Hello all,
my name is Matija and I am a proud owner of S70 2.5 125kw GLT from 1997.
I am not very much familiar with OBD II code reader/scanner or other tools and need advice…
What device should I buy in order to maintain my Volvo?
Regards, Matija.

 

I am thinking about very afordable Ancel 310 or 510.
Any other model? Any pros and cons?
Or is it better to think about some Bluetooth model?
Matija

 

a lot depends on what you want to use the tool for. Some just read the codes and let you erase them to turn off the check engine light. Others do that plus allow you to se real time data from sensors, etc......others allow you to transfer the data to a phone, laptop, etc......the choices are many. Personally I use an ANCEL 410 model and have been pleased with it.

 

I am a fan of live data. You can do that with a phone app, or something like scangage, or a standalone "scan tool" Scan tool seems to be the term that is separate from code reader. To me, you really need the data to be able to fix anything.

 

Ok, I can basically have both…
Ancel 410 is around 40$ and i can use it while mastering live data.
In order to have live data, what is the best working solution - both HW and SW?
I dont have any experience with obd2 bluetooth scanners.

 

Your 1997 uses an early ISO-9141-2 OBD2 protocol so make sure whatever model you buy can support it.

I use a budget $29 Centech from Harbor Freight and have read P codes on a 2000 S40, a 2004 Toyota and a 2012 VW with no issues. And yes, it does have live data. Anything more like SRS codes and I go to my friendly indy who will scan for free or borrow a unit from Autozone.

As to bluetooth scanners, its really all the same. When you buy the product you'll get a small device that plugs into the OBD2 port that then uses bluetooth to send the data to a paired PC or mobile device that is running the support app. This is a nice approach since you can capture data, do screen grabs etc.

 

OK, that means that Ancel 410 wont work in my case - it supports OBDII Protocol J1850 VPM, J1850PWM, ISO9141, KWP 2000 and CAN?
If anyone has model of decoder that works with 1997 S70 - please share!

 

Best to check with Ancel's web site - If they show that they support ISO9141, that likely means they support the various iterations. Usually the differences is within the code set - the OBD2 standards define a set of standard codes with common interpretations then there are additional less commonly used codes that have a manufacturer specific interpetation. The "Volvo friendly" code readers will present both the standard and volvo specific interpretations. I'd be willing to bet all of the major vendors will work with your 97 for power train (ie emissions/check engine) codes. Its things like the chassis codes (ABS, SRS etc) that require a more upscale reader.

 

Would you happen to know if there is a scanner that works with a 1996 940 with B230FK, made in Sweden, with the OBD2 connector in the center console? The ones I have tried are not able to get diagnostics from the car, although the Lambda light goes on as soon as the car warms up. Sure there is an error there, but I have not found a way to retrieve it.

 

What country was that 940 sold in? That must have some bearing on it.

 

Check under the hood to see if you have a diagnostics box with a jumper cable which was the norm for the 95s. My 95 850 had both the diagnostics box and the OBD connector in the console under the coin tray. 96 was the first year for OBD2 but as FBP noted, that may be only for select markets.

 

Unless it is well hidden, I don't have the 6-port diagnostic box under the hood. I only have the ODB2 in the center console.

It seems I can make a Blinking wire device that can blink out a 3 digit error code. I'm just looking for an LED I can use to try it. But these would only give me a stored error. I have a problem that is apparently related to Fuel Trims, and the O2 sensors, and/or vacuum, sensors, or many other possibilities. But it is pretty hard to guess without a live scanner, and my car will only run up to about 5 minutes before it goes into a fault, and I then have to let it cool and disconnect the battery to start again.

How do professional run diagnostics on such a 1996 940 (B230FK) without live data? Can I get voltage readings from the Fuel ECU?

The car was produced in Sweden, and purchased in Europe.

 

EU was pretty consistent, I think, but they only adopted OBD-II compliance in 2002. So it's hard (for me) to tell if it has live data or not. Easy for someone in EU who works on old volvos.

From experience, I would say that diagnosing problems using OBDII has basically just spoiled us. Before that, you had some high-priced tools that allowed some level of diagnostics, good and bad, and you had codes. If you look at pre-OBDII shop manuals, they tried to write out step by step instructions assuming that you didn't know anything at all about how the car worked, and that is pretty disappointing to us reading today. Would be better if they said "here's what this should read and why. Early on in these FSM procedures you'd put a breakout box into that procedure, as all dealers would have had the breakout box. So for people working at home, without the breakout box, you might end up doing some guesswork. It wasn't unusual.

For your problem, an old-timey first step would be to make a fuel pressure measurement. That's fundamental, but yet people will try to avoid it. Fuel pressure gauge is cheap, and so I would just make sure I do that. Given that the car is taking some sort of safety shutdown, I think I might backprobe the O2 sensor and see if it's working at all. fortunately they are very standardized. You could just replace it. that's some of the guesswork I was talking about.

Cars in the USA don't do that, but it does make some sense that a person built a shutdown into it for when you think the catalytic converter may be overheating. I'm guessing here.

 

I noticed there is not as large of a DYI car mechanic culture here in Europe, but it is something that is more of a rite of passage for us in America. In Europe, you take it to the dealer it get fixed, and I do that with my other cars. But this 1995 940 is more of a hobbyist passion. I just love the idea I can keep it running with over half a million kilometers on it. Makes me feel like we getting one up on "the man". LOL. With that said, it does make you earn it. I think at a mechanic dealer, I would have an inventory of parts to swap and test with, and may not even find the exact problem. But in this case, I have to narrow down the problem, and then try to track the part over the Internet, and place an order for it. Its a much slower route.

I agree with you that I should test the fuel and vacuum pressure. I'll do that as soon as I am able to get it started again. I seem to have killed my battery. What fun.

 

Can someone recommend OBD II code reader/scanner or other tool that actually works for Volvo S70 1997?

I checked with Ancel and got the following answer: I have checked with the technician that AD410 does not support Volvo S70 1997 2.4 125kw.

 

have you tried borrowing one from a big box parts store like Autozone? Around here they "rent" for free (the won't do the scan due various local/state laws but will lend you the tool)

 

No such thing here in Croatia…

 

You can buy Autel scanners, which are very powerful, but before you buy, it is recommended to check whether they support your vehicle model

 

I don't know that would work on a 1997 sold in Croatia, though. We need somebody who works on old volvos in the EU to school us.

 

On the contrary, I will order device from USA so please recommend!