Hello Brickboarders!
I have a 1995 Volvo 850 wagon, and we tried to start it a few days ago, and it wouldn't start; it seemed like the battery was low. I switched the battery with my car, a Volvo 850 sedan, and the wagon started, so I thought that at least I knew that the wagon's battery was low. I took it to an auto parts store, they charged it and tested it, and said it looked fine. I put it in the car, but didn't start it; the next day we tried to start the car, and it wouldn't start again, so I removed the battery, took it to a different store, and they charged it and ran a test, and said that the battery was bad. I bought a new battery and put it in, and... well, the car wouldn't start again!!! So, I took it to an auto shop, and they charged the (new) battery, said that it was fine, and that the alternator was the problem, that it needed to be replaced.
My question is, how can it be the alternator, if I put the battery in, and didn't start the car? The alternator charges the battery while the car is running, so if the car wasn't running, how could the alternator have been the culprit?
Any ideas?
Thanks a million!
coffeeguzzler