2008 S60 Can alternator cause parasitic drain on battery?

[veektor]

Go back and look for one of the newer 160A Alternators. You can find then on 60, 70 , 80 and 90 series Volvo.
You should be able to find one at one of the two Pick-in-Pulls in KC for $16.99.

Thanks, Rick! What I hear you saying is that it won't hurt to put 160A alternator even if original was 140A, just not the other way around. There is not size/shape/bolt pattern issues with that?

Pick-n-Pull is hands down my favorite because I can see prices online and entry fee into one yard allows transfers to the other two. I was going to say there are no 2005+ P2 cars on those lots at the moment, but I may not have included XC90 in my search last time. I think I know what I'm doing on Friday morning!

[RickHaleParker]

In the diagrams both look the same.

They are all the same price so you might as well pull from the latest model year on the lot.

You use the P-n-P on Winner or Truman?

The prices are lower then I pay at LKQ in Wichita.

[oragex]

Not impossible the previous owner installed the wrong alternator. But the first thing is to grab a cheap multimeter and to check the alt charge then the battery charge

[veektor]

Not impossible the previous owner installed the wrong alternator. But the first thing is to grab a cheap multimeter and to check the alt charge then the battery charge

After my third cheap multimeter from HarborFreight gave up the ghost, I decided to go with a Fluke. $100 on Craigslist and it is one of the best tools I have in my arsenal. One my boys will probably inherit it when I eventually suffer the fate of those cheap multimeters.

I've been monitoring the battery after I disconnected the alternator, and trickle-charged it over 24 hours. It seems to be holding charge OK, but I will still take it to O'Reilly for a proper load test. I've never monitored the battery this close, so I'm not sure if going from 12.8V to 12.71V in 24 hours (after disconnecting the trickle-charger) is good or not.

As for the alternator, I didn't exactly use the multimeter, but monitored the voltage with OBDII scanner. I know that it wasn't the precise reading I would get with the Fluke, but it was reporting 14.1V at idle, which typically means that alternator is charging the battery. What was throwing me off was the red battery warning light and "Charging system needs maintenance" message on display. When I realized that alternator was the cause of draining the battery overnight, and figured that Volvo's computer was seeing something beyond charging voltage. I can't wait to get my VIDA adapter and peek into that Volvo brain a little.

[veektor]

You use the P-n-P on Winner or Truman?

The prices are lower then I pay at LKQ in Wichita.

I feel very fortunate with the access to junkyards I have in Kansas City. Within 20 miles of my zip code I have 3 P-n-P lots: 12th Street, Truman, and Winner. If they don't have what I'm looking for, I can hit up All-n-One, which is next exit south of Truman. I know there is another yard up in Liberty, but it is not as convenient for me when I can hit the 3 yards that are within 5 minutes of each other, and 12th Street is a straight shot from my house, so I usually hit it first.

[oragex]

12.7V is excellent, also means the alternator is charging it well.. But worth checking the numbers of the regulator as there were two types of regulators - the ones before 2004 and after 2005 which are not interchangeable. The 2005 cars need to have a specific signal from the regulator. Unfortunately, the regulator number it under a cover, and the alternator must me flipped over to remove this cover (no need to remove the alternator from the car, just from the bracket, there are videos on Youtube)

As for the valve knocking, that would happen mainly because of poor maintenance. Given the specific oil filter wrench needed, some owners skip on changing the filter, and the tappers can get some wear and become noisy. Exactly what happened to me. The o-rings inside the oil pan have been revised after 2001 and are pretty much trouble free - I'm yet to read about someone who had oil pressure problems because of these seals (which was very common on models prior to 2000).

The PCV box can also get clogged.

I had 1 or 2 lifters that were noisy (medium noisy) on cylinders near the upper mount, and fixed this with Seafoam. But the way I'd dothis is to pour 1-2 bottles in the oil and not drive the car for 1-2 weeks, just start the engine for a few seconds every day to circulate the oil (it is not safe to drive the car with this much Seafoam in the oil). If you feel confident can also rev it to 4000rpm for 2-3 seconds to circulate the mix through the cam solenoids and the cam hub. Then fresh oil/filter and hopefully quieter lifters.

[veektor]

12.7V is excellent, also means the alternator is charging it well.. But worth checking the numbers of the regulator as there were two types of regulators - the ones before 2004 and after 2005 which are not interchangeable. The 2005 cars need to have a specific signal from the regulator. Unfortunately, the regulator number it under a cover, and the alternator must me flipped over to remove this cover (no need to remove the alternator from the car, just from the bracket, there are videos on Youtube)

As for the valve knocking, that would happen mainly because of poor maintenance. Given the specific oil filter wrench needed, some owners skip on changing the filter, and the tappers can get some wear and become noisy. Exactly what happened to me. The o-rings inside the oil pan have been revised after 2001 and are pretty much trouble free - I'm yet to read about someone who had oil pressure problems because of these seals (which was very common on models prior to 2000).

The PCV box can also get clogged.

I had 1 or 2 lifters that were noisy (medium noisy) on cylinders near the upper mount, and fixed this with Seafoam. But the way I'd dothis is to pour 1-2 bottles in the oil and not drive the car for 1-2 weeks, just start the engine for a few seconds every day to circulate the oil (it is not safe to drive the car with this much Seafoam in the oil). If you feel confident can also rev it to 4000rpm for 2-3 seconds to circulate the mix through the cam solenoids and the cam hub. Then fresh oil/filter and hopefully quieter lifters.

Interesting. The oil pan gasket kit is arriving today, maybe I can hold off from tearing into it and try seafoam first.
Here is the link to 12 second video I took of the engine noise. Can you tell me if that's the same thing you are talking about?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/67xr4135O5ZNRDiu2

Yeah, I'm definitely not driving the car anywhere, just letting it idle in the driveway is as adventurous as I feel right now.

[oragex]

That is pretty loud. Not easy to say if it's the rods or a valve (I'd rather say a valve) but if it's a valve it's pretty advanced damage wise. May not be related, but does the noise go away with the oil cap removed or just unscrewed a little? With the cap out (maybe just use some cloth to cover the hole so it's doesn't spill) it may also be more clear if the sound comes out of the top of the engine

[RickHaleParker]

Here is the link to 12 second video I took of the engine noise.

How many miles does the engine have on it?
Does the noise clam down when the engine warms up?

It sounds like Piston Slap to me, which is more of an annoyance then a concern. Anybody second?

[veektor]

That is pretty loud. Not easy to say if it's the rods or a valve (I'd rather say a valve) but if it's a valve it's pretty advanced damage wise. May not be related, but does the noise go away with the oil cap removed or just unscrewed a little? With the cap out (maybe just use some cloth to cover the hole so it's doesn't spill) it may also be more clear if the sound comes out of the top of the engine

I know what a spun bearing on connecting rod sounds like, that's what I had on Subaru. This sound definitely comes from the exhaust side of the head. I am a little disappointed with my video because the sound picked up by iPhone only partially represents what I pick up with my ears. I will follow you suggestion to take the cap off with engine running and listen for differences.

EDIT: I actually want to say that the harsh sound is indeed similar to the rod knock, though I still think it appears to be at the top end. When I purchased the oil pan gasket kit I was also thinking of inspecting the rod bearings while I have the pan out. I'm not sure how adventurous I am going to feel when that time comes. I'm going to start by pouring some Seafoam into the engine and see if there is any improvement at all.