I just bought a 1998 V70 SW. I tried to test everything before actually buying, but got caught unaware with the cruise control. When I drove off lot and got on highway, cruise would not set. Is this going to be an expensive repair for me? Friends tell me just to live without it. That's not the option I want to hear. Is it a simple do it yourself?

thanks

 

It might just be a hose under the battery box that has a hole in it.

 

I've got the same problem.

First thing's first. Check the fuse. It's number 29 I believe according to the Haynes manual. This fuse is also responsible for the bulb failure light and the heater mirrors so it could very well be this if you haven't had to use heated mirrors (which I doubt you have).

If the fuse is ok, next thing would be to pull the battery out and remove the two bolts that hold the battery tray to the frame. attached to the bottom of the battery tray is the cruise control vacuum pump. It should have a black (mine's black) plastic hose connecting with a rubber elbow to the vacuum pump. It will also have a wire harness with 3 wires attached to it. Make sure the wire harness is attached snugly and that the elbow is attached snugly onto the vacuum pump.

If all this checks out ok, next step is to inspect every square millimeter of that black vacuum line. I myself have no cruise control since installed my intercooler and I suspect I may have cracked the vacuum line somewhere as Volvo plastic is notorious for getting brittle and cracking when it gets as old as most of our cars are. So yeah next step is to trace along the vacuum line to check for any cracks or pinholes or anything else that could prevent the next component from getting a vacuum.

Which would be a vacuum diaphram of sorts that holds the vacuum and manipulates the gas pedal I believe. I haven't gotten to this and I'm only going off the top of my head what VADIS diagnosis software said was next. I don't know how to inspect for damage but my volvo tech I talked with today said it's a 99% chance that the vac line just has a hole... either that or I somehow damaged the vacuum pump.

Since you're not sure what the problem is and that it never worked since you got it, you also can't rule out the actual swith on the little steering colum itself. Although highly unlikely, it's another possiblity.

 

I just purchased a non-turbo 1998 s70. The cruise will not work for me either. I have no light in the dash when I turn the cruise on. Where do I start?

 

Mine was simply the vacuum line that goes from the pedal's diaphram through the firewall up to the pump had a crack in it. It was pretty brittle so check that and replace it if needed.

Oh DW, 98's didn't have cruise control lights (stupid I know...)

 

The cruise wouldn't engage every once in a while this summer, I pulled the brake pedal the opposite way with my toes while pushing +, it worksevery time the cruise doesn't work.
I don't use cruiseat all in normal commutes, but this post reminds me to clean the switch up.

When I was test driving my car, I had the sunroof open the whole time, didn't realize an arm was busted, the sunroof would lift-up at the front right above 150km/hr over a bump, or just lift atabove 170kms. I thought I checked everything, impossible to catch it all I guess, still best bang for the buck, by far.

 

Great Info, Seems while playing around I knocked the vacuum line off under the Battery case.

 

i have a 99 s70, which the cruise is all electronic through the brake light switch.My cruise control only works intermittently, which I could live with, except when the cruise control is failing, it also pulls the car out of the "lock in gear" feature so the car runs at higher rpms. I am so annoyed. I have replaced the stop light switch, and nothing changed. any ideas?

 

On 1998 models there is a cruise control controller in the fuse box under the hood just under the front window. It is long rectangular, change it out and that often solves the problem on 850 and 98 S/V70 models.