How to end Charging issues permanently

Post by **misha** » 26 Nov 2010, 17:05

Did you read this?
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=18694

Pay attention at a the first & the last post of this thread.

Post by **jblackburn** » 26 Nov 2010, 21:44

Sounds like you've got a bad cell.

peacock · Post by **peacock** » 27 Nov 2010, 01:03

misha wrote:Did you read this?
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=18694

Pay attention at a the first & the last post of this thread.

I will try and find some low gauge wire and give it a shot. if that doesnt work then i really am thinking its a bad cell

jablackburn wrote:Sounds like you've got a bad cell.

At least half of one right?

bobbych · Post by **bobbych** » 27 Nov 2010, 11:21

you could try what Idid. I had an issue, where I only used my 850 once a week. Typically, on that one day, the battery would be flat, as it would not hold the charge. Now I simply fitted a solar charging panel, which tops up the battery all week, and it burst into life when I need it. I have since fitted it permantly, so it sits on my parcel shelf, and is wired in fully. So when the car is sitting, the sun is topping up the battery!

peacock · Post by **peacock** » 27 Nov 2010, 13:56

bobbych wrote:you could try what Idid. I had an issue, where I only used my 850 once a week. Typically, on that one day, the battery would be flat, as it would not hold the charge. Now I simply fitted a solar charging panel, which tops up the battery all week, and it burst into life when I need it. I have since fitted it permantly, so it sits on my parcel shelf, and is wired in fully. So when the car is sitting, the sun is topping up the battery!

Elegant Solution!
but probably out of my budget range.

bobbych · Post by **bobbych** » 28 Nov 2010, 13:27

nope. I got this one, cheap as chips. works a treat sat on my rear shelf

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Briefcase ... 059&sr=8-8

dasapir · Post by **dasapir** » 30 Nov 2010, 17:27

I was reading through posts when I came upon this one. Very similar to the problem I was having with my S70 turbo last year. A problem which lasted about 1 year. In fact I posted here and tried to trouble shoot all the suggestions, including larger battery ground cables and checking fuse box cables. Even purchased a new Interstate battery (though my old battery was tested as still good). For the life of me I could not find the drain. The generator light would come on when the car was warm and either slowed down, took a turn or went from 1st to 2nd gear.

One night while driving the headlights went kaput. MVS members informed me there had been a recall on the headlight switch, which in fact there was. Took it over to my local Volvo dealer and 2 weeks later, after ordering the part the switch was replaced as was a new grounding wire for the front passenger side airbag.

Viola! no more electrical leak. All the readings returned to normal. No more intermittent generator panel light. No nothing!

So most probably the headlight switch had been the silent perpetrator all along. Anyway, just a far off suggestion if you are still having the same charging issue. So if you still have the original headlight switch, (though may have been a bad ground from the grounding cable, also, though I will never know.), perhaps you might have it replaced since there was a recall on exterior lighting headlight switch for all S70 Volvos.

peacock · Post by **peacock** » 06 Dec 2010, 17:36

dasapir wrote:I was reading through posts when I came upon this one. Very similar to the problem I was having with my S70 turbo last year. A problem which lasted about 1 year. In fact I posted here and tried to trouble shoot all the suggestions, including larger battery ground cables and checking fuse box cables. Even purchased a new Interstate battery (though my old battery was tested as still good). For the life of me I could not find the drain. The generator light would come on when the car was warm and either slowed down, took a turn or went from 1st to 2nd gear.

One night while driving the headlights went kaput. MVS members informed me there had been a recall on the headlight switch, which in fact there was. Took it over to my local Volvo dealer and 2 weeks later, after ordering the part the switch was replaced as was a new grounding wire for the front passenger side airbag.

Viola! no more electrical leak. All the readings returned to normal. No more intermittent generator panel light. No nothing!

So most probably the headlight switch had been the silent perpetrator all along. Anyway, just a far off suggestion if you are still having the same charging issue. So if you still have the original headlight switch, (though may have been a bad ground from the grounding cable, also, though I will never know.), perhaps you might have it replaced since there was a recall on exterior lighting headlight switch for all S70 Volvos.

It may be but the only power draw ive been having is within the acceptable limits.
right now i have a section of 4awg wire coming to make a second link between the starter and the battery as well as the alt.
- if this doesnt work then i have no idea.

update

the more pressing issue is my battery died again over night, right now its at 9.75 volts i left the terminal off until tomorrow to see if it drains any further by itself. it started pretty weak at 11am the day before and i went to use it again after some snow fall and 26* weather at about 6pm the next day and it was flat.

I also realized fully that the solar panel suggestion would be great but it only dies in the winter when there is almost always snow on the car

zhenya · Post by **zhenya** » 07 Dec 2010, 14:14

Are you certain you measured the parasitic draw correctly? I only ask because 11mA as per your earlier post seems unusually low, and 4mA by pulling the central locking fuse seems impossibly low. 110mA and 40mA seems a lot more plausible. At 110mA, your battery would draw down fairly quickly - especially if the battery was already in bad condition - ie. at 30% charge (~12.1v), it might only last a couple of days. It only takes discharging these batteries below 20% a couple of times to do significant damage to them. I assume you've seen my battery thread here recently - but Jerry's recommendation to pick up a hydrometer was a huge help. I would not pin your hopes on a replacement battery fixing the issue.

Retired MVS Contributor · Post by **Retired MVS Contributor** » 08 Dec 2010, 15:03

I have been around batteries since the 40's and we used to rebuild them, replacing individual cells...Those batteries had exposed cell jumper bars and each cell could be independently tested...We cannot do that anymore...

I can assure you, a lead acid battery is a very rugged device and occasional discharge will not harm them...Todays batteries are much better than the ones we used to rebuild...It is prolonged discharge, especially if low on electrolite, exposing the plates, that does serious damage...Temperature is the factor that causes a lot of misleading judgements about batteries and it is rarely considered...A fully charged battery can produce 100% of it's capacity at 80 degrees, but only 65% at 32 degrees, and 40% at 0 degrees...

When the starter armature is stationary it presents a dead short to the battery until it starts to turn...The instantaneous current draw at that time can be 500 amps, and it will not hurt the battery...

I believe you said the current draw was .011 amps...That is 11 ma, not 110 ma, and it is too low...110 ma is too high, and so is 40 ma, it should be around 20 to 25 ma...You have a phantom problem that may or may not be destroying batteries and it is defying detection...We are kidding each other if we think that I can sit here maybe 1000 miles away and tell you, sight unseen, what is wrong...You need analysis by a reliable source...I would not rely on the word of an Autozone tech who may or may not know what he is talking about...In my humble opinion, if he was good at his trade, he would not be working at Autozone...

Jerry