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Battery Condition Question[740-760/1986] posted by Alan Carlo on
Thursday, 16 April 1998, at 7:29 p.m.
I installed a Volvo brand replacement battery in my 1992 944 about 18 months ago, not because the original was bad, but to err on the side of caution and not wait to get stranded. From the time I installed the new battery the car seemed to crank over slower than before. I ignored it thinking it was my imagination. Recently I decided to check the battery and found the unloaded voltage to be 12.1 volts and by a hydrometer to be in a 25% state of charge across all cells. A 6 amp charger connected for several hours only showed a charge rate of 1.5 amps with no improvement in the hydrometer readings. The car is driven about twice a week for at least 20 miles. Charging voltage checks out. Could this be a bad battery and should I prepare to duel with the local dealer where it was purchased for a pro-rated replacement? Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated.
The Brickboard is a great resource and I look forward to checking this site on a regular basis. Thanks for any help.
Alan Carlo 92 944 38K 93 945 73K
Re: Battery Condition Question[740-760/1986] posted by Andy on
Thursday, 16 April 1998, at 11:06 p.m.
When replacing batteries, I always follow the "bigger is better" rule of thumb.
The "stock" sized battery does not entirely fill the battery tray. The sales guy at Sears told me that this is common among almost every European make he sees, including M-B. Sears markets a so-called European line of replacement batteries, designed to fit the odd metric sized battery trays.
I bought one in the largest size that would fit our 850, and it has been happily cranking for over two years. The 850 has a plastic tab that holds the end of the battery, and there are several pre-determined spots for this tab to engage. The new battery is sized to cause the tab to fit into the furthest slot available.
Besides, who knows how long that Volvo brand battery was sitting around--and in what condition of charge--at the dealer?
Good luck,
ANDY
Re: Battery Condition Question[740-760/1986] posted by irv klein on
Thursday, 16 April 1998, at 11:50 p.m.
Fully charged batteries should have hydrometer readings between 1.25 to 1.28 specific gravity. Also there should not be more than .03 difference in reading among the six cells. Also as suggested if you want more cranking get a battery with more plates per cell which is reflected in batteries cold crank rating in amps.
Re: Battery Condition Question[740-760/1986] posted by Hunter on
Friday, 17 April 1998, at 11:30 a.m.
I just replaced the original battery (made in Germany) in our 93 240 at 64,000 miles with another Volvo battery, however this one was made in New Jersey. The original kept going dead and would not hold a charge. The original did well through five hot Florida seasons - very satisfied. This hot climate is hard on batteries. In 25 years of owning cars and living in Maine and Florida and using other batteries, if I got 3-5 years use from a battery, I considered it satisfactory.
The new battery cost $80.00. I found the cost to be comparable to all the automotive parts stores. Sears wanted $95.00.