I have a 2004 Volvo S40 (early model). Purchased this past April with 104k.

A couple of months ago after work it wouldn't start right away. I had to turn the key 3-4 times. There was a lot of "clicking" and the dash lights would flash, and eventually it would start.

This has been growing more frequent and it now about every other day. Sometime it does it in the morning, sometimes after it was just running 5 minutes prior (ex: after stopping and fueling).

I have not yet taken it in to Volvo, as I would like to have some idea of what would be wrong before I just have them start randomly replacing things. I also need this resolved ASAP as I am expecting and don't want to get stranded anywhere -- it's starting to get cold in Wisconsin!

Of note, the service light is on and about a month after I got the car the gas gauge quit working. It is constantly on "E."

Any advice of where to start would be great!

 

I had a similar issue on my 2000 S40 where I would have to turn the engine over for an extended period of time before it would start. This is a common problem in these cars from what I read and is usually associated with the fuel pressure regulator. I replaced mine and the car fired right up ever since. Hope this helps. As for the service light its just a reminder to get your service done by Volvo dealership it can be erased.

 

You either have a bad battery or dirty/loose power cable or ground. The clicking is the key noise. You have low voltage to the starter and these new highly computerized cars hate low voltage. What is your battery voltage? What is the voltage when trying to start? If it dips down below 10 volts it's not enough.

As written above the service engine light is your "change oil now" indicator. It comes on every 7500 miles. To turn it off: Press odometer reset button on dash and hold, turn ignition key to II (ON but do not start), wait for "Service Engine" light to start flashing, release odometer reset button ("Service Engine" light goes out), turn key to 0 (OFF).

Not sure about the gas gauge. I would guess it's the gauge itself or the sending unit inside the tank.