code 300,302,303,304,305

[ForbesMarch]

The battery on my '01 XC died... I mean REALLY died; died so bad that once I got it going then removed the jumpers, it didn't have enough juice to keep its self going and died again. I used jumpers from my small tractor to get it going.
Once I got the battery charged enough to run, I was left with error codes 300,302,303,304 and 305.
These codes mean that cylinders 2-5 are miss-firring, usually due to bad coils/plugs.
1. Why would all these coils fail at once and what's the connection to the bad battery?
2. Which cylinder is #1? I'd love to swap it's coil for one of the "bad" coils just to make sure it is a coils or plugs issue.
3. Having fixed the problem, how does one clear the error codes? I have a small code reader but it doesn't seem to have a "clear codes" function.

[ecbsykes]

If the car is running, the battery wouldn't just die. Sounds like you might have an alternator that is toast. If the alternator is dead, that would explain it dying as soon as you took it off the jumpers, since normally even if the battery is drained the alternator would run the car.

I don't know about the codes/misfires. My guess is that having the engine just cut off, and if you restarted it might have caused a misfire or something to trigger the codes. Unless you fried the whole system somehow...

[ForbesMarch]

I dunno if its the alternator as my wife drove the car for several days after the flat-bat and the battery has been without any charging issues.
my jumper cables are very light gage and usually have to be hooked-up for a while before the motor will turn over.
I should also add that my catalytic converter seems to be an bad shape, I dunno if this could add to the situation? There is something about the 300 codes that mention catalytic converters...

[ecbsykes]

Ok, well the alternator was sort of my wild guess. Sorry, I don't know too much about this stuff! I hope it works out.

[ForbesMarch]

No at all-the alternator crossed my mind. I'll bet a Popsicle it's something to do with the computer.

[JRL]

Ok, well the alternator was sort of my wild guess. Sorry, I don't know too much about this stuff! I hope it works out.
I really wish you guys wouldn't say something that's not true.
If a battery is VERY dead, a jump then a quick attempt to drive will usuaklly take you nowhere.
An ALTERNATOR, unlike a GENERATOR does not do a quick charge on a car and will NOT charge a totally dead battery, so if it's that dead it will not run.

If someone (like the OP) leaves a charger on it, it will usually get enough of a charge to keep it running for a while but that battery needs to be charged overnight or a new battery installed.
As for the codes, have someone clear them and see if they come back.
A Volvo does not like to be jump started so anything could have happened!

[jdp6000]

I agree with JRL.

Clear the codes and drive it.

I had a dead battery a while ago. Similar codes came up after the boost and quit a few more. I had them cleared and all was fine.

My guess is that if the battery is that dead all the sensors including those that monitor the cylinders pick up bad information and throw codes.

Jim

[ForbesMarch]

yup. Cleared codes, runs fine.
Thanks guys.