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changed my battery and alternater, ran for a couple of days no problem. tried too start battery was dead. When it was running alternater made a strange noise like belts were loose, check belts they were tight.
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You stated that you just changed the alt and battery. Why go through all the trouble to figure it out. I assume that you purchased the alt from a parts store. Just remove it, simple as you have seen, take it back and install new one. Check mounts as earlier said, there are 3. The bolt going to the engine can be a problem at times. Just do not snap it off when tightening it back. If rubber mounts are bad then get Volvo replacements. The aftermarkets, and especially poly bushings, do not have the insulating properties as the originals. Tighten the matching belts (and please get matched set belts, not just two of the same length) until you have about an inch of movement on the longest straight run of the belt. Now that solved your problem, no more guessing if it is the regulator sticking, bearings bad, diode trio partically dead, brushes sticking or worn, and so on and on and on...Max
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Max..1989 244 DL 5 Spd., V15 Phase II Cam Bilstein HD, Turbo Swaybars, Poly Bushings all round, Turbo Wheels, Black leather interior, Electric mirrors, LED dash and gauge lights and now NEW ECODES with the turn signals, 1992 black 244 next project
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I once, a long time ago, experienced what you have -- fortunately, a voltmeter in the car alerted me (that the battery wasn't charging well when the headlights were on) instead of finding a dead battery in the morning.
I checked the belts -- they "felt" tight; and they weren't that old, anyway. No glaze or other damage. In fact, as I remember it (about 15 or more years ago), I also heard the belts squeal just a little when the headlights were on, so I knew it somehow had to be loose belts even though they didn't feel that way.
Long story shortened ... this was how I "discovered" that there are "auxiliary mount bushings". They had deteriorated and, under load (e.g., headlights), allowed the alternator to shift and let the belts slip. No way could I feel that pulling on them when the engine was off. But you can see that the
Changing those rubber bushings cleared the problem. I never knew about the bushings until then -- it was many years ago, but I have never neglected or overlooked them since! In fact, I've started replacing them with IPD's Poly types when they're due.
Give them some thought -- hope this helped.
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Alt shouldn't make a lot of noise. I'd think if noise isn't belts then its bearings - but the bad bearings could be in alt or in water pump which is nearby. Anyway, check the below.
First verify all instrument cluster warning lights working properly - should light up when you turn key before starting car. See owners manual for details as to which ones should be ligthing up.
If too many of those little bulbs are dead then the alt won't charge. It get's exciter voltage from the cluster, it's tied in with the alt warning light circuit. Bulbs can be replaced from parts store or dealer or from a junker cluster if needed.
Next...
Check that small red wire is connected at back of alternator. Connector is around 1 or 2 o'clock as you face the rear of alt. Fat red wire connects lower down. And the ground wire connects on one of the screws going thru the alt case.
The 2 red wires (and also the oil pressure sender wire) run into a harness at lower inner corner of alt. If car is '87 or earlier suspect crumbling insulation and wiring inside the harness. There are cures for that; tell us the year of your car.
Tell us what you found.
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Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, open-front airbox, E-fan, 205/65-15's, IPD sways, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors, quad horns. Wifemobile '89 245 NA stock. 90 244 NA spare, runs.
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Samson,
A quick verification of the alt can be gotten by looking at the battery with and w/o the alt on.
Test the static current (see 310-2 on the Bentley) by
"1) Make sure the ignition and all electrical accessories are off
2) Disconnecting the negative battery cable (-) from the battery
3) Connect a digital ammeter between the battery negative post and the negative battery cable and measure the current draw."
Bentley indicates 100 milliamps (.1 amp) is normal; more than 500 milliamps indicates a problem (.5 amp)
Then test the battery itself:
"An open circuit voltage test checks the batter voltage by connecting an accurate digital voltmeter to the battery posts after disconnecting the battery ground cable. Before making an open-circuit voltage test on a battery, first load the battery with 15 amps for one minute, for example by turning on the headlights without the engine running."
per the Bentley:
12.6 V or more = fully charged
12.4 V = 75%
12.2 V = 50%
12.0 V = 25%
11.7 V or less = fully discharged
If the battery checks out - then check the alternator, as Sven said, all the connections, and then the output. I simply check the load at the battery posts for a rating of 14 V or so to indicate charging. The Bentley suggests you use a load tester as a crude measure - " if a load tester is not available, a crude output test can be doen by running the engine at about 2000 RPM and turning on many electrical loads such as fans, lights and heated window. When loaded, the battery should still be 12 volts or higher"
Finally, the Bentley has instructions for checking the alternator by checking the battery voltage between ground and positive (B+) on the back of the alternator. This includes a diagram which I can't post here, but the above check should be a quick and dirty way to gauge the status of the battery and if the alt is working.
Best,
Lanval
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92 240GL - Virgos, IPD 25/25 sways, 150,000 mi strong
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