Power Supply for Volvo V60 (2020 T4) Config Changes?

[Szigi]

Hey everyone,
I'm getting ready to do some configuration changes on my 2020 Volvo V60 T4. I know it's critical to maintain stable battery voltage to avoid bricking a module, but I want to make sure I have the right equipment.
I currently have a NOCO GENIUS5 (5A), but I'm concerned 5 Amps won't be enough to counteract the car's electrical draw while the ignition is on for an extended period.
My questions for the community are:
Is a 5A charger (like the NOCO GENIUS5) sufficient for simple, quick config changes? My research suggests I need more, but I'd like to hear from those who've done it.
What capacity (Amps) do you recommend for programming/flashing on these cars? I've seen recommendations ranging from a minimum of 20A up to professional units at 55A+.
What specific charger/power supply do you use? Any recommendations for a reliable unit with a dedicated Power Supply (PSU) or Re-flash mode?
I want to avoid a dreaded voltage drop mid-programming! Thanks in advance for the advice!

[jos]

You have the same pain than me :-) also just before the first change and i have concerns how to do it. My charger is just 4A and just for fun i checked my Battery yesterday evening and it was just 12,05V little later 11,95V which is normally near death but i never had any issue with and my new S60 (07/23), so i charged it for 24 hours with my 4A charger and funny it still was just around 12V. Very curios. Maybe my batterie is f***** up it should have around 12,4-12,8V

Anyway from what i know the best is to have the charger not in charging mode, your NOCO has a so called "supply mode" while it acts with a stable current like a normal power adapter and should supply around 13,6-13,8V permanently (no intelligent charging). In my case i also have a laboratory power supply 0-32V 0-20A which i can adjust to my needs.

Till now i don't know what would be the best, i need to add my 4A charger does not have a supply mode, this is why i borrowed me that lab power supply. Just waiting for the go to not damage anything when changing the config.

Well the limiter is currently not so important (we have winter in germany) but i like to get rid of this stupid start/stop joke ;-)
I already discussed this with support and i am sure they think we are much to mimimi

Do not step on the brake while turning the knob and charger connected


Best Regards JOS

[Terence]

I did some measurements by clamp meter for my car which is V90 -17 and it takes about 16A when ignition on and lights off. So I would recommend charger which can give 20A at least. I use Biltema 25A smart charger and it can keep voltage high enough as long as needed. I'm not sure is this charger available in your country, but it is really good value for the money. With 5A charger you really need to hurry to get programming done before voltage drops below 12V. Even with good battery there is not much time.

[jos]

Ok, tomorrow i will connect the lab power supply on 13,6V at 20A and make a read with Orbit to see how the Voltage performs, i am not ready for writing yet.

   

   

Do you think this one will be sufficient?


Best Regards JOS

[Szigi]

Ok, tomorrow i will connect the lab power supply on 13,6V at 20A and make a read with Orbit to see how the Voltage performs, i am not ready for writing yet.





Do you think this one will be sufficient?


Best Regards JOS

I would recommended that you first connect the power supply to the vehicle and switch on the ignition. Then, measure the voltage at the tested point using a multimeter or the Orbit diagnostic tool. Allow the system to remain on for a period (e.g., 10–15 minutes), and subsequently check if the voltage value has dropped.

[Szigi]

Ok, tomorrow i will connect the lab power supply on 13,6V at 20A and make a read with Orbit to see how the Voltage performs, i am not ready for writing yet.





Do you think this one will be sufficient?


Best Regards JOS

How are the things going my friend? Were 20Amps enought?

[blazgi]

The "problem" is the smart alternator, even if you put a 100% charged battery into the car, the alternator only gives out 12.3V until the battery goes down to about 85% and then it oscillates between 80-85%

[jos]

Haven‘t done it yet. I am curious why i can only meassure 11,95 to 12,05V with my 2,5 year old battery when testing it after a drive and standing time
of 2-3 hours. I was in touch with my dealer if this is normal with my car (they want to see the car onsite), from oldschool cars in know a good battery is between 12,5 to 12,8 if fully charged and healthy.

Can someone light me up about this with my Volvo S60 (2023)?

I meassure directly at the plus point under the hood and somewhere (some screw) for minus.
Is this normal with a Volvo is there something that brings the current to exactly 12v and i am not meassuring the real battery (i know its on the left in the trunk)?

What is making me ask this? I charged the battery for 24 hours with an 4A charger and could not meassure a difference at the battery afterwards.

My Multimeter is okay i've tested it against a lab power supply with 13,7V while the Multimeter shows 13,6V
So there is anything with my battery or this is expected behavior when meassuring a modern car 
Side note, i drove only old cars before didnt knew that you not smash the hood down to close it with a Volvo, luckily i didn't destroyed anything, so from now i press the hood down gently

I would use the correct point for minus but i am missing the 3rd arm where a finger can press the trigger for the picure while holding the iphone at the correct position. ;-)
I still haven't bought Orbit yet (but this will happen soon).

FYI it doesnt matter if i meassure while car is open or closed the ignition was always off while meassuring.

Something else when i was at the workshop while updating to 3.7.0 and capturing my pins  my car was connected to a professional charger from Bosch, while VIDA was working i could see on the chargers display that it was jumping between 7-8A.

[Terence]

What do you exactly mean by 2-3h standing time? Has car sat hood open and doors locked that time before measuring or have you opened doors and hood first before measuring? If you have unlocked and opened doors, in other words, "waked up" all computers in car, ~12V is quite normal I would say. When you lock doors it takes a little bit time before car is starting to shut down systems.

What kind of weather there is and what charger do you have? I'm asking because it is a common known phenomenom that cheap "smart" chargers can't charge cold battery. As far as I know the reason for that is that because cold battery can't charge fast, the charger things that battery is full.

Modern cars like these never fully charge the battery over 80%. It means that voltage never goes over 12,5V if you don't charge it with external charger. When you wake up the car by unlocking and opening doors, the voltage drops really fast. Try to measure voltage immidiately after driving. What does it say?

blazki: I'm not an electrician and I can't explain this like professional would but if you have good charger there won't be any problems in real life. For example my charger usually gives about 7-8A immidiately when I plug it and turn it on after driving. When I turn ignition on it immiately starts to give 20A for the car. There might be huge difference between different charges, I don't know... But good charger seems to react for dropped voltage really fast.