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Hello S90 fans,
I've read the FAQs and wonder if the below symptoms sound like the positive battery cable issues mentioned there.
No start, very faint 2-3 clicks then silence, all panel warning lights dim as I cranked which lasted only 2-3 seconds. Dim low beams; dim interior lights. Requested flatbed tow truck, driver applied a portable charger for 3 minutes and pronounced battery IS holding charge. Cranked it and it starts -- Thennnnn.... he turned on the headlights and the engine died! Repeated the porta-charger routine, same amount of time, now the engine barely hung on as the lights are turned on; turned on High Beam and engine skipped a few beats but recovers. Belts intact, no warning lights, all accessories running normally. Fuses clean and clear and intact.
Background: Car is usually run 90 miles a day on highway commute. Today I went running errands for 6 hours of mixed driving; must have made 10 start-stop cycles at various locations all over town, without problems. Local driving, then bumper to bumper for 1/2 hour at shopping mall, then freeway, then boulevards, then hit 2-3 strip malls, picked up new CD changer, had left the cable disconnected during the day's trips, then leave car at Just Tires to have snows put on, picked up car(intentionally left low beams in On position while car was in shop), final jaunt of day to Target & car started right up, came back out from store to encounter above symptoms.
I made it home. Played with the lights a bit to see how engine reacted before turning ignition off, same engine stumble when I cycled the low beams(or high flash-to-pass feature), but it continued running. Radio wants the activation code, speakers playing faint static but radio is Off! I turned the car off and noticed the interior lights dimmer than usual.
On a hunch I now reconnected the CD Changer cable in the trunk to old changer(remember the cable has been disconnected all day). Locked the car using key(living with no remote unlocking for past year, transmitter IS working(faint beep)), the alarm DID NOT confirm by flashing the hazard lights as expected, but the red LED started blinking as usual.
Unlocked the car two hours later to retrieve stuff, interior light suddenly went from faint to full brightness while I was rummaging in the car for 2 min or so. THEN, I locked the car(with key) and THIS TIME the hazard lights flashed the usual confirmation, nice and bright -- I'm hoping all will be back to normal tomorrow morning. I'll let you know.
1) CD Changer 6-pack cartridge is stuck inside the unit(OEM Alpine CHM S601). I know it has a power-off eject capability, but one of the trays didn't retract fully. Has the stuck tray+cartridge been constantly drawing power?
2) Did plugging the cable back in close some weird loop?
3) I've had a dead battery before, but without these symptoms. It's a Volvo replacement battery just under 3 years old. Now come to think of it, the battery HAS been cranking a bit lethargically every once in a while. But I let it go until now.
4) Is the remote unlocking inop a symptom of a larger issue?
5) The seat heater warms up only when it feels like it(and always has) -- depending on tidal currents, Prime Rate fluctuations, etc.
As I'm writing this, I'm talking myself into believing the intermittent seat heater, in conjunction with today's "breakdown", might be a totally on-the-money indicator of a bad battery cable, per FAQ. Huh???????
Thanks for any input! (and for reading)
-Lavesh
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