|
All warning lights on/off/on/off...
The car is a 1992 240 with 240,000 miles. A few nights ago while driving all of the warning lights came on, and they were unusually bright. The engine continues to run fine when this happens. The warning lights stay on for only 1-2 seconds. This seems to be happening more frequently now. OBD code shows "system voltage too high or too low. Voltage across battery terminals, engine running, 2000 RMP is 14.08 VDC. Car cranks and runs fine.
Any suggestions on what next steps should be taken in diagnosing and fixing the problem. There's too many lights to apply black tape over all of them. |
No black tape... You likely have an alternator that is going bad, or a voltage regulator if the car has one.
|
not sure a high alternator voltage would make all the lights come on. I'm thinking flakey ground behind the dash.
14V is a /little/ high, 13.8 is more typical, but its not /TOO/ high. but thats what it was when you measured, its possible the VR goes flakey and the voltage shoots way up for the few seconds, then goes back to normal. Assuming you have the standard bosch alternator, the VR is a $25-80 part dependng on where you get it, and is a really easy quick screw-on job... its on the back of the alternator, looks like a big power transistor on a plastic piece held on by two screws. the regulator assembly includes the brushes. Voltage Regulator Brush Pack |
Took the car to Advance Auto Parts to have the alternator/battery/starting system checked. Alternator and voltage regulator are performing as new. Battery is better than good. No short circuits or phantom draw evident. C'mon guys, let's hear some ideas. What would make all the warning lights come on without affecting engine performance in the least?
|
Ignition switch.
Don't go to parts store for diagnosis... |
yeah, and don't get parts for European imports at big box chain stores
|
I had one tell me an alternator was bad and another say it was good. I don't trusth them either.
Maybe you do have a loose ground or wire going bad behind the dash. When my alternator went bad last month it was good one trip and bad the other. This lasted about 3 days before it totally cut out about 6 miles from home. |
my daughter's 240 had the classic symptoms of alternator failure, dead battery. charge it up, it would run for a couple days of short in-town trips, and die again. volt meter across the battery said 12.x volts, the battery voltage, even when the engine was running. ooops. turned out, it wasn't the regulator or the brushes, it was the ground wire between the alternator and the engine block. but she had no funky dashboard light issues.
i'd suspect the ignition switch or flakey connection at back of dash or fflakey ground to your dash. if anyone has mucked with the wiring behind the dash, or in the engine compartment, all bets are off. The 240 steering column and stuff is grounded by a wire that goes to the flange around the gear shifter. under the hood, there's a main ground on the left fender near the bracket that holds the positive terminal and the headlight relay. |
Is there a simple test using a voltmeter/multitester that can be performed to check the "quality" of ground at each location? Would I check for continuity? If so, between what two points? Or, is it easier to simply remove and clean each ground connection, declare victory, and go home?
|
IF there's current going through that particular ground point, measuring the voltage between two grounds on either side of that junction will test it.
for instance, for starter problems, measuring from the battery - terminal to the engine block would be a good test, while someone cranks over the car. the starter is trying to draw down like 100 amps, so if you see more than a volt between the batt - and the block, there's too much resistance in the middle.... but thats not your problem. I was looking at the wiring diagram for the instrument panel... there's not actually any grounds. its connected to ignition switched 'hot', and all the lights are grounded through their respective sensors. the speedo has a ground but that won't affect anything else. the dashboard illumination lights have a ground, pin 4 of connector 32, the 'smile' shaped connector below the circular one on the back of the panel... that stuff is all grounded to the plate that the two seatbelt latches are on, behind the shift linkage.. the ignition switch has a couple sets of outputs. pin '15R' is on when the key is in II or start, and powers the engine and stuff, including the dashboard lights. Pin 15I is on when the key is in II only, and mostly powers the headlights. pin "X" is on when the key is in I or II and powers a bunch of auxilliary stuff, along with fuses 1,2,3. power goes into the ignition switch directly from the battery on pin 30 (red wire). and to be complete, pin 50 is 'start', with a pink wire. |
Ah ha! This may be a good clue: In my original posting I indicated that the headlights seems to get brighter when the warning lights came on. Tonight, I noticed that not only do the headlights get brighter, but the blower fan definitely jumps up a notch in speed whenever the dash warning lights come on, and then drops back to normal speed when the warning lights go out. So, what we have here is an intermittent increase in system voltage across the board. Can be due to grounding? Is there anything other than the voltage regulator that can cause voltage to spike in such a way?
