Electrical Issues i.e. charging

[Garp]

Hi I am new to the forum.

I have 2004 XC90 T6

I have recently had a couple of issues.

I live in Northern Ontario, Canada

Recently a couple of times when Temp. got down to -26*C I was unable to start my car without a boost if I left it for more than a day without running.

More recently I have had several warning lights(brake failure) coming on to the point I had driven app. 40 -50 kms and stopped to answer a couple of calls and emails and was unable to start again.

When I boosted the vehicle I was still unable to start it cranked over but I felt it wasn't getting fuel.
I didn't have any low battery or alternator warnings so I towed the car home and put the battery on charge over night and it started right away.

Should I be looking at replacing the alternator or the battery or both?

 

[seanward10407]

I would start with your battery. -26*c is quite cold, and liquid chemical batteries do tend to struggle a bit more below the freezing point. Generally speaking, if the alternator is not doing well, you will see the lights become increasingly dim (bad alternator), or see the a consistent sort of skip from charging normally to a random dimming, back to normal (Bad alternator diode). I would consider either installing a plug in battery heater, or perhaps an AGM battery (Optima red top). Liquid chemical batteries are filled with acid and water. The water, naturally, will freeze in extreme cold conditions. Try the battery first. If it doesn't work, have a mechanic's shop do a charging system test on something like a snap on d-tac. To be completely honest, I am not a Volvo technician, but I have been an auto mechanic for the past 15 years. I hope it all works out. Good Luck

 

[Beachlover]

I would start with your battery. -26*c is quite cold, and liquid chemical batteries do tend to struggle a bit more below the freezing point. Generally speaking, if the alternator is not doing well, you will see the lights become increasingly dim (bad alternator), or see the a consistent sort of skip from charging normally to a random dimming, back to normal (Bad alternator diode). I would consider either installing a plug in battery heater, or perhaps an AGM battery (Optima red top). Liquid chemical batteries are filled with acid and water. The water, naturally, will freeze in extreme cold conditions. Try the battery first. If it doesn't work, have a mechanic's shop do a charging system test on something like a snap on d-tac. To be completely honest, I am not a Volvo technician, but I have been an auto mechanic for the past 15 years. I hope it all works out. Good Luck

Good advice here.

 

[SwissXC90]

In the cold you need to ensure your battery is in peak condition. Invest in an intelligent charger and give the battery a top up charge once a month, especially if your daily drive is

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