Battery voltage was 12.47 8pm after a good drive, 12.46 at midnight but the 12.22 this morning. Car caught my attention a week ago when it didn't turn over with pep and at some point i measured the battery at only 12.00 volts. Alternator puts out 13.9 and the battery tops out at 12.47 after a charge. Midtronics $$ battery tester says the battery is good. If i leave the battery disconnected overnight the voltage stays steady.

I saw a few videos and noticed the mechanics using a Fluke 88v or 87v. Turns out they are about $330. Pricy no?

I did a current draw with a old radioshack DMM. Said .2 mA once and .02 another time. I can't trust this as i misused it by having probes on amp jacks and then went to test battery voltage and it smoked a bit. Not fused.

Any known circuit know to result in a mild drain? No rush - i've got time and can disconnect the battery anytime, btw do the hood releases fail? I tend to open my hood more than the average bloak.

On Volvospeed there was instructions to remove the grill of an 850 if the hood release failed.

I practiced this technique so I could use it if I had that issue on one of our 3 850s.

I found that the job was much easier if all the clips were turned in one direction - I forget what direction.

Also, there is a certain location to drill a small hole to release your glove box door if the latch fails - this location can be found by inspection, and a small dot marked in the proper spot - this is a frequent problem in 850s.

I had a small electric drain in one of our 855s - it turned out to be the glove box light - removing the bulb did not cure the problem - I had to cut the wire and remove the light itself.

If you are talking about the hood support rods I have replaced them on my 1992 960 and they had failed on my 1994 960. I think they do have a 'life.' I wish they could be recharged. Seems a waste to throw them out.


For what it is worth, my 960 failed out of town because the alternator was not working and I was not getting any information from the 'warning' light. You are doing the right thing by keeping an eye on the alternator output.

I personally would not spend the $330 but I am a cheap guy! The advice you are getting about grounds and cables is right on and I would be going there first.

Once the baby hits 25 on has to think, 'how do I open the hood if the release cable breaks', or even - should i replace the release cable or the 2 mechanisms.

The 850 seems to use springs to counterbalance the hood not the gas struts. I'm in the clear there.

At one point I had trouble with my 95 855 hood opening. Became “cranky” in its old age. If I recall correctly there are 2 separate cables. One behind the pull handle at the grill and one from the pull handle under the dash. I lubed the cables and the springs. Never had another issue...:)

Here is one interesting trick Klaus taught me if your hood ever refuses to open. Push hard on the passenger side of the hood at the same time as pulling on the grill handle and it should pop open! The hood can become misaligned. Better yet, get someone to help by pushing as you pull it open at the same time.
--
Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

If you haven’t done so already, consider cleaning up all your battery and engine grounds. Also check the condition of your battery cables. Look for corrosion, deterioration etc.
--
Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

It's a Volvo battery, 5 years old, from mexico but well cared for. Topped up charge regularly especially when the 850 is not registered. Not registered means less heat and vibration. It's actually only got 11k miles in the 5 years.

I have a battery in one of my cars from 2006. Weak, as per my midtronics and milton tester but still kicking. I still have my older 850 battery from 2007.

I'm a battery fanatic, but have to be owning 8 cars.

Batteries will loose voltage when cold, but not a lot. My 850 will restart after 1 month of non use, but the voltage is down to around 12V. When it gets really cold, I have a battery minder to keep the voltage at 12.4, or there abouts.

I also do not have the security system turned on, which is a parasite.
--
Keeping it running is better than buying new