Battery & charging system

I have a 64-reg Land Rover Freelander SD4 auto which has covered just under 14,000 miles. It was bought from a main dealer around 18 months ago. When I took it for a test-drive, the battery was flat and had to be jumpstarted. The test-drive went OK and the dealer said the battery would be checked. On collection, they assured me it was fine.

The car has never failed to start, but the voltage on unlocking the car has never been more than 11.9-12V rising to 14.9V with the engine running. When I switch on the lights, screen heaters, etc, the voltage does not drop below 14V. It is the low reading on unlocking the car that concerns me.

On load-testing the battery it was found to be slightly weak. I have replaced the battery with a new Varta unit, but the voltages are still the same. Is the alternator charging the battery correctly? I use an LED voltmeter that plugs into the 12V power socket – it is quite accurate and verified with a multimeter. John Gudgin The battery voltage you are achieving is perfectly acceptable and would indicate that the battery is charging correctly. After the battery has been standing and the vehicle then unlocked it is normal for the voltage to drop to around the 12V mark. If you were to then leave the system unlocked, I would expect to see the battery voltage recover slightly to around 12.4V. It is simply the draw from the locking solenoids which will temporarily lower the standing voltage of the battery. It should also be remembered that it is quite normal for a modern vehicle battery to be subject to a continual drain from various computer systems – this will also lower the standing voltage.