every once in awhile we discover the battery (otherwise ok) has gone
dead in our '97 960 wagon. when the ignition is turned to the starting
position, there is a rapid clicking sound but the engine won't turn
over. a jump-start gets it going again -- until the next time it
happens, sometimes weeks or even months later but always mysteriously.
one past clue has been the discovery of a fan running somewhere inside
the car when we climb in. the fan, location unknown since no rush of air
can be felt, seemingly has turned itself on and run-down the battery.
the only other clue, if it's a clue at all, is that the light/s which
illuminate the position of the automatic shift lever -- reverse, drive,
park, etc. -- flickers on and off unpredictably, suggesting a short
somewhere. we assume that at the bottom of our mystery is, in fact, a
faulty switch or a short which turns on fans or who-knows what else. we
had a volvo-oriented garage check this awhile back but their high-tech
equipment could detect no electrical problem anywhere (but it did accept
my triple-digit check for its troubles). now the problem is back again.
are there any wizards out there who have confronted any such hobgoblin?
if so, thanks for any suggestions. art