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Cooked Battery 850 1994

posted by  someone claiming to be Ted on  Thu Nov 23 16:14 CST 2000 [RELATED]

I have heard that Volvos are notorious for overcharging their batteries. In my case, our '94 850 turbo wagon has just gone through two batteries and blew out the highbeams and other bulbs in the span of one week. After checking the charging output at the battery itself, it registered 22V! Is it just a simple matter of replacing the alternater/voltage regulator, or does the problem go deeper than that? Unfortunately, I could not find any forum-messages relating to this problem. My hope is that I have not done any permanent damage to other electrical components as I had to run the car two hours with the battery disconnected to get it back to civilization. My first attempt will be to replace the regulator, battery and blown lamps. Any advice regarding this would be appreciated.







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    Re: Cooked Battery 850 1994

    posted by  someone claiming to be Dave the Volvo Tech on  Sat Nov 25 05:56 CST 2000 [RELATED]

    Ted-

    The regulator is inside the alternator. I haven't changed just the regulator so I can't offer any advise on that repair. The alternators are not very accessable due to the modular design of the accessory mounting on the engine. This is the first example of overcharging I have heard of- most of the time the alternator quits charging.







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      Re: Cooked Battery 850 1994

      posted by  someone claiming to be Robert A. Froebel on  Sun Nov 26 03:02 CST 2000 [RELATED]

      Dave;

      The voltage regulator is integral with the alternator brushes. I replaced mine at 160k kms because I was concerned about brush wear. When I got them out it was obvious that they would have been good for at least another 100k kms butîI replaced them anyway. Most Volvo shops just replace the whole alternator for much more money. It is a miserable, knuckle skinning job. Push or remove all the easy stuff out of the way and then you can do it. The hardest job is taking the alternator cover off; three long screws which may be corroded. Use a good light and a large mirror. Be careful putting everything back together. The brushes are spring loaded. Be sure and disconnect the battery before starting.

      Allthe best.

      Robert A. Froebel







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        Re: Cooked Battery 850 1994

        posted by  someone claiming to be Ted on  Mon Nov 27 05:41 CST 2000 [RELATED]

        Thanks, Dave and Robert, for your advice. Since my original posting, I have managed to extract the alternator and it was found to indeed be faulty. It is a Bosch part that can be rebuilt easily (most new ones are in fact, rebuilt), just find a good auto electric shop. Some advice to give thus far: the serpentine belt tension does NOT require the $12 special tool from Volvo. All one needs is a 1/2" to 3/4" rachet converter as the hole on the tensioner is 3/4". However, one needs to carefully move the black box in the engine compartment on the passenger-side to get the tool to fit. The P/S pump can be swung away and not disonnected and there are a few miserable bolts to get at before the actual alternator can be removed. All in all, a little patience and it was not that big of a job in the end.

        Ted






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