2004 XC70 Electrical Syndrome

**James Bond** · 02-29-2012, 07:44 PM

At first the alarm activated up a few times while parked at night. Then one day while driving the horn beeped while driving. Soon after the horn stuck on and I had to remove the horn relay in the engine compartment fuse box to shut it off. Periodicaly both resetable odometers zero out. A mechanic friend of mine said it was probably due to a bad spring in the steering wheel. Years ago I had the steering wheel replaced because the coating was peeling off of it and it was still under warrantee. About a month after the steering wheel was replaced, I had an issue with the key turning in the ignition. I sprayed some WD-40 into the ignition and it seemed to free things up. Based on the different ailments of the vehicle, is there a part or common issue with this model vehicle that can be pin pointed?

**Cyrus** · 02-29-2012, 07:53 PM

How old is the car battery? On their death bed they send gremlins thru the electrical system.

**James Bond** · 02-29-2012, 08:00 PM

I believe the battery is the original, so it is at least 8 years old. Vehicle seems to turn over OK, even when cold. It was a concern of mine yet this winter has been very mild. That would be a logical place to start, wouldn't a load test be the best place to start?

**Cyrus** · 02-29-2012, 08:23 PM

Yes do the load test...but have it done at the battery not the jump posts up front. 8yrs...Volvo batteries do last but I would replace...Trust me here do not let the car lose power when changing the battery have an alternate power source availble. you will need to save memory and a long list of other problems that may flare up when changing this battery. If in doubt take to the dealer.

**Willy** · 03-01-2012, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by James Bond

I believe the battery is the original, so it is at least 8 years old. Vehicle seems to turn over OK, even when cold. It was a concern of mine yet this winter has been very mild. That would be a logical place to start, wouldn't a load test be the best place to start?

Yes, have the battery tested, don't replace it without a good reason. Although there is undoubtably a relation
between age and condition/capacity of a battery, age as such is certainly not the only determining factor.
Replacing something without proper indication of failure or without test data is not very rational.
The problems you experience could very well be the result of a bad battery, but a decent test should reveal if this is true.
Should you replace the battery, you may consider a heavy duty model, there is enough room for a 92Ah!
Willy

**James Bond** · 03-01-2012, 05:59 PM

For the heck of it, I am going to call the local Volvo dealership in the Albany, NY area and inquire how much a new battery install will be. Then I am going to call around and price out a new after market battery. Maintaining constant power to the battery is something I would not have thought about.

Just curious, what would it affect that would not re-boot itself in a short amount of time?

The other question is - can I load test it while hooked up to the vehicle and not adversely affect any of the components? My thought was to disconnect the battery completely during the test...

**Volky_one** · 03-01-2012, 06:01 PM

When you have yor new battery you can start the car, take out the old battery while the engine is still running and install a new one, still engine running. no issue.

**Astro14** · 03-02-2012, 06:15 AM

What

You can't take the battery out when running! Might work in some cars, but with this one? NO WAY I would do that...Shut the car down for at least five minutes, remove the battery, place the key in position II, then attach the new battery, lock and unlock 3x and you're good to go...

**wgriswold** · 03-03-2012, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Volky_one

When you have yor new battery you can start the car, take out the old battery while the engine is still running and install a new one, still engine running. no issue.

I don't know about our cars but on my sailboat with two batteries there is a special "make before break" switch to change from one battery to the other. The common knowledge is that if the battery is removed from the charging system the alternator will be damaged. I have not tested this. I would expect the same to be true for car systems.

**Forkster** · 02-29-2012, 10:58 PM

8 year old battery? You do know your Volvo is using your battery also as a voltage regulator? Meaning, that if the battery cannot sustain the proper voltage while in operation (or sitting still turned off), it will cause weird electrical issues to appear.

Try a new battery - it's a $100 potential fix. The car is trying to maintain the proper voltage across all its computers - even if it has enough voltage to turn the starter, it doesn't mean its providing good clean voltage to your other cars components (meaning a consistant voltage level and amps - all necessary to avoid weird electrical issues).