|
|
|
For the past year I haven't been driving my 240(second vehicle) that often since I am traveling alot and I leave my car at my company's parking deck for weeks at a time. The good thing is that I live 2 miles from work and it is very easy for me to get to the car.
The first time I started to experience problems was in January when the old battery would get very weak during cold weather. I went ahead and I decided to replace my 5 year old battery with a new Champion. Everything seemed to be fine for 2-3 weeks. Since I was driving the car for only 4 miles a day total I decided to get a Vector battery charger and I recharged the battery in 5 hours. I installed the battery in the car 2 weeks ago I today when I went to check on the car the battery was completely empty. Right now I am recharging the battery for a second time using the Vector charger. I do not believe this is a battery problem since I had the battery sitting a home for 4 weeks and the charge was kept fine.
My question is the following. What ghost load could be causing the battery to drain completely slowly over a period of 2 weeks?
The only strange behavior I found was that the power locks would work intermitently?
Could this be a relay problem like the power lock relay getting stuck?
Any thoughts or recommendations on this problem?
Thanks
Mike
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be MelM
on
Mon Apr 4 17:48 CST 2005 [ RELATED]
|
|
Has your main wiring harness been replaced yet? You're in the amazing-self-destructing wire harness year range. My Volvo came with a battery switch (look in the IPD catalog to see what I mean, also available at parts stores) because it took a while for the previous owner to find someone who diagnosed drained battery problem and repaired the portion of the harness that runs under the front of the engine. Later I had to repair all of the rest of the harness, replacement is really the recommended fix.
Mel
|
|
-
|
|
|
I had changed the wiring harness about a year or 1000 miles ago. Also I had repaired the alternator harness that goes under the engine.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Manolo
on
Mon Apr 4 15:01 CST 2005 [ RELATED]
|
|
Most voltmeters will only carry a few milliamps. You don't want to flame broil your VOM, so use the DC voltmeter setting to check for drains.
Pull one of the cables off your battery (preferably the negative, since negative should always come off first and go on last).
Between your battery terminal and your battery cable, you will likely read somewhere in the range of 4 to 8 volts. That is fine, and normal for a system with semiconductors in it. If you have an electrical drain that will drain your battery, you will read full battery voltage between your battery and its cable.
Start pulling fuses until the voltage drops down below battery voltage. The problem may well be a stuck relay as suggested. Could also be a light that is staying lit in the glove box or trunk, or any one of a number of other things. It could be a failed diode in the alternator, though they usually fail open rather than shorted.
The wild card is the clock. I don't know how Volvo clocks work. In the old days, car clocks just took an occasional burst of power, so you could check the rest of the dash circuit while the clock ran on its own. When the clock demanded power, you just touched the cable to the battery terminal, and the clock would wind and not demand power for several more minutes.
|
|
-
|
|
Power locks are likely going bad and causing the battery to drain.
Check fuse #8 (I think it is) with a voltmeter when the car is off. You shouldn't have a significant voltage on it. If so, there's your problem. (Fuse 8 controls the power locks, at least it does in my '80 245.) Same thing happened to my '80 245 way back in the day. Power locks went bad and caused the battery to go flat.
I decided to pull the power lock relays. Haven't had a problem since. The relays are located behind the clock and center dash vents. If you pop off that "third speaker" cover (that sits in the middle of the dash right below the windshield) you may be able to reach the relays.
This problem is usually caused by a bad drivers door switch. The wiring, or the switch goes bad, so the power locks will start to "always" pull voltage. This causes a dead battery.
Good luck.
--
If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as 'Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!'
|
|
-
|
|
|
Does replacing the relays fix the problem?
Or do I have to remove the relays completly in order to prevent the drain in the driver door switch?
Currently my auto door locks work intermitently. When I close/open the door knob from the driver door inside it doesn't open or lock the doors.
I can only open or close the doors if I use the drivers key at the door. And somethimes it doesn't work at all.
|
|
-
|
|
|
The relays were pulled to keep the power locks system from getting power. So, as it is, my car has been with out the power locks for many many years.
Once the relays are pulled, the power locks will be completely non-functioning. My self personally though, I'd rather have that then a dead battery every few days! Heh heh heh...
There are 2 relays, for what it's worth.
