Okay here's a complete list of my 2000 Volvo S80 that I'm having problems with and any questions I have about them.
Just a refresher, I bought this car back in August for $750 thinking that I could bring this thing back to life. (Knowing that it would be a challenge) .
All it needed to get it home was a battery and fresh gasoline. A few days after bringing it home I got a transmission error code that said solenoid B performance turned off. Did a fluid and filter change and used Sea foam . No transmission codes since regarding the transmission. Also had to replace MAF sensor. Ever since then the rpm needle fluctuates and sometimes stalls . The ECM codes are brake pedal position sensor faulty signal, large vacuum leak, long term fuel trim. And abs code is ABS pump motor faulty signal. And information display will say engine management required. And recently I did another transmission fluid and filter change, and transmission seems to be slipping when warm . I think I am lost, and feeling a bit overwhelmed. What should I do with this car. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Frustrated Volvo owner .

 

Volvo parts are expensive. Part this puppy out...and you should make your $750 back easily!

 

I don't think I'm at that point where I want to give up, just frustrated. The car is still very solid. I drove the car today and the transmission didn't seem to slip any. Plus a tech at pep boys told me that if I ever wanted to sell it to let him know. ( He used to work at the Volvo dealership) . So I'm still up for the challenge to fix the car. Thanks for the advice anyways.

 

Here's an update , I forgot to mention that I ended up buying Lucas tune up in a bottle ( fuel system cleaner) as I had great luck with the stuff in the past. The check engine light went out and the service engine management required message went away. Transmission seems to be shifting better too . Also the brake pedal feels normal and doesn't go the floor. The engine is running smoother. ( I still need to replace the abs module) But I hope this helps.

 

Does it idle okay? If it does, I suppose that means you never had a "large vacuum leak"

 

I'm going to hook up the scan tool tomorrow and check for codes. It idles a lot better than before, it hasn't stalled since. I'll post any codes if there are any.

 

The transmission is on it`s way out. Been there with bandaid fixes like you are doing.

 

Here is the codes I pulled using my scan tool. The check engine light isn't on but not sure if these codes are active. No transmission codes haven't had any codes regarding the transmission for since August.

 

Here's a few more codes that I came across today when I scanned the car for codes (check engine light came on yesterday)

 

How about some smaller photos please.

Does this 2000 S80 have over 100k miles (I'm assuming it does)? Highly recommended to get the timing belt replaced. If the timing belt breaks...you just bought a new engine.

Not a cheap part to replace. Will cost more than you paid for the car!

 

Sorry about the picture size, they were uploaded from my phone. I'll type list the codes.
ABS-0010 , ABS-0011 , ABS-0070 , ECM-271A , ECM-510F , ECM-4308 , ECM-261A , ECM-9400 .
As for the timing belt the car now has 125,300 miles on it. According to car fax report. The timing belt was changed in 2010 at 111,000 miles. I have another thread with a picture of it. Trust me it's on the list of things I want to do. I won't have the money for the kit until next month. Thank you for your response.

 

If ECM 4308 is a large evaporative emissions leak, then that wouldn't affect drivability. I was thinking it was a large vacuum leak. I don't have an S80 so I am way out of my league in this thread, ha ha.


I would not dare do any PM on this thing until you are 100% sure you can keep it. I am thinking if the timing belt breaks, great news, you don't have to fool with it any more.

 

I can keep it the car is fully legal and inspected. I'm working on getting the timing belt. I can do the job no problem,as I did a couple in the past. The transmission I don't have any transmission codes. So that could be a good thing. Over all the car drives pretty good most of the time. So far it hasn't let me down . I'm not hard on it either. I'm going to take another look at the timing belt with in the next few days to see if it cracked any. I know it's sad but it's the only car that I could afford. It's a solid car for the money. All it needed was a battery to get it home. It's been driving since. Anywho thanks for timing belt warnings. I will address it soon.

 

Solenoid B performance turned off and slipping is just the start of a downward spiral with the transmission. Been there.

 

I'm not sure what possessed Volvo to go with a GM transmission but , like I said I'll deal with the transmission if and when it dies.

 

If the timing belt was changed at 111k...great...then it shouldn't need to be replaced anytime soon.

 

I've been doing my own auto mechanic work for 36 years. I have never owned a new car (just isn't worth the cost & depreciation in my opinion). I've owned many many cars...never really stopped to count how many. In that time I've learned MANY things. Some of the many things I've learned are:

- If you purchase a car with 125,000 miles it's probably going to need a lot of things replaced. A bunch of these may be necessary immediately upon purchase...and then things will pop up now & then as time & miles accumulate.

