Being a freelancer I operate from my home office anyway, through pre-lockdown was doing 22,000-25,000 miles a year on client work - I’ve just finished last years’ paperwork which is slightly distorted at 18,800 miles because my FL2 was off the road for a month after an engine failure and transplant.

Like most of us doing essential journeys only, that’s very different under lockdown, my FL2 has done around 250 miles since late March, and that’s only because we’re in a village without shops so have to travel for groceries etc...

So yesterday it was warmer out and my turn to head into Buckingham for our groceries and I enjoyed the drive each way, air con off and sunroof and windows open - but, when I got back home, the sunroof wouldn’t shut properly.

Initial thought - can’t be the battery, mine was new in early April last year after the engine malady, so I left the engine running and spent time looking for obstructions in the roof tracks and found nothing. I got the handbook out and read up on the reset of the sunroof which didn’t work either - though I finally got it closed after lots of stabbing the button, then turned everything off.

I decided to check the battery anyway, and stole back my C-Tek conditioner from herself’s XK8 - which immediately indicated that the battery was in fact well down and in need of a charge.

Which has left me wondering what mileage the FL2 ideally needs to overcome the load of cranking the engine into life (on open roads rather than in traffic) even in warmer weather - I remember years ago being told that my MGB needed to do 7-10 miles at 30MPH to fully recharge the batteries after a cold start, sounds like it’s similar on our FL2s... our grocery run each way is less than that...

... Hint taken... and the C-Tek is now on rotation with the FL2!  Lexus RX450H - 500 mile a week commuter- I just couldn’t trust in a newer RRS or DS for that….
2009 Freelander 2 HSE... 155K miles, we’ve done 135k of those, has done brilliantly on the commute and staying firmly put as car two in the household
2002 Jaguar XK8 Coupe... fun, fast, ours for 12 years and owes us nothing - so staying with us too…

I've had similar with the rear windows sometimes refusing to open, and on one occasion refusing to close resulting in a rather draughty and noisy 40 mile trip home. An overnight disconnect of the battery finally sorted that last one.

Like you driving currently comprises occasional trips to the shops (8 miles each way) plus once or twice a week a half-mile round trip to the end of the lane to deposit the rubbish for collection! Despite that the car has always started first time with the windows being the only indication of the strain the battery must be under. Probably time I dug out the battery charger though...

surprising really as the FL2 has a huge alternator, if memory serves me right 180A.
Now it doesn't give much output at tickover, but should be at full chat by 2,000rpm.
I would have thought cranking at say 400A for a half a minute and you should be back up within 5 minutes at 2,000rpm Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

I've been charging all of my cars and I haven't had any problems.

Here is what I've been telling my family.

Drive an average of 30 minutes for every time you start the vehicle and the Battery will always be charged.


To do this if the store is 10 minutes drive and if you are going to be inside for 10 minutes and 10 minutes drive home.

Bring someone with you to stay in the car and don't turn the engine off.

Alternatively charge the battery frequently.


One interesting fact

I've been helping my Neighbors by letting them use my charger when their car wouldn't start

So far I've done

1 Toyota Pickup truck

1 Lexus SUV

1 Toyota Camry

And it would have been another Lexus SUV but road side assistance was called.


Remember the Alternator will charge the battery fro 25% to 50% very quickly

But the charging rate from 75% to 100% is very slow (to prevent out gassing of hydrogen)

I think sitting in a car park with the engine running for ten minutes would be illegal in UK, but I’m sure other, more legally minded, posters can confirm!

Although I am still doing reasonable mileages (500 miles per week), I have had a battery low warning come up a couple of times. My problem is taking conference calls on the phone while sitting in a car park using the car’s speaker/microphone - if the call runs longer ten minutes, the radio switches off unless I keep the ignition on. If I keep the ignition on for that length of time I get the battery warning. I’m guessing that this is not surprising since I have my headlights in “always on” mode, so ignition on means headlights on. It doesn’t seem to be a problem, but it does add to my feelings of frustration when people in these meetings just keep waffling on! 2005 D3 2.7 Auto
Previously:
2010 MY FL2 TD4e GS - Now gone at 199,500 miles, about 135,000 of them mine.
‘93 Defender 110 200TDi CSW
‘87 Defender 90 4 cyl Petrol
‘83 110 CSW V8 - best ever!
Range Rover 2-door V8 (not sure of year - 4-speed box and vacuum diff switch)
Series III SWB Diesel

It might not be illegal but is certainly antisocial. Ian.
2013 LR2 SD4 XS
1982 Moto Guzzi V50
1952 Norton ES2

If idling the engine for 10 minutes won't work for your situation then I would recommend one of these.

1 - Take the long way to the shops (so that you drive for 30 minutes)

2 - Put the battery on the charger every time before and after you go out

3 - get a portable battery pack so that you can always start the engine after shopping


Full Disclosure: the other day I went with my daughter to Starbucks and to the ATM and I stayed in the Freel2 and we didn't shut down for either stop.

As a point of reference to drive the 10 miles from home to work I sit at traffic lights for 10 minutes, and I was doing that twice a day and five days a week. That's 100 minutes at idle per week. Ten minutes once a week is a 90% reduction in idle time.

Maybe we are going to have to convert our Freel2's to electric

Take care

Paul