Volvo RWD 200 Forum

INDEX FOR 2/2026(CURRENT) INDEX FOR 11/2000 200 INDEX

[<<]  [>>]


THREADED THREADED EXPANDED FLAT PRINT ALL
MESSAGES IN THIS THREAD




  REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

Starter or Battery? 200 1986

posted by  someone claiming to be David on  Thu Nov 16 08:57 CST 2000 [RELATED]

Hello,

I was wondering if you guys could help me settle a friendly dispute. With the arrival of cold weather my car has developed a starting problem. When I go to start in the car in the morning, sometimes it will start and other times the starter motor seems turn very slowly (accompanied with a deep growling sound). When this happens the car will not start. However, I have found that if I try and start it a second time the car starts right up-no problem at all. So anyway, this is where the dispute comes in. My friend seems to think that it is the battery. He insists that his BMW developed the same problem and he fixed it by replacing the battery. However my inclination is toward the starter...being that the car acts like it has a dead battery on the first start-but on the second start it is fine. I just replaced the battery not too long ago. So, what do you think? Please say I'm right. My reputation with my friend is on the line! :)

BTW: Here are the specs on the battery and weather, if this would help: Sears DieHard 440CCAs. Temperature that it is started in: 0°C-14°C







  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    Re: Starter or Battery? 200 1982

    posted by  someone claiming to be jake on  Tue Nov 21 11:43 CST 2000 [RELATED]

    check the battery cables for corrosion underneath the insulation. i just replaced mine this week due to what sounds like a similair problem.then again if yours is a little newer than '82 odds are the insulation hasn't quite turned to crap. if the cables look ok you might try replacing just the ends.







  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    Re: Starter or Battery? 200 1986

    posted by  someone claiming to be Tony H on  Fri Nov 17 02:50 CST 2000 [RELATED]

    Unfortunately I have seen and heard of many people buying batteries that are defects.

    I'm thinking that if youfirst attempt to start the car and it's right at compression stroke a bad battery will have a hard time cranking. The second time you attempt it, the pistons are in a better position so the starter can get a "run on it" before hitting compression.

    Hook a meter on the battery, hopefully it's around, 12+ Volts. have someone attempt to start it, if the voltage drops way down, 6-7 volts, it could be abad cell in the battery OR a bad connection from battery to ground or battery to starter.







  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    Re: Starter or Battery? 200 1986

    posted by  someone claiming to be L K Tucker on  Thu Nov 16 12:50 CST 2000 [RELATED]

    /// If you already replaced the battery it is not likely the problem. There is a very remote chance that the new battery has a defective joint inside the battery but I have only had one and seen two or three others in 40 years of auto service. Not much chance. Try jumping the battery with a second one. Next check the negative cable by clipping both clamps on the negative battery post clamp and the other end of the jumper (both clamps)to the engine. You can bypass the negative cable when you check the battery by jumping the extra battery to the engine for ground. In all these tests the car must displaying the cranking problem for you to detect the solution.

    The positive battery cable can be checked by reading the voltage drop while attempting to crank. If there is resistance under the heavy current of cranking the cable will drop voltage. If the problem is capable of healing it will then work for some time before another failure. I once tracked a problem for several months - on and off- before findng that a brand new battery cable was defective.

    The most likely cause is a bad section in the starter armature. If this is the problem the starter will fail occasionally. Other times it will work on the first attempt. This is because the starter does not always stop on the bad segment. If it fails on every first start the problem could be the solonoid. It acts as a large relay.






<< < > >>



©Jarrod Stenberg 1997-2022. All material except where indicated.


All participants agree to these terms.

Brickboard.com is not affiliated with nor sponsored by AB Volvo, Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. or Ford Motor Company. Brickboard.com is a Volvo owner/enthusiast site, similar to a club, and does not intend to pose as an official Volvo site. The official Volvo site can be found here.