Red warning on the Instrument Panel S70

dobriduh · Post by **dobriduh** » 31 Dec 2008, 07:35

I have this red icon blinking several times whenever I start the car, I cant figure out what this is (please see the attachment, the red arrow points to that icon, number 11 - it looks like something is wrong with the battery but i am not sure)

I mean, I dont understand what is this code trying to say, the battery is only a year old and its maintenance-free

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 31 Dec 2008, 08:01

That light normally indicates a problem with the charging system. Most of the chain auto parts stores will test the alternator for free (in car).

...Lee

dobriduh · Post by **dobriduh** » 02 Jan 2009, 07:23

The red light icon shows whenever i press the gas hard. I hope its not the alternator, if it is $700 is gone

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 02 Jan 2009, 10:58

Not necessarily $700. http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_dmptZM ... &_osacat=0 And they aren't that difficult to replace if you're decent with hand tools. But, before you go this route, check all of your cables and leads from your battery....bad grounds or battery leads (especially from the negative post) can cause issues that mimic a bad alternator. If you find that your alternator is definitely bad, and you feel you must have a new one (nothing wrong with a remanufactured one), check prices at www.fcpgroton.com as well as eeuroparts.com. Eeuro has free shipping on orders of $40 or more.
Regards,
MIJ

Post by **JRL** » 02 Jan 2009, 11:20

Check your "B" battery cable.
This is the cable that goes from the battery to the fuse box.
It's hard to tell but if you open the fusebox, look at the metal connector.
If it shows signs of heat and it's scorched that could be your problem.
If it hasn't been replaced from original by now, it's due.
I've replaced every S and V70 cable for the past two years now, they're all shot.
When someone tests the battery and the load it will show up as low voltage, it can fry the battery and the alternator.
Because of that light, one is bad, either your battery is shot or your alternator and this could have been as a result of that cable being bad.

BTW, ALL of you should check that cable now, it's winter and one day your car may just not start because of it!
(It's a solid one and a half hour job. Everything, including the battery and airbox, has to come out and remember your radio code).

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 02 Jan 2009, 11:53

Thanks for your very helpful addition, Jim!

dobriduh · Post by **dobriduh** » 02 Jan 2009, 12:39

JRL wrote:Check your "B" battery cable.
This is the cable that goes from the battery to the fuse box.
It's hard to tell but if you open the fulebox, look at the metal connector.
If it shows signs of heat and it's scorched that could be your problem.
If it hasn't been replaced from original by now, it's due.
I've replaced every S and V70 cable for the past two years now, they're all shot.
When someone tests the battery and the load it will show up as low voltage, it can fry the battery and the alternator.
Because of that light, one is bad, either your battery is shot or your alternator and this could have been as a result of that cable being bad.

BTW, ALL of you should check that cable now, it's winter and one day your car may just not start because of it!
(It's a solid one and a half hour job. Everything, including the battery and airbox, has to come out and remember your radio code).

Thanks for the tip, I got a brand new battery from O'Rileys, (since I bought one 18 months ago and still had a warranty. However, nothing was wrong with the battery but they offered a free replacement anyway)

Just got a call from bridgestone as they run a diagnostic test and said they didnt find anything wrong with either part

Not sure what to do, whenever I hit the gas hard - the red light flashes

How hard is to replace the battery cable (can i do it myself)?
I guess the part itself is not too expensive

Post by **JRL** » 02 Jan 2009, 12:51

If you run a load test (almost any bad mechanic can do this) and the voltage is low, that cable is probably the problem
It takes a couple of hours (as I said) as everything has to come out, the entire airbox, the battery and anything else in the way but it's not a complex job, pretty straight forward.
I forget how much the cable runs, it's not too much.
As I said, open the fuse box under the hood and look at the top of the cable end (the end to the front of the box).
If the top of the connector (the top is all you can see) looks burned, it's probably a bad cable through and through.

larryh · Post by **larryh** » 02 Jan 2009, 14:45

don't take this wrong, but are you sure its really that light?
my wife told me the battery light was lighting up in our 850 on acceleration or going up a steep hill . but when I checked, it was really the radiator light. The coolant level was getting low, and the light flashed on and off so breifly she couldn't tell what it was. The washer fluid light will do the same thing when the level gets low.

dobriduh · Post by **dobriduh** » 02 Jan 2009, 14:51

larryh wrote:don't take this wrong, but are you sure its really that light?
my wife told me the battery light was lighting up in our 850 on acceleration or going up a steep hill . but when I checked, it was really the radiator light. The coolant level was getting low, and the light flashed on and off so breifly she couldn't tell what it was. The washer fluid light will do the same thing when the level gets low.

Yeah I am sure, I can bring a witness too!