how to charge battery from under the hood

[poodlehorse]

Hi, I am an S80 owner and just went out to discover the battery is flat, not even turning over in the slightest. Haven't used it since Monday but I think my little boy might have been fiddling with the courtesy lights in the back as he has done this lately but I have always noticed. Anyway we had a problem with the alarm a while back and this was draining the battery and my husband managed to charge the battery from under the hood as the boot would not open but unfortunately I didn't pay much attention as to how. I can see the bolts he attached them to but there are more than two so not sure which ones he used and which way round to do it. The boot is once again locked shut and no power left to open it GRRRR, Husband is offshore and can't be contacted and I have to go and pick up my elderly parents from a medical appointment this afternoon. I have charger which I know how to use when I can get access to the battery in the boot. Can anyone help a useless female in her hour of need? I live in the middle of nowhere so no one to help me. I wanted to change to an XC90 a month ago and DH wouldn't hear of it until next year (I love my S80 really) it is a 1998 2.4 auto if that is of any help to anyone.

Thanks in anticipation

[poodlehorse]

it's alright, I managed to get my DH on the phone FINALLY and now have the answer. Let's just hope it charges in time for me to do what I need to this afternoon

Thanks anyway

[OllieG]

Glad you got in OK! Just driving the car around for 20-30 mins should be enough to charge it up.

When that happened to me (left sidelights on in 1st week of ownership) it took the AA 30 mins to get in. The (valet) key I had didn't open the boot, or the driver's door. They had to jack the car up, remove the lower engine cover and get a long screwdriver up to the starter motor contact to get a charge in the battery so I could unlock the doors.

I've since got a new key cut that opens the boot.

[malb]

Hi poodlehorse,
As I understand your issue, your battery has gone flat for reasons unknown, and because the battery is flat, an electronic security lock will not operate the hood release to access the battery and charge it. Therefore you are stuck in the boondocks and currently without informed assistance. Oh, I'm glad to be able to pop the bonnet with a cable on my 30 year old clunker.

Can you get access to the owners handbook for the car. If this situation can occur, you would have every right to expect Volvo to anticipate it, and provide some form of mechanical overide hood release somewhere within the cabin. The book should outline how to find that.

I can anticipate a method that your husband might have used, but I am a 78 245 user in Australia, so I can't give detailed step by step instructions. But if I outline a plan, someone with a working bonnet release might help with the location details. So here goes.

When connecting a battery charger, two leads (negative coloured black and positive coloured red) are connected to the two terminals on the battery (negative and positive). They must be connected negative to negative and positive to positive, you will cause untold damage to the electronics if you reverse the connections. Some chargers might use a paired figure 8 cable in which case both parts of the cable may be the same colour. In this case, either the clips at the end of the cable will be colour coded appropriately, or one cable will have a tracer (thin marker line moulded into the plastic) to diferentiate the leads.

In turn, both of the battery terminals have permanent connections to the motor as follows.

The negative battery terminal is connected to the engine/gearbox housing and you can safely connect the battery charger black lead to any bolt on the motor easily accessible from below the car, provided that it does not have another cable attached to it.

The positive battery cable will have two easily identified permanent connenctions to the motor. These connection points should have a moulded plastic or silicon shroud on them. If you can find either point, you should be able to slide the shroud back up the cable to expose a screw thread, two nuts, and a cable termination fixed between the nuts. The shroud prevents the electrics being shorted out by tools, parts etc touching the terminal by accident, and must be restored to its original position once charging is complete.

The starter motor will be at the gearbox end of the engine and probably mounted fairly low down. It is a cylinder maybe 8 to 10 inches long and 4 inches diameter. It will have a much smaller cylinder attached beside it, maybe 3 inches long by 1.5 inches diameter. A heavy duty cable about 1/2 inch diameter (possibly red) plus some lightweight cables will connect to parts the smaller cylinder. The termination of this heavy duty cable will be shrouded, and is the first target point for connecting the battery charger positive lead.

The alternator will be at the belt end of the motor and could be mounted at any point where it can access the belt system. It is 6 to 8 inches in diameter, and similar in length. The altenator does not have any hoses connected to it and will have a fan blade between the belt pulley and the unit housing. Other devices operating fom the belt system may have an electrical connection, but will definitely also have metal tubes or rubber hoses connecting to them.

The altenator will have one to three lightweight cable connecting to it, plus a another heavier cable (maybe 1/4 inch) with a shrouded termination. This is an altenative target for the battery charger positive lead.

