my batery seems to die after a 2-3 days of not driveing what could this be from dont think i left anything on any help would be great thanks

tyler

Tyler: to add to Rick's sage advice: the '700/900FAQ' section has info on batteries, etc. One of the things mentioned is that a battery has a useful life of A-B-O-U-T 6 years. If you are the orig. owner, and/or have all of the service records, look-see when you got your present battery (there SHOULD be a dated sticker on the battery as well, but they are often smudged out, incomplete, or missing). Also, if your glove compartment is crammed full of stuff, including a CD player, there is often ebnough pressure exerted on the door to j-u-s-t prevent it, even closed, from contacting the end of the switch that shuts off the light. Also (again) the poorly-closed outside door will sometimes leave the overhead interior ON, which will drain yer battery really quickly. AND, the presence of corrosion at your battery cables cuts down on your battery functioning as it should. Add to that the fact (as reported here) that there was actually a bad batch of battery cables (whether replacement cables or factory-installed, I forget which, if not both). Lots to check, but FREE. Buying a $10 or $20 multi-meter, which is handy around the home as well, can help you to perform voltage, resistance, and continuity checks (NOTE: read the instructions included with the meter very carefully; a tip: always set the 'range' setting knob at it s HIGHEST setting, and work your way DOWN when checking electricity...to do otherwise can be a 'shocking' experience). Go to it: become your own detective! Consider getting the Volvo 'green' electrical service booklet for your car: worth whatever the cost, the first time that it saves you the price of a _____(fill in the blank!).--PD.

Forgot to mention, clean the battery heads with a small wire brush (like a toothbrush with a wooden handle and wire bristles), reconnect the terminals, and then smear the whole connector (both positive and negative, though the positive is the important one) with Vaseline. The vaseline seals teh terminals and insures they don't corrode. Over time the vaseline will melt a bit and seep into the cracks, further protecting the leads.

This is pretty old school trick (post-WWII trick?) but it works amazingly well. Ironically, my dad received a little container with "battery lead preserver" when he purchased a new battery recently. What was this miracle goo? Vaseline... with a specialty label. ;)

Regards,

RT

If you disconnecr the battery completely and it stills dies (after being charged fully) the battery probably has a cracked cell and is shot. Buy a new one, since a battery with a cracked cell will never hold a charge.

If the battery is new or it does hold a charge when fully charged and disconnected tahn you have a short somewhere in your electrical system. this could be anything. A shorting lock relay in the door, a raw wire in the engine compartment, a faulty relay in the relay board, etc. The only way to find out is to just go through and check everything out for problems. Listen when the car is off for any relay clicking anywhere as well.

-rt