Battery life

[v70+xc70]

About three and a half years old and and 100 miles outside warranty, the battery is dying.....

That sounds reasonable for battery life?

[Art]

I’ve gotten 5 ½ years of service from the original battery and it doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of deterioration yet. Living in a colder climate might help my situation a bit as it’s a known fact that higher temps will shorten the life of a battery.

Here is some info with respect to battery service life that you might find helpful.


The service life of the battery depends primarily on its construction, maintenance and operating conditions. The following factors may shorten the service life of the battery:

High temperatures
Cycling
Low electrolyte level
Deep discharging
Incorrect charging
Sulfation
Corrosion
Vibrations
To maintain the best possible service life and capacity, the battery must be maintained and charged in accordance with Volvo's recommendations.

High temperatures
A high ambient temperature speeds up the chemical processes in the battery during charging and discharging. For every 10°C (18°F) increase in temperature, the reaction speed of the processes doubles. The risk of corrosion, self-discharge and sulfation increase at a high temperature and the service life of the battery is reduced. The service life of a battery improves in colder surroundings.

Cycling
Cycling means all the discharging and charging in a battery. A battery is always cycling. Discharging, or cycling, can have varying degree of depth. Deeper discharge is more damaging than lesser discharge. Each discharge results in stress to the plates which deteriorate accordingly. Each instance of cycling cause the material in the plates to become more fragile and ultimately some of this material will separate from the plates. Cycling results in a reduction of capacity.

A lead battery cannot tolerate infinite cycling. Deep discharges should be avoided in order to maintain as long a service life as possible.

Low electrolyte level
The electrolyte level in a battery must be check regularly. The water in the electrolyte is consumed by gas production and absorption. Batteries have different water consumption. This depends on design and ambient temperature. The water is used more quickly in hot climates.

If the electrolyte level is too low, the battery may suffer corrosion and the capacity of the battery may be reduced. Corrosion may occur in the connections between the cells. The consequence may be an open-circuit in a connection which will prevent the battery from supplying a current.

The capacity of the battery is reduced if the electrolyte level is so low that some of the surface of the plates are not submerged in electrolyte. Such surfaces cannot contribute to the chemical processes that occur during charging and discharging.

CAUTION: Check the electrolyte level regularly and top up with distilled or deionized water to the indicated maximum marking. Never use tap water.

Deep discharging
The acid density in a deeply discharged battery is very low (nearly all the sulfuric acid has been consumed and almost pure water remains. There is a high risk that the battery will be damaged beyond repair by freezing at relatively mild temperatures.

The table shows the freezing point of electrolyte in relation to the degree of charge of the battery.

The freezing point of the battery in relation to the degree of charge

Degree of charge Freezing point
100 % approximately -70°C (-94°F)
40 % approximately -25°C (-13°F)
10 % approximately -10°C (+14°F)

A deeply discharged battery can also hydrogenate.

Hydrogenation
If the discharge is extremely deep, ultimately all the sulfuric acid will be consumed and only water will remain in the electrolyte.

Where lead sulfate is more soluble in water than in sulfuric acid, some of the lead sulfate in the plates will fall into the electrolyte. When the battery is charged, lead will fall on to the negative plates and separators. Lead gathers in small spots on the surface. This can cause short-circuits. This is known as hydrogenation.

In modern batteries, a small amount of sodium sulfate can be added to the electrolyte to prevent hydrogenation.

Incorrect charging
Incorrect charging may result in permanent damage to the battery. Incorrect charging may be, for example, charging using a current that is so strong that the temperature of the electrolyte increases or that the gas development is too powerful.

Increased electrolyte temperature
If charging occurs with an extremely high current, the temperature of the electrolyte will increase considerably as the battery begins to reach full charge. Excessive temperature may damage the materials in the battery and increase the risk of short-circuits.

Intensive gas development
If the gas development during charging is extremely intensive, some of the particles may be forced loose from the active materials on the plates. The plates suffer wear, reducing the service life and capacity. Short-circuits may occur as released particles drop to the bottom of the cell container or cross to the opposite plate.

To ensure optimal performance, always charge batteries according to Volvo's instructions.

[jmoser]

My 2001 XC is approaching 6 years since purchase and has 58K miles. This is in MI climate, garage kept and never a hesitation to start. This May my wife left the door open with key on and drained it, charged right up and has been fine since. Draining a lead/acid battery will kill it pretty quick, a few 'dead' drains and you are on your way to premature replacement.

I was going to replace the original battery before its sixth winter; has anyone found a good replacement battery besides the dealer/Volvo OEM unit?

[Bluegrass-XC]

I just replaced my factory battery on my 2000 XC at 88,000 miles. I had a few complete discharges (parking lights will get ya every time :o ) and I was planning to drag a u-haul trailer from KY to FL (600+ miles), so I bit the bullet and bought a new 72 month Interstate battery from my independent shop. The mechanic told me the original was "borderline", but with the imminent road trip, I felt it was time to replace it. I've had no trouble with it at all. :cool:

[budrichard]

How do you KNOW your battery is DYING? Sounds like a BS dealer selling point!-Dick

[Willy]

A battery can be tested: its ability to deliver a (high) current during a certain period is a good measure of the condition of a battery.
When replacing the standard battery of the XC, I would advise to get the biggest one that will fit, I had my car delivered with the battery of the diesel model, 92Ah! I think its worth the extra cost.
Willy

[Bluegrass-XC]

How do you KNOW your battery is DYING? Sounds like a BS dealer selling point!-Dick

Everything you always wanted to know about batteries:


http://www.batteryuniversity.com/index.htm

[budrichard]

Everything you always wanted to know about batteries:


http://www.batteryuniversity.com/index.htm

You misunderstood my question. I meant, what objective evidence do you have that the battery in question is failing?
As a Nuclear Engineer running Nuclear Power Plants, I know batteries very well.-Dick