I just bought a '96 850 5 speed nonturbo sedan. It has 196k but runs smooth as silk. I just took it on a 650 mile trip and it ran great with no issues. The problem started today after i got home. After being back for a few hours i went outside to go to the grocery store and the car was completely dead. None of the door locks would work, the windows wouldn't work, the instrument panel lights wouldn't come on and none of the "dummy" lights (ABS, CEL, etc) were illuminating. I jumped the car off and it started right up. The odd thing is that when you rev the engine, all the lights dim and the car dies. It will hold a smooth idle for a few minutes and then die.

The battery is brand new, it's the only thing i've had to replace on this car so far. It sat for over a year without being driven before i bought it. Voltmeter shows the battery has 14.2 volts at idle, and 14 volts with the car turned off. Because of that, i don't think it's the alternator.

All my car knowledge is with Volkswagens, i'm totally new to Volvos. Is this a common problem or does anyone have any idea of what this might be indicative of?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

Sure sounds like a loose battery connection somewhere. Did you have this problem before or after the battery was replaced?

And ck the battery voltage at rpm above idle; 2-3k rpm or so. Also what's the battery voltage when the starter is cranking?

 

To me it seems like a grounding issue because when the i turn the igntion the clock on the gauge cluster dims and the light in the floor board near the hood pop goes off. The terminals on the battery are tight. I never had this problem with the old battery, but i only had the car for a day before replacing it.

I forgot to mention that when i revved the engine, the volt meter showed 14.2 volts if i'm not mistaken. I get another reading just to be sure when i get off work today and report back.

In the meantime, anyone else that wants to take a stab at diagnosing this, it would be really helpful!

 

check voltage at the alternator too just to be sure. both the main lead and the smaller spade. The main lead should have 14+ volts and the spade should have 12V. And then check continuity. There is a main subframe ground, check for continuity of that too. Or if you want to test to see if it is in fact a ground, try adding a second ground by using the jumper cable, clamp one end onto the negative terminal and then clamp another end onto a good clean ground. If you don't experience the problems your describing when you crank the car over, then it may very well be a ground. And make sure you're always using a fully charged battery when doing any of these tests.

 

Thanks for the help so far!

Where is the main subframe ground located? This car is originally from New England and everything is beyond corroded so i'm feeling pretty sure it has something to do with that. I'll check voltage at the alternator just to be double sure i'm i feel certain it's not the issue. The battery is brand new, and has 14+ volts every time i checked (idle, cranking, revving). Are they are any grounds on the engine itself?

 

The subframe ground is the main ground coming off of the battery, you'll just have to follow it. then there's the ground right next to the battery, and about 3 on the block, and two on the cam cover, although if you're concentrating on grounds I would check the two main grounds coming off of the neg terminal.

 

I'll check all the grounds and then report back.

 

Got it fixed. I cleaned and tightened all the grounds i could find and it started right up.

Thanks for the help. This forum is so much more helpful that vwvortex, my usual forum.