Have you had Cold Weather Related Problems?
So your battery might be old but you’re not sure exactly its age, and the temperature might be around Absolute Zero. You turn the Volvo key a bit, saying a prayer…
With record cold temperatures on the US east coast this week, now’s a good time for a topic on how to deal with very cold temperatures.
Besides these specific cases, there’s a Volvo Repair Database category called Winterizing that may help.
Here’s when it goes right
From Starting the engine at -25C topic, MVS Volvo Forums Contributor oragex:
As long as the oil gets a bit warm and the battery stays strong enough it will have no issues firing up. I wonder how low it would go, a -40C shouldn’t be hard to find up there?
The wind chill doesn’t matter, but that’s impressive to get a good start at -28C
Right oil, good battery, good ignition parts.
Annnd the rest… like I think I need a new battery!
How to know if your Volvo needs a new battery, how to test the battery, how to get the right fit, and where to buy it.
New MVS Volvo Forums member Durenol‘s question:
We have a 2007 XC70 that isn’t driven much and I think the battery is dying. The cabin lights always come on when I open the door, but often trying to start just gives a loud rapid clicking noise from the engine compartment, all the lights dim and the dashboard clock resets to –:–. After jumping and driving around for an hour it starts fine, but if left to sit for a few days it dies again.
MVS Contributor Brian’s advice:
A good indicator of quality is the length of the full replacement warranty which is the amount of time a battery will be replaced free of charge before being pro-rated, then after that consider the total length of the warranty including the extended pro-rated time, which can vary between 1-3 years past the full replacement warranty.
An old school constant current charger left plugged in will eventually kill the battery from overcharging.
A modern smart charger will when the battery is full continue to charge so slowly that it just keeps the battery full nothing more, a trickle charge. Such a charger can be left plugged in indefinitely ensuring that you always have a full battery without having to keep track of it. You could of course just charge the battery every now and then. Whichever works best for you. Many smart chargers are supplied with a cable and socket that can be installed into the car for easy and convenient connection of the charger.
Give me back my bunwarmers!
Bad Thermostat: Cabin Heat Never Gets Hot
Noone likes Cold Weather Related Problems
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Last Updated on August 19, 2020