If you can locate either the starter motor or alternator terminations discussed, you should be able to connect the battery charger positive lead clip to the screw thread to charge the battery. Make the connections before plugging the charger into a mains source. Make absolutely sure that the clips do not touch any other metal items. Connect mains power to the charger only when you are absolutely sure that the connections are correctly in place, and you are clear of the car.

Do not connect anything unless you are sure that you understand these instructions fully and have located the correct connection points.

If you proceed, charge the battery at the lowest current you can set the charger for, and allow it to charge for about 24 hours to properly restore the battery condition. Your charger will have something (a light or meter) to indicate that it is charging.

Before disconnecting the charger, release the hood as the highest priority if at all possible, so that you have access to the engine bay. This will help if you need to replace the battery.

Do not be tempted to jump start the car from another car using this method of access as you may overload the wiring, and melt wiring looms. However properly connected the method will be safe for charing at 5 amps or less.

If at all possible, contact your husband, tell him about this post, and ask for his comments. If I were caught out with the problem, i know that I could make this work, but I managed to keep my old betsy going for thirty years and 1.5 million Km, you sound like a willing learner.

While I have been willing and happy to generate this post to help, please understand that I don't want to accept liability should nasty things happen, as I cannot control how you implement the scheme offered. Please act only if the information provided is absolutely and fully understood.

Best wishes and loads of good luck.

Mal

[malb]

Seems like you got some help while I was typing and proofing my last oh so long post. Hope it works for you, but even if you can open the hood you will need a few hours charging directly to start. As a general rule a smooth start needs about about 10 minutes running to replenish the energy provided by the battery for the start. A smooth start probably uses less than 10 percent of the battery capacity.
A typical battery charger can supply a lot less charge current than a typical alternator. A drive of an hour or so before restarting would do a world of good.
Hope it all works out
Mal

[Volitiveflyer]

I too am a clueless female, but I always carry in the back of my car a Clark Jumpstart Unit with Tyre Compressor unit as bought from Argos for about £40, although you can get them cheaper if you shop about (also keep a bottle of rad weld, tyre weld just in case radiator or a tyre goes) Anyway I digress...in event of a flat battery, a simple case of red to positive on the battery & black to the top of the strut. (Even I can do that) - 20 secs later, car starts! & then it is a case of periodially plugging the jumpstart unit into the mains at home to re-charge. Woolworths used to do an even simpler one, that plugs into the cigarette lighter for about a £10 under their workshop brand.

Hope you got sorted. I know the awfull feeling when the car won't start and you have million & other things to do.

Fi

[JackT5]

Oh for "an old clunker" where you can actually get to the battery! On the S80 and i'm sure the S60 too, Volvo in their wisdom decided to bury the battery in the boot under not only a plastic cover but also a bolted down metal cover. However, they did provide contacts under the bonnet somewhere to which jump leads or charger can be connected, i say somewhere as i have had no cause to use them yet....touch wood...and if i dont know where they are i cant give my neighbour his daily jump start!!

[Viper_7]

aye, the battery is in the boot as well for the S60.

As long as the key in the boot works you shouldn't have a problem.
that's what they put it there for.

The AA chap/lass did a good job.

vipes

[minesa240x3]

Once had to start a very large excavator with a flat battery in the winter with no jump leads,rather than drive two hours back to the yard I managed to find two rather thin pieces of wire connected them up and sat with my van running(keeping warm)for half an hour.Then disconnected the wires and away she went.do not attempt this on modern cars as i dont know how it will effect the electronic gubbins,also this trickle charged the battery and could have melted the wires,especially if i had turned the key on the digger with wires connected!!!
Hi vipes r "UOK"Sorry if I sounded a bit off the other night Bri.

[Volitiveflyer]

Originally Posted by JackT5

Oh for "an old clunker" where you can actually get to the battery! On the S80 and i'm sure the S60 too, Volvo in their wisdom decided to bury the battery in the boot under not only a plastic cover but also a bolted down metal cover. However, they did provide contacts under the bonnet somewhere to which jump leads or charger can be connected, i say somewhere as i have had no cause to use them yet....touch wood...and if i dont know where they are i cant give my neighbour his daily jump start!!

I am a dunderheid. I didn't know Volvo did such a stupid thing as burying a battery in the boot? So would a jumpstart unit work on these contact things that are under the bonnet?

Curious
F