2000 Discovery II

Car went dead at the grocery store ( :flipoff2: )....it was completely dead. I got a jump and it was all good. Drove it around for a bit....stopped and tried to start again but it was dead again (completely dead). Went to K-mart (only store open) and bought a new battery. Put in new battery and it was still dead. I got a jump with the new battery...started right up...drove around for 20 minutes...shut it off and tried to start but it was dead.

I can weld and build stuff but I'm stupid when it comes to motors and what not :rolleyes:

Questions:

Is the alternator the obvious guess?
Is there a chance the cheap ass champion battery from Kmart is just too weak to turn the motor over?

Thanks.

Mike :beer:

i would say the alt, that happened to me and i had a good batt, its just drains the batt and nothin to recharge it so you run out of power

Before you throw in a new alt, I would check all the wires and cables for corosion, lose ground etc. Do Discos have an external regulator thats also another posability

Just to be sure.
When you say the battery is dead....no accessories in the cabin work? Nothing at all works on the electrical side?
Or do you get clicking at start up?
Just want to make sure a broken starter or solenoid is not percieved as no voltage.
Do you have a voltage tester? If you don't, and you own a rover...that ought to be the next tool you add to the collection....

Just to be sure.
When you say the battery is dead....no accessories in the cabin work? Nothing at all works on the electrical side?
Or do you get clicking at start up?
Just want to make sure a broken starter or solenoid is not percieved as no voltage.
Do you have a voltage tester? If you don't, and you own a rover...that ought to be the next tool you add to the collection....

There's no click when you turn the key. The accessories work momentarily before dying completely (very dim cabin light, electric door locks try to work but not enough power). I cleaned all the terminals with a wire brush and checked all the connections.

I called my service guy and he said I need a battery with 800 cold cranking amps to turn the motor over. The cheapo battery I got from Kmart only has 400 amps...

I'm going to put a legit battery in...check the charge and the try that out. I'll also run to the parts store and have them check the alternator output.

Thanks for the feedback.

Mike :usa:

Even an el-cheapo battery should have the juice to keep the accessories alive after a crank attempt. It sounds like a connection or corrosion problem.

Check inside the positive battery cable for corrosion. Just because the terminal is clean and tight does not mean there isn't corrosion in the cable. Cut back some isulation. If you see any green or white, it's junk.

Also make sure that the attachment point for the negative cable is clean and tight.

im going to say the samething.....check ALL your connection.