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Replacing Battery Cables

Help, Advice and DIY Tutorials on Volvo's P80 platform cars -- Volvo's 1990s "bread and butter" cars -- powered by the ubiquitous and durable Volvo inline 5-cylinder engine.

1992 - 1997 850, including 850 R, 850 T-5R, 850 T-5, 850 GLT
1997 - 2000 S70, S70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70, V70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70-XC
1997 - 2004 C70

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rico2001
Posts: 4
Joined: 12 July 2010
Year and Model: 1997
Location: Charlotte

Re: Replacing Battery Cables

Post by rico2001 »

Anyone know where to get an aftermarket oe style negative cable?

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pkc303
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Year and Model: 1995 T-5R Yellow
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Post by pkc303 »

O'Reilly's, I think they sell the cable, and the connectors to make just about any configuration.
1995 Volvo 850 T-5R Yellow
1997 Volvo 850R (sold)
2003 Volvo V70 2.4T, K&N air filter, (sold)
1996 Volvo 940 (sold)
1992 Volvo 740 Turbo (sold)
1990 Volvo 240 Wagon (sold)
1987 Volvo 240 Wagon (sold)
1982 Volvo DL (sold)

1337
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Post by 1337 »

cn90 wrote:Just wondering why people cannot use generic red and black battery cables at local autoparts store?
Just match up the length and replace it?
The positive battery connector on my 1998 V70 is falling apart. As far as I can tell, the wire itself is fine.

I'm considering which of the following steps to to take:
1. Replace the positive battery cable with a Genuine Volvo one ($90 on FCPeuro), or
2. Replace the positive battery cable with an aftermarket one ($50 on FCPeuro), or
3. Keep the original cable, and cobble together a new connector

Questions
- Does the wire itself ever go bad? (If so, I'll replace it for preventative maintenance.)
- Is there any advantage to buying an OEM / Genuine Volvo battery cable over aftermarket? (I know the choice of supplier is really important for engine and suspension mounts ... I'm not sure about battery cables, though.)
Current: 2018 VW Golf 1.8T Manual
Previous: 1998 V70 T5 Manual, Subaru BRZ, Mini, Miata, etc.

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abscate
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Post by abscate »

You can probably get a cheap battery cable from a local auto parts store for under 20 USD. You might need to buy both a battery yo starter and a battery to fuse box cable, which will still be much cheaper
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1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
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