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Electrical: Engine Starting, Charging
and water to remove corrosion and electrolyte deposits. Make sure to keep
corrosion and the cleaning solution off painted surfaces. Remove heavy
corrosion with a stiff-bristle brush. After removing corrosion, clean the battery
with a detergent/water mixture, then rinse with clean water. Disconnect the
battery cables and clean them with the baking soda solution. Scrape battery
posts and the inside of cable terminals with special brushes or scrapers. After
cleaning the battery and cables, dry them with a clean cloth or low-pressure
compressed air.
[Inquiry:] My battery died at 40 months; is this normal? [Response: Tim Curry]
This could be a normal failure of the battery, but check a few things first.
1) Battery cables. Positive side will be more likely to have a build-up of crud or bad
connection, but check both cables. Is it clean at the connection? Is there corrosion
at the cable/end where it joins the clamp itself (grey stuff at the wire insulation or
a thickening/bulge of the cable somewhere in the insulation). Remove both cables,
clean the terminals (wire brush), use the red & green felt rings under the cables to
preserve the connection. Tighten both cables.
2) Get a multi-meter and measure the voltage between the battery terminals with
the engine off. If it is less than 12 volts, you have a battery or charging system
problem. Use jumper cables and get the car started. After you remove the jumper
cables, check voltage with the car running and no lights, AC, radio playing. Should
be over 12.7 volts and 14 plus volts if the idle speed is raised a little. If this is the
case, your charging system is good, but your battery (or cable) is bad.
3) If you don't show an quick increase in voltage, check the fan-belt. If it is tight,
check the voltage regulator at the back of the alternator. It would be easier to
work on it with the alternator removed on some cars (turbo especially). There are
2 screws that hold the regulator in place on the back side of the alternator. These
screws hold a brush assembly in place against the internal shaft of the alternator,
carbon blocks on a spring assembly attached to the holder. The carbon brushes
wear down with time and do not put enough pressure against the armature to
make good contact. Often the alternator is good, while the brushes have worn out.
The part costs less than $30 (US) and is available from shops with a decent
electrical parts supply.
4) It could be the battery. Here in Tucson, the average life of a battery is 28
months (from the Exide corporation). Our problem is not cold cranking ability, it's
the heat. If the plates inside the battery are exposed to heat, subjected to constant
cranking, or given a quick charge there is a lot of heat generated inside the
battery. The metal grid expands due to heat, the paste inside the grid is loosened
and begins to fall to the bottom of the battery or swells in place. This will
eventually cause a build-up of metal in the bottom of the cell which can short out
the cell.
A break in the grid or swelling, a loose plate, an old battery, too much heat (or
cold) and a dead battery is the result. Don't buy a lifetime battery. It will cost $100
and still fail before your life is over. Buy a moderately priced battery with 4 years
of life for $35-$40 and you will be spending $10/year, not $30/year. Plan on
setting your clock at 4 years and start saving for the next $40 battery.
file:///C|/Users/Steve/Documents/Volvo%20FAQ%20Updated/ElectricalStarting.html[01/13/14 10:02:47 PM]
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