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Our V50 we bought new in 2006. It has nearly 200,000 miles and has done okay. Cracked two oil pans on dirt roads-----should of bought the higher clearance model. We live in Wyoming. Anyway, what is going on now is very strange. It can start fine even after a very cold night. The courtesy light comes on and the dash lights etc and it starts right up. Drive into town and have coffee and within an hour I enter the car and no courtesy lights, no dash panel lights, and in fact I put the key in and it is stuck in the receptacle. NO starter motor just no power anywhere! Then, I open the hood and simply let it drop shut and the electrics come back and it starts. This has been fairly consistent. I replaced the battery last summer, and I have cleaned and tightened and used contact cleaner on the cable +/- and most of the fuses in the under hood compartment. It must be a loose connection that is connected from the vibration of dropping the hood. Weird, eh! The other issue I have has is an "alarm system error" which apparently is a secondary battery that powers a car alarm system, that gets charged from the primary battery. Anyway, I can usually clear that by locking/unlocking the car doors three times. someone mentioned that resets things internally.
With an intermittent problem like this one, the only time you're going to be able to troubleshoot it is when it's in the failed state. The good news is, when that happens, it should be pretty easy to find the problem. Just use a voltmeter or even a 12 volt trouble light (or even just a 12 volt light bulb) and start probing - start at the battery, and move to the clamp, then the end(s) of the cables, the fusebox feed, etc. When you get to the connector / clamp / fuse that has good power on one side and nada on the other, you've found your problem. Of course, the problem is also possibly on the negative side, so you can trace it the same way (hooking up the voltmeter or lamp to the positive battery clamp / terminal, and tracing from the battery negative terminal to the clamp, to the other end of the connector, etc. - when the meter drops or the bulb goes off from one side of a device to the other, bingo!
Habby guy, I found the bad connection . It is in this splitter off the battery. I removed the right side which was the problem, cleaned with a wire brush and electrical contact cleaner put it back together and it did it again. Right there. Is this some kind of internal fuse/breaker?
It was fine at first, I did several starts but then it happened again. I maybe need to completely remove the upper metal part and really clean with files and wire brush? Strange how that hot wire bends and transitions. Maybe I can replace the whole wire and lower clamping part?
The trick is to see if you have power on the upper metal portion of that "device", and then see if you do on the lower. If you have power on top, but not on the bottom, it's open (if only temporarily). If you don't have power on the top then you know the problem is a bad connection there (though it seems like a good cleaning and tightening should have fixed that problem). Basically, just use that voltmeter / trouble light tester and your problem is wherever you have power on one side of something, and no power on the other. I honestly don't recall whether that is a fuse or a circuit breaker (self-resetting?) or something else... (don't have my Volvo any longer so I can't go check in the driveway). ;-)
sometimes the corrosion can be in the wire under the insulation. When it comes to cleaning terminal connectors, I found naval jelly does a great job of removing the chaulky stuff and exposes clean metal. But you may need to replace a cable if it feels crunching or bloated under the insulation (a sign of corrosion within the copper).
Several starts today with no problem. The starter also used to occasionally lag if it did not catch off the first engage. LIke a half powered spinning. I was going to replace the starter. I think it may be okay now! A good cleaning helped and really cinching down that nut. So I may be okay. The car has 195,000 miles. Not bad!
good deal, glad it worked out. I just did this cleaning for my daughter's Mazda. Wound up putting a new battery in just the same since she lives in northern VT but clean, tight terminals make a huge difference. Factory battery was the smallest I've ever seen..but I fixed that!
Still doing it. It is in that stupid little black crimp like thin just above the bend. Anyone know what that is? I cannot find a replacement part that resembles this on ebay or car-parts. com.
Volvo probably has an original at some ungodly price like $285
I think it's "just' a fuse. I wish the Volvo service manual was easier to check (if this was a part for my dearly departed Acura, it would take me about 15 seconds to find it).
Replaced the "fusible link" and picture shows what it looks like. The contact was broken on the link. You can wiggle and see it is clearly broken. Replaced with a new cable. NEW PROBLEM. Key stuck in the ignition. Will not remove. My mechanic want to charge $600 + for a new starter/ignition control. I will try the usual things, maybe the shift lever in park. Remove and spray fuse block with contact cleaner. From my online research it could be the SCU...starter control unit...I find it hard to believe it is something that just wore out and that it must be related to the fusible link that blew. Any comments?
