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Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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tenfour
New User
Jan 9, 2016, 2:57 AM
Post #1 of 8
(1627 views)
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Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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Hello
I have had this car for 8 months now and during these months the car has been clicking twice. Both times I have been able to jump start the engine with a booster but I want to find the cause. Obviously the battery does not have enough power to start the car when it has happened so I have measured both voltage and ampere to give some general information about the battery.
The battery is bought 2011 and rated 12V, 63Ah and 610 CCA. At the time of clicking it read 12.10V and after boosting the car the generator puts the battery at 13.82V so the generator seems to be working. I know for a fact that the issue existed before this "new" battery as I have been speaking to the previous owner.
After I boosted the battery I drove to a friend with a battery tester and replaced the battery for a 55Ah, 12V, 460CCA battery while he was going to test my old battery (will take him a week due to being busy). With this new battery I have measured the Voltages at different times - all times in which the car starts. The readings are 11.86, 12.19, 12.0, 12.2 in no particular order. All readings were done when car has not been started for several hours. The voltages here confuse me.. maybe I have not got enough connection to the poles for the multimeter to read correctly. I don't know.
Further more I have read the Amps of the car while it's completely turned off (no lights at all) and it reads 0.0023A which I think is fair. No parasitic drain.
Now I'm just very confused to what could be causing the clicking. From what I remember the car was not used for a few days in both these clicking occasions. There is also another issue with the car which may or may not be related; The car needs a bit of gas when starting UNLESS 1) it recently have been started or 2) the car has been turned off for more than 16-24 hours (approximately).
Does anyone have any idea what to try next? I appreciate any advice here.. been banging my head for too long with this.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 9, 2016, 4:49 AM
Post #2 of 8
(1624 views)
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Re: Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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Of all that readings when it was running your charging system is probably fine so forget it.
* a 2011 battery could have been made in January, 2011 or December - a whole years different, you need to know the month and it's marked on that and the new lesser battery (scratch my head) that is and should be enough buy why go less CCA? If car was rated for needing that - fine but bet too low. 550 or so is my guess.
* Clicking I take it is a fluttering solenoid to starter the only thing that needs a quick blast of full AMPS to crank an engine. Otherwise for the most part a battery just get what cranking it took out put right back and you are running on alternator - all cars.
* Look for voltage drops from a charged up known battery - new isn't known yet. Charge those before it sees a vehicle and that one could be a year old so buy right. If not clearly marked ask where you got it as ALL are marked in the casing if even encrypted. That's its age not the day you bought it. This totally matters as a new battery is not fully charged! They slowly drain more from initial fill and lose real CCA which is what you want.
* Voltage is a great indicator of what's happening where alone. From cold and charged up, wait and test battery. Should read dang close to 12.2V if no lights are on or just were like opening the door. Now watch that voltage while cranking engine if it does or if it flutters solenoid which it will if AMPS "delivered" to starter are inadequate it's supposed to. Bat volts may drop below 9V so battery in that case is likely junk now again but more to do. Always begin from fully charged battery for test - anything else is marginal info.
* Next if you get no joy is testing for voltage drops from posts of battery and again from the clamp - Volvo TMK always used "U" and bolt clamps of no great quality - most don't. Those readings should always be the same under loads like cranking right there if not decide on if cleaning or replacements of cable end(s) or whole cable is the fix. Not all end splices are good either so get real ones if we get to that.
* If still fluttering away check voltage again now down where battery positive cable goes to solenoid. Is the drop different there from right at the battery? If so, cables are not carrying the full AMPS.
IDK why but batteries are now all made of recycled lead which shouldn't matter but see more failures new than ever and prices doubled fast - nice.
Hey - you are trying but need to know more. It's January for 90% of the population of the world mean Winter which is colder on average than Summers. Battery available AMPS are so temp dependent that's why they list CCA which mean what it's power available is at 32F and goes up and down from that. Hot isn't so great on them either.
One more: They don't age well nor like getting low or being low and kill themselves. It's not like your handheld or other device for repeatedly running almost dead routinely at all.
