I had an irregular but frustrating experience of dead batteries with my `97 850. Turned out to be the light in the glove box would occasionally stay on (glove box not closed properly, etc). Couldn't come up with reliable way to ensure switch wasn't on so solution was to remove the bulb. No more problems.

I thought it was only a year or two old...turns out that was 5 years ago and it was reading only 3.6 volts! My how time flies. Thanks for the good suggestions.

The last time my battery was dead, I found that my wife had turned on the reading lamp and it was on all night. Hard to tell when exiting the car because the lights stay on for 60 secs.
If you have a multimeter, check the voltage output on the altinator. Also check the trunk light (look through the pass thru) and the glove box light. A bad ignition switch draining the battery?? I doubt it. PNP switch will also not do it.

Klaus
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1975 164 w/174,800mi (Sold) 1995 850T w/91,000mi, 1998 V70R w/129,000mi

When my ignition switch died, my car went completely dead. The ignition switch is a frequent failure, search the archives. Try playing with the switch, after about 100 tries I finally got the car started (Volvo On Call was worthless -- the car was under warranty at the time) and drove it to the dealer where it stayed for about a week waiting for the back-ordered part.

-BTC

'98 V70 T5 5-speed, 171k mi, Bilstein HD, front IPD stabilizer bar, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, XC grill, C70 jewel E-Codes, V-1, Lidatek, Mobil-1 since new.

"Being offended by things is the world's big hobby at the moment. It's almost taken over from wearing goatee beards."-Douglas Noel Adams (1952-2001)