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Charge light won't come on 200 1984

posted by  chris on  Fri Apr 18 13:44 CST 2003
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last visit: Mon Dec 18 04:58 CST 2000
[RELATED]

The red battery charge light won't come on with the key on my 1984 245.

When this happened last summer, it was a busted ground wire on the alternator. All the alternator wires are fine now.

I pulled the light bulb out, and bench tested it. It lights up fine on the bench. With the instrument panel in place and key on, I reached up from behind and touched it with a 12v test light. It has power.

Clearly, SOMETHING in the charging system is not allowing that bulb to ground. Anything else I can check?








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    Charge light won't come on 200 1984

    posted by  B.C. on  Sat Apr 19 06:26 CST 2003
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    last visit: Wed Mar 28 22:28 CST 2012
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    Dave is probably right - one of the things we encounter when driving anything this far beyond the age of "usual trade-in".

    Check a few other things, too:
    (1) With the key in Bulb Test position (Proition II, engine stopped) what of the warning lights DO come on? Except for the oil light, most ground via the same path as the alternator light.

    (2) Again in Bulb Test position, find the thin red wire that's hooked to a spade lug on the back of the alternator and GROUND it. Check for warning lights being on. Helps to have a helper for this one.

    What we're after is "Is it the warning light system, or an alternator-specific problem?"

    If test (2) brings the lights on, check the ground wire from the alternator to the block. If it's OK, replace the brushes/regulator unit.

    If test (1) shows all the lights except the Alternator light, there's something more complicated going on.

    Post back with what you find.

    Good Luck,

    Bob

    :>)







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      Charge light won't come on 200 1984

      posted by  chris on  Sat Apr 19 07:34 CST 2003
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      last visit: Mon Dec 18 04:58 CST 2000
      [RELATED]

      Thanks, Dave and Bob, for the very helpful responses.

      I got a chuckle out of Bob's "one of the things we encounter when driving anything this far beyond the age of "usual trade-in". I'm at 225,000 miles, which draws looks of "shock and awe" from friends with American cars. (Particularly when I say I wouldn't hesitate to drive it from Chicago to LA.) The brake MC went out last week; I guess that's another 225,000 mile issue.

      Anyway, back to the battery light. Something weird is going on.

      Yesterday, I wasn't getting any warning lights at all in the test position, except the Oil light. Same thing this morning (so it wasn't just a hot engine issue.)

      I just now went outside and tried again, to do Bob's tests. Now, everything came on except the battery light. I tried connecting a grounded test lead to the red wire connector, but this did nothing to the dash warning light. I tried running a fresh ground off the lug with the ground wire, but that didn't do anything, either.

      So, about to give up, I crawled under the dash to test the power at the warning light. I touched it with the 12v test light, and the test light lit up, BUT SO DID THE WARNING LIGHT. AND IT STAYED ON. It's dimmer than it should be, but still clearly illuminated. I switched the key off, then turned it back on. Warning light still lit. Something about giving the bulb a fresh ground seemed to kick it back to life.

      Any idea what's going on here? I expect this kind of nonsense on the 1975 Fiat Spider I'm restoring (could write a book about what that car's taught me about wiring)...not from my 240 wagon.

      For now, I'm glad the bulb is glowing. I'm just not at all confident it's going to stay this way.








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        Charge light won't come on 200 1984

        posted by  B.C. on  Sat Apr 19 19:38 CST 2003
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        last visit: Wed Mar 28 22:28 CST 2012
        [RELATED]

        The warning lights, except the oil light, are grounded in Bulb Test positon via that red ting wire to the alternator. The oil light is lit when there is no pressure, the sender grounds internally.

        The others are tied together, each with a diode so one won't mess up the others.

        Engine stopped, the circuit completes through the alternator brushes. Potential across the lights is 12v. Engine running, the rotor windings are now making electricity, and potential becomes zero, the lights go out.

        In fact, it's that small current coming to the alternator brushes that makes the necessary magnetic field for charging. If that thin red wire is either not connected (warning light off), or grounded someplace else (warning light on), no charging.

        Since you got all the warning lights (again except oil) to act together, I think your problem is in the thin red wire circuit.

        Have a look at the gray connector on the firewall, look at the insulation on the wires before touching it. Falling off? The harness may be your problem.

        First fix is to bypass the stock harness for that red wire and also the black one that goes to the oil senser. Run new wires from that connector along the firewall and down the RF fender to their end points. You will need to use to terminations that are inside that connector. When you get the connector off its clip and unconnected, you will see that the back can be opened up and the terminations come out. DON'T MIX THEM UP.

        There may be more info in the Archives on this, maybe in the FAQs.

        Good Luck,

        Bob

        :>)

        PS I have the Volvo Service Manual for wiring Diagrams for the 1984 240. It is an extremely helpful book. 1-800-25-VOLVO or www.volvocars.com/lit








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    Charge light won't come on 200 1984

    posted by  daveshan on  Fri Apr 18 14:30 CST 2003
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    last visit: Sun Oct 19 07:03 CST 2014
    [RELATED]

    The only time my 740 left me stranded was because of a fault in the voltage regulator pack. Once I got a new (used) battery in it I noticed that the battery light was not coming on when the key was turned on. Sure enough the car made it home and died with a dead battery, a new brush/regulator pack and it was good as new. Moral of the story, if the wires are all good it's probably the brush/regulator pack.
    Dave Shannon
    Spring Valley, California (San Diego area)
    '84-245 200K+
    '84-245T 190K+
    '85-244Ti 200K+
    '86-740 230K+
    '88-240 180K+
    www.volvo2.homestead.com (Opens new window)







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