I'm afraid I made a horrible mistake buying my 1999 S70 a couple of months ago. I knew it had a couple of little things wrong with it but I trusted the Volvo reputation and now I'm not so sure. The ABS and traction lights have been coming on randomly. I was finally able to get it in to a mechanic when the lights were on so they could get a code, which was 011 and 091. According to them that means the speed sensor and and the ABS module needs replacing. Yesterday my Check Engine light came on. It has done that randomly since I got it and I haven't been able to get it to anyone when it has been on. The Check Engine light was still on today. Then tonight, as I'm driving, along with my Check Engine light, the Brake light came on, and the ABS and traction lights came on. Other times when the ABS and traction lights came on the car has driven normal except for the one time that the speedometer quit working. Not so tonight. When pulling away from a stop sign, my car barely had enough power to get going, and the speedometer wasn't working. Once I got moving the power seemed fairly normal. Then at the next stop sign, the same low power problem. Does anyone have any ideas about what this is all about?

The car also has random problems with the locks not unlocking with the key fob and I have to unlock it on the door. When that happens the lock switch on the door to unlock the other doors doesn't work either.

I was planning to drive my car on a trip of about 700 miles (one way) in a couple of days, and now I'm thinking that would not be very wise. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Hi and welcome to VolvoForums.

Sorry to say but old cars have things in them that are made by man, which do fail, at a faster rate the older they are... That being said, it's not really the Volvo brand that is failing you as much as it may have been the previous owners care.

Sounds like you may have a few problems with this old car. Different issues not related to each other:

• First thing, you likely have a ABS module issue. Those things go out a lot in these cars, just a normal failure with age. I would NOT have the speed sensor changed, just the ABS module. If you look on my link below, you can click on it and get a referbished module for little to nothing and have it put in if you can't do it yourself. Will save you about $500.
• Second, whenever you have a CEL and it goes out, the computer will KEEP the code (9 times out of 10). Just go get it scanned to see what the computer is staying it has a problem with. There is a chance that the car has kicked into a "Limp Home Mode" which will cause it to start in 3rd gear instead of 1st, slow start. Could be a transmission problem or some other issue. Need to get that checked out today if possible.
• The door locks, another age issue with the car. I had to repair all of mine, usually worse in warm weather. There is a protection circuit inside the latch assembly that protects the locks for burning out the motor in event that someone locks and unlocks them to many times in a short time frame. Like someone is sitting on the remote or some kid is playing with them. Over time the circuit goes bad, gets weak, and causes the locks to fail to unlock with the central system. Can't remember how much the new locks cost but they can be fixed. (I need to get my hands on some used ones so I can refurb them for people and swap them out for them).

The best thing to do with old cars is work on getting them in good shape, all the stuff fixed. Make a list and work on it little at a time. I have had my wagon for 16 months now and I'm still working out the kinks. Do the important things first and go from there.

Last but not least, it's my opinion that cars do NOT know how far they are driven. Once they warm up they don't know if you have driven 30 miles or 400 miles. So, get the code checked and make sure the transmission is serviced properly (has proper level) and you should be ok to drive it across the country. When I purchased my wagon the transmission was shot and I had no idea of what condition the rest of the car was in when I purchased it and drove it 1,500 miles home. My theory was that if the seller could drive it to the airport to sell it to me, I could drive it home. But then again, I like adventure. LOL

 

Thank you sooooooo much! That was what I was hoping to hear! I was my plan to just go after the problems one at a time, recognizing that it is an older car and stuff wears out. That restores my faith in my car. Are modules easy to replace by non-mechanics? The shops I went to both advised me not to get refurbished, but that was the direction I was feeling pulled to. I'd love to do it myself since money is an issue right now.

Would getting the CEL problem fixed alone make my car safe to drive? I am adventurous but not as much as you apparently! I'll be driving through some desert without population for about half the trip. And theres no cell service in that area.

Thanks for your help!

 

Yes you can do most things by yourself if you know how to use tools. Do you know what a cresent wrench is? If you don't, you may want to find some 14 year old to do the work.

If you click on the ABS link in my signature you can go to Matt's site and get the ABS stuff going. He has instructions and instructional videos on his site to help you. He also offers a LIFETIME GUARENTEE so there is really no problem there. The refurb repair will exceed the life of the car.

As for your drive, it really depends on what your current CEL is. Get it checked and call me if you would like.

 

Thanks! i do know what a crescent wrench is, so I can totally do it!

 

Thank you so much for your help. We got the CEL checked today and as you suggested it came up with a code for the transmission. Turns out the fluid was bad even though it showed full. We had them do a flush. No more CEL. Now to get the ABS module replaced. I will be getting it ordered right away. Thanks for diercting me to your guy. What a great resource!

I really appreciate your reassurance. I feel so much better about my purchase and being able to go on my trip! You rock!!