V50 Battery Change

[Petey80]

Hello all, hope you're all prepared for the upcoming festive season.

I have a query about changing the main battery on my car (details below in my signature).

I've heard mixed things and possible issues when it comes to changing it.

Can you just remove the negative lead, then the positive lead. Take the battery out and put the new in.
Positive lead on, then negative lead on.

Or, do you have to have the key in position 1 whilst you remove and replace the battery, then turn to position 2/3?

I've read of people not being able to start the car after changing the battery and needing Volvo to fix the issue.

Pretty sure mine is factory so over 9 years old and see headlights flicker when setting off at lights, the radio turned off and back on again the other day.
Yesterday someone behind me said my rear lights dimmed when I was going round a round-a-bout.

The owners manual states a straightforward removal and replace, but Vida mentions key in position 1.

[Petey80]

Testing the battery with a multimeter showed 12.3v when not running, then 14.odd when running.

I used Vida to check all the battery options in the CEM, but everything looked spot on.

[v50t5sesport]

12.3 is low, and over 14 is normal when charging, so I would guess the battery is goosed. I have had the battery on and off my car a few times, never left the ignition key in, just disconnected the battery. Bit of a pain as you have to remove the strut bar accross the engine 1st before you can get the cover off the top of the battery

[lockstock]

Originally Posted by Petey80

Testing the battery with a multimeter showed 12.3v when not running, then 14.odd when running.

I used Vida to check all the battery options in the CEM, but everything looked spot on.

12.3 when cold isn't necessarily a bad battery, but it is at least 50% discharged (rule of thumb without a load test). If the car cranks powerfully, then I'd not be worried about battery.

When driving the cars electrics will be all running off the alternator. If your lights are dimming and getting power fluctuating when engine is running, it sounds like a different electrical fault, maybe relating to bad contact somewhere or a failing alternator. If the alternator is going this could also be why your battery is low. Id get it checked by an auto electrician before forking out for a new battery.


Also, how is your auxiliary belt looking? a slipping belt or bad tensioner could affect alternator performance....

Summary...
>Get a load test done to properly check health of battery.
>If good, check aux belt
>If good, check alternator and contacts...

Also, when changing battrryy, no special magic. Leave car off for 30 mins. Disconnect battrry. Connect new one. Make sure you DONT hsve keys in ignotion and car has been standing for 30 mins before disconnecting battery.

[Petey80]

Originally Posted by v50t5sesport

12.3 is low, and over 14 is normal when charging, so I would guess the battery is goosed. I have had the battery on and off my car a few times, never left the ignition key in, just disconnected the battery. Bit of a pain as you have to remove the strut bar accross the engine 1st before you can get the cover off the top of the battery

That's what I thought as previous research showed 12.6v to be ideal and below 12.4 for the battery to be on the way out.



Think I'll leave the key out then. Yes, the strut brace does get in the way of a few items.

Originally Posted by lockstock

12.3 when cold isn't necessarily a bad battery, but it is at least 50% discharged (rule of thumb without a load test). If the car cranks powerfully, then I'd not be worried about battery.

When driving the cars electrics will be all running off the alternator. If your lights are dimming and getting power fluctuating when engine is running, it sounds like a different electrical fault, maybe relating to bad contact somewhere or a failing alternator. If the alternator is going this could also be why your battery is low. Id get it checked by an auto electrician before forking out for a new battery.


Also, how is your auxiliary belt looking? a slipping belt or bad tensioner could affect alternator performance....

Summary...
>Get a load test done to properly check health of battery.
>If good, check aux belt
>If good, check alternator and contacts...

Also, when changing battery, no special magic. Leave car off for 30 mins. Disconnect battery. Connect new one. Make sure you DONT have keys in ignition and car has been standing for 30 mins before disconnecting battery.

The car cranks the same as it has done since I've owned it. I did think the cold might lower voltage a little, but was concerned about 12.3v

AUX belt is pretty much brand new, just changed it and the tensioner at 115,583 miles - https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showp...&postcount=568 and now currently on about 124,500 miles or so.

Thanks for the advice, I'll get those things checked out.

[LizardOfBodom]

REF battery voltage when off - 12.6 "ideal" refers to actual voltage measured on battery or after the system?
My FM transmitter in 12v lighter plug show me voltage before it starts up and after night its usually around 12.1 / 12.2 but it was like that almost always. I think its still within normal as battery is only 4y old and car cranks like crazy... ?

EDIT - sorry, forgot to chip in ref your actual question - I removed battery on mine atleast dozen times, key was always OUT of ignition, no issues ever. But for 1.6D it may be different , is it PSA engine or actual Volvo one?

[Welton]

My experience of changing the battery myself:

Lower drivers window (in case the whole job turns into a nightmare and you can't get in the car).
Remove key from ignition.
WAIT until the CEM etc goes to sleep (get cuppa tea etc wait maybe 10 mins to be sure).
Disconnect earth lead first....reconnect last.

The only things that changed upon powering-up were some of the Audio settings and I also had to teach the windows where to stop again on the one-touch setting.

Oh and don't be a spanner and leave the new battery in the boot like I did, once I'd disconnected the old battery I couldn't get in the boot...had to lower the back seats and climb through.

[Petey80]

Originally Posted by LizardOfBodom

REF battery voltage when off - 12.6 "ideal" refers to actual voltage measured on battery or after the system?
My FM transmitter in 12v lighter plug show me voltage before it starts up and after night its usually around 12.1 / 12.2 but it was like that almost always. I think its still within normal as battery is only 4y old and car cranks like crazy... ?

EDIT - sorry, forgot to chip in ref your actual question - I removed battery on mine atleast dozen times, key was always OUT of ignition, no issues ever. But for 1.6D it may be different , is it PSA engine or actual Volvo one?

12.6 directly on the battery terminals with a multimeter I think I found when I was looking. Engine off and car having been sat for a while/all night.

This was a reading from a while ago with the engine off;


Then running
20180824_161527 by Pedro Fawcettio, on Flickr

And it was a while ago. Think I'll check both again tonight after work.

Originally Posted by Welton

My experience of changing the battery myself:

Lower drivers window (in case the whole job turns into a nightmare and you can't get in the car).
Remove key from ignition.
WAIT until the CEM etc goes to sleep (get cuppa tea etc wait maybe 10 mins to be sure).
Disconnect earth lead first....reconnect last.

The only things that changed upon powering-up were some of the Audio settings and I also had to teach the windows where to stop again on the one-touch setting.

Oh and don't be a spanner and leave the new battery in the boot like I did, once I'd disconnected the old battery I couldn't get in the boot...had to lower the back seats and climb through.

Thanks for confirming that. Yeah, I'm expecting to have to reset the clock and all the radio settings etc.

I'll be leaving the doors open when I do it, just in case.

[andy_d]

when you have it all done and are about to turn the key to see its all ok
do NOT lean in the windowand stick your arm between the wheel to turn the key
Arm clear of the Airbag on the steering wheel, for the first turn.
DO wait the time (10-15mins to be sure) between OFF and disconnecting anything,