My 2001 s40 turbo will sometimes not start and I would appreciate any help.

After driving it for an hour or two a dash light comes (the one that looks like a little arrow pointed up) which the manual says 20) Automatic transmission: position W, 3, or L. This light will blink for several starts after that - and will sometimes upon startup act like its in a higher gear when I am going very slowly and should be in first gear. If I restart the car 1-3 times the engine will go back to normal and the problem will disappear for the time being (but the light will sometimes will continue to blink).

Also after driving for a while with multiple starts (I deliver pizzas so there is a lot of short trips and engine starts) I will turn the key to the start position and it will not turn over or start although all the dash lights and the radio will turn on. There is no clicking or any noise when I try to start it. It seems if I let it sit for like 5-15 minutes it will start again, and it will continue to start and not start randomly for the remaining of my drive time for the day.

The battery is kind of sitting loose in the engine and like not bolted down. Also one of the battery cables is taut (no slack) between the engine and battery, and that same wire was stripped of its casing on the end to reconnect to a new metal battery connector that connects to the battery itself.

I was told that the cable needs to be replaced - could it be overheating or loosing ground somehow? Could it be the battery? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

You need to address the loose battery issue and the bare power supply cable rather urgently.
An electrical fire risk and battery acid spill could occur if the battery moves significantly.
The battery should have special securement clips that secure the ledge around the base of the battery to the supporting tray itself.
rspi has a video, I recall that shows the proper fixing method ? on the Mathews Volvo forum.
(in the repair database)

It would seem your transmission may be alternating between winter mode 'W' and normal at will.
The Winter mode button located next to the shifter on the centre console may be faulty or jamming up?
You should have your car checked for fault codes that may be stored which may shed light on the cause of the transmission problem as a starting point.

 

If you click on this link it describes in basic terms how the battery is secured to the tray. (different model shown but method is similar on S40/V40.)
The rear and right sides of the battery base ledge simply fit under a plastic lip on the tray edge.
The front and left side have a removeable plastic clip.
I suspect the 2 clips have been lost so the battery is sliding about unrestrained.

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...46198&p=226505