My xc90 T8 won't start in spite of being freshly charged. The instruments power on as normal but the car/engine won't

Hello & welcome to Just answer

My name is ***** ***** I’ve been an automotive engineer since 1996 so hopefully I can help
Sorry to hear that you’re having trouble with your vehicle, it’s certainly frustrating when this happens as it rarely occurs at a convenient time.
May I ask with whom I am speaking today?

If the car's not cranking then first check it can turned over by hand by using a socket on the crank pulley nut, so double checking for any mechanical issues
If OK then check that the main battery cables are on tight and the terminals are clean and bright. Do the same for the engine / gearbox earth strap.
Then follow the main positive lead back to the engine and down to the starter motor, and check the connection at this end as well. Ideally use a multimeter to measure the main power lead resistance as it should be no more than 3 ohms if it is then replace it with a new part

Then use a voltmeter to measure the battery voltage as it should be at least 12V with the ignition on and not drop below 9V when you're trying to crank / start the engine

There should also be a small wire to the motor which should have 12V when you're turning the ignition switch/ pushing the start button to crank. If the 12V isn't there, check back along this wire for damage to the insulation or corroded connections

This 12V feed comes directly from the ignition switch/ starter button so this may be faulty and need replacing

Check the resistance of the main positive lead that runs down to the motor as anything more than a few ohms and it should be replaced
Don't forget to try a jump start from another car / battery as its possible the battery is poor, if you have a voltmeter a healthy battery should read 12.7+V

Also try substituting the battery for another as I've known a very flat battery to drag down the system voltage too far even with jump cables
one other thing to consider is that the immobiliser is faulty and preventing the starter from being enabled - however if the dash / ignition lights are on then this usually means that its off
If this is all OK then its possible the car needs a new starter motor

Hello Jeremy

Thanks for the extra information, I'd agree that resetting the car is well worth a try and cannot do any harm

can you locate the fuse 11 in the underbonnet fusebox and remove it for a few minutes  to see if that helps?

OK next step would be to disconnect the 12V battery and then press the brake pedal down for a few seconds to reset the car

Its also possible that the issue is with the steering lock as this is supposed to communicate with the ECU to allow it to start

this sadly needs dealer level software to interface with it and re-programme it if thats the case

Understood good luck