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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by transit wind on Thu Jul 28 00:28 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Aug 15 22:40 CST 2014

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Twice this month I've had my 90 245 not want to even attempt to crank. I have tested with volt meter the battery at about 9V I believe or lower maybe on each occasion. My starter at times makes the horrid noise of not engaging on the odd occasion, about every once a week or so. But no excessive cranking is needed.

First time it happened I had turned the car off while at the bank's drive thru. I had driven a good 30 minutes on the freeway and it was hot out in the 90's. I opened up the battery after checking its voltage and added a little water along with some crushed aspirin. It hesitantly cranked but caught.

Same thing happened the other day. Battery low on volts and added the aspirin and it cranked fine. That was after eating lunch and only driving maybe 5 minutes from work. The battery is only 2 years old but did have some excessive wear and was needing jumped when I got the car new to me in January. The past owner had a bad main fuel pump and that constant cranking to try and start it was not good on it.

I've talked to Wal-mart where the battery came from and they told me if its dead I could swap it without a receipt. But I'm afraid of just leaving the lights on to kill it so I can take it in to just have them recharge and find its fine under load.

Can a bad solenoid on the starter actually take more juice from the battery on occasion and cause it to just die on the attempt. Like the starter doesn't do anything but drain the battery when turning the key or should I just believe its a bad battery and exchange it. I'm heading out on a 3 day trip this weekend. Kind of want to resolve it soon. Thanks.

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by transit wind on Fri Aug 26 00:37 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Aug 15 22:40 CST 2014

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The battery was fine. The Voltage regulator was swapped out for a bosch and still on very hot days while driving on the freeway for say 20 minutes and I shut the car down it won't start. My positive battery cable has electrical tape on its end and an aftermarket attachment to the battery with a wing nut holding down the smaller wire.

I'm guessing a cable from an 86 will work in the 90 even though the cable will be longer. I'll try swapping that out first and see what happens. Strange how it only happens in hot weather. I drove 700 plus miles a few weeks ago and only had a problem once. I picked up a new battery at the time and never had a problem until I returned home in where it was hotter than up near the Tetons. See if this pic posts. I'm not sure if its some kind of sin but I like the 83 year hubcaps on the 90.

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by scorron on Fri Aug 26 17:26 CST 2011
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last visit: Tue Oct 7 21:10 CST 2014

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Sometimes a bad starter solenoid will fail to engage when hot, but works just fine after several minutes cool-down. Next time this happens, try starting the car while someone raps the starter solenoid with a stick and see if it starts. (This is not a scientific test, but I spent 6 months starting my car like this before I started doing my own wrenching.)

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by jon_h on Fri Aug 26 12:14 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Oct 24 11:57 CST 2014

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I've had similar problems due to bad connections to/ from battery + & -. Worth removing and cleaning, maybe reinstall w/ a dab of grease.

I do this as a matter of course for cars I work on.

(I like the early hubcaps too but they fall off more easily IME.)
--
240s: 2 drivers and some parts cars

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by B.C. on Thu Jul 28 14:26 CST 2011
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last visit: Wed Mar 28 22:28 CST 2012

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With a simple voltmeter you can do this test:

Test the voltage between the battery posts. First with the engine stopped, then with it running.

At stop you should read 12.0 volts or more. Running should read 12.5 to 14.0 volts.

If the stopped voltage is significantly lower, suspect the ability of the battery to hold a charge.

If the running voltage is low, the alternator isn't producing enough. Or, if it is, it's not getting to the battery which means to check the cables for corrosion hidden the cable end, or just dirty terminals. Clean both terminals with a wire terminal brush (any parts house, cheap) and do the test again.

If these tests "flunk", then go spend larger bucks, like a battery.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by berlis on Fri Aug 26 08:29 CST 2011
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last visit: Thu Oct 23 15:40 CST 2014

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Based upon a similar and recent experience with my '90 760GLT, I'm bettin' on a bad starter. I, too, noticed a strong correlation between temperature and unsuccessful starter operation. If surface temperature of the starter rose above 110 deg. F, the starter would not work. This high temperature could result from driving the car or letting it sit out in the sun. Then, when I poured or sprayed water on the starter motor, lowering the temperature to the 90's, the starter would function. I proved to myself that the ignition circuit was not at fault. In this test, I disconnected the thin wire from the T50 starter terminal. Then I measured voltage at that wire as I rotated the ignition switch. I always got 12+ volts when the starter motor would not function. The solenoid was getting the required voltage. Battery, grounds, cables were eliminated earlier as possible sources.