(By the way, the relays are probably just fine. Pulling them is just the best way to cut off power to the system. Replacing the relays would likely bring you back to the same problem.)
Alternatively (this thought just struck me), you could unplug the drivers door switch via a connector that hides above where the drivers feet usually go. Remove that felt cover and look for a 3 wire connector in a white connector. It's about an inch wide if I recall correctly.
I'll take a picture of the connector for you in a bit. It's a bit easier to get at then the Relays, certainly considering your car has the newer (post '81) dash. I had forgotten that little detail when I made my first post. So please disregard that stuff about the relays hiding behind the clock. (In my '80 the clock is in the middle of the dashboard.)
--
If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as 'Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!'
|
|
-
|
|
|
(Hey, HTTY is back.)
You'll have to pull the driver's door panel to check the wiring (possible shorting) and switches.
Since there are 2 switches, only one may be defective and you could disconnect that and keep part of the locking system working (ie. either push-pull or key turn).
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans
|
|
-
|
|
|
"(Hey, HTTY is back.)"
Well, unfortunately this may just be a "quick visit."
Long story short, there is a lot of drama happening in "real life" for me right now... It's been a rough month.
"Since there are 2 switches, only one may be defective and you could disconnect that and keep part of the locking system working (ie. either push-pull or key turn)."
If I'm not mistaken, the push-pull and key turn are the same function. The 2 switches are to operate the 2 different functions of the power lock system, meaning, one of the switches is to unlock the doors, and one of the switches is to lock the doors.
--
If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as 'Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!'
|
|
-
|
|
|
" there is a lot of drama happening in "real life" for me right now... It's been a rough month."
Yeah, every once in awhile (usually too often), things happen to test our mettle. Hopefully nothing really bad. Changes...Decisions...Toughing it out..Jeez, WHAT NEXT..
Gotta keep reminding yourself things could be worse. Others have it worse. Good luck.
" the push-pull and key turn are the same function."
Yes, they perform the same function (lock-unlock). But they are seperate switches that do the same thing but in different ways (push-pull/key turn).
The harness wires (blk,red,grn) branch to both switches so that power is fed to both. The circuit is completed by activating either switch. You can disconnect one (ie. cut the black common wire to one) and still have the other functioning as power will still go through it.
Myself, I disconnected the key turn switch as I don't like all doors opening when I turn the key. If I want to unlock/lock the doors, I just reach in and pull/push the knob.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans
|
|
-
|
|
|
See if your alternator is charging it. Get a cheap volt/Ohm meter with amperage checking capability on it if you don't have one and set for 12 Volts DC. When running and low battery (usually after it sit for a while), see if you have around 13.5 Volts. This will tell you that your battery is being charged by the alternator.
Also check all connection on all cables running to the battery (ground and hot). For example, battery connections, ground connection and alternator connectors should be clean and free of oxidation. If not, your alternator cannot recharge the battery if there is not a good connection.
If the alternator and connections prove OK, then remove one of the battery cables (I would pick the ground). Place your meter on the highest setting for amps (milliamp settings are the lowest) and connect one lead to the battery terminal and the other to the cable you end you just removed. You should have very little current displaying, since the only thing running with the key off is probably your clock or alarm system if you have one. If you do not get a reading, start lowering you amps range selector on your meter until you get a reading (you won't have to do this with a more expensive meter with automatic range setting). If it is in the low milliamps, then you don't have a problem. If you have a significant current draw, say 500 milliamps or more (just a guess), you probably have something shorting or drawing down your battery.
To find the problem remove each fuse and check the amps across the fuse terminals until you find the culprit.
Hope this helps you.
Gary
|
|
-
|
|
|
Before you go to the trouble of all that work, testing various items and what not, pull the power locks fuse. Mine did the same thing, only the locks would sometimes be open, when I know I locked the doors. Never bothered tracing the problem, just disconnected the power locks (I usually ride alone anyway). If the battery holds the charge, then you found your problem. You can of course trace it, or just roll sans power locks.
--
85 240DL 189k; 91 240 169k
|
|
-
|
|
|
Did the power locks drain your battery?
Thanks
|
|
-
|
|
|
Yeah, if I tried to start it after about 10 hours of not running, the car would not start, but had some power. After a day or two the radio would not come on.
--
85 240DL 189k; 91 240 169k
|
|
|
|
|
