Problems with car? Nah, learning experience!

Well,

As most of you know I bought that Volvo a few weeks ago, and 2 days ago the battery died after running it for 2 hours I was pretty frustrated as I didn't have a car and had no clue how to replace it so I became a little depressed since I just spent $4000 on it!

Anyway, today I decided I'll try to learn and fix the battery on my own. I drove to Costco, spent $134.39 on a battery and went home to try my luck. I loaded up a YouTube video, spent a good 30 mins in the heat following it, asking neighbors for tools and just before starting it made sure everything was properly connected and.....boom it started flawlessly!

I then realized that while this car does have problems, instead of seeing them as problems I should see them as learning opportunities which is what I just did! I now know how to change a car battery lol

-Alex

Glad to see you have a positive outlook on that experience :gj:
Odd that the battery died during the summer. Usually but not always it is the cold, not heat that kills a battery. Hope your alternator is okay. Was there a bunch of white powder around one or both of the terminals? Be sure to disconnect the negative terminal clamp first other wise you can cause one heck of a short if you have the wrench on the positive terminal and touch it to a grounded metal part of the car.
If you are measuring the battery, be sure to not touch both terminals with a metal tape measure as it is the quickest way to trash your tape measure
5 Ways to Change a Car Battery - wikiHow

Laser Chick said:

Glad to see you have a positive outlook on that experience :gj:
Odd that the battery died during the summer. Usually but not always it is the cold, not heat that kills a battery. Hope your alternator is okay. Was there a bunch of white powder around one or both of the terminals? Be sure to disconnect the negative terminal clamp first other wise you can cause one heck of a short if you have the wrench on the positive terminal and touch it to a grounded metal part of the car.
If you are measuring the battery, be sure to not touch both terminals with a metal tape measure as it is the quickest way to trash your tape measure
5 Ways to Change a Car Battery - wikiHow

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Yep, I made sure to disconnect the negative end first, then the positive & vice versa when re-installing the battery

-Alex

:gj: however, I hope you know there is more than one reason to have a dead battery, let's hope it was just the battery.

Maybe you will end up becoming a mechanic instead of a pharmacy tech, in some cases they can earn more money.

Alan

Alan is very right on this. But having an outlook like that will surly help when stuff breaks lol

LeHap said:

Well,

As most of you know I bought that Volvo a few weeks ago, and 2 days ago the battery died after running it for 2 hours I was pretty frustrated as I didn't have a car and had no clue how to replace it so I became a little depressed since I just spent $4000 on it!

Anyway, today I decided I'll try to learn and fix the battery on my own. I drove to Costco, spent $134.39 on a battery and went home to try my luck. I loaded up a YouTube video, spent a good 30 mins in the heat following it, asking neighbors for tools and just before starting it made sure everything was properly connected and.....boom it started flawlessly!

I then realized that while this car does have problems, instead of seeing them as problems I should see them as learning opportunities which is what I just did! I now know how to change a car battery lol

-Alex

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You didn't mention it so maybe not a problem but in an S40 when the battery is disconnected the radio is locked and you need to input the radio code for it to work again. If you the display says OFF if it needs to be reset --if it says CODE if it just needs the code entered in the display when you turn the radio on. There should be a card or sticker in the owners manual with the code, is usually 4 digits---if you have it no problem. If not, you can call any Volvo Dealer's service shop and give the service shop guy your VIN number and he can look up the code for you. You have only 3 trys to input the correct code or it will say off and you need to reset the radio which takes a few hours.

Is odd the battery would go like that especially in summer--is possible though. Maybe someone should check to be sure the alternator is charging the battery correctly or the new one will also go dead in a few hours of running time. If no battery light is coming on or flickering everything is probably OK I would guess the Dealer where you bought it could check in a couple of minutes for you--is simple --with the car running, use a voltmeter to check the voltage across the positive and negative post of the battery. It should read nearly 14 volts

In any case is good you now have a fresh battery---should give years of service.

Encap said:

You didn't mention it so maybe not a problem but in an S40 when the battery is disconnected the radio is locked and you need to input the radio code for it to work again. If you see OFF or CODE in the display when you turn the radio on--you need to input the code, usually 4 digit. There should be a card or sticker in the owners manual with the code---if you have it no problem. If not you can call any Volvo Dealer's service shop and give the service shop guy your VIN number and he can look up the code for you. You have only 3 trys to input the correct code or you need to reset the radio which takes a few hours.

Is odd the battery would go like that especially in summer--is possible though. Maybe someone should check to be sure the alternator is charging the battery correctly or the new one will also go dead in a few hours of running time. If no battery light is coming on or flickering everything is probably OK I would guess the Dealer where you bought it could check in a couple of minutes for you--is simple --with the car running, use a voltmeter to check the voltage across the positive and negative post of the battery. It should read nearly 14 volts

In any case is good you now have a fresh battery---should give years of service.

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The battery went dead after I had it on for 2 hours to have the radio show "CODE". I typed in the code and it unlocked!

After installing the new battery I was scared I would need to do it again but no, just typed in the correct CODE & boom, done

-Alex

LeHap said:

The battery went dead after I had it on for 2 hours to have the radio show "CODE". I typed in the code and it unlocked!

