hello people and thanks for reading. I have a Volvo 850 Glt 1996 automatic non-turbo. Been driving it for awhile until it wouldn't start at one point so had to get a jump and it would start back up again. Then had to get more jumps and someone mention the alternator is draining the battery. So what I did is after a drive I would disconnect the battery and then I would connect it back before I started driving again. This routine worked for awhile. But I connected the battery back and it just cranks but while I am holding the key as it cranks, the cranking get's weaker and weaker. I disconnected the battery and after 5 days I tried it again and now it does not crank, i hear one small slow crank and that's it. The car currently has gas and the starter is new. Thinking it's the alternator or battery because those haven't been changed ever since I got the car but some say that the alternator has nothing to do with starting the car. Anybody know what it could be?

 

have the battery tested but it sounds like a failing alternator to me

 

Agreed, have that battery tested and check if your actually charging. It is correct, you do not need an alternator to start a car. You need juice in your battery.

 

Well I tried jumping it today and it cranked a little bit then tried to start it again and no crank. So it currently does not crank even when trying to jump it. If I get a brand new battery do you guys think it would start at least? Cuz if I get a new alternator it's still not going to start cuz you don't need the alt to start.

 

have the battery tested at an autoparts store or at charge it on a home wall charger if you have one. then go from there, if the battery turns out to be good then your alt is bad if the battery is bad, your alt can also be bad. was the battery light on when it was running? sounds like an ubber dead battery or a failing alt. take one out of the equation by testing the one that's easiest to test, the battery.

 

well a mechanic came and charged the battery and tried to jump it and it actually cranked fast and almost started. Then he checked the fuel pump and no gas was spraying out. So I need a fuel pump, wow.

 

Could be the relay. Jump the relay and try to start it first.

 

I'm no where near being a mechanic, so how do I go about jumping this relay?

 

An easier method is to take a wire from your positive terminal on your battery to the red wire on your coil. The voltage will backfeed to the fuel pump. Make sure its quiet when you do this so you can listen to the fuel rail for fuel pressurizing. If there is no noise at all then I would go after the fuel pump. If there is fuel pressurizing then its something else.