Greetings all! This is my first forum post and I hope I can get some direction/advice about my '98 S70 (non-turbo) and this damn Check Engine light (or Malfunction indicator lamp).

So the light has been on for quite a while. Took to local reputable mechanic and he found 11 codes. He replaced bad purge valve and sealed a leak in the J-tube (connects to charcoal canister). When I got the car back, the Check Engine light is still on and he says to drive it around for a couple days and it should turn off. He suspected the other codes were related to the valve and leak and should all reset after driving it around. I read another forum where I guy described it as a bit more complicated that just driving around. Had to drive the car at higher and higher revolutions and idle in Drive between each.. Is that whole process necessary? Anyone have experience with doing that on a '98?

Main problem is this car is my daily transportation, and I need to pass a vehicle inspection... I really need that check engine light turned off asap.

I read a bunch of forum already so I feel like I know a little more than I did about this, but still confused about what to do next. First off, I'm not disconnecting the neg battery terminal b/c I've already done that last week and had to re-do the radio code wait for 2 hours with key in it - kind of a pain in the ***.. plus the didn't affect the check engine light at all. Second, I don't have a scanner and can't afford one, but will be going to Auto Zone tomorrow for a Diag II scan so hopefully at least I can have the codes and try to look up Volvo specific codes to translate from the generic ones if I need to.

I just wonder if I am going about this the right way or if I am missing something obvious..

At this point I'm most concerned with getting an inspection and NC tag on this sucker. Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!

 

Hi and welcome to the forum.

First off, if the CEL is on, there is a current problem that needs to be fixed. You need to have the system scanned and get the codes.

If you go to Auto Zone to get the car scanned, you will be retrieving GENERIC codes, not Volvo specific codes. At any rate, you can look them up and they will point you in the general direction of the issues.

If you disconnect the battery, it will lock the radio. You don't have to wait 2 hours to reset it, it will reset immediately once you enter the CORRECT code before entering wrong codes 3 times. Three wrong codes locks the radio, then the 2 hour time clock begins.

After the OBD-2 system is reset or the battery is disconnected, yes the car has to complete a series of "drive cycles" to set the OBD-2 system to READY, which will allow the car to pass inspection. There is a "drive cycle" process that you can Google and do for the system to set quicker than waiting days for it to complete.

Again, have the system scanned ASAP and post the codes here.

 

Post your codes when you get them.

One comment. You can;t really seal the J hose. My sons car had 2 or 3 nipples in it to try to close up cracks I guess. I replaced the J hose AND the hose that runs up the gas fill neck. The latter can be replaced with any rubber tubing that fits. the J hose has too big a bend to fit right with a regular hose, but in a pinch it can be done

 

I found this interesting post:

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...hp?f=1&t=62268

 

OK so I went to Autozone and got the 11 codes listed below:

PO130 - heated oxygen sensor bank 1 sensor 1
PO135 - heater condition (heated oxygen sensor bank 1 sensor 1)
PO136 - circuit condition (heated oxygen sensor bank 1 sensor 2)
PO 141 - heater condition (heated oxygen sensor bank 1 sensor 1)
*all 4 codes had probable cause: oxygen sensor failure

PO300 - cylinder misfire random cylinders
PO302 - cylinder misfire number 2
PO305 - cylinder misfire number 5
* I just finished doing a light tune-up today, and replaced all 5 spark plugs and put in new air filter. She definitely needed them and runs a bit stronger now. Hopefully these codes will disappear now

PO445 - EVAP (evaporative emission) purge/vent solenoid circuit condition
PO448 - EVAP (evaporative emission) purge/vent solenoid circuit condition
PO410 - Secondary air injection system fault
PO414 - Secondary air injection system fault
* mechanic replaced purge valve last week and sealed leak, so the first 2 should be addressed I guess. The last 2 says probable cause circuit relay or fuse open but I can't tell from the fuse box. All the fuses look fine none are blown but will look again.

One last thing - I saw a thread the other day about how to reset the service engine light after emissions work but can't find it for the life of me. If anyone knows the steps for that by all means please share. Thanks for all the help in advance!

J

 

Oh and thanks rspi for that link. I looked into it and in North Carolina where I live there is actually an emission waiver. But it costs $$200 and you have to spend at least $200 fixing the problem. I'd rather not go that route, but kind of interested that there's a waiver after all

 

The easy one, the service light. Turn the key to position I, press and hold the reset4 button for the odometer. while hoilding, turn the key to position II. After the 3rd blink of the service light but before the 4th blink, release the reset button.

O2 sensor... get the OEM. Replacements can cause issues. The OEM is a Bosch I believe. I'd look at the wiring as well. Make sure there are no shorts or burn wirting from the eshaust pipe.

You should have Autozone clear the codes. Some cars clear the codes after a certain amount of milage and/or restarts.

 

Alrighty making some progress here. So I looked up the Drive Cycle reset process (thanks rspi) and followed that to a tee. On my way home started drastically losing power and rolled into Autozone just in the nick of time. Battery was dead and needed charging for about an hour. (I bought a multimeter and tested the voltage, and it was at 9.8 while hooked to + and - leads) So, the battery was fully charge 2 weeks ago. Autozone guy said no bad cells, and not a bad battery. So I'm wondering how can I eliminate power pulling off the battery. I keep the pos/neg tight on it when its installed. Any suggestions about how to save power pull from battery are welcome.

So last night after the battery was charged and installed, they did a diag test. To my delight, no codes showed up! Only problem is the CEL is still on and my Service Engine Light flashes on for a few minutes too. My questions are: how can I get that CEL to turn off? Can I pass an inspection with 0 codes but a CEL on?

I tried the process that kwatt described twice, but it doesn't seem to work: "Turn the key to position I, press and hold the reset4 button for the odometer. while holding, turn the key to position II. After the 3rd blink of the service light but before the 4th blink, release the reset button."

I really appreciate you guys helping me out here. Thanks

 

Here's the Drive Cycle reset process for 1998 S70 if anyone needs it:

Start the engine and accelerate to approximately 1500-2000 rpm.
Drive for 6 minutes at 1500-2000 rpm.
Stop the vehicle and remain at idle in Drive for 70 seconds
Drive for 6 minutes at 1600-2000 rpm.
Stop the vehicle and remain at idle in Drive for 70 seconds
Accelerate to at least 45mph and drive for 5 minutes at 1800-2200 rpm.
Stop the vehicle and remain at idle in Drive for 60 seconds.
Accelerate to at least 45 mph and drive for 4 minutes at 1800-2200 rpm.
Stop the vehicle and remain at idle in Drive for 60 seconds.
Park the vehicle and turn off the engine.

This procedure must be performed TWICE from a cold start to set the readiness codes.