V70 Auto 2001 completely cutting out

islandlass · Post by **islandlass** » 02 Aug 2010, 04:24

Hi,

Apologies if I am covering very old ground here but I am new to the forum. I also live off mainland UK so cannot simply drive into a Volvo dealership so thought someone on this forum could point me in the right direction.

We bought a 2001 V70 auto in May this year with approx 150,000 miles. We drove it home 450 miles and it continued to run brilliantly for the next 6-8 weeks or so.

Anyway, got in the car one morning and it simply wouldn't start. Completely dead. Assuming it was the battery we got out the jump leads but still nothing. So called the local garage who called by and they thought initally it was an electrical/fuse fault. The mechanic went back to the garage to collect a part but by the time he came back- the car started up. Weird.

As he couldn't find anything wrong with it, that was that. So the car ran again for a couple of weeks. I don't do a great deal of miles as I work from home. A couple of trips of anything up to 15-20 miles a week is the norm.

So again one morning I get in the car reverse it out and it just dies. Nothing- not even the hazards would come on and that is what is scaring me. I called the garage and left the keys in the car for him to collect it as I had to go out (its pretty remote where we are!)

By the time the mechanic came to collect the car the car electrics had obviously come back on and the car had locked (with the keys inside). Fortunately I had a spare set. The mechanic took the car in. He saw that someone had made an amateur attempt with the fuses and thought it was the ignition switch that was faulty which he duly replaced. Great. Car ran again for a couple of weeks no problem.

Then my husband went out in it the other day and when he tried to restart the car at his destination it again 'died'. This isn't 'limp home' mode its complete shutdown of all power and electrics.

Anyone any ideas? The mechanic locally is very good- but not necessarily a Volvo expert. If this is a common problem or there is a common solution??? Would be very grateful. Since my fear is losing power at a dangerous place and not having hazards means I'm not using the car at all at the moment as the mechanic is now on hols for a couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading

Post by **JRL** » 02 Aug 2010, 06:00

I would trace every (battery) cable and ground, check and clean all connections (including the fuse box)
If you already replaced the ignition it has to be in that area somewhere

islandlass · Post by **islandlass** » 02 Aug 2010, 08:12

OK thanks. I'd assumed the mechanic would have done that all of that at the time he replaced the ignition switch. But I'll check that.

It does definitely seem to be electric related. The fact that it can lose the power completely and then within an hour or so, without doing anything to it- the power just restores of its own accord. Like something has reset somewhere. Very strange.

I saw all those issues surrounding the ETM- and just wanted to check that the symptoms I have are not the same. ie. my car doesn't go into limp mode- just dead!