1998 Volvo S70

THE ABS ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM IN MY 1998 VOLVO S70 FAILED. THE DASHBOARD LIGHT INDICATED ABS & TRACTION CONTROL (TRACS) FAILURE. NORMAL NON-ABS BRAKING REMAINED. RESEARCH ON SEVERAL VOLVO OWNERS WEB SITES (SUCH AS BRICKBOARD: HTTP://WWW.BRICKBOARD.COM/AWD/?MODEL=S70) SHOWED SYSTEMIC FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROL MODULE VOLVO PART # 9162675 DUE TO PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD SOLDER CRACKING AFTER 6 YEARS. THE CAR WAS TESTED BY A VOLVO DEALER CONFIRMING ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILEDURE. VOLVO CHARGES A TOTAL $650 TO REPLACE THE UNIT. THE "BRICKBOARD" OWNERS GROUP SUGGESTED A REPAIR SHOP IN CALIFORNIA THAT RESOLDERS THE CIRCUIT BOARD, REPLACES AND UPGRADES FAILED COMPONENTS, TESTS & RETURNS IT FOR $130 PLUS SHIPPING. WE HAD THE OLD BOARD REPAIRED, SINCE A NEW EXACT REPLACEMENT BOARD FROM VOLVO WOULD HAVE THE SAME FAILURE AFTER ANOTHER 5 YEARS. THE REPAIRED ABS CONTROL UNIT HAS BEEN REINSTALLED & THE CAR NOW WORKS PROPERLY, WITH FULL ABS AND TRACS CONTROL. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST PRINTED CIRCUIT FAILURE FROM VOLVO. OUR 1993 VOLVO 940 TURBO HAD TWO BOARD FAILURES: 1, THE RELAY BASE BOARD SOLDER CRACKED, AND RESULTED IN THE OVERDRIVE RELAY NOT WORKING; 2, CRUISE CONTROL OPERATED ERRATICALLY, DUE TO BAD BOARD SOLDER. BOTH OF THESE BOARDS WERE REPAIRED BY OUR LOCAL SERVICE SHOP. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT TWO CRITICAL SAFETY ELEMENTS - THE ABS SYSTEM AND TRACTION CONTROL - ARE FAILING IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, & BECAUSE OF A FAILURE OF WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE ASSEMBLY OF TESTED PARTS. FURTHER, WE ARE MOST DISTURBED THAT VOLVO'S REMEDY IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT, WITH THE SAME FAILURE PRONE PART. WORSE, ALTHOUGH WE OPTED FOR A COMPLETE REPAIR, THERE ARE OWNERS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FIX. THESE WILL BE DRIVING WITH FAR LESS BRAKING AND CONTROL THAN THE CAR IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING. *NM

DT: THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING POWER, IT SHUTS DOWN. USUALLY IT WILL START BACK. CAN CUT ACROSS TRAFFIC, AND IT WILL JUST STALL. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY PUT DIFFERENT PARTS ON IT TO NARROW DOWN THE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO POWER STEERING AFTER IT STALLS. BACK IN JANUARY THE TURBO WENT IT OUT AND THEY REPLACED IT. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL SKIPPING. THIS STARTED HAPPENING AROUND JANUARY 15, 2005. *NM THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. *JB

I HAVE A 1998 VOLVO S 70 WHICH HAS FAILED DC INSPECTION BECAUSE THE OBD SCANNER USED BY THE DMV CANNOT GET A READOUT FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR AND A COUPLE OF OTHER EMISSIONS RELATED ITEMS. THE CAR ECU SIGNALS "NOT READY". THE CAR RUNS FINE. WE HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR IN ACCORD WITH VOLVO'S RECOMMENDED "STRUCTURED DRIVE" WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO RESET THE COMPUTER. THIS DID NOT WORK. ONE VOLVO SHOP BELIEVES THE ECU IS FAULTY. ANOTHER SAYS THE ECU IS FINE AND ITS THE SCANNER'S INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ECU THAT IS AT FAULT. THIS SHOP ALSO REPORTS THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR MODEL VOLVOS OVER THE PAST MONTH OR TWO WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. MEANWHILE DV DMV SAYS THEY CANNOT PASS THIS CAR UNLESS THEIR SCANNER GETS POSITIVE AND ACCEPTABLE READINGS. *NM

1998 VOLVO S70 LOST POWER THEN STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES (9) WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY JULY 27, 2005 . I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DANGER OF STALLING IN TRAFFIC AND GETTING REAR ENDED OR IF STALLS IN INTERSECTION. OR BEING STRANDED. WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE DEALER. THEY FOUND "FAILING MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR". THEY REPLACED IT AND IT RUNS FINE NOW. OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. BUT SERVICE AND REPAIR COST $369.20. I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE OTHER S70 OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM ON MYCARSTATS.COM AND AN ARTICLE IN CARANDDRIVER.COM.*JB

98 VOLVO S70; EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF POWER AND STALLING; I'VE HAD TWO MECHANICS LOOK AT MY VEHICLE AND NO ONE CAN PIN POINT THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, DICK DYER VOLVO ON AUGUST 2ND AND THEY CAN NOT LOOK AT MY CAR UNTIL AUGUST 19TH. AS A MOTHER OF A YOUNG CHILD, IT IS FRIGHTENING TO PULL OUT INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC. I EMAILED CORPORATE VOLVO ON 8/3/05 AND HAVEN'T RECEIVED A RESPONSE. THIS HAD BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM SINCE FEB 05; ABOUT EVERY 1-2 WEEKS MY CAR WILL STALL WHEN I BEGIN TO SLOW DOWN AT A LIGHT. *JB