USA 1996 850 Turbo T5 Not Starting dash lights are on

Missaim · Post by **Missaim** » 26 Dec 2010, 13:11

I just bought a 1996 850 Turbo Automatic in Kansas, USA. I live in Missouri, USA. It has 132200 miles. 27 hours after owning it the front end fell apart as I was making a U turn. Have that now fixed. Control arm, ball joint, etc. We had some snow the other day so put it into winter mode to take off. Tried to take it out of winter but the light kept flashing on the dash. Owner's manual says contact Volvo as you know. About 4 hours later I start it and it seemed back to normal. no flashing light. Sport mode intact with solid light. I backed it up to move it out the way for my neighbor. parked it across the street. I did go from reverse to drive for about 25 feet. about an hour later I go to turn it on to make a quick dash to the store and nothing. No starter engagement. All dash lights work fine. Not a battery problem. It's as if it thinks it's still in Drive and won't start. I can move the shifter around and I tried putting it into neutral to push it but it won't budge. parking brake is off. I'm thinking it may be the "start inhibitor" so i want to "hot-wire" that relay by removing the "double size" relay. Putting a wire between the terminals 50E and 50F. Will that hotwire the immobilizer to make sure that it always activates when turning the key. I'm just so bummed this is happening. My mechanic cannot be reached today and he doesn't even work on Volvo's because of the computer stuff he is not set up for. Anything that is not computer related he will do for me but when i had it towed there to begin with and he diagnosed it his exact words were "Aimee, somebody saw you comin' " he wants me to get rid of it but I have been wanting one of these for years and I don't care how much of a money pit it may turn out to be I'm keeping it. I am not made of money by any means and I spent my entire (just about) savings on this but I'm keeping it. Anyway, please tell me what you think when you have time. I will check back hourly for any replies.
Thanks so much

AKVolvoTwo · Post by **AKVolvoTwo** » 26 Dec 2010, 14:27

It is possible that for some reason the factory alarm (if so equipped) is out of sync so to speak. We discovered the other day with ours when we changed the battery that we had cycle the alarm about 4 times before everything would work properly (eg would finally start but headlights would not come on past the parking light mode, etc.). Keeping outside of the car, use your lock button on the key fob and watch for the red light to come on top of the dash (you will see this outside through the windshield about halfway on the dash, close to the bottom). Once that flashes, then unlock the car and see if it will start up. You might have to go through this a few times before - also making sure that your headlights work as well.

I hope this helps and good luck. Never seems to fail that cars break down only Sundays, eh?!

Missaim · Post by **Missaim** » 26 Dec 2010, 14:56

i do not have key less entry for my car. I hope that isn't something I will need to try your solution. I really appreciate your reply and I will go out and try it with my key on the outside of the car in the door itself.

Okay, I tried the key suggestion and it didn't work.

I then did the over ride the relay deal that I had originally posted and still nothing.

I'm wondering if the wire I chose was a bad choice. I used a piece of ROMEX that I had left over from re-wring our breaker box last year. It's now dark so I'll try a piece of different wire tomorrow.

I now have it narrowed down to a PNP issue.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 27 Dec 2010, 16:58

As cold as it has been in both MO and KS this week try rowing the shifter quickly from park to low a couple of dozen times. That can often loosen up the grease in the PNP switch and get you running again. Also try starting the car in neutral rather than park.

It is a shot over the bow even if it does work and you will need to address the PNP switch if either of those two things work to get the car started.

Do your reverse lights come on when you have the shifter in reverse?

...Lee

Missaim · Post by **Missaim** » 27 Dec 2010, 17:22

Lee, thanks for your info. MAN DO I LOVE THIS FORUM!
Yes, I have tried starting it in neutral and yes my reverse lights do come on. My technician (that hates my car BTW