After installing the new battery I was scared I would need to do it again but no, just typed in the correct CODE & boom, done

-Alex

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OK great the radio lives!!

You may not have actually needed a new battery just a battery charge -- they can go dead in 2 hours while waiting for CODE with everything on-depending upon age and condition--is good thng you bought a fresh one--now nothing to worry about batterywise for a long time/years.

Encap said:

OK great the radio lives!!

You may not have actually needed a new battery just a battery charge -- they can go dead in 2 hours while waiting for CODE with everything on-depending upon age and condition--is good thng you bought a fresh one--now nothing to worry about batterywise for a long time/years.

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Yeah haha. It cost quite a lot but I should be fine for what? 1 year? 3 years?

-Alex

LeHap said:

Yeah haha. It cost quite a lot but I should be fine for what? 1 year? 3 years?

-Alex

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No not cheap--good car battery. Keep in mind parts in general never go down from what they cost when the car was new or within a year or two of new---only up. Doesn't matter what you paid for the car or how old---parts and service stay the same or become more expensive over time---generally.

Lasts longer----depends upon the battery --different makes and models have different expected lifetimes---for what you paid it has to be a good battery---typically 5 years some people report the OEM original battery lasted 6 or 7 years.

Encap said:

No not cheap--good car battery. Keep in mind parts in general never go down from what they cost when the car was new or within a year or two of new---only up. Doesn't matter what you paid for the car or how old---parts and service stay the same or become more expensive over time---generally.

Lasts longer----depends upon the battery --different makes and models have different expected lifetimes---for what you paid it has to be a good battery---typically 5 years some people report the OEM original battery lasted 6 or 7 years.

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Sweet! Hopefully I'll have the car for that long

Edit: It's really nice we have YouTube videos, saves me time & possibly money if I had to bring it in to a shop. It's amazing what time, the right tools, and people on YouTube can do

-Alex

If you spent $134.39 on a battery, it should last at least 7 or 8 years.
Does the dashboard have a voltage gauge? Should be showing around 14 volts when the car is running. Glad you had the code for the radio

Battery life depends on heat. In Texas you are lucky to have it last 3 years. I recommend getting a battery from AutoZone or Advanced Auto. They have warranties and if they go out they will prorate the cost depending on the length of the remainin warranty and you just swap it out. I highly recommend using your DMM to test the Alternator for 14volts with the vehicle running. You need to ensure you are properly charging your battery. A cheap quick trick if you have corroded terminals is Coca-Cola, just pour it on the terminals. Brush lightly with a terminal brush and you are good to go. (I know new battery should have none, just an fyi) If you ever have any car questions feel free to PM me. I love to work on Hot Rods. I have never owned a "new" vehicle so repairs like this have been common place for me. I have owned an 82 oldsmobile cutlass supreme, a 90 GMC Sierra with both a v6 with a standard 5 speed, replaced that motor with a 350ci with a 700r4 transmission, I have owned a 96 Camaro z28 with an LT1 and a 6 speed transmission, I have rebuilt that motor also. I have owned a 90 buick skylark, a 90 camaro with a v6, a pointiac grand am (I think it was a 94), a 93 oldsmobile station wagon, and a 2001 Chevy Tahoe. All of which I have had to do different things to. There is practically no part I have not replaced at least once. Last but not least we also have several hot rods. 1972 Chevelle with a 454, a 1967 Chevy Camaro with MiniTubs and a 383 stroker motor. We also own a 1973 Plymouth Duster and a 1953 Chevy Pickup. I've seen quite a bit of stuff to work on. I am glad to be of any assistance. I have a video of the 96 camaro on my youtube channel thatyoutubeurl/Trendkilla254

Thanks TrendKilla!

Yeah, I went to Costco to buy mine, certainly wasn't the cheapest of places. I saw some $79 batteries & was praying those were the ones my car needed. I looked into the car book they had, matched it with a battery & saw $134 -_- lol.

-Alex

GSS said:

Hi Lehap, when you said running for 2 hours, im a little confused do you mean running the radio with the car off? Well anyway you have gotten some good advice. I just want to say it was a good feeling doing it yourself you said it! Its funny how all future mechanics or backyarders start with changing batterys. Even though all these oil change places are all over the place which are just about as cheap as doing it yourself, next step I think is doing it yourself, Its a good feeling when you pour that nice new clean oil in your engine. but do it everyother oil change as these places put it on a lift lube it and do a basic underneath check, plus they dispose the oil. Unless you get a lube gun they arnt that expensive. After how many miles did they tell u or do you plan to change the oil anyway? Also makes a difference if your car is using full synthetic. Thats my 2 cents just want to show you im seeing how your car is doing:yh:

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Thanks GSS, much appreciated!

Yep, the radio needed to be turned on for 2 hours so it would unlock, allowing me to input a code to unlock it. It's pretty much an anti-theft device. If the code isn't entered correctly within 3 tries then you'll need to repeat the process over

-Alex

haha this is the ONLY reason ive learned stuff about computers/got into programming.

for me its everything electronic that i own either starts malfunctioning or just catches fire after like 6 months of owning it. Ive been to the sprint store countless times and have been through ~6 replacements in 2 years none of which were anything i ever did(never dropped/no water damage).