My 95 960 failed to start today...I attached a jumper and got it started, but the alternator output tested fairly low-- 13.38V. My guess is the output has been low enough that the battery has been slowly loosing its charge (espeially with coolign and AC fans running full blast in the heat). Are the alternators on the 960 and S90 cars brushless, or do they have a brush pack that can be replaced like the older 240s? Also, any tips on removing the alternator from the car? Thanks...

Mike

It is a good bet that the voltage regulator brush pack in the alternator needs replacement.
In the 960 this is relatively easy.
Remove the top of the air cleaner and air mass sensor for access.
You will need a stubby Philips screwdriver to remove the black cover.
Cut two slits in this cover at the bottom to allow it to slip past the A/C compressor pipes. Black mark there Volvo!
The regulator is unscrewed and the new one inserted.
On my old regulator the brushes had worn at different rates, one was 5mm in length. New, about 20mm.
One other thing, access is pretty tight around here and I cut one of the ties holding the steering pump hoses so that there would be more room for my hands. Result: no more of that annoying steering shudder!

Good luck,

Dan
1993 960 129k mile

The alternator had a regulator bolted to the back like all the others. No car alternator is brushless because of the slip rings for the exciter/rotor.
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Warren Bain - '99 V70GLT G-Valve > 70K mi, '96 965 >110Kmi Wifemobile near Manassas Va.. Check the 700/900 FAQ via the 'features' pull down menu.

Another thought......

How old is your battery?

I had a similar problem with one of my vehicles. Came out to go to work and it would not start. Jumped it and put a voltmeter on it and it was charging only 13.7 volts (with a dead battery, not even a click). Drove it for an hour (all the while at 13.7 volts) and no restart. Just a click. I replaced the battery and now the alternator is putting out 14.7 volts.

I'm no electronics expert but perhaps a bad battery (due to sulphation on the plates) can appear to be charged to the alternnator so it only puts out a maintenance charge.

When our S90 and 960's are fully charged the alternator only puts out about 13.5 volts (with no load). I thought this was low as well but the electrical systems seem to work fine (at least for the last 6 years except for new batteries)

DEWFPO
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1998 S90 062,925 1995 964 145,750

Volvo alternators, IMHO, have notoriously weak outputs. Being used to american iron, 14.7V has always been the benchmark I measure against. IPD markets a regulator with a higher output than stock for Volvo alternators and I'll probably swap one in when the time comes (they also have brushes). Walt is right however, a battery on the way out may very well be the culprit, have it load tested at a local auto parts store that does it for free (Autozone, Pep Boys, Batteries Plus, etc.). I like the machine Pep Boys uses since first it measures the charge, then it charges the battery if necessary, THEN it load tests it. It takes longer but that is usually true of most things worth doing.

You should also be able to change the regulator & brushes on your alt. w/o having to take it out, esp. if you have the model with the plastic shield on the back. There are a number of alternator sizes Volvo put in their vehicles but I am not sure which went in what and why.
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Bob Kraushaar '94 945T, '91 940T(back from retirement), '88 240, '84 242T, '94 F-150, '89 560 SL, '68 Shelby GT-500 KR

I've always found the output on my Volvos to be more than adequate. The *60 cars have always had beefier alternators than the *40 cars, I think, to keep up with all the electronic gizmos. I've got two 300 watt amps driving two 12 inch subs plus a 50 X 4 driving the speakers in the doors in my '92 965, with no capacitor. My headlights only dim when the stereo is turned up to an uncomfortably level...which is pretty impressive for a stock charging system. The last time I checked, my alternator was putting out ~14 volts.