My battery keeps dying

jennyjenny · Post by **jennyjenny** » 03 Oct 2005, 21:16

Please help me someone...I have an 850 (non Turbo) and the battery keeps dying. I have replaced the battery twice, replaced the alternator and have made sure that there is nothing draining the battery (such an inside light running). My mechanics can't figure it out and I don't know what to do. Has anyone had the same issue or knows anything about what could be causing this problem????

KRE · Post by **KRE** » 04 Oct 2005, 13:32

Hi,

Some thoughts on your problem.

A battery has insufficient charge for one or more basic reasons

1. Internal fault in the battery. Not likely as you have tried several replacements.

2. Battery not getting a full charge. Possible reasons are bad alternator output from damaged diodes, bad brush contact or incorrectly sized alternator. Corroded connections or damaged or internally corroded cables. Another cause can be a bad ground.

3. The most likely is a component staying on. There is always a drain on the battery with modern cars, the clock and the alarm system are but two, but it is a small parasitic load and it will take quite a while to run the battery down. One method of finding the problem is to turn everything off and disconnect the ground lead. Connect a multi-meter from the battery negative post to the negative lead using the amp scale on the meter. Carefully pull each fuse in turn and watch the meter. When the meter shows a sudden drop that is an energized circuit. There are several fuses that will show a drop. You are looking for the one with the most drop. Do not put the fuses back with the meter connected, as it is unlikely but possible to spike a sensitive electronic unit. Disconnect the meter and put them back IN THEIR PROPER PLACES. Clean up the battery posts and the cable ends and carefully reconnect everything. Now that you know which circuit is causing the drain you can track back from the component end. The most likely guess is the trunk or glove compartment lamps.

If you don

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 04 Oct 2005, 14:29

Odd. Don't know but a Google search turned this up

http://www.vlvworld.com/VolvoRepairManu ... on_2_3.htm

Unless you want to leave your car running while in the convenience store and carry jumper cables (which you should do anyway) and ask for "jumps" all the time, you may have to bite the bullit and face the music at an authorized Volvo dealer (but then don't forget your check book)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 05 Oct 2005, 10:39

Bump. What can I say?, I'm partial to the name jenny and besides, this is the type of annoying problem that we ignore until it happens to us, so it would be nice to find an answer.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 24 Oct 2005, 10:59

FYI. Maybe the little wire at the positive battery ternimal wiggles loose?, although that shouldn't kill the battery I guess

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/chat/p ... php?t=5438

Did you find a solution to this problem yet?

White850Turbo · Post by **White850Turbo** » 25 Oct 2005, 06:21

I have heard of occasions where the trunk light will stay on all the time, even when you close the trunk. Of course you wouldn't know this unless you were in the trunk while it was closed, so you may want to check that out.

Post by **matthew1** » 25 Oct 2005, 11:20

White850Turbo wrote:I have heard of occasions where the trunk light will stay on all the time, even when you close the trunk. Of course you wouldn't know this unless you were in the trunk while it was closed, so you may want to check that out.

This afflicts my 850. The switch has become damaged somehow long ago so that it's either always on or always off. The trunk lid has no effect, in other words.

Stumped · Post by **Stumped** » 08 Jan 2006, 16:24

I have been experiencing the same problem. We believe we have isolated the problem to the alarm system. I haveno use for the alaarm and would like to know how to cut it out. My mechanic said he tried but the fuel injection system would not get juice if the alarm was cut out. Can anyone help. This a great car otherwise yet, it is still a $3,000 car at best. I can not see going to the dealership and spending as much as 50% of the cars value. Thanks.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 09 Jan 2006, 22:00

Glove boxes are also prone to have their lights on all the time when they don't close good. A penny taped or glued to the striker panel will fix this.