They flake and lose something with every use and every month anyway like a bouncing ball can never bounce quite as high no matter how perfect as the first drop - they really do live and die just about like that,
T
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kev2
Veteran
Jan 9, 2016, 8:32 AM
Post #3 of 8
(1611 views)
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Re: Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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Is there any added electrical devices ie remote starter, audio, alarm?
The swapped battery was NEW?
suggestions-
replace battery with NEW.
clean both battery cables BOTH ends.
Check Alternator diodes for leaking.
Check fuel pressure and observe pressure leak down-
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kev2
Veteran
Jan 9, 2016, 9:40 AM
Post #5 of 8
(1602 views)
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Re: Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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suggestions-
replace battery with NEW. 5yrs is the replacement window.
clean both battery cables BOTH ends. you swapped in test battery and no issues SO worth a try- easy and routine.
Check Alternator diodes for leaking. A often overlooked alt test- easy can do with a DVOM on AC scale instead of DC - google for a DIYer diode test.
Check fuel pressure and observe pressure leak down- YES addressing the starting issue and the comment about holding throttle to start-
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 9, 2016, 10:52 AM
Post #6 of 8
(1592 views)
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Re: Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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To re-stress a point on let's call them car batteries: New doesn't mean good one! High % up to maybe 20% are marginal or junk bought new.
Why? Because they are filled and sealed then transported. If tipped, bumped around or dropped they don't survive that and are junk.
They are thin plates inside that flake with time and use and known they will do that so make room for dandruff flakes at the bottom. Every cycle once filled adds some till the pile touches the bottom of plates and they short out inside themselves much less likely new, a guarantee if used turn one upside down you ruin a good older one. By about (it's a range of guess) 3-4 years they can work and live with those flakes and test well but even the wrong bumps you may hit they go all at once. This is how you can charge and test batteries as good but by age and what happened you give up as they are perishable items unless a "Gel Cell" which is available now 3X more money and necessary for certain uses. The flakes can't move is why.
So what do you do?: You buy batteries hopefully that haven't been mishandled anytime along the way till you buy it. This is where the department stores fail as I've seen unknowing stock people bounce them all around to put the older ones out first no different than rotating stock of fresh bread - look for yourself at grocery store. It's the bumping around or up to dropping them they are junk new so you charge new ones and test before it sees you car or ask a real parts store to do that. If they won't they really shouldn't be selling them! That bad.
Now ancient history is you didn't throw a battery out back when you took the top off with a hot nail and pulled out the cells, dumped out the flakes, replaced just on or more cells and filled it back up with new "acid" (electrolyte) and off you went.
No more for 50 years on that and UNFORTUNELATELY I remember doing just what I said!! Google it!
Sorry for the book but this is why they can fool you and be erratic now or failed on the shelf new. Identical way they are made just unserviceable and cross your fingers it was right all along. Nobody is going to wait today for one to be filled and charged at a place nor is it any kind of practical for stores or customers,
T
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tenfour
New User
Jan 10, 2016, 2:37 AM
Post #7 of 8
(1569 views)
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Re: Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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Alright so I did some testing.
Diodes seems fine (to my knowledge), I get a reading of ~0.050V in both directions.
I also measured Voltage from the connectors and closer to the alternator. No noticeable difference in Voltages.
I guess I will be replacing the battery and cleaning the poles/connectors and probably leave the car at a mechanic do diagnose the fuel pressure because this is nothing I'm comfortable with. :-)
Cheers for the great suggestions!
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 10, 2016, 3:00 AM
Post #8 of 8
(1566 views)
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Re: Ignition Clickling (Volvo s40 '99 2.0T)
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Diodes are in the alternator as I think you know. Why the heck are you poking around with a tester for something that works as IMO you are risking touching the wrong things and blowing something! You are unlikely to just buy diodes and replace just those anyway if they did have some fault and can but about always means alternator wont charge fully but more likely at all.
Know exactly what you are testing and where or don't touch it even for a 1999 there's plenty that's quite costly to ruin,
T
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