alright so i got my first car today and i drove it around and sometimes when im driving it will slip really bad i will give it gas but im getting very little feedback it will rev up but ill only get a little bit of acceleration. to solve the issue i will shut it off and turn it back on and it works just fine for a while. the car is 1997 has 133,000 miles a clean title and there is also a arrow on the dash board that is flashing not really sure what that means.

 

Hi and welcome to the site.

The flashing arrow means that the car is dropping into the "limp home mode". Allows you to continue driving (to the dealer) even though it has detected a problem with the transmission. The CEL and flashing arrow both tell you that there are error codes stored in the cars OBD-II system.

I'd suggest you get your hands on the owners manual (or look at the one on-line) and PROPERLY check the fluid level and the condition of the fluid before you do MORE DAMAGE to the tranny. Then decide where you need to go from there. If the fluid is low, top it off and try to figure out why. Many have benifited from a fluid change. You can look in the DIY Sticky Thread and get tips and instructions on how to care for the transmission and other things.

 

Did you buy the vehicle knowing the transmission slipped and it had a flashing light on the dash

Volvo has a different way of checking the transmission fluid. This is their procedure. I would check the level of the fluid and if you're unsure what color or smell the fluid should have find a buddy you trust who knows cars and have him check it.
CHECKING FLUID LEVEL
1) Ensure vehicle is level. Apply parking brake and gear
selector lever to "P" position. Start and idle engine. Move gear
selector lever through all gears, while pausing 4-5 seconds for
engagement at each position.
2) Return gear selector lever to "P" position. Wait 2 minutes
and check fluid

The flashing light is not good but one of the causes that is simple is just rowing through the gears. Car on or off doesn't matter you just want to go all the way from one end of the shifters travel to the other a number of times. If the flashing is caused by dirty contacts in the PNP switch it might clear the problem up.

You need to read this:
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...s-s-v70s-9266/

 

i shifted it back and forth this relieves the problem for a while but im not 100% cause i took the battery off so it may have reset it it did it again after i started driving again ithink a new pnp switch would help the fluid is slightly to full when its hot

 

Did you buy the vehicle knowing the transmission slipped and it had a flashing light on the dash

 

yes!!! when my parents and i looked at the car it went into limp mode and they still wanted to get it but that doesnt fix the problem

 

this does not sound good. was it from a private person or a dealer?

 

Slimflex2, like me I understand you'd like to help and you're just trying to get some information but you need to be careful as apparently if it doesn't fix the problem Starhobos gets a bit touchy ...... just sayin'.

 

ive decided to get rid of this car finally. i am going to spend a bit more this time and get a 2000 dodge dakota. thanks for the input

 

You might want to check out the buyers guide on your new forum first.

DODGE DAKOTA FORUM - FORUM AND OWNERS CLUB!

 

If you don't know a LOT about cars, etc., it's best to have a professional look at it. My sister and brother-in-law helped my nephew purchase a Malibu with a bad head gasket because it looked and drove so well. The new head gasket cost as much as the car. So, he ended up paying $5,000 for a $2,500 car. He won his small claims court suite but have not collected a dime from the losers.

 

try checking the ECU for corrosion on the pins,that is what caused my flashing arrow.

 

When I initially bought my car 2nd hand private owner, I had a few problems with it too, including flashing emission light that wasn't fixed after I took it to a mechanic.. then oddly, without doing anything, it has completely become okay again ever since that day and when I was set on trading it in, and I've had no further issues with this car what so ever. As a result I am keeping my car as I've really grown to love it now. The emission light never goes off (but that may be rectified when I take the car for it's regular 3 monthly service via another mechanic I will be using from now on who only fixes volvo's and knows them inside out, he said he'd change my timing belt for $200-$300, which I think is reasonable too after I mentioned it as maybe a good idea since I bought the car just over 2 months ago. No flashing arrow light ever since at least. I think one of the main problems with my car was the last owner had it sat for too long before he sold it on. I tend to drive it daily.

 

It's nice to know you've "grown" into your signature