Stop/Start battery warning

[redfazer]

Had a 'stop/start battery needs attention' warning today. The car is 3yrs old in May, so would this be covered under warranty? If not, how much is a new one and can I get one cheaper than a Volvo dealer would charge?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by redfazer

Had a 'stop/start battery needs attention' warning today. The car is 3yrs old in May, so would this be covered under warranty? If not, how much is a new one and can I get one cheaper than a Volvo dealer would charge?

yes it is still in warranty as long as you are not over the mileage limit .
always get the volvo price for parts first , They are often competitive .
are you not using the car perhaps ?

[redfazer]

Only about 14k so well within limits I'd guess!

It doesn't get used much, but even after a 160 mile trip a few weeks ago the stop/start wasn't working. Doesn't worry me TBH, but if something's broken it needs fixing.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by redfazer

Only about 14k so well within limits I'd guess!

It doesn't get used much, but even after a 160 mile trip a few weeks ago the stop/start wasn't working. Doesn't worry me TBH, but if something's broken it needs fixing.

what are the exact words of the message ? driving the car isn't the best way of charging the battery by the way ...

[redfazer]

Can't remember the exact words and it didn't appear 2nd time I started it, and can't find it in the app. but was pretty much 'The stop/start battery needs attention'.

What's the best way to charge it? - I'm assuming it's on it's way out anyway, but it would be handy to know for the future!

[Clan]

Originally Posted by redfazer

Can't remember the exact words and it didn't appear 2nd time I started it, and can't find it in the app. but was pretty much 'The stop/start battery needs attention'.

What's the best way to charge it? - I'm assuming it's on it's way out anyway, but it would be handy to know for the future!

no it wont be on its way out .. the stop start battery is very robust and has an easy life.

Volvo issued a bulletin about this ,
It says that the main 12v battery must be charged every TWO weeks whilst not being used ...

In your case the battery has probably sulphated so needs recovering as a first step .
They say to charge the battery with a 10A or more charger for FORTY EIGHT hours minimum ... And you need a simple basic non computer controlled charger that will not turn itself off after a short period ...

you should be ok then but charge it every 2 weeks overnight to keep it fresh if the car is seldom used.

when you are driving the battery only charges at max level when braking or when the foot is off the accelerator . so will not charge enough for the purpose of recovering.

[redfazer]

Brilliant, thanks. Is the battery the one on the passenger side towards the bulkhead?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by redfazer

Brilliant, thanks. Is the battery the one on the passenger side towards the bulkhead?

yes it is .. connect the black negative clip from the charger to the car body or engine something clean metal somewhere rather than the battery terminal then the car computer monitors what is going into the battery ..

red positive of the charger to the red battery terminal ...

[Goatherder]

Originally Posted by Clan

driving the car isn't the best way of charging the battery by the way ...

A bit sad, and seemingly poor design, if this is not the case. I too, heard the same from a stealer...but I thought he was pulling my leg.

[Familyman 90]

Its not poor design, its physics and chemistry.

Lead acid, SLA, gel, whatever, are fine but really aren't ideal when used in conjunction with systems that requires a finely controlled, steady voltage. CANBUS really is pushing the limits of what can be done with such variable voltages.

Of course, a different battery chemistry could be used but they'd be far heavier (affects fuel economy and crash safety), four or 5 times more expensive (you'd complain about the price instead), and extremely difficult to recycle (environmental issues). As poor as it is it's the most realistic solution, the best of a bad job.