DaveTX Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Guys-Ok, here's a quick summary of what I've got going on in my '01 S60 T5:-10 days ago, I have a dead battery.-Take the battery to get charged and tested...they say its good.-Drive for 6 days, maybe 50 miles at most, and the battery goes dead again. I know, I should have looked into it sooner, but got busy!-Take the battery to get charged and tested...they say it is great. This was this past Sunday.-Last night (Monday) I drive the car to Autozone for them to check the charging system (battery and alternator). Battery checks out fine and they say the alternator is also good since they showed it charging the battery.-This morning (Tuesday) I hear a very brief clicking sound like when I tried to start my car and the battery was dead, but after a second, it does turn over and starts. This is strange because the battery was perfect just 12 hours before hand and it had previously taken 6 days for my car to drain the battery...why the sudden jump?I'm running out of things to test! Any suggestions? According to the auto parts store's tests, the battery is good and the alternator is charging. My current working theory is that a computer isn't shutting down thereby creating a draw on the battery OR the alternator really is bad and the test results I saw last night were just on the voltage side (good voltage, but poor amps). Any input you have would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillAileo Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 You are on the right track thinking it may be a "computer" not shutting off but I'd guess its more likely something like a glove box light. FWIW: I believe the more times a battery has been drained the less efficient it becomes.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saluki_s60 Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 The battery is dead assuming it has not been changed since 2001. I had the very same thing in 2006 with my 01 S60. It is the most annoying thing. Advance Auto Parts carries Volvo type batteries. Guys-Ok, here's a quick summary of what I've got going on in my '01 S60 T5:-10 days ago, I have a dead battery.-Take the battery to get charged and tested...they say its good.-Drive for 6 days, maybe 50 miles at most, and the battery goes dead again. I know, I should have looked into it sooner, but got busy!-Take the battery to get charged and tested...they say it is great. This was this past Sunday.-Last night (Monday) I drive the car to Autozone for them to check the charging system (battery and alternator). Battery checks out fine and they say the alternator is also good since they showed it charging the battery.-This morning (Tuesday) I hear a very brief clicking sound like when I tried to start my car and the battery was dead, but after a second, it does turn over and starts. This is strange because the battery was perfect just 12 hours before hand and it had previously taken 6 days for my car to drain the battery...why the sudden jump?I'm running out of things to test! Any suggestions? According to the auto parts store's tests, the battery is good and the alternator is charging. My current working theory is that a computer isn't shutting down thereby creating a draw on the battery OR the alternator really is bad and the test results I saw last night were just on the voltage side (good voltage, but poor amps). Any input you have would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 850T-5 Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 you know, I had a similar issue. Volvo OEM battery that had been in there a while. All of a sudden would be completely dead and wouldn't start. I would also get strange electrical things happening, flashing arrow all of a sudden. Took it to Autozone, they topped off the charge and tested, said it passed and is fine. Almost took me down a different route but figured I'd change out the battery. Put a new Volvo battery in and never had a problem again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theForgottenone Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Check all of your ground wires from the car engine bay. upgrade them if neccessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonutsDemise Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 +1 on getting a new battery. you might as well check for parasitic drains too. once my trunk light was killing my battery, or maybe one of your back doors has a courtesy light on that you would never see if it's closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTX Posted March 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Good idea on checking the glove box light. I'll give it a good look over tonight when the sun goes down. I will say, that the battery has a year stamp of 2007 on it, so it is a fairly new battery...not a Volvo battery, but still new. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboS60 Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 I have the exact same problem, even with a new battery it still does it. Im gonna try replacing the voltage regulator which is a common failure on these cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTX Posted March 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Does anyone know if a faulty alternator regulator will show up on an alternator test? The test I had done at Autozone showed the battery was being charged by the alternator with the engine at 2,000 RPMs.DaveI have the exact same problem, even with a new battery it still does it. Im gonna try replacing the voltage regulator which is a common failure on these cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 850T-5 Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 they have these pretty cool battery test/maintenence chargers at Pep Boys which will also test the alternator that are fairly cheap and they are handy to have, an excellent investment.also at most autoparts store they sell little $9.00 battery and alt. voltage testers that will tell you if the output is low, normal or high or you can just use a multimeter to be able to tell.I say go this route because Autozone told me my OEM battery was good as I mentioned when I have having a similar issue, I replaced it and never had a problem again though. if you keep having the problem having your own test unit, then you can keep checking the battery and alt on your own to better diagnose what is happening.the alt test is simple, it should be putting out around 14.5 volts I believe and any test unit will typically tell you if the voltage is low, normal or high. If the output is low or high, the regulator is probably bad unless there is a broken ground. doesn't hurt to clean and check the terminals as well if you haven't, check grounds as mentioned and keep checking for any drains from say a trunk or glovebox light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWinkey Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Yes it sounds as if you have a dead cell in the battery(if it's original it's over due). Replace that and see what goes. It's not an alternator issue from your description. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbomatt Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Battery terminal connections.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTX Posted March 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Battery terminals are good and clean...they looked good when all this started but I went ahead and cleaned them anyways. The battery also has a manufacture date stamp of 2007. So its just 3-15 months old...not a Volvo battery, but still new and tested well. I checked tonight for any lights on that may drain the battery and didn't see any. How would one go about testing the electrical system for a drain?I'll check out those battery/alternator testers, good advice, 850T-5.Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Tuna Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 im having the same problem with my optima red top. sometimes when i turn the key all the way forward, it will click wait about three seconds and the barely start, and shucks says they are both fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2001T5 Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Just because the battery is new, doesn't mean it isn't bad. As for Advance Auto carrying the battery for your 01... Unless they just started as of 2 months ago, they don't. They couldn't even order it. I purchased a battery from the dealership, and it only cost me $75, and there was no core charge. IMO that's a really good price for OEM. The price of a comparable battery from AAP usually starts around $79, and that's without the core added. The tester at Advance Auto will tell you if the regulator is bad. I'm assuming you had it tested while it was still on the car, so the person running the test would have to know what he's looking at. I would suggest taking your battery out of your car, and having them test it inside the store. It will tell them if there is a bad cell. (unless you've already done that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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