No electric in my V40....

[JUDGENINJA]

Symptoms:

Car has been slow starting for a while, then at Southern Softies it died on it's way on to the car park, then dies once in the car park (much to everyones amusement)..
I will admit that at present all I have done is charged the battery, but it looks a bit more serious than just the alternator.

Batttery showing 13+V with good cranking power(have gadget to check this), but there are still no lights on the dash and no power the the starter motor.
I have had to go to work, so I haven't done any continuity checks yet or go underneath to have a goos rumage, but I though I'd start a bit of brain storming, just in case it is something I'm missing.

Couple of questions:

Cabling from Positive side goes to the Starter motor only? with a wire coming directly from the Alternator?
Where is the main fuse? (porbably in the manual).


I still suspect the alternator, although I am unsure as the car had a brand new one only a couple of years ago. Maybe the Starer motor has also packed up, but anything else???

[JUDGENINJA]

(look we do do the odd Volvo releated thread every so often).... wonder how long it change to a rolling road or 1/4 mile thread....??

[mikealder]

Check Fuse 14 it should be a 40A as when that blows there is no power feed to the ignition switch which will make the car seem electrically dead, this fuse is located in the fusebox within the engine bay - Mike

[stribo]

Check your main earth strap, as these get corroded, and can give problems.

[oblark]

I would check the ignition switch.

[JT]

I don't think you'll find a fuse for the starter, they are connected straight to the battery

[JamesT5]

Perhaps the ECU has got water in it from the rain and its shorted the whole unit out.

[Harvey]

I have come across the main feed (battery size cable) from the battery to alternator then on to starter motor to fail at the center joint,you only get a ghost voltage at the joint but when a load is pulled it drops to earth reading only.
Was the battery flat when it was tested when you were recovered.
Not sure if this is the case in this case.

As said above bad earth, try jump lead from battery earth post to good earth point on engine then body see if anything wakes up.
A bad earth would stop it charging as well.

As Oblark says pop the covers off at the ignition switch and see what at the switch before and after at least its a clean job sat down.

[JUDGENINJA]

Check Fuse 14 it should be a 40A as when that blows there is no power feed to the ignition switch which will make the car seem electrically dead, this fuse is located in the fusebox within the engine bay - Mike

Thanks I'll give that a look. When the car died initially we did have a very low dash light output, but at the moment there is nothing..

Check your main earth strap, as these get corroded, and can give problems.

Yep on the Hit list..... I have been meddling with these already in the past.... maybe it's finally given up on me...

I would check the ignition switch.

I've seen it before, but usually starts intermittenly then gets worse with the more wiggling you've got to do to get it going.
It's very strange for it to just stop completely....but I'm not ruling it out yet.

I don't think you'll find a fuse for the starter, they are connected straight to the battery

My query was whether all the electric goes to the starter then on to everything else? or is it diverted before this...? (I should really know and could look it up in the book of the gods)...

Perhaps the ECU has got water in it from the rain and its shorted the whole unit out.

Extremely unlikely..... The ECU is inside the car under the centre console....

I have come across the main feed (battery size cable) from the battery to alternator then on to starter motor to fail at the center joint,you only get a ghost voltage at the joint but when a load is pulled it drops to earth reading only.
Was the battery flat when it was tested when you were recovered.
Not sure if this is the case in this case.

As said above bad earth, try jump lead from battery earth post to good earth point on engine then body see if anything wakes up.
A bad earth would stop it charging as well.

As Oblark says pop the covers off at the ignition switch and see what at the switch before and after at least its a clean job sat down.

I'm going to start with the basics....

1. Earth Straps
2. Starter wiring
3. Battery could be on it's last legs - I have spares
4. Check the fuses
5. Alternator output was only 13.15V when RAC got the car running, so I'll swipe the one off the S40 before I buy a new one or do a warranty claim on the old one (Merc - Any advice before I pop into Eurocar parts?).
6. At present I think the ignition will be a long shot, but I'll bear it in mind once all the rest is ruled out...

[JUDGENINJA]

Strange thing. I had no power on the dash, so annoyingly I walked away and pressed lock on the key fob and car car locked. I thought how strange, but went inside for the night. This morning I unlocked the car to find it now starts OK....??? must have been the immobiliser causing me issues DOH!

So good news is I'm just back to the Alternator/Battery issue.

[M-R-P]

so it's not just P2s that do weird stuff then?

[960kg]

I don`t know if you use the V40 much but i had trouble with my V70 by not using it much just maybe twice a week for 6mls as i use the Zaffy....

But it would need twice to start ,i replaced the antenna around the ignition switch and also the switched contacts unit on the end of the key barrel, but it was the same.

One morning after funny starting i could hear sizzling/buzzing behind the dash so i put on the heater full blast to dry it out behind and i have had no more trouble, starts first go any go.

I had noticed dampness behind the dash like condensation but it has gone now.

I suppose with the heater and fan on full blast the hoses are not completely air tight so the escaping air behind the dash just dried it out.

[JUDGENINJA]

I do have the issue that my work is only 4miles and often in winter I'm running the heated seats, demister, A/C & rear window defogger(plus of course the headlights).

My concern was the fact the car did a 60mile trip down to the Southern meet and car didn't charge.

Playtime tomorrow I think..

[JUDGENINJA]

One month one and the only thing I have done is steal the battery clip off the S40.
It seems to be fine at the moment, but time will tell

[siamblue]

I had similar issues on my V40 2.0t Wayne,turned out to be the ecu earth,car drove the car into a car park and died and wouldn't start,turn the key and the whole dash went out,Volvo couldn't find the problem,it was actually an indie Braydons that found out what was wrong with her.

[partsforvolvos.com]

I would be checking the wiring loom under the radiator wayne.
have seen many cars have seemingingly unrelated issues due to water ingress swelling the wires.
its a problem with all ages of s40/v40