Well, it finally happened.
Just got up this morning at 0430 for 0500 start and volvo fh battery is flat, guard showing 16.5 volts.
Parked up at ferrybridge services last night , had shower, dinner, sat in main services using wifi for a bit then back to truck, bit of reading then bed, didn’t use anything that could drain batteries.
Borrow the abs lead of the cab next to you. plug the trailer end into the back of your cab. Leave for 10 mins then yours should fire up.
When batteries are borderline w drop in temp can finish them off.
Truckbling:
Borrow the abs lead of the cab next to you. plug the trailer end into the back of your cab. Leave for 10 mins then yours should fire up.
Really? What a gem! I knew you could do it with a tail lift lead but not with the ABS.
OP Needs new batteries I’d wager.
Truckbling:
Borrow the abs lead of the cab next to you. plug the trailer end into the back of your cab. Leave for 10 mins then yours should fire up.
does that work on all wagon’s .if so a great bit of info.thank you.
Cheers for the advice, one to remember for the future.
Called out volvo, guy checked the batteries and the rear battery has bad cells.
New batteries for me when I get back to the yard I think
Truckbling:
Borrow the abs lead of the cab next to you. plug the trailer end into the back of your cab. Leave for 10 mins then yours should fire up.
If that’s true, I can stop carrying jump leads and start looking like a proper smart arse. Or i’ll look like a fool if it dosn’t work.
Truckbling:
Borrow the abs lead of the cab next to you. plug the trailer end into the back of your cab. Leave for 10 mins then yours should fire up.
Top tip mate if it’s true, I’m not doubting you, but are there any spanner men on that could verify it?
Where’s Bking when you need him, he could come on and say in his own inimitable way 
… that it was a “■■■■■■■ good idea” and " If we were all proper ■■■■■■■ drivers we should all know that anyway" or say “You are talking a ■■■■■■■ load of ■■■■■■■ ■■■■” …and call you a ■■■■■■■ ■■■■ for doing so. 
It works for a fact, I’ve done it twice and my mate had a Polish driver ask if he could borrow his. Run the engine on the good motor though 
and leave for as long as possible with everything switched off on the receiving motor.
Apparently there is a permanent live running through the abs lead which can trickle charge the battery, not sure of the science but it definitely worked for me.
Get out clause: Obviously this will not work if the batteries are fubar!.
Once a modern 12v battery or 24v pair have dropped much below 11.5 or 23v they will struggle to start a cold engine. At 16.5 it sounds like you have a completely knackered battery. We never had this much trouble when you could buy distilled water and acid from Partco or Brown Brothers
robroy:
Truckbling:
Borrow the abs lead of the cab next to you. plug the trailer end into the back of your cab. Leave for 10 mins then yours should fire up.Top tip mate if it’s true, I’m not doubting you, but are there any spanner men on that could verify it?
No can’t see any reason why it won’t work.
However why would you not just use Jump leads which all proper drivers carry in the side locker (just to save bking the trouble lol)
and how many of you know that some new batteries on volvos are “GEL” type instead of lead/acid
My mate had the same problem at Heartsheadmoor services this morning. Knowing that soft ■■■■ he would have been jacking off all night watching TV. I imagine the boss will be well chuffed when the invoice from Merc drops through the post.
If it was me they would take my bonus off me, but he always gets looked after and he’s a lazy ■■■■ too.
Tipper Tom:
No can’t see any reason why it won’t work.However why would you not just use Jump leads which all proper drivers carry in the side locker (just to save bking the trouble lol)
I don’t have my ‘own’ unit, otherwise I probably would.
The ABS lead thing makes sense sense, though I’d be wary of trying to turn the engine over while they’re still connected - there’s the potential to pull alot of current down that lead and pop fuses on either unit. Using the same theory though, there’s no reason why you couldn’t do the same thing with the supplimentary suzie as pin 4 (red) is live on that too - and this is a guess but, that way you’d also prevent the possibility of fault codes popping up due to connecting two seperate ABS systems together. Either way though, handy if you didn’t have access to a set of jump leads.
Trukkertone:
and how many of you know that some new batteries on volvos are “GEL” type instead of lead/acid
Looks like just you and I before you told the world lol
Truckbling:
It works for a fact, I’ve done it twice and my mate had a Polish driver ask if he could borrow his. Run the engine on the good motor though
Apparently there is a permanent live running through the abs lead which can trickle charge the battery, not sure of the science but it definitely worked for me.Get out clause: Obviously this will not work if the batteries are fubar!.
no need to wait start donor plug in both leads start the flat one and disconnect. get driving asap and check ur volts.
Out of curiosity is there such a thing as a back-to-back ABS lead connector to enable 2 ABS leads to be connected in line?
As it would give greater reach between the 2 cabs in the situation highlighted
peirre:
Out of curiosity is there such a thing as a back-to-back ABS lead connector to enable 2 ABS leads to be connected in line?
As it would give greater reach between the 2 cabs in the situation highlighted
doubt it, you’d prob have to get it made up.