Last weekend, I uncovered the 780T to show a friend. I haven't driven it in a while, so I took him for a ride, so he could appreciate a well built Volvo w/ A/C that works.

The car ran good, but seemed a little ''late''. After glancing at the gauges, I noticed the volt meter reading low. I don't trust the volt meters in Volvos, but felt the need to check alt. output anyway.

At the battery (new OE), the output (input, actually) was 12.9V. No good. I could hear the alternator charging, but checked the regulator/brushes anyway. No problem. I checked the output at the alt. and the output was 14.1V Good.

This car has a battery cable ''Harness''. After cutting it open, I found the insulation to be gooey and loose. Current was flowing between + and -- through the insulation. After replacing the harness, everything came back to ''like new!'' The car's acceleration was impressive, not just ''good''. The ECU said thanks, and the slight drop in fuel economy went away.

Reason # 14.2 to use a good battery. 12.9 just doesn't cut it. The problem was wiring this time, but sometimes just changing the battery returns life to a Volvo. Check your electrical system thoroughly.