- DO NOT PURCHASE higher end used vehicles (BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, Lexus, etc.)...if you don't have the budget to work on them:

* Parts for these vehicles many times are not available at your local Autozone or Advanced Auto parts stores.
* DIY repair manuals are usually not available or are hard to get.
* Many parts you do need you may end up ordering from the dealer...and you will have to wait for them to be delivered days or a week later. Thus as problems pop up...you can't spontaneously fix them on weekends so they are good to go for the following work week.
* Finally...many times you will need to go to the dealer to have some things fixed ($$$$)...or have software updates done. Repair bills of $500-$1000 are very very very common.

I'm not knocking purchasing used cars...and not knocking paying $750 for a used car. What I am saying is...purchasing a higher end used car on a small budget (BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, Lexus, etc.) you will quickly find that you own a real "money-pit". And not until you've spent $2000-$3000 or more...will you realize the purchase may not have been a wise one. And I'm talking a used higher end car that just needs "normal" stuff expected of a 125k mile car (brakes, tires, shocks/struts, tune up items, possibily exhaust, wheel bearings, front end alignment, steering component parts, bushings, etc.).

But with this vehicle we're talking a bunch of OBD codes...and unknown transmission problems...which could mean BIG BUCKS on top of the "normal" higher mileage parts that need replacing. Which on a higher end vehicle will be a lot more expensive than parts for a Ford, Chevy, Chrysler pickup truck, SUV, minivan, or car.

This is why I said what I said earlier in this thread. Get away from this vehicle ASAP...before you spend wayyy more $$$$ than you expected. $$$$ that you will never be able to recover when you finally come to the realization that this vehicle needs to be sold.

I really hope I'm wrong. Good luck.

 

It will, don`t worry. Be Thankful it is a GM, only 2.5k to fix versus 4.0k for an AW

 

Pigoo brings up some good points, but I want to add a couple to that.


The problem is not exactly "high end" vehicles so much as it's European vehicles. If you think that is synonymous with "high end" then you'd probably miss that there are actually luxury cars made that are pretty bulletproof. They all depreciate like crazy, but MB depreciates the most. BMW's, they say, are actually the most needy. I've never had one. So that is one point - You can buy a European luxury car for $750, and you have, but there are other costs involved. Luxury cars have electronic assists that nobody really needs, so when they break you're angry, but most of these things are actually pretty reliable. Conversely, a Mini drivetrain is pretty unreliable despite being not-a-high-end car. It's just a cheap BMW built in England.


2nd blanket statement I have is that blanket statements don't really cover everything. The S80 came out in 1999 and the first few years are just horrible for erratic electronic performance (bad news I know). There's a parts car for you over in the classifieds section for $500 right now. So many people believe Volvos are durable and get surprised by buying some horrible car made by a company that was just having a bad moment. The good news is that after 20 years, these sorts of bugs can get worked out. Fixes do get found for some things, but in the case of the transmission, for example, to have that made "really good' is going to take real money.


3rd thing I would say is that driving an old luxury car beneficial to you if you like to do your own repairs. You need good diagnostic tools, and you need to pick an area of expertise and stick with it in my opinion. It helps to have two or three cars just alike. It helps to personally be extremely logical by nature. If I was going to have 2 or 3 cars just alike, and make a long term commitment, I certainly would not want them to be 1999 S80s. It could work, but it's not an easy path. the 2000 is a little better, maybe, but not a lot.


4th point is look at what sort of support you can get in the aftermarket for fixing things that only a dealer can fix. This is a big deal. Modern cars have a lot of electronic components that are intended to be irreplaceable. If you continue to get newer cars, you'll have to deal with this somehow. Something as simple as a security alarm could disable your car permanently with no recourse. Some dealers may be reasonable to work with and brand image would be a driver for whether or not they try to add to their exclusivity by charging $10,000 when a 10 cent transistor has failed.

 

All of you have made great points regarding the questions I asked. I've learned how to look elsewhere for the parts I needed . (eBay, rock auto) I use the dealership as a last resort. This car has treated me better than some of the other cars I've had in the past that I've paid lots more money for.
I'm 37 years old so I've had quite a few vehicles. Most of the heaps I've had were GM vehicles.
I don't think I will ever go back to GM vehicles again, unless it's a older muscle car. But I don't think it will be anytime soon that I would have that kind of money. Anyway, thank you again for all of your help.