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Got back from a week holiday in January to find the car stone dead, not even the central locking would work. The recovery guy jump started it and we got home where as advised, I hooked up the battery charger overnight. Mrs NBT ran it up to our local car parts shop and they tested the battery (now 11 years old as it's the original one in ths '08 car) and the alternator, and declared both to be fine.
The car has been ok since the until Wednesday this week, when the car died on Mrs NBT as she was driving. Note not stalled at a junction, just died while going round a mini-roundabout. She was able to restart the car and continue her journey and it's been fine since. She was out in it last night for instance, only got home about midnight.
This morning it's once again dead. nothing, not even responding to the central locking remote. I can get a new battery and fit it, but just wondering what else I might need to consider, what's draining the power so that it will go from being ok on the way home last night to not responding this morning
If the battery goes flat that wouldn't stall the car. Is the battery actually flat or is it just not starting?
Some sort of loose wiring somewhere? Dodgy fuse?
The cold will do it. You could try disconnecting the battery if you are not using it for a few days.
It would not normally cut out when driving though.
they tested the battery (now 11 years old
I would replace the battery if it was that old anyway. If the car just stopped dead when it was being driven, but then seemed to work ok, I would put a dud battery high on the list. It may be intermittently shorting out inside, so the voltage will drop enough to shut down the ignition, even though the alternator is working.
Your faults do not sound like a failed battery. Electrical or some sort possibly, earth or wiring maybe but not battery.
Rectifier would be my guess.
No warning lights on the dash?
In the first instance the battery was definitely dead, not putting anything out at all, according to the voltmeter.
I can understand that cutting out while driving may not be related at all
dodgy wiring does seem a distinct possibility. this is one of those areas where I have to call in people who know what they're doing. just wondered if (as often happens on STW) someone would pop up and say "oh the widjamjig often gives up the ghost and that results in this effect, check if that needs to be replaced"
Will get a new battery and see how things go. cheers all
[strong]Cougar[/strong] wrote:
Rectifier would be my guess.
No warning lights on the dash?
whats' the rectifier?
As for warning lights
yes, there's one showing some of the time. we've had it in to the garage, they say it's related to the cat, but it's intermittent and they said we didn't neeed to do anything. Quite often the light wil go away for weeks on end
Quite often the light wil go away for weeks on end
Yeah, cats will do that.
whats’ the rectifier?
A pack of diodes that plugs into the alternator, converts AC to DC current. A leaky diode can quietly empty your battery with no other symptoms.
Aside from the sudden cut-out thing which is plain weird (sure she didn't just stall it?), I once had the same problem. Fine most of the time, then maybe once a week I'd come to it to find it stone dead. No warning light aside from the red battery lamp which was lit very very faintly (which I assume wouldn't happen on a modern dashboard anyway). Went through countless mechanics and auto-electricians, ended up going direct to Lucas who diagnosed it in about 30 seconds. Alternator was fine, battery was fine, cabling was fine, but there had been water ingress into the rectifier which had corroded it inside.
Had the same problem with my VFR800 bike, just conked out coasting to a halt on the M4 hard shoulder, lovely!
It was the regulator/rectifier, wiring was corroded and brittle resulting in electrical gremlins similar to the ones you describe. It had ground to a halt 2 days before, failed to start at first, then been successfully bump started, then started off the battery no problem later the same day and I'd had a variety of weird issues in the weeks running up to it.
The regulator/rectifier takes the current coming from the generator on the engine (AC) and
a) converts it into DC for the electrical system
b) Dumps any excess voltage created that would otherwise fry all your electrics.
*too slow
Cheers chaps. will look into that. Anyone got a haynes manual for an '08 V50? 😀
Earthing belt thing. My van did something similar many years ago - AA guy fixed it with some number 8 fencing wire I think.
Waves at cougar, not sure I stalled it. There was loss of power (luckily on a small roundabout and not travelling fast at all). Car just went dead and all lights on dash board came on. Luckily could start it up straight away.
Some of you say because of the cold, this could be right because the past 2/3 mornings there has been a frost. Although it's a Volvo and it's always been fine in the cold, even in very low temperatures.
@Bunnyhop the make has little bearing on how insulated the engine compartment is 😉
The cut out issue does make it seem like there may be something else wrong there but disconnecting the battery (only one side) is easy, cheap and will rule out one issue.
I seems to spend most of my time in winter getting my old Seat jump started and its not even really that cold here!
Wiring Loom issue perhaps - I had similar problems on a Mazda 3 some years ago, all the dashboard lights would flash and then engine lose power, intermittent failing battery. Wiring loom was knackered, cost a relative fortune to sort although all labour, parts were aroudn £45 for a £500+ bill IIRC.
I’d go with old battery and cold. It played up in winter, and temps drop again and it plays up. My van is absolutely useless in winter, battery won’t hold a charge for a week but is fine once it warms. Personally I’d change the battery even though it tests fine before hunting other gremlins.
If the battery has been down to 0v it's most probably goosed.
Yep 0V if measured on a 12v lead acid battery will mean its dead. Deep discharged. We had this on old telecoms kit where if running on batteries due to a power failure it would keep going till the battery was pulled down to 0V and killed. More modern kit has a cut out relay that stops this happening by opening up when the battery is discharged to a certain point thus saving the battery.
Our old Focus had a similar issue to yours which eventually manifested itself as a short circuit alternator (which killed the battery in the process)
If the battery has been down to 0v it’s most probably goosed.
If it's at zero volts there's bits of the battery missing.
V50.....designed to work in the cold.
I suspect that it will be a poor earth somewhere. Multiple earth points on modern cars. Have a look behind footwell carpets etc. Areas that could get damp and where the self tapper or welded mild steel stud will corrode.
Is it a Volvo made battery ?
The model of car has no bearing on how a failing battery operated in the cold.
It's the original Volvo battery.
Called my local parts supplier at 14.15 to order a new battery, they delivered it at 14.30. unfortunately when I came to fit, it's not the same shape as the original so it doesn't fit. I'll call them first thing tomorrow and get one the right size
You might have been told the battery is ok but I bet after 11 years it isn't. Weak battery = stranded first frosty morning.
I've had this sort of thing several times over the years:
Test battery - all good.
Test alternator output - all good.
Check battery drain current - all good.
Check all connections - all good.
Replace battery fault fixed. I suspect it is an intermittent internal short in the battery and at 11 years I'd just replace it.
PM me your address and I'll send you the Haynes manual.
Might be a dead cell.
If it was me I'd go out a battery on it as diag charges will be higher than that.
Then see how you get on
An 11 year old battery will most likely be done , no matter what your tester says. Change it and I bet your problem goes away...
Oh and if you know what make it is I’d buy the same again - 11 years is b***dy good going!
yes, there’s one showing some of the time. we’ve had it in to the garage, they say it’s related to the cat, but it’s intermittent and they said we didn’t neeed to do anything.
I’d also recommend replacing the battery. 11 years is a good run.
Any warning light related to engine management or emissions control is an MOT failure now.