) popped over and we tried it all. He is ASE certified and a Master Technician as well. Great tech but wants me to get rid of it. Not going to happen. He took a tire iron and banged on the PNP and twice it wanted to turn over. But is being stubborn as hell! I'm going to borrow some tools (I recently moved here from California and left my tools behind. Long story as to why. Bad girl!) and try and work on it myself and clean it up as it has some build up around it. My only worry is the correct alignment of it but I have found some great step by step stuff here on this fabulous forum so I think i'm going to give it a whirl and see what happens. Is this normal for my car that has 132200 miles on it most are highway and boy from the looks of it underneath when it was up on lifts last week whomever owned this prior just really drove the sh#t out of it. Anyhow, I know they are the safest cars but are they really that reliable? I thought so and maybe I'm just having to fix stuff that no one took the time to maintain and I'm hoping that once this is handled my "Baby" will treat me well. We'll see. But again, what do you think about cleaning up the PNP as opposed to replacing it? And why the question about the reverse lights? Should I maybe be looking for other issues?
Thanks Lee!

It's as if it thinks it's still in Drive and won't start. I can move the shifter around and I tried putting it into neutral to push it but it won't budge.

Correction to the quote I thought it was stuck in park or drive or whatever cuz' when I'd rock it, it wouldn't move but that's because I was against a little ice bank. My tech pushed it and i almost hit his truck. Boy did I feel like an idiot but at least it helped eliminate a potential trani issue. I'm a pretty smart cookie but for some reason I come off looking like an idiot to my tech.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 27 Dec 2010, 18:24

The starter system is fairly simple and there are a couple of tests you can do to narrow down the problem.

Step 1:

Run a jumper wire from the positive battery post to the small green wire on the starter solenoid. The car should be in park and the key in position II. If it cranks the starter is fine and it actually should start.

Step 2:

Locate the service starter connector - it is a Green/Red wire with a female spade connector that sticks out of the wiring harness next to the strut tower on the driver's side of the car. Run a jumper wire from the positive battery terminal to that connector (again with the car in park and the key in position II).

If the car cranks then you are good through the PNP and it, again, should actually run. If you have a no crank condition then the PNP switch, or some other wiring problem between the PNP and the starter, is the culprit. If it does crank then the electrical portion of the ignition switch is the likely problem. They all go bad eventually but the good news is that they are very cheap and very easy to change.

...Lee

Missaim · Post by **Missaim** » 27 Dec 2010, 18:56

Is there anywhere on this site or elsewhere that I may find the wiring diagram for the PNP harness? My tech is needing one and I cannot locate it as of yet. He has a direct line into Volvo but it doesn't even show that part to him. Odd isn't it?! Anyway, if there is a link available please provide it if you can or please give me an idea of where I may find one. Thanks again so much. I really, truly appreciate all the input here...Especially Lee!

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 27 Dec 2010, 20:08

You can download a factory service manual from here:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/downlo ... vo_850.zip

After you unzip it see the file named System Wiring Diagrams.pdf. They are very easy schematics to read but they lack detail on junctions points. I do have the factory electrical manual that I lifted off of a site in Poland a couple of years ago. It shows everything electrical including junction points and I would be happy to eMail it to you. The problem is that it is a huge file at nearly 60 Mb and most email servers don't play well with files that large.

...Lee

Missaim · Post by **Missaim** » 27 Dec 2010, 21:49

I will try and figure a way to get that large file. My email only accepts 20megs. But check this out...I was able to jump it from the starter as you had said. Cranked right up. Awesome! But, no reverse lights, left brake light on continuously plus it went into safe mode with the trani so all I had was 1 gear. Ran very sluggish from the gate but was okay as I went on. I drove to my techs shop and he was still there tinkering with his toys. He read my OBD II codes and sure enough pnp was there. He then cleared the codes and it came out of trani safe mode. I went home shut it off and when I tried to restart it it cranked over like a champ. Did that 3 more times and all seems back to normal. Reverse lights working, brake light back to normal, etc. Now, I know this to be a quick and temp fix but WOO HOO at least it will start and i can get it to the shop and have this baby taken care of. But BOY O BOY is he lecturing me about getting rid of it. Here's my issue: I love it anyway and I want to keep it. But I also love my tech and I want to keep him. I'll keep you posted. What a soap opera this may turn out to be. Lee...thanks again so much and thanks to all that have read this thinking they may have input as well. I appreciate your time and efforts so much. I really, really do!

Missaim · Post by **Missaim** » 28 Dec 2010, 06:46

Went out this morning in 23 degrees and she cranked right over!