05' V70, almost dead battery, alarm going off, what to do? Topic is solved

Post by **850 LPT** » 01 Nov 2019, 07:03

Yesterday evening I went to the carport to move the my V70 into the driveway. The forecast called for strong winds and ever since an oak tree crushed the old carport in a horrific storm last year, I feel uneasy leaving the car in there during these times.

Well I was stumped when I approached the car because the doors would not unlock with the remote. I then proceeded with opening the drivers door with the key, and when I pushed the unlock button inside the car, the alarm goes off. Great. Interior lights came on, but were very dim.

So I go back to the house to get some tools and luckily at some point the alarm stopped. Then I unlocked the rear doors manually and made my way to the battery from the inside since the tailgate won't open.
That was a fun acrobatic exercise

The battery is now charging and I'm planning to put that back in on the weekend.

But here is my question: Is there anything I need to pay attention to? Or is there a special procedure?
If at all possible I want to avoid the thing freaking out at me again because I did something wrong.

Thanks for all your ideas,

Dirk

93SCMax · Post by **93SCMax** » 01 Nov 2019, 09:55

Make sure you follow the battery disconnect/reconnect procedure.

https://howardsvolvos.webs.com/miscissues.htm#207347288

Post by **Rattnalle** » 01 Nov 2019, 10:30

Just keep it better charged and it'll be fine.

Having the key in position 2 is for your own safety. If the airbag blows when power is restored you're not behind the wheel and can't get hurt.

Post by **abscate** » 01 Nov 2019, 10:35

If it is more than 3 years old, go get your self a new one with all the money you saved on the 1999 Nautic Blue/beige NA wagon in stick shift, you rascal.

P2s really hate low battery voltage, and if it has discharged in a week of non-use, its dead. It will keep you in Volvo electronic Hades until you get a new one.

Post by **850 LPT** » 01 Nov 2019, 11:17

93SCMax wrote: ↑01 Nov 2019, 09:55 Make sure you follow the battery disconnect/reconnect procedure.

https://howardsvolvos.webs.com/miscissues.htm#207347288

Interesting to read this, thanks. I am guessing I will be fine as far as the ECC is concerned, since I haven't driven the car in 2+ weeks.

Post by **850 LPT** » 01 Nov 2019, 11:24

abscate wrote: ↑01 Nov 2019, 10:35 If it is more than 3 years old, go get your self a new one with all the money you saved on the 1999 Nautic Blue/beige NA wagon in stick shift, you rascal.

P2s really hate low battery voltage, and if it has discharged in a week of non-use, its dead. It will keep you in Volvo electronic Hades until you get a new one.

Using "Volvo" and "saving money" in one sentence does not go together

Also, the nautic is a fine S70 sitting in the garage waiting for attention. This one has the benefit of being connected to a maintenance charger unlike the V70.

Just checked and the battery in the 05' V70 is a little over 3 years old. Surprising it doesn't hold a charge better.

Post by **abscate** » 01 Nov 2019, 12:07

Put it on a good 10A charger for a few days and see what state it is after that. Ive got a couple of good spares if you want to test, too. Im driving by 87 almost weekly now with a NJ client this year.

Post by **oragex** » 01 Nov 2019, 12:55

If the battery was flat, unlocking the door with the key has set the alarm. The alarm system will detect if one door is opened while the car battery is disconnected or flat, and will trigger the siren.

For how long was the car parked ? If you happen to park it for longer periods (2-3 weeks or more), it's a good idea to leave it with the battery disconnected, because when it goes flat it can cause an annoying immobilizer problem. To do so, open the hood, lock all doors but the driver's one using the remote fob, disconnect the + cable under the hood (not inside the trunk because as you found out you have no access in the V70), close the hood and finally lock the drivers door by turning the key inside the barrel - this way the alarm will not sound (the downside is the alarm will not be engaged)

Post by **850 LPT** » 01 Nov 2019, 13:17

This is great info Oragex, thank you so much!

The car was indeed parked for about 2 1/2 weeks. And I didn't drive any kind of long distance prior to that, which is probably the reason why this happened.
From now on I will drive it to work every once in a while (85 miles per day) to prevent this from happening again. Lesson learned.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 01 Nov 2019, 14:09

850 LPT wrote: ↑01 Nov 2019, 13:17 This is great info Oragex, thank you so much!

The car was indeed parked for about 2 1/2 weeks. And I didn't drive any kind of long distance prior to that, which is probably the reason why this happened.
From now on I will drive it to work every once in a while (85 miles per day) to prevent this from happening again. Lesson learned.

Install a float charger and plug it in. Float chargers cost $7.00 +, a whole lot less then a new battery.