Volvo Owners Club Forum - View Single Post

scbamber · Sep 30th, 2021, 19:19

A few points to think about

1: It is always a good idea to own a charger, whatever the vehicle or motorbike, and it should be a 'Smart charger' rather than an old-school simple charger. An even better idea to have one before winter. Most people here suggest CTEK MXS 5 (guaranteed 5 years) or Noco Genius 5 - neither are cheap but worth every penny. As they cost about half the cost of a new battery at the very least they might save you some money by not needing a new battery just yet, and you should have a charger anyway. There are budget generic (and sometimes lookalike) copies on the internet, and they come up at Lidl occasionally, and many people have found them satisfactory. Bottom line: make sure you get a smart charger rather than one that delivers constant voltage/current and could fry a battery if not turned off in time

2: Most people report getting a decade or more from the original Volvo battery as they may be a higher spec as OEM than an after-market battery of the same make. One of mine was fine at 8 years when I sold that Volvo, and another at 14 years. Personally I would not be a rush to buy a new one..I'd give a proper charge to the existing one 2-3 times over 6 weeks or so

3: Yes, check the Volvo dealer price first and compare it with the battery supplier Tayna who are always well regarded on this forum for pricing, and quick service, usually next day

4: the smaller support battery can be tricky to reach, especially on a V40, but the universal opinion on this forum is that they never need replacing.... They are charged by the alternator and the electrical system. The handbook makes no mention on charging the support battery, and that's why

Good luck

Sep 30th, 2021, 19:19	#4
scbamber Member Last Online: Apr 26th, 2024 15:40 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Norfolk	A few points to think about 1: It is always a good idea to own a charger, whatever the vehicle or motorbike, and it should be a 'Smart charger' rather than an old-school simple charger. An even better idea to have one before winter. Most people here suggest CTEK MXS 5 (guaranteed 5 years) or Noco Genius 5 - neither are cheap but worth every penny. As they cost about half the cost of a new battery at the very least they might save you some money by not needing a new battery just yet, and you should have a charger anyway. There are budget generic (and sometimes lookalike) copies on the internet, and they come up at Lidl occasionally, and many people have found them satisfactory. Bottom line: make sure you get a smart charger rather than one that delivers constant voltage/current and could fry a battery if not turned off in time 2: Most people report getting a decade or more from the original Volvo battery as they may be a higher spec as OEM than an after-market battery of the same make. One of mine was fine at 8 years when I sold that Volvo, and another at 14 years. Personally I would not be a rush to buy a new one..I'd give a proper charge to the existing one 2-3 times over 6 weeks or so 3: Yes, check the Volvo dealer price first and compare it with the battery supplier Tayna who are always well regarded on this forum for pricing, and quick service, usually next day 4: the smaller support battery can be tricky to reach, especially on a V40, but the universal opinion on this forum is that they never need replacing.... They are charged by the alternator and the electrical system. The handbook makes no mention on charging the support battery, and that's why Good luck Last edited by scbamber; Sep 30th, 2021 at 19:24.