New battery / alternator , not charging
#1
12-19-2013 | 12:59 AM
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New battery / alternator , not charging
Hey Guys , im new to this forum. Looking to get some advice
I'm mechanically inclined , but this is the first Volvo i've worked on.
Its a 1999 Volvo S70 GLT ( Grand luxury turbo ) has about 180k miles on it.
Recently , belt snapped off , bent the pulley on my power steering pump, i replaced it all. Battery light was on, after i put the new belt and everything on.... Checked alternator, apparently it was bad.. so i replaced alternator , also just went ahead and bought a new battery.
After completing all the procedures , i turn the car on, after installing new alternators, the two wires that go into the alterator, the new battery, the light is still on! It was flickering after i had put the belt on for the first time, but now its solid red , that battery light is on, left car on for about 25-30 mins , went in to take a shower, came back , car was off, lights flickering. ( i did that to see if the gauge light was just faulty ). Used a volt meter, battery isn't getting any power.
The question is and i'm wondering could it be the positive wire going from the battery to the fuse box ? it copper in it does look a little burnt/black, could be grease or could be burnt but i haven't tried it yet.
Also, are there any other hidden fuses in this vehicle?
I was looking for a charging system fuse, or battery fuse , is there such thing in this volvo? Please help me guys ! i need all the advice i can get !
I'm mechanically inclined , but this is the first Volvo i've worked on.
Its a 1999 Volvo S70 GLT ( Grand luxury turbo ) has about 180k miles on it.
Recently , belt snapped off , bent the pulley on my power steering pump, i replaced it all. Battery light was on, after i put the new belt and everything on.... Checked alternator, apparently it was bad.. so i replaced alternator , also just went ahead and bought a new battery.
After completing all the procedures , i turn the car on, after installing new alternators, the two wires that go into the alterator, the new battery, the light is still on! It was flickering after i had put the belt on for the first time, but now its solid red , that battery light is on, left car on for about 25-30 mins , went in to take a shower, came back , car was off, lights flickering. ( i did that to see if the gauge light was just faulty ). Used a volt meter, battery isn't getting any power.
The question is and i'm wondering could it be the positive wire going from the battery to the fuse box ? it copper in it does look a little burnt/black, could be grease or could be burnt but i haven't tried it yet.
Also, are there any other hidden fuses in this vehicle?
I was looking for a charging system fuse, or battery fuse , is there such thing in this volvo? Please help me guys ! i need all the advice i can get !
#2
12-19-2013 | 09:05 AM
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A couple of observations (note: I have a 2000 S70 so validate the configuration is true for your 1999 S70.)...
I find it odd that you bent the power steering pulley because the belt broke. Anything is possible, but that is a pretty stout pulley.
I would take the belt off and rotate everything by hand to see if anything is binding like the A/C compressor, idler/tensioner, power steering. They should spin smoothly.
If all of that is good, look at the routing of the belt. The alternator runs on the backside of the belt. The belt should have ribbing on BOTH sides, if it does not, the alternator will slip when it comes under load.
If all that is good, you need to consider the alternator is bad. One important note, never install an alternator with a dead or poorly charged battery. There is a reason the manufacturers tell you not to do this on the instructions. It's a very high premature failure risk.
The only other piece would be how the alternator gets feedback to know to turn on and off, maybe someone can shed light on that. The regulator/rectifier block are internal. Those 2 wires probably feed the warning gauge. I'm sure an electrical diagram would help with that.
I find it odd that you bent the power steering pulley because the belt broke. Anything is possible, but that is a pretty stout pulley.
I would take the belt off and rotate everything by hand to see if anything is binding like the A/C compressor, idler/tensioner, power steering. They should spin smoothly.
If all of that is good, look at the routing of the belt. The alternator runs on the backside of the belt. The belt should have ribbing on BOTH sides, if it does not, the alternator will slip when it comes under load.
If all that is good, you need to consider the alternator is bad. One important note, never install an alternator with a dead or poorly charged battery. There is a reason the manufacturers tell you not to do this on the instructions. It's a very high premature failure risk.
The only other piece would be how the alternator gets feedback to know to turn on and off, maybe someone can shed light on that. The regulator/rectifier block are internal. Those 2 wires probably feed the warning gauge. I'm sure an electrical diagram would help with that.
#3
12-20-2013 | 05:48 PM
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Yeah, all that is good. Belt and everything is fine, alternator is brand new, brand new battery, and everything. Do you think it could possibly be the harness that goes from battery to alternator? I just replaced the cable that goes from battery to fuse box ... but still nothing... this is getting ridiculous
#4
12-20-2013 | 08:11 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Albuquerque, NM
Parts supply places do sell bad alternators. I installed one on a Mini Cooper that caught fire within 5 minutes of running. Did you put the volt meter on the alternator to see what the output was? You can also take it to a parts store to have them check the alternator on the car.
Where did you purchase the alternator? What brand is it?
No, there is no other fuse that I can think of for you to check. You have the MAIN fuse box behind the air box, the fuse panel behind the brake booster, and fuses under the kick panel at the drivers feet.
These cars are known to have bad cables going to the battery.
Where did you purchase the alternator? What brand is it?
No, there is no other fuse that I can think of for you to check. You have the MAIN fuse box behind the air box, the fuse panel behind the brake booster, and fuses under the kick panel at the drivers feet.
These cars are known to have bad cables going to the battery.
#5
12-20-2013 | 08:59 PM
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Briefly, an alternator works by measuring the input voltage supplied by the battery and pushing back amperage. There is no fuse between the alternator and the battery. I thought the alternator RED cable went to the starter and then back to the battery. The battery cable also goes to the main fuse lug - the one you saw.
As rspi said, parts places sell bad alternators. The is not likely to be bad, but I have experienced a battery that would not take a charge that was only a month or 2 old. Take the battery out of the equation and charge it using another car or a battery charger. If you have 12+ volts on the battery it is enough to run everything.
To take the car out of the equation, look at the support wires that go to the alternator. One will be a reference and the other likely part of the gauge warning circuit. Unhook them and look for battery voltage, with the key on, on 1 or both wires. One of them will be the reference wire and will have the battery voltage. This is how the alternator knows how much current to apply to the battery. If you have no voltage on the reference wire the alternator cannot send current back to the battery. Maybe someone here knows which wire is which. If you have 12 volts, then hook it back up and start the car. Measure the voltage coming out of the alternator. You can measure it at the starter for an easier location. You should see upwards of 13-14 volts - not battery voltage. If you don't have it, take it back and have them test it because something about it is wrong.
As rspi said, parts places sell bad alternators. The is not likely to be bad, but I have experienced a battery that would not take a charge that was only a month or 2 old. Take the battery out of the equation and charge it using another car or a battery charger. If you have 12+ volts on the battery it is enough to run everything.
To take the car out of the equation, look at the support wires that go to the alternator. One will be a reference and the other likely part of the gauge warning circuit. Unhook them and look for battery voltage, with the key on, on 1 or both wires. One of them will be the reference wire and will have the battery voltage. This is how the alternator knows how much current to apply to the battery. If you have no voltage on the reference wire the alternator cannot send current back to the battery. Maybe someone here knows which wire is which. If you have 12 volts, then hook it back up and start the car. Measure the voltage coming out of the alternator. You can measure it at the starter for an easier location. You should see upwards of 13-14 volts - not battery voltage. If you don't have it, take it back and have them test it because something about it is wrong.
Last edited by rspi; 12-20-2013 at 09:57 PM. Reason: typo
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