Evening All,

I wonder if anyone can help me...

We, as in me and my Better half have owned a FL2 HST from new, purchased in 2008. And we love it!
But, over the last three years, we have had a problem with cold starting when the temperature drops below -1 degrees.
The car will start okay, but after a few minutes, the battery light comes on and the tone of the tick-over of the engine changes and sounds like it might be in limp mode.
After this, the car will not crank enough to restart, as if the battery is failing and the HDC Failure comes up on the dashboard.

This only happens when it gets freezing cold and once the temperature comes back up. The car starts perfectly normally...
We have taken the car to our local garage and they found nothing on the diagnostics computer. Plus, both the battery and alternator seem to be drawing and holding the voltages correctly.

We have replaced the Alternator and glow Plugs recently, hoping that this would solve the problem.
But, alas NO. We had a cold ❄ -3 just a few days ago and she went into exactly the same problems.
I did a jump start from our other car, which worked, letting the car recharge.
YET, It just would not restart on its own battery, until a day later, when the temperature came up to +4 degrees and then it just starts sweet as a nut...
I'm baffled and so is my garage.

ANY IDEAS FOLKS?

When you say will not start is the engine cranking over ok?

New owner of a FL2 so no expert but lots on hear about fuel filter causing problems if not a genuine LR item.

Hopefully others will offer more advice.

Just hoping that along with alternator and glow plugs at some time since 2008 you’ve changed the battery? Garage tests of batteries are notoriously inaccurate especially for cold cranking. Have a look at the following web site. https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-902a-how-to-measure-cca

Evening Everyone and thanks for replying.

Yes, we are now on our third battery.

Our HST has done 104,000 miles, so still has plenty of time for lots of fun to be had.

My Wife has been using the car for the last 9 years, as I have a 50-mile daily commute for my work and she only does around 6-8 miles daily.

Like I said, we both love our Freelander, but, she is a bit too thirsty for me to use her as my go-to vehicle.

To be honest, I think that the short distances covered by my Wife might have a lot to do with going through three batteries. Still, now, as I have slowed down a bit on the work front due to my health.
It's now my turn to enjoy driving her. That is, once we have got the gremlins sorted out.

I have picked up on the 2nd earth lead going to the Starter bolt and have ordered one. I also have ordered some bits and pieces to enable me to get into trying to sort out and look after our car myself.
So, I am an almost total novice!
Which is why, I am so glad to come across this site.

All of the symptoms we're having seem to point to this being either a bad earth problem or a broken wire somewhere.

She drives perfectly until it drops below -1 deg. Then it starts!

She will either turn over, but, not fire. Or, she will start and then the battery light will come on after 5-10 mins and the tick-over will change note. After that, She will not restart, with the battery seeming to not have enough power. this often triggers the HDC fault to come on.
I have jump-started it from our other car, which works. but, if you disconnect the jump leads. The battery light will come back on and/or won't restart off its own bat.
Yet, if you leave it till the temperature comes up. Then, she starts sweet as a nut.
I have also ordered a voltage meter, to be able to check it all out, whilst it is playing up.

I honestly don't think this is a Fuel problem...

Mainly because the temperature seems to play a part.

Anyway thanks again and I am totally open to ideas

Cheers
Steve

The HDC fault is a symptom of the poor charge state of the battery. HDC uses the ABS to control the wheel speed so if the ABS pump doesn’t have the power to run correctly the HDC error pops up.

I use a Bluetooth battery monitor permanently attached across the battery. Means I can monitor the voltage remotely or while driving via an app on a mobile phone. (Mounted on a hands free holder of course!)

BossBob wrote:

Just hoping that along with alternator and glow plugs at some time since 2008 you’ve changed the battery? Garage tests of batteries are notoriously inaccurate especially for cold cranking. Have a look at the following web site. https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-902a-how-to-measure-cca

Thanks. I will give it a read-through.

FL2ukkent wrote:

When you say will not start is the engine cranking over ok?

New owner of a FL2 so no expert but lots on hear about fuel filter causing problems if not a genuine LR item.

Hopefully others will offer more advice.

BossBob wrote:

The HDC fault is a symptom of the poor charge state of the battery. HDC uses the ABS to control the wheel speed so if the ABS pump doesn’t have the power to run correctly the HDC error pops up.

I use a Bluetooth battery monitor permanently attached across the battery. Means I can monitor the voltage remotely or while driving via an app on a mobile phone. (Mounted on a hands free holder of course!)