I'd try disconnecting the battery - thinking maybe having just part of the electrical system disconnected got something sideways in one of the modules. A VIDA computer might give you more info, of course.
And I'm thinking I recall someone mentioning that they had a problem with a key, and "reacquainted it" with their car by pressing the lock-unlock sequence a bunch of times (I recently did that to a friend of a friend whose Mercedes wouldn't start, and much to their joy, it fired right up afterwards).
Habby, Thanks. Yes I am familiar with the lock/unlock sequence because I did that once with the "alarm system error" and it fixed things. I think I have made a little progress. A year ago the power steering went out and the mechanics wanted nearly $2000 to replace the gear/torque box. Well, I just said screw it and have been driving it w/out PS for a year. A little stiff but mostly adequate. I added power steering fluid recently and it worked but is leaking behind the right front wheel...I suspect it is just the hydraulic connections not the steering gear. Anyway, with this key stuck situation I have been manually attaching/detaching the + battery cable to start and drive the car, then detach so it does not drain the battery. I noticed a pretty good spark when I attach or remove the cable and suspected a couple things. I disconnected the 80 amp fuse for the power steering and the spark lessened significantly. Then I checked with my voltmeter for continuity between the loose off battery + cable and ground and it shows a short...somewhere. I think there is a short I need to track down, then I need to reboot the onboard computer.
I watched a video about replacing the SCU (starting control unit) basically the key receiver...but hope I can avoid that!
Any of this make sense...any other thoughts from the forum?
Key removed after I sprayed some solvent in the iginition opening and ran the shifter back and forth a few times.
Power steering fluid leaks from bellows over steering or tie rod end. I think the pump is okay and it works, but then leaks.
Mechanic wants to replace the entire steering rack/gear at approx. $1500-$2000,
I suspect it is just the fluid fitting in the rack? Maybe a blown seal?
Does anyone on the forum have experience with this problem?
It's most likely the rack itself if it's leaking out of the bellows. It's always possible to remove and rebuild the rack, though I have zero experience doing this, and don't know how hard it is to liberate the rack on a V50 (fortunately). No doubt you could do the job yourself for a small fraction of that $1500-2000, but you'll want to do some research to see if it's a job you're equipped (tools, time and ability) to do (or not).
I found on line that some people use ATF (automatic transmission fluid) instead of power steering fluid.
I am sure I have power steering fluid and that is what is leaking near that bellows area.
Also, some have used "stop leak" type compounds just adding to the reservoir and it seals it internally. May be worth a shot.
I have almost 200,000 on the car and in pretty decent shape otherwise. A good, economical daily driver.
What did you do to your car with the issue...replace the rack?
I have to admit that I'd probably do some research to try to find a power steering leak "fixer", but that's a last-chance shot in the dark. OTOH, if that might fix the leak (or at least slow it to an "acceptable level") for the time you might keep the car, it's a win/win.
FWIW, I normally look up the products on Amazon, so I can check the user reviews. You can get a good idea of which ones work, and which ones don't that way.
And FWIW, I wouldn't recommend using anything other than power steering fluid - and the RIGHT power steering fluid - on any car. That's not saying that ATF won't work, but... replacing power steering parts is expensive and can be really fiddly, and I'd hate to mess something up with the wrong fluid.
starting in about 2002 or so, Volvo went to a WSS M2C204-A spec for the power steering fluid. Other models call for Dex III or equivalent ATF as stated in the owners manual (note my 2000 S40 and my 2004 Highlander both call for ATF... but the 2006 S40/50s are on the WSS spec). Either way it should only cost about $7/qt and power steering fluid can be found on the Volvo friendly web sites as well as the chain auto parts stores.
As to the stuck key issue, most common cause is the shifter release button not the ignition tumbler so when you did your shifter row you probably got the button to return to normal. You can spray some lube (I use Fluidfilm) around the button in the shifter handle to keep it happy unless its broken -vids online on how to replace.
Should also be some vids on how to replace the steering rack. You need to lower the sub-frame for access, replacement parts will range from $100 for a used rack, $400ish for a rebuilt to $1000+ for new. You may also be able to find a shop that rebuilds yours but that's only practical if you don't need your car for a couple of weeks. To do this right, you'd also replace the tie rod ends etc and get an alignment so even going used is a $500 job. Then again with the subframe down, its the perfect time to install that heavy duty IPD sway bar you've always wanted :-)
12-08-2019, 08:24 PM
Peculiar electrical issue
