Hi all,
I have a 2004 XC90 that has sat for a couple months while I was away. I had it jumped yesterday and backed out of the driveway and it died. Jumped it again and drove it with no issue for about 45 minutes non stop. Came home, turned it off and it wouldn't start again. The battery is less than a year old but I'm thinking it fully discharged and that wasnt long enough for the alternator to recharge it??? I could take the battery down and have it slow charged at Auto Zone, or should I just buy a new one? I had a full tune up and timing replaced in August and have not driven it much since then. At that time there were no concerns about the alternator. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Do you have a volt meter? First step is to measure across the battery posts - should be 12.6V with the engine off. Now hook up the jumper cables and start the other car - let it run as a trickle charge for about 5-10 minutes. now see what voltage you get should be around 14V. finally start your car, disconnect the jumpers and see what voltage you have at the battery posts. If its less than 13, you have a charging system issue (cable, battery terminals, alternator, voltage regulator etc). Its likely your battery was fully drained and may need a deep charge or needs replacing. You can buy a budget charger at Sears or Harbor Freight etc for under $50. If you plan on leaving the car in storage or don't start it for 3-4 weeks at a time, best to disconnect the battery or buy a float charger.