Great idea, on the voltage monitor. :thumbs-up:

The bit that is throwing me, is the fact that this only occurs when it gets cold?
Yet, seems to correct itself once the temperature goes up...
And, according to my garage, no faults are logged on the OPD reader and the Voltage/Amps are spot on on both the battery and alternator.

Like I said, I have ordered a meter and OPD reader, so that I can check it out, actually while it is happening.

I think fitting that extra earth cable, should at least knock off one of the possibilities.

On a final note, both the alternator & the battery are still covered under their warranties.
And, the short distances driven by my Wife, could have meant that the battery never actually got enough charge going back into it. Especially, as the FL2 is quite heavy in its usage.
That has always been my thoughts on why we are now being on our third battery.

Cheers Again

BossBob wrote:

The HDC fault is a symptom of the poor charge state of the battery. HDC uses the ABS to control the wheel speed so if the ABS pump doesn’t have the power to run correctly the HDC error pops up.

I use a Bluetooth battery monitor permanently attached across the battery. Means I can monitor the voltage remotely or while driving via an app on a mobile phone. (Mounted on a hands free holder of course!)

Steve.HST wrote:

BossBob wrote:

The HDC fault is a symptom of the poor charge state of the battery. HDC uses the ABS to control the wheel speed so if the ABS pump doesn’t have the power to run correctly the HDC error pops up.

I use a Bluetooth battery monitor permanently attached across the battery. Means I can monitor the voltage remotely or while driving via an app on a mobile phone. (Mounted on a hands free holder of course!)

Great idea, on the voltage monitor. :thumbs-up:

The bit that is throwing me, is the fact that this only occurs when it gets cold?
Yet, seems to correct itself once the temperature goes up...
And, according to my garage, no faults are logged on the OPD reader and the Voltage/Amps are spot on on both the battery and alternator.

Like I said, I have ordered a meter and OPD reader, so that I can check it out, actually while it is happening.

I think fitting that extra earth cable, should at least knock off one of the possibilities.

On a final note, both the alternator & the battery are still covered under their warranties.
And, the short distances driven by my Wife, could have meant that the battery never actually got enough charge going back into it. Especially, as the FL2 is quite heavy in its usage.
That has always been my thoughts on why we are now being on our third battery.

Cheers Again

This is the monitor I use, there are others that may be more or less effective and or expensive.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battery-Monitor-C...amp;sr=8-5
This shows the data for 15 days with a charging period shown. There’s a couple of 2 hour drives there as well.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

There are documented cases on the forum where replacement alternators or glow plugs were actually duff so yet another replacement is required. May be worth some testing.

I experienced the alternator and glow plug issues where the clutch was not charging correctly and the freewheeling clutch was seized, plus cold start issues below zero due to faulty glow plugs. In my case, after replacement, the speed of the engine was no longer changing when large electrical loads were kicking in, so the alternator was now charging correctly. Same for glow plugs, after replacement it starts ‘on the key’ in minus 5 Celsius. I’d say it starts quicker than when the engine is warm

I’d certainly check those items.

BossBob wrote:

This is the monitor I use, there are others that may be more or less effective and or expensive.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battery-Monitor-C...amp;sr=8-5
This shows the data for 15 days with a charging period shown. There’s a couple of 2 hour drives there as well.

Click image to enlarge

This shows yesterday with a short journey, followed by a couple of longer drives and washing the car with doors opening etc.

Click image to enlarge

I've been meaning to buy that for some time now. Thanks for the reminder!

Just a heads up for you there are lots of videos on YouTube for the car they cover a lot of different servicing jobs.

sebastian_n7 wrote:

There are documented cases on the forum where replacement alternators or glow plugs were actually duff so yet another replacement is required. May be worth some testing.

I experienced the alternator and glow plug issues where the clutch was not charging correctly and the freewheeling clutch was seized, plus cold start issues below zero due to faulty glow plugs. In my case, after replacement, the speed of the engine was no longer changing when large electrical loads were kicking in, so the alternator was now charging correctly. Same for glow plugs, after replacement it starts ‘on the key’ in minus 5 Celsius. I’d say it starts quicker than when the engine is warm

I’d certainly check those items.

Thanks for replying.

I am just awaiting some other bits n pieces to arrive and the rain to come to a stop here. (Been raining now pretty much for three days. And, I don't have the luxury of a garage)
Currently spending most of my time on U Tube, trying to learn everything I can about the possible issues and planning where to start and how to use all this new stuff, I've got.

So glad to have come across this site though. And, having everyone's comments and seeing other posts is really helping me to get my head round everything.