battery dies every one to two days

2ddorrance · Post by **2ddorrance** » 01 Apr 2011, 08:33

I have a Volvo V70 XC. If I don't drive the car every one or two days then the battery goes dead. I had the alternator tested and they said it was fine. Looking for anyone that can help with this issue.

jda2000 · Post by **jda2000** » 01 Apr 2011, 08:55

you have a parasitic draw from a defective/failing electronic component draining the battery.

Time to get the multimeter out and start digging for the culprit.

2ddorrance · Post by **2ddorrance** » 01 Apr 2011, 09:26

jda2000 Do you have any idea where I should start? Have you seen this before?

keough · Post by **keough** » 01 Apr 2011, 10:11

Have the battery tested.

2ddorrance · Post by **2ddorrance** » 01 Apr 2011, 10:33

I am on my third brand new battery. Thought it was the battery each time but it's not.

Post by **jblackburn** » 01 Apr 2011, 10:37

Disconnect your battery and hook the multimeter into the positive cable and check for the amp draw.

Then start yanking fuses at random until you find one that makes the number shown on the meter go down significantly.

You should have a draw of between 25-50 mA in "standby" mode.

2ddorrance · Post by **2ddorrance** » 01 Apr 2011, 10:55

Do I reconnect the battery before I start yanking fuses at random until I find one that makes the number shown on the meter go down significantly. Also, what is standby mode?

jda2000 · Post by **jda2000** » 01 Apr 2011, 12:38

do you have a multimeter and do you know how to use it? Is not hard but is tedious work, you have to be patient when you start checking for amperage draw.

Easy stuff first. Have you had any electrical component acting up lately? Example, the AC fan acting up blowing high/low on its own, culprit the AC blower resistor is defective, etc and so on.

2ddorrance · Post by **2ddorrance** » 01 Apr 2011, 16:13

I do have a multimeter and do know someone who knows how to use it. You told me to check it in standby. I don't know what that means. Also don't know if when I start testing the fuses if I need to reconnect the battery first. I haven't noticed anything coming on by itself but I am having a problem with a blinker light not working intermittently and the sunroof doesn't always open now and I think that at that same time the interior light doesn't come on.
Thanks!

Post by **jblackburn** » 01 Apr 2011, 16:24

Standby = everything powered down when you take the key out of the car.

This is a basic how-to go about testing for a parasitic drain. The battery will stay disconnected and you will complete the circuit with your voltmeter.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2249402_find-pa ... drain.html

It sounds to me like you've got either a short in the upper electrical module, alarm system, or a door latch that's not working properly. I don't know the newer models that well, so I can't tell you where exactly to start looking for any of those, but see if removing the fuse for the alarm system will get your amp draw to go down.

This is probably a two-person job since the battery's in the trunk of the newer models.