Battery going flat, help please.

Wowbagger · Nov 12th, 2013, 17:46

I have recently bought an XC90 V8 and the battery keeps going flat, sometimes it is OK for a day or two but never for long,the RAC and Volvo recovery guys both said that there is a drain on the battery but the dealer cannot find anything wrong.
Does anybody have any ideas about what it could be and is this a known issue?
My Wife is rapidly getting fed up with having a car that won't start and I am away working abroad so any help would be much appreciated.

Arctic fox · Nov 12th, 2013, 17:50

It could just be the battery not holding charge. Take the car to an Auto Electricians and ask them to drain test the car and the battery.

Wowbagger · Nov 12th, 2013, 18:06

Thanks but we were told by the 1st RAC guy that the battery was duff so we bought a new one and that went flat as well so I am fairly confident that it is an issue with the car.

adieu · Nov 12th, 2013, 18:48

Try pulling the alarm siren fuse, or the alarm fuse, just make sure it's somewhere safe

If that doesn't work, a process of elimination pulling different fuses till the battery holds it charge.

Wowbagger · Nov 12th, 2013, 19:04

Thanks, if I was home I would give that a try but I am not sure the wife will be able to do it. She has just told me that the Volvo garage are going to take it in for a few days next week to see if the battery goes flat again so hopefully they will find something.

gramsey438 · Nov 12th, 2013, 22:32

The best way of doing this yourself is to get a multimeter and place it series with the positive feed on the battery and measure the current bieng drawn with the ignition key removed. From here you can then remove fuses one by one to see what is causing the excessive draw on the battery.

Wowbagger · Nov 12th, 2013, 23:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by gramsey438

The best way of doing this yourself is to get a multimeter and place it series with the positive feed on the battery and measure the current bieng drawn with the ignition key removed. From here you can then remove fuses one by one to see what is causing the excessive draw on the battery.

Thanks, if it is not sorted out in a couple of weeks when I get home I will give this a try.

Arctic fox · Nov 13th, 2013, 05:06

Another option is to make a list of everything that works without the keys in the ignition and post it up. ie headlights, windows etc. Then we could see if anything is out of the ordinary.

A new battery can still fail with the same symptoms, I would be asking the garage what voltage the charging rate was at with say the heated rear screen and blowers on full too.

Wowbagger · Nov 13th, 2013, 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arctic fox

Another option is to make a list of everything that works without the keys in the ignition and post it up. ie headlights, windows etc. Then we could see if anything is out of the ordinary.

A new battery can still fail with the same symptoms, I would be asking the garage what voltage the charging rate was at with say the heated rear screen and blowers on full too.

The car ran OK yesterday but is now totally dead so I suspect that it is an intermittent fault, I have spoken to my wife and she is going to get Volvo assist to come out and start it again. It is booked in with the dealer next Thursday and hopefully they will find the problem.
It is hard for me to do much with it from an oil rig in the gulf of Mexico but I will try these things if it is not fixed by the time I get back.
I am very glad that I left my perfectly reliable Alfa for her to drive and did not leave it in long term parking at the airport as I usually do.

Nov 12th, 2013, 17:46	#1
Wowbagger New Member Last Online: Mar 24th, 2014 20:34 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Perthshire	Battery going flat, help please. I have recently bought an XC90 V8 and the battery keeps going flat, sometimes it is OK for a day or two but never for long,the RAC and Volvo recovery guys both said that there is a drain on the battery but the dealer cannot find anything wrong. Does anybody have any ideas about what it could be and is this a known issue? My Wife is rapidly getting fed up with having a car that won't start and I am away working abroad so any help would be much appreciated.

Nov 12th, 2013, 18:48	#4
adieu Master Member Last Online: Feb 5th, 2021 19:07 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: swindon	Try pulling the alarm siren fuse, or the alarm fuse, just make sure it's somewhere safe If that doesn't work, a process of elimination pulling different fuses till the battery holds it charge. __________________ Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary… That’s what gets you. A turbo: Exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster

Nov 12th, 2013, 17:50	#2
Arctic fox XC90 D5 SE Lux MY08 Last Online: Aug 16th, 2023 18:21 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: North of England	It could just be the battery not holding charge. Take the car to an Auto Electricians and ask them to drain test the car and the battery.

Nov 12th, 2013, 18:06	#3
Wowbagger New Member Last Online: Mar 24th, 2014 20:34 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Perthshire	Thanks but we were told by the 1st RAC guy that the battery was duff so we bought a new one and that went flat as well so I am fairly confident that it is an issue with the car.

Nov 12th, 2013, 19:04	#5
Wowbagger New Member Last Online: Mar 24th, 2014 20:34 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Perthshire	Thanks, if I was home I would give that a try but I am not sure the wife will be able to do it. She has just told me that the Volvo garage are going to take it in for a few days next week to see if the battery goes flat again so hopefully they will find something.

Nov 12th, 2013, 22:32	#6
gramsey438 Member Last Online: Jul 12th, 2023 07:43 Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Eastleigh	The best way of doing this yourself is to get a multimeter and place it series with the positive feed on the battery and measure the current bieng drawn with the ignition key removed. From here you can then remove fuses one by one to see what is causing the excessive draw on the battery.

Nov 13th, 2013, 05:06	#8
Arctic fox XC90 D5 SE Lux MY08 Last Online: Aug 16th, 2023 18:21 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: North of England	Another option is to make a list of everything that works without the keys in the ignition and post it up. ie headlights, windows etc. Then we could see if anything is out of the ordinary. A new battery can still fail with the same symptoms, I would be asking the garage what voltage the charging rate was at with say the heated rear screen and blowers on full too.

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