite. Never had bad experiences with their tyres or exhausts over the decades of occasional use. They will refund you if there are problems.

Yes, in fairness, a big company like that is going to have its share of good and bad reviews.

I could list my bad experiences and those of many others around me, but instead, I’ll make a general point about the business model of such places, which is impersonal, hides behind money-back guarantees instead of pride in the work, and aims to sting the customer for umpteen ’added extras’.

In short, they pay peanuts and employ monkeys. I would strongly recommend an independent garage for car repairs, who would have a name and reputation to uphold.

 

[sophiecentaur]

I would strongly recommend an independent garage for car repairs, who would have a name and reputation to uphold.

Agreed. I usually make a habit of going local, these days. I hate the thought of paying for the deep pile carpet in the 'reception area' and the suited young men who do nothing useful.

 

[Guineafowl]

I can’t resist just one story about the business type we’re discussing. It is relevant to where you should and shouldn’t get your battery replaced, so hopefully it’s ok.

My local tyre place charges £15 to plug a nail hole. Properly.
They were shut, and I was desperate, so I went to, shall we say, a ‘corporate’ place.

“£80, Sir.”
”Eh?! I could nearly get a new tyre fitted for that!”
”Oh, sorry, it’s £60.”

I reluctantly went ahead, and the bill came in - £80.
They’d indeed charged £60 for the repair, then piled on ’extras’ that I’d consider either part of the job, or unnecessary, such as a new tyre valve, balancing and nitrogen inflation (added value gimmick). The ‘discount’ was entirely facetious, and I imagine they had a good laugh about it.

I won’t mention the ape who used an impact gun to remove and replace the sump plug on my friend’s car, such that the threads stripped, the oil dropped out and the engine seized. Mentioning something by saying you won‘t, is called ‘apophasis’, I believe.

I could go on, but that’ll do.

 

[Tom.G]

And then there is the 'mechanic' that uses the impact wrench without checking the torque setting.

The next time you have to change that tire you jump on the the lug wrench to get it off.

When the lug nut finally comes off you find metal shavings from the stripped threads.
ARRGH!

 

[sophiecentaur]

It’s usually AGM batteries fitted to cope with the higher cycle usage of a start-stop car, and most likely a charging protocol to match. Once replaced, the battery management system (BMS) should be recalibrated, or left to recalibrate itself.

It shows that collective PF knowledge and experience are priceless. I replaced the battery and found no difference. BUT a few weeks later, (today) the car began to stop start perfectly. It learned / calibrated. Cheers.

 

[sophiecentaur]

I have another question now about what the charger has to do to optimise the charging. Does it try to avoid overheating when rapid charging at close intervals?
I have noticed that the nice feature of allowing a clutch depression to restart the engine after a stall was reluctant to function latterly. That works now.

 

[Guineafowl]

I can’t find anything about the FL2 BMS protocols, but my smart charger does have a special setting for AGM batteries, so there’s something different.

According to battery university, AGMs are commonly used for stop-start applications because they’re more robust in the face of repeated cycling.

I did find a reference to a need for 8 hours of driving for the BMS to reset properly, at which point I assume, in your case, the ‘system’ re-enabled the clutch start feature.