[QUOTE=Mike D;3839692]Before jumping to a conclusion on the battery, check the earthing points and the cables at the terminating ends (block, starter solenoid, etc).

A corroded or loose cable will allow you to have a fully charged battery AT the terminals but not at the starter or earthing connection.

A voltage test alone is not sufficient to confirm a battery's condition. You need to also "load test" the battery. A shorted cell will allow voltage to pass through it but not current (amperage).[/QUOTE]

Actually as Diesael300 described in a previous post if you have a Volt Meter hooked to the Batter and you crank the Starter you are load testing it.
When you use a Battery Load Tester instead of the Starter providing the Load the Tester has Resistor/s that supply the load. If you are cranking the Starter or using the Battery Tester in both cases you are watching the Voltage Drop. How far down the Voltage goes and how fast the Voltage drops.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Also look below the battery tray and on the fire wall.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Commenting on the test that say Autozone dose on your Battery with a hand held tool. It really is not sufficient.

What is supposed to happen is once the Battery is charged the Tester needs to be applied to the Battery Terminals (not onto the Cable Clamps).

I am used to when the batteries capacity was listed in amp hours. So a specific load is supposed to be applied to the battery and the hand held testers lack the Carbon Pile with an adjusting knob on it to set the correct load.
The load is set and then you watch for the voltage drop over a specified period of time based on the amp hours of the Battery (or what ever they are using these days that replaced the amp hour rating).

The hand held testers have a fixed and unknown resistance/load.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Glad to hear. It's nice when it is a simple solution!

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

If the problem returns. Check for a constant on glow plug system. Or it coming on sporatically when it should not.


Charging with a 55 amp charger for several hours. Is not the best thing for a battery. Also often neglected and not checked is the electoylic level in the battery cells.

I only tried to boost start it at 55 amps; otherwise it was charging first at 10 amps and then at 2 amps.

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily