Hello everyone,

I had recently bought a used 1998 C70. I took it over a 1500 miles week trip and I have the following problems on it.

1. The traction control button does not work. Nothing happens if I press it. The brakes tend to be weird. Time to time, the brakes make a weird sound and I have to actually use force to push the pedal down (its as if the brake pedal is resisting to go down). Could the wheel speed sensors be bad?

2. After a long drive (maybe an hour or so) - when I dab the brakes, after the first few times, the brakes start to squeal? Are these signs of worn brake pads?

3. The AC behaves weirdly. When the AC light on the instrument cluster is on (the one right below the speedo), it cools perfectly fine. But when the light is off, the compressor clutch keeps kicking on and off every 2 seconds. There is no control on that light - it goes off and comes back on by itself. Also the lights on the center console for AC control (exhaust/re-circulation & on/off) keep dancing around. The re-circulation and off will come on for a second followed by exhaust and on.This happens while starting the car and the AC light in the instrument cluster is off.

4. When I accelerate hard, the car runs fine. But if you hear very closely, after about 2500 rpm, there is a very mild metal sound (like a bearing sound but not sure). The sound has been constant ever since I bought the car the car one month ago (about 2000 miles ago).

Help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

Trac Control: if on Idiot light turns on on dash below speedo. Might be bas switch, check with meter.
Brake pedal: 1/2 inch travel brakes should engage, if not check fluid level, fill try again. If no brakes @ 1/2 travel bleed brakes. Check lines same time for leak, if inside rim is wet you have a leak. Next remove pads grease bolts that hold pads in. Ensure pad springs are installed. Check pad thickness also & rotor for warp and groove or grooves should be smooth.
A/C will cycle on & off even when A/C is not selected. Check both circulation switches & A/C Freon pressures, Freon maybe required.
Metallic rubbing sound maybe associated with a warped brake rotor, bent rim, check inside rims for rub mark or wheel bearing. Most of the inspection & repair you can do easily, except the Freon if you don't have gauges. I have fixed all these problems on my 98 C70 Coupe, 2.3 HPT, Auto, 44k miles.
Good luck!

 

Does the cluster have an AC light?

 

No, just a freezing light shaped like a snow flake on 1998 C70.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I changed the brake pads out and the squeal has gone away. The switch was bad for traction. I also cleaned out all the wheel speed sensors that were really dirty.
And the AC has a leak somewhere - it loses refrigerant every 3 days. Maybe a project over the next weekend.

 

Also, stupid heater core decided to leak all over the carpet . So I am waiting on the parts before changing it out.

 

So I finally got done with exams and got around to changing the heater core, inspecting the turbo, changing the transmission fluid, engine oil change.

I got a gauge and can of R134a. When I plugged it in - without the AC button on - the gauge was just into the red region. When I turn it on, the compressor cycles on and off every 1-2 seconds. When it is spinning, the gauge drops into the blue region and then back to green and the cycle just repeats.

The AC and recirculation lights flash for about 20 seconds whenever I start the car. The blower comes on full blast and heat works fine too. The direction control is also fine. It just wont cool.

Any pointers? Help will be really appreciated guys.

There are only 2 Volvo stealers around me and they want $300 just to inspect the AC system.

 

Follow the instructions on the A/C charge procedures! A/C on, MAX fan, set air to Recycle. Charge A/C ! Good luck! Let us know what you do & results!

 

Thanks MSGTUSMC! I shall try it today evening and post back here

 

I had a youtube video on servicing it, must have deleted it by accident.

 

Thanks RSPI. if you could find a tutorial of some sort that would be great. I read online where it says that I just need to attach the gauge onto the low pressure side and then fill it up with the can held upright. Here is what is happening:

"I got a gauge and can of R134a. When I plugged it in - without the AC button on - the gauge was just into the red region. When I turn it on, the compressor cycles on and off every 1-2 seconds. When it is spinning, the gauge drops into the blue region and then back to green and the cycle just repeats.

The AC and re-circulation lights flash for about 20 seconds whenever I start the car. The blower comes on full blast and heat works fine too. The direction control is also fine. It just wont cool."

Is there anyway I can make sure that I do not overfill it? The gauge should be in the green region when the compressor is on - correct? Right now its in the lower blue when the compressor is on for 2 seconds and then when the compressor goes off - the gauge goes back to end of green/beginning of red.

 

So I got a chance to take a look at the AC. It definitely seems to be low on R134a. I emptied a can of the freon (well almost, lost some when I pierced the opening and couldnt get the gauge on immediately).

But here is what happened:
1. When the AC is off - the gauge registers about 70-75psi.
2. When I turn on the AC button - the compressor clicks on for 2 seconds (gauge reads about 15psi) and then clicks off (gauge registers about 65psi). This is repeated cyclically.
3. After emptying the entire can, the compressor remained clutched in for about 45 seconds or a minute and then went back to clicking on and off again. During the minute or so when it as spinning I went in and checked the instrument cluster. The AC light on there had NOT come on.
4. After all of this, when I removed the freon and went back to the car to turn it off - the CEL came on. The CEL had come on within 2 days of buying the car and had codes P0410 and P0455 (air pump failure and gross leak in evaporative system). The CEL disappeared magically when I had driven the car hard 2 weeks ago. Is there any correlation between all of these? Or is the air pump having a loose connection somewhere?

Should I go and buy some more freon and put it in and see what happens? Also, is there any way by which I can clean up that small temperature fan that sits right next to the defrost and traction control buttons?