I have a 1999 v70 T5 with 96k miles

pretty sure my wheel bearings gone, front drivers side (thats right side as im UK) its been gone a couple months now, should have gotten it done sooner but this new problem has forced me to stick the car in the garage, so it'll be done then.

I have a lovely new yellow light on my dash, "electrical engine fault" if i remember from the manual correctly, and the car is having REAL problems maintaining idle engine speed, pull up at some lights and its nearly stalling constantly, somehow it never does but its VERY close, its coughing generaly as though its just about to run out of petrol but its got plenty, at higher engine speeds it seems to function normally.

The warning light on the dash came up about a week ago, all seemed fine untill last night when the above problems started so its staying unused until it can go into the garage Saturday morning.

I know about "limp home mode" but im not sure thats whats happening here, my understanding is that the turbo gets servearly reduced (or turned off?) in this mode, but according to my boost guage im still getting around 10psi max (which was normal for me) though i was sure my turbo was 15psi (1bar?), its a cheap boost guage maybe its been wrong all along.

What i would like to know is possible problems this could be, i dont want to be ripped off at the garage, and id like some amunition to fight off a unneeded repair. I don't know much but if i had to pin it on something id say the ECU (which isnt cheap to replace right? as its unique to the car)

Just some extra information, ill be getting new pads all around, new discs on the front (back should be ok right?) my steering alignment is a little off (always has been) so ill get that sorted out, couple new tires on the back (was £47 a tire when i got the 2 front done) and a full service (its due). It would be great if someone was able to give me a rough price for all of this if they've had anything like this done before.

Thanks for any help, this is a great forum for these kinds of problems and its places like this that help solve them and keep people in check.

 

It is a 1999 not sure if the UK has ETM(Throttle body) problems or not. Or could be a dirty throttle body.
It could be a bad O2 sensor or many other things.
If you could get the codes pulled we could help you a little more.

 

id need some sort of tool for the codes tho?

Thanks

 

Yes try checking with Local Auto parts stores and see if they pull codes for free.
Here in the U.S. some do it.

 

UPDATE:

had the car in and out of a garage, they done a full service and fixed everything but my "electrical engine fault" they reset the computer apparently and it ran fine, day after i got it back i got my favorite warning light back, so i took it back to the garage.

Today they tell me their 90% certain its a bad lambda sensor (spelling?) but would like me to take it to a dealer to check with their system as they can tell for sure, so im booked in on tuesday to go get my codes read for free. ive got the car back til then and it seems fine.

They also tell me its gonna be £210 ($379) for a new sensor. I was under the impression they were around £100 ($180) but i was also under the impression i had 2 sensors? maybe they have to replace both i dunno (Q for tech)

Cheers for all the help, been great.

 

Yes your car has 2 sensors.
Did they tell you which codes they pulled?
The sensors are pretty expensive.
If you want to be sure have the Dealer tell you what is wrong and then you buy the sensor and install.

 

i dont think they have the equipment at the garage to interpret the codes.

They told me to goto the dealer and find out there for sure, so i called the dealership and their going to pull my codes for free, tell me whats wrong and ill get the garage i originaly went to to do the work,

dealership repairs here are insanly expensive id me looking at atleast £60 ($110) an hour labour charges, thats why i never went to the dealership initially, but they know what their doing.

So to sum up the plan is:

Goto dealership tuesday, get codes pulled, get told whats wrong (90% sure its sensors, this is to confirm)
take that info back the garage have them provide+fit sensors for half the price of a dealership.

 

Ok let us know how it goes.

 

Ok, took the car to the dealership, got me codes read:

Intermittant Fault with MAF sensor

that is apparently my problem which will cost £322 ($591) to fix at the dealership. I'm gonna take it back to my garage and get it done, ill let you know what happens

 

Sounds good hopefully that is it.

 

digging this post out the dirt because this problem is STILL not fixed, so far ive had:

MAF sensor replaced - outcome nil - Cost £250 (460 USD) - time before warning light came back - 1 week

ETM Replaced - outcome nil - Cost £400 (740 USD) - time before warning light came back - 1 day

Now, the ETM was replaced with a 2nd hand unit from another volvo and my ECU remapped this acheived a whopping 1 day problem free driving until the evil electronic engine fault waring light re-apeared.

I researched the ETM problem and the symptoms are identicle to my problems but does a 2nd hand ETM unit eliminate this as the problem? the only thing left is lambda sensors...

Before the ETM was identified as a problem i took the car to volvo dealership for a 2nd fault code reading. they explained they couldnt comminucate with the car at all to read the faults and wanted me to leave it with them for upto a week, which i decided not too and took it back to the garage which replaced my MAF sensor who originaly identified lambda sensors as the problem but went with the volvo code reading of a MAF sensor.

They too explained they couldnt communicate with the car. A day later i get a call informing me of this infamous ETM fault as shown on a UK TV program only weeks before ( info here http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and...20060214.shtml ) and i was informed a new unit will cost £500 alone! (920 USD) after some calls they decided they had found me a 2nd hand ETM unit for half the price, which i got installed, car ran beautiful for a day then BANG evil warning lights.. then 2 days after the warning light i get the old school idle problems and general runnign rough of the car and running rich it seems (lots of exhaust fumes)

So here i am, the car is booked in for ANOTHER fault code reading next week at the volvo dealership, god only knows that they will come up with this time.

The most iritating aspect of this whole problem is that the car runs FINE when this electronic engine fault warning light isnt on, as if its perfectly capable of working.

Save a dramatic volvo repair, this car is getting sold... its either that or book myself in every week for a fault code reset.

And on a last note (as shown in link above) US volvo customers get their ETM faults fixed for free, in the uk we do not.

 

Sorry it hasn't been figured out yet.

Did anyone ever remove the engine control module and inspect or oxidation?
Some kind of computer is going wacky if no Communication can be achived.

 

well heres an update.

took it to volvo today, apparently theres more fault codes on it than normal (although they didnt tell me any) got called later and the guy tells me after driving it, unfortunitly someone else took the call and details area little sketchy, he claims something to do with some sort of oxygen sensor could be the problem (lambda?) and that the modifications to my car (dump valve, boost guage, 3" catback system) could have caused it, personaly i cant see that as a possibility as the cars was fine for 10 months after those modifications. anywho hes gonna do what he thinks is gonna fix it £260 is the estimate, should be done by Wed apparently. I can see whats gonna happen already though, ill get it back and the car will be fine (cause they've reset the codes) and then it'll die again in a few days. My guess is ETM (even tho its been replaced with a 2nd hand unit) or a lambda sensor. From my experiance i could probably be a mechanic cause all ive had so far is guessing games.

The only up side is now its at volvo they can just start picking bits off shelves and trying them in to fix the problem, unlike other garages ive been to so far which have to order the part in.

I just hope they dont do what everyone else has done and replace a part then reset the computer and itll be fine again for a week but they'll think they've fixed the problem.

 

got it back today, they replaced a lambda sensor and its running normal now, have to wait and see if my troubles are over

oh and get this, apparently the "modifications to my engine" could cause the problem to return, hows that? its only got a forge motorsport dump valve (BOV) a 3" custom catback exhaust system and a high flow air filter (entire air box removed). Is this just their backup story incase my problems return? or even a way of denying ETM responsibility?

ah well lets hope its done the trick

 

I can't see how that would Cause it to go bad.

 

There was a recall on V70's ETS (electronic throttle control system) which warrants the ETS for 10 years or 200,000 miles. The number for Volvo customer care is 800-458-1552(USA). There should be a contact number for your country. Call them and explain your problems.