98 v70
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98 v70
My father in-law bought my husband and I a '98 V70 with 290k miles and the check engine light is on. He said that he had the diagnositic ran on the it and it is on because of a pump. I don't know what pump it is but he is a former mercedes mechanic and he had the car looked at by another machanic and they both agreed that the pump doesn't need to be replaced. My concern is what if something else goes wrong and I don't know because the check engine light is always on. I drive this around town with my infant and want a safe car. Is there some way to bypass or clear the code so the light will go off? Of should this pump be replaced?
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 15,736
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From: Albuquerque, NM
Hi Jennifer, welcome to the forum.
For anyone here to give you an opinion, you should post the actual code. You can go to any auto parts store and they will read and give you the code. Then you can return here to post it.
These cars do have a secondary air injection system that functions primarily during start up. It can trigger the CEL if any part of it is defective. I do understand that a light CEL will stop you from learning of a new code. Sad to say, these cars are sensitive to the light being triggered. My experience is that a LOT of people do drive around with the CEL on, in many car models. They think "if it runs, I'm going to keep driving". I don't like it either, I'd say fix it. But I'm not the one that will pay for it.
Get the code and post it here. Fixing that problem will not make the car more reliable, it's an old car, it can break down at any time. In my experience, here is a list of things that cause these cars to fail and leave you stranded:
1. Broken timing belt. It is suppose to be changed every 70,000 miles.
2. Bad fuel pump relay. It usually acts up before total failure but you can replace it if it hasn't been replaced within the last 10 years.
3. Poor battery cable/connection. This is also usually a gradual problem. You can have the battery charging status checked at the battery while the car is running. If less than 13.2 volts, have the battery connections taken apart and cleaned real well or cable between the battery and starter replaced.
Other than those 3 things, these cars are very reliable and will get you home with many other issues.
For anyone here to give you an opinion, you should post the actual code. You can go to any auto parts store and they will read and give you the code. Then you can return here to post it.
These cars do have a secondary air injection system that functions primarily during start up. It can trigger the CEL if any part of it is defective. I do understand that a light CEL will stop you from learning of a new code. Sad to say, these cars are sensitive to the light being triggered. My experience is that a LOT of people do drive around with the CEL on, in many car models. They think "if it runs, I'm going to keep driving". I don't like it either, I'd say fix it. But I'm not the one that will pay for it.
Get the code and post it here. Fixing that problem will not make the car more reliable, it's an old car, it can break down at any time. In my experience, here is a list of things that cause these cars to fail and leave you stranded:
1. Broken timing belt. It is suppose to be changed every 70,000 miles.
2. Bad fuel pump relay. It usually acts up before total failure but you can replace it if it hasn't been replaced within the last 10 years.
3. Poor battery cable/connection. This is also usually a gradual problem. You can have the battery charging status checked at the battery while the car is running. If less than 13.2 volts, have the battery connections taken apart and cleaned real well or cable between the battery and starter replaced.
Other than those 3 things, these cars are very reliable and will get you home with many other issues.