If the warning lights come on with increased regularity, I'll try to get a voltage reading at the battery as this is happening and report back. |
that DOES sound like a bad voltage regulator.
the VR is a module on the back of the alternator, its an assembly with the brushes, attaches with two little screws, you can replace it in 2 minutes with a screwdriver. Voltage Regulator Brush Pack http://www.ipdusa.com/uploads/images...lsize_4051.jpg |
The problem was the voltage regulator. Tried to buy it separately, but the old alternator was a Bosch with an internal regulator that cost more when purchased separately than a used Bosch alternator from the junkyard. So, now I have a different alternator, and all is right with the world. The dash clock has even started to run consistently, which it never did before. Life is good.
|
I have similar problem with my 2008 v70 3.2. First my Infotainment control module display works erratically. It will not display when it is cold outside. Then after driving awhile it will lite up. Today it was 60 degrees and it never displayed. Also today i got all kinds of warning lite displayed on the dash display. Abs, tire inflation, turn signal quit, etc for about two minutes, then it quit on its on and everything ok. One advisor said to check ground. Another member had similar problem and replacing ICM fixed everything. Nearest volvo service is 60 miles one way. I want to know whats What before I proceed. I have been reading this site everynite since finding it two weeks ago. I am learning alot, but I am no mechanic by any means. I can just see a mecahnic's face when I tell him the Volvo forum site said do this or that. I find most don't listen to owners questions or what we want done to the car. I had to argue over what oil that Volvo service and I wanted and what the shop owner wanted to use. I bought my own oil but he still said the car called for synthetic which it doesn't. Any help would be appreciated! Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks.
|
Originally Posted by fred in florida
(Post 348527)
I have similar problem with my 2008 v70 3.2.
anything with a turbo should get synthetic oil. without a turbo, its not as important. |
My 1992 Volvo 240 Warning Lights on/off/flicker/on/car died...
So my 1992 Volvo 240 died two months after my initial electrical issue presented and arguing with my established mechanic all summer about fixing a short that originally presented by the fuse for the dash lights busting and somehow that was connected to my rear tail light going out as well. Then, one day, black smoke poured through the driver's side dashboard and I brought it back to him at least three more times until yesterday. He said he fixed it by reconnecting the wires and rewrapping them as well as bypassing the rheostat and installing LEDs in my dash so to cut the power demand. I blew two bulbs in a week's time, he told me it was coincidental... I disagreed. He said it was all set, and the next day after picking it up a third time, all the warning dash lights started coming on and staying on upon turning the engine over, then coming on and off while driving, and so I took it back, he claimed that it didn't happen for him. I had the car's mass airflow sensor replaced (it was running rich) and he didn't agree to revisit the wiring issue, assuring me that my car was safe to commute to physical therapy an hour away from where I live. I picked it up again yesterday and now today my car won't run at all and I'm extremely frustrated as I am recovering from hip surgery and need reliable transportation. Luckily, I suppose, the car died at my friend's (who specializes in automotive electronics) place. I was going to show him the funky light situation but then the engine wouldn't turn over at all. The battery voltage was a 10 and lowered to a 2 upon turning the key in the ignition. We eventually jumped the car but the battery was steadily dying with the car in idle. We used his voltage meter to test the alternator and it is dead. The battery seems dead too, and he peeked under the dash to find all of my wires fried and melted. Now after paying over $1000 to my mechanic, I'm afraid I won't be able to afford to fix what's been getting worse and worse and that finally killed my car yesterday. I'm currently disabled from eight years of health issues and I'm on an extremely limited budget. My mechanic lets me pay in post dated checks so that's one main reason I stick with them because it allowed me to have mobility to get to my medical appointments, which are paramount to my recovery. My friend is concerned about how much is burnt up under the dash (wire carriage,etc) and, if we put a new alternator on if the voltage regulator isn't replaced and the short not located, I might end up with another fried alternator and battery and I cannot sustain this financial void. I told my mechanic that I thought the voltage regulator needed to be replaced and he brushed off my concern and my research into the problem. He insisted that the warning lights coming on weren't happening for him nor an issue l, but when I was dropped off to pick it up after being told it was all set, I find his father in it, revving the engine and he told me that he noticed the warning lights staying on and were flickering and that the car was hard to start yet assured me it was safe anyway. Can anyone help steer me to a possible solution? Swing on the Spiral |
Originally Posted by Iridium_Spiral240
(Post 465028)
...... Can anyone help steer me to a possible solution? |
Helpful. As I said, I'm on an extremely limited budget and I have been working with them for ten years on my previous 240 (that made it to 400k+ miles) and my wagon without running into this possible work ethic issue until this summer. I'd like to be a confident sounding board to help with the warranty on the work he does so I can influence the ideal outcome. Automotive electronics are generally more complicated than mechanical issues, which is why my friend who specializes in electronics in cars is looking at the car but I'm trying to do my own research. I'd really appreciate genuinely helpful thoughts rather than the sophomoric obvious but not easy for me having just had major hip surgery, astronomical medical bills and being disabled on a meager stipend. Thanks, schmendrick. |
your car has a large list of random problems, there's no magic bullet, "oh, swap this $2 part and all yoru woes go away". it will need careful electronics troubleshooting, having a professional do this will take a lot of billable hours.
|
if indeed the all the wiring is "fried and melted" the repair cost could very well exceed the car's value, therefore making it a parts car only.
so, you should think to cut your losses. the issues you are having with your mechanic are another matter, but the stark reality is that numbers don't lie.... oh, and insulting people here in Yiddish won't help your cause either. |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:14 PM. |
© 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands