The dealer said I had about 2% of brake left front and rear, Buy not have the brakes replaced could this have caused my booster to fail a few months down the road?

 

Low brake pads will not wear the booster out faster.

 

Fabulous instructions Tech to replace the brake booster!!! Now the brake lights are on all the time. How do I adjust the switch?

 

The switch is adjustable. Push the pedal down and while holding it press the brake light switch towards the arm. Then let the pedal go and it will adjust itself to where it needs to be.
Like the center part of the switch is what moves. Push it from the back side where the plug goes into it.

 

Thank you again. It was getting old unplugging the thing. One other minor problem, I replaced brake light bulbs but the message center tells me to check brake bulb and the orange exclamation point is lit up. Do you have to use Volvo bulbs or something?

 

Regular bulbs are fine. Are you sure they are all working properly.
Also if you use one brass base bulb and one silver bulb it can set the message as well.

 

Yes that was it. I had one brass bulb left over from somewhere. New bulbs all over and everything is great. Check engine light is on after all of this. Advance auto parts says there is no code or reason why it should be on. it runs great. For anyone talking about replacing the brake booster - follow the techs instructions. I bought mine at International auto parts in Westerville Ohio. It is ATE original equipment. The part number is on a sticker on the booster. It will cross over to their catalog. The toughest part was the 13mm nuts under the dash. What a pain. They are way longer than they have to be.

 

Glad all is good now.

 

dont forget to make sure the o-ring stays on the master cylinder or you will be taking it back apart. Fun learning these thing the hard way sucks. even with the redo finished in less than 4 hrs. Ps wobbles sockets are a must for this job.
Thanks for the great step by step.

 

Driving a 2001 S-60 and am having the same problems. The tech (whom I trust and have been using almost 3 years now) tells me it'll run somewhere between $950 and $1000 to replace the brake booster. Does this sound right? What's the average life span of the brake booster and what causes it to break down?

 

It will be pretty close to that with a new booster. The time they last varries on conditions. The diaphram inside tears.

 

Do it yourself! It took me 4 hours with the techs directions. Piece of cake. 363$ for the part.

 

I got mine at Napa and it was around 300 and when its all said and done it would have only took 2.5 hours but I forgot the master o-ring

 

Hi there! My wife and I just bought an '01 XC70 that has the hissing / squealing from the brake pedal area . . . sounds just like what I'm reading about here. I have a few questions before I proceed: First, is there any other potential underlying problem that could cause the booster to fail? (Should I replace anything else while I'm in there?) Second, do these usually last for a certain amount of time and then go bad, or do some of them last forever? What I'm trying to get from the second question is whether it's worth looking at used parts - I've seen them on eBay for well under $100, and I'm one *cheap* dude! Third, how do I know if my car has the Dynamic Stability Control . . . is it only the switch on the dashboard? The Cross Country doesn't come standard with this but without a switch, does it? Are there any other considerations to take with the XC versus the FWD V70?

Thank you a TON for your help. The step-by-step instructions appear to be extremely well-written!

 

It is a booster issue only.

The boosters are starting to go bad alot. I would not chance on a used one if you can help it.

On the climate module where the other buttons are see if there is one there that says dtc,dstc,stc. If there is one that is the option you have.

 

Yes indeed....the hissing noise is only the beginning of the brake booster going bad. Mine hissed like it was singing for nearly a year before my tech actually heard it when it brought it in for a major service. I'm having the problem fixed today, but would warn you to try and find a reputable service station that has experience with Swedish cars. Taking it to the dealer will be a painful experience since they will charge you nearly twice the amount it will take to get it fixed.

 

I used the VIN number to match the Brake booster required for STC and DSTC. You can find the part like I said for 363$ brand new from same Swedish supplier that sells them to the dealer. Don't bend a brake line on the master cylinder. Just be careful and you'll have it done in no time. Don't get a used one "cheapo". I am cheap too but not on a part that takes 3 or 4 hours to replace.

 

Thanks folks! No button at all - I guess I'll be getting the standard one then!

 

Well, it took awhile, but I finally had a chance to do this on my 2001 V70XC. Got a brand spankin' new ATE booster from autopartswarehouse.com for $232.95, and my dad and I put it in this morning. The instructions were spot on and really easy to follow. Thanks, Tech! I didn't even have to adjust the brake light switch.

By the way, if anyone else is thinking about doing this, I would absolutely recommend getting a 13mm deep-well socket, like this (except you can get a cheap one at Autozone for $5). You'll kick yourself if you don't get one before you start, I promise. And like Charley9 said, a set of wobble extensions really helps also. I used a 1.5" and 12" in combination along with the 13mm deep socket several times. Cheers!

 

I have a 1994 940T and was told by the previous owner that the booster was out; the car stopped --- it just took a long foot press. New front pads came with the car so I put them on only to discover a ceased caliper.
I rebuilt the caliper.
Upon the start of the test drive I had a very responsive brake system. It was not a bad booster.
So before forking out a lot of cash, check the all the calipers and learn if they are functioning. If not get a kit and rebuild them BEFORE tackling the booster.