My battery light came on the dash and goes off and on, I checked the battery it shows 12.6 and with the motor at idle it's just below 14, I'm thinking those are normal numbers, what else can I check ? Any ideas ?

 

 

Battery issues are always a pain. I had 1 point to make. If you are going to solder the connector/wire, which I think that is a great idea, I would also get rid of the extra support wires. I don't know why car makers decided we needed mutliple wires going to the battery connector but they are always a problem eventually. Chevy did this with the Suburban and sure enough the only electical issue I ever had with that vehicle was the connection between the 2 battery cables that combined at the battery.

 

Well, I cleaned all the contacts, I replaced the battery because it was showing under 300 cca on a load tester and the battery light is still on. The charging system is showing between 13.95 - 14.05 at idle and 13.78 - 13.84 under full load. Now the weather is unbearable, when the light came on we were about 20 degrees with snow and salt spray and tonight it is supposed to get -20 without the wind chill. I have a feeling the regulator could be going or gone if it's not just a weather related problem. The car starts and runs fine up until this point, now what ? thanks, John

 

The battery lite being ON indicates current is flowing from the battery to the car's electrical system (alt). If the alt is charging the battery (current flowing from alt to the battery), the battery lite will be OFF.

Could be any number of things, loose connection(s), etc. But my bet is the brushes on the alt are worn out. Nine times out of ten that's what it is; esp if the alt has about 120K mls on it or more.

You can usually get the regulator/diode-pack/brush-holder as a separate assembly for around $60, or rebuilt alt about 2X that.

I hope you have a garage because I certainly wouldn't work on a car in -20F weather if I didn't have to..

 

I'm not going to mess with it for a few days at the minimum but after some internet searching I'm guessing that my problem is the B+ battery cable, I'll get the fuse box cover off and take a peak at that when it warms up a little bit.

 

well I checked the B+ cable in the fuse box and it looks brand new, I checked all cables with a multitester and they all check out good, I'm back to the alt.but why would it put out good numbers if the regulator were bad ? Will that show up under a code if I take it to autozone ?

 

Didn't say the regulator was (electrically) bad; I conjectured the slip-ring brushes (housed in the regulator assembly) may be nearing their wear limit threshold. Only way to know for sure is to pull the regulator assembly off of the alt and ck them. If it is the brushes are at their limit, and you continue as you are, the batt lite will eventually stay ON constantly and you will not see "good numbers".

And no, it won't set a code.

 

Well I also discovered the positive cable gets very hot, I checked the car under load again, (the temp is -10) and had the lights, heater, rear defrost, both seat warmers and headlight/parking lights on and it showed about 12.80 at idle. The problem is I don't have money to just keep throwing at it, I guess when it warms up a bit I'll take it some place and have them check it again unless someone comes up with something else.

 

A hot battery cable is a good clue for you. That cable is designed to handle high amperage during engine cranking. With all those drains on you are pulling a pretty good current draw but I would not think it enough to heat up a good cable.


If I were a betting man I would side with the B+ cable having a weak internal or external connection. It easily could be the alternator is slipping as well. I had that happen. That is an easy test. Take the belt off the alternator. Spin the pulley with your hand and quickly stop it with your hand. If the armature keeps going, the alternator needs to be replaced. I had this exact scenario happen. I never heard of it before.


If the alternator doesn't slip I would address the battery cable. The connection between the battery and cable could be bad (cleaning and tightening to fix) OR the connector to cable. RSPI's video showing the soldering technique would be a great way to solve that.


For the kind of cold you are experiencing, I would keep it on a charger (assuming you have one) when the vehicle is not in use. Just understand that once the light stays on, the battery will only run the car about 20-30 minutes under all the loads. You don't want to get stranded, in those temperatures, with a car that won't run.


Just for trivia. When this happened to my sons car it shut down right in front of a mechanics house. When I was jumping the car (sitting on the side of the road charging the battery off my car) the guy came over with one of the quick jump packs. He hooked it up to the battery and set it on top of the engine and closed the hood (gently mind you) and my son drove the vehicle home. Since then, I bought my own and keep it charged. It will run the vehicle enough to get you home if you aren't; too far away.

 

OK I soldered the battery cable and no more heat but the battery light is still on and that is the only light that comes on, the car sat all night in -16 weather and started right up, autozone checked and said my charging system was good the ford dealer checked it and said the batt and alt, starter were good, now what ? I'm at my wits end with this thing.

 

I know this may sound dumb but that battery light does not need a reset right ?

 

Did you spin the alternator as i suggested?

 

No it doesn't.

There must be some wire loose or messed up somewhere. You'll have to follow the wires and make sure all of them are in good shape and connected well.

I like idiot lights, but don't live by them...

 

I appreciate your guys help, I talked to 2 volvo techs and they seem to think it has to be the alt. but they did not do any tests. I have little money and now know I should have bought something a little cheaper to fix but it's too late now. They said it could show the volts but if 1 or even 2 diodes are bad you won't be getting the proper amps so I'm off to find an alt. I guess.

 

Seems like I heard that before... GDog.

If the car starts & runs fine, why stress out about it? I'm sure there are other cars that go years with going around with poor alternator performance without the owner having any knowledge of an issue. Just drive it until you have the money to replace it. You can also get one from a salvage yard. Did you know most junk yards give a warranty? Pull one, have it tested, then replace yours. They usually cost $35 or less. If you can't afford that, you can't afford to drive anything...

 

You can always sell it and get a Honda.

 

To be honest I love this car, but I have a limited income and a very sick grandson and I help my daughter as much as I can with traveling and lodging/food expenses when they have to take my grandson all over the map for treatment and medical care.

Funny you mentioned the junk yard I tried several and they have none available but you're right little things like this do stress me out, I can't help it, it's just my nature.

I know it'll get fixed but with this weather if I get stuck it would not be good.

 

Never good to break down anywhere in any car. But it happens. Just call a tow truck. They are about $50 to $100 and are usually covered by your insurance company or AAA. I think I pay $1 per month on my insurance to include Road Side Assistance (towning).

Most of us are in the same boat, limited funds and driving these great comfortable cars that can be easily fixed by the owner. I know I am. I had to quit working over 4 years ago to care for my ill wife. Her "she only has 4 to 6 weeks to live" has thankfully turned into a terminal lifetime illness. I drove my car about 18 months with a bad battery and 4 months with a bad transmission, no 1st, no reverse and no kick down (over 2,500 miles). Now I'm driving around with bad tires.

As VMaxx's signature line say... "That's why we drive old cars and try to act proud of it." -RSPi lol