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Hi Spook,
When the car is first started, the alternator should be putting out between 14.3-14.7 volts, then as the battery recharges, the voltage supplied will taper down to ~13.5-13.8 volts. This is normal on a Volvo.
Batteries should be tested ~ 8 hours after a charge. The reason for this is that the battery will drop in voltage after being charged until it stabilizes. The battery should stabilize at ~ 12.7 volts.
You can test the battery in one of two ways with a simple digital voltmeter.
- Hook up the meter to the cables and note the voltage. Start pulling fuses (one at a time) and note the voltage "increase". This will give you a simple (but not accurate) way to pinpoint a significant draw on the battery.
- The better test is to disconnect one of the battery terminals and hook up your DVOM in line and set it to the milliamp scale. Then pull fuses. This will tell you what your accual milliamp draw is on the each circuit and you can compare it against the specs. With all the lights off, etc... the draw should not be much more than about 27 milliamps. (I don't know what the specific draw for your car is but 27 should be pretty darn close).
DEWFPO
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1998 S90 068,300 and 1995 964 152,300
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