If your car's batteries are flat, the car will not respond to some of your actions. This includes trying to unlock or start it.
If your car doesn't respond due to low power, there are several recovery options depending on the situation.
- The car is driven to 0% battery level and is then not immediately recharged.
- The car is left with a low battery level. If not plugged in for charging, the battery level drops further as the car uses a small amount of power while parked.
- The car is left without being charged for a long time, which allows the battery level to drop.
- Low temperatures temporarily reducing battery capacity below the required level to keep your car powered.
- Use of accessories or power-consuming car functions.
- High temperatures triggering battery cooling.
Recovery from a flat traction battery
If only the traction battery is flat, the car's systems have power but it can't be started or driven. Your car shows that the battery level is at 0%. In this situation, the 12 V battery can power the systems needed to initiate charging of the traction battery. It's important to conserve energy in the 12 V battery so that you can access and charge your car.
- If you can charge your car where it's parked, do so immediately.
- If your car can't be charged at your current location, have the car recovered and transported to a charging source. In the meantime, try to conserve the remaining power in the 12 V battery. This is important for battery health, but also keeps essential functionality available for you to use in an emergency.
Recovery from total loss of power
If the 12 V battery goes flat, your car will be completely unresponsive. This can happen if something prevents the traction battery from keeping the 12 V battery charged, such as allowing the traction battery to go flat and then not charging the car in time. If both batteries are flat, your car is entirely unresponsive and cannot be charged as usual.
- Contact an authorised Volvo workshop or a recovery and roadside assistance service.
- If there is a charging source where your car is immobilised, it may be possible to temporarily power the car using a special exterior 12 V terminal. This can allow you to initiate charging.
- If your car can't be charged where it is, it needs to be transported to a location with a charging source. An authorised Volvo workshop has the equipment to power your car and charge it.
Important
12 V terminal
In the event of a total loss of power, your car can't be unlocked as the locks are electrically operated. To access your car and charge it, it can be powered for a short time using the externally accessible 12 V terminal. The terminal can be accessed by removing a small panel below the front bumper, near the front left wheel.
- Volvo recommends that the 12 V terminal is only used by service technicians for the purpose of accessing the car as part of immobilisation recovery.
- Only use a 12 V charger with a maximum charging current below 40 A.
- Connecting any power source that delivers currents higher than 40 A blows the terminal's fuse, thereby disabling it.
- Only use the 12 V terminal for short amounts of time. This is not meant as a way of powering the car continuously.
Other no power scenarios
There may be cases where you are fairly sure that the battery level is not low. In those cases, a lack of power indicates that the 12 V battery isn't receiving power from the traction battery or can’t deliver power to the car.
- A fuse has blown and needs to be replaced.
- The 12 V battery is defective.
- There is an electrical, hardware or software fault preventing the car from turning on.
If you can't identify the cause of the problem or solve it by referring to the user manual, contact an authorised Volvo workshop.