I used a non-contact infrared thermometer purchased from Harbor Freight. Starter was still under warranty. I had to go to these lengths to prove to the mechanics as they would turn me back to tell me the starter was not my problem.

For the love of Volvos.
Mike
--
'92 245DL, '90 760 GLT

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by transit wind on Fri Aug 26 10:46 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Aug 15 22:40 CST 2014

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My early thought about the starter was because it sometimes does the loud screech sound a couple times before it will work. That happens maybe every couple weeks. But if someone jumps the battery it will start really quick. I don't even have to have the other car running. I've even jumped it with a couple aspirin smashed up and added to the battery. Its always after I've been on the freeway and its the hottest part of the day. The car will be running fine which means the the ALT must be working enough to run the car. If I turn off the car and try to start it a minute later its dead. My volt meter shows the battery just between good and bad.

I do need to swap out the solenoid on the starter or just get a new one in its place. I've got a parts car I'm thinking of removing a starter from here shortly. Thanks for sharing your experience. I might just have to try it sometime.

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by JimN696 on Thu Jul 28 04:28 CST 2011
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last visit: Mon May 6 17:14 CST 2013

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You mentioned that the battery failed in very warm weather. I had a battery that would be find in the morning, and on most cool days, but on a hot day it would just fail to start the vehicle. I think the battery should be replaced.
--
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53563&id=1189132524&l=75a2564d60

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by patrick of montreal on Thu Jul 28 02:28 CST 2011
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last visit: Sat Oct 18 08:25 CST 2014

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very least get a new bat. After that check to see if your alt is charging properly (probably not) and RR if needed. Unlikely the starter sole is draining your system , long shot that.
--
Patrick, '68 220 (used to drive 240s)

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by transit wind on Thu Jul 28 09:44 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Aug 15 22:40 CST 2014

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I replaced the alt volt regulator a few months back but it was with a Like New one from a pic n pull. It wasn't bosch. I'll kill the battery one last time when I have a ride to return it and see what happens.

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by scorron on Thu Jul 28 12:24 CST 2011
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last visit: Tue Oct 7 21:10 CST 2014

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Like New one from a pic n pull. It wasn't bosch.

Sounds suspect. Why not just replace the brushes on your original Bosch unit?

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by famousdan on Mon Aug 1 11:24 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Dec 2 16:32 CST 2011

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A fully charged battery is 12.65 volts if you wait at least 15 min. after running the engine. A good charging system charges on a cold engine from 13.8v to 14.2v. A warm alternator will charge lower depending on how hot it is. The first item we test in my shop when we have a battery low problem is obviously charging out put and then we do a voltage drop test between the alternator case and the engine block. It is very common to have high resistance at the ground wire. I have some 12 gauge wire ground straps made up for this problem. I have found some cars with as much as 0ne volt drop across this ground wire. You should not have any readable voltage drop. When you have an on going low battery voltage problem it is usually low alternator output. Hope this helps.

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by transit wind on Thu Jul 28 17:31 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Aug 15 22:40 CST 2014

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It came out of a new looking alternator. I've attempted and been partly successful replacing just the brushes before. I can't seem to have much luck holding it with the spring in place while trying to solder the wire in place.

It seems strange that it will be fine for a time after I charge it back up while driving. Like it never happened. So you may have the right idea that the Voltage regulator is at times not sending the charge back to the battery. I'll have to find another bosch one tomorrow before the trip. Heading up to Jackson Hole via a music fest in WYO.

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battery dies but once "jumped' it will be fine for a few weeks. Starter? 200

posted by pageda on Thu Jul 28 19:50 CST 2011
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last visit: Fri Oct 24 13:18 CST 2014

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I suspect any none Bosch part, Heat is the biggest killer of Batteries, get a volt meter on the battery when someone starts it for you if it drops to 6 -8 volts the battery is shot.

Do yourself a favor and make sure the battery is charged before going to Walmart, they will need to charge it before load testing. That way you know if the battery is good or bad.
Dan

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