New S70 owner has questions!

ChuckyC · Post by **ChuckyC** » 10 Dec 2006, 17:32

Hi,

This is my first post to the forum, and I'm very appreciative that there's such a great meeting place for Volvo lovers!

Just bought my 3rd Volvo (#1 a 1986 740 GLE, which I still have and drive regularly -- almost 200K on the original engine; and #2 a 1987 760 GLE), a 1998 S70 with 80K on the odometer. The car looks new, and my fingers are crossed it keeps driving as well as it looks.

I have a few queries which I hope some of my fellow Volvo owners can help me out with:

1. The "idiot light" just under the gas gauge (an upside-down light bulb with an exclamation point inside of it) has started coming on. Shortly after the first time it did so I drove over a bump in the road and it went off; since then, it comes on again. What does this light indicate?

2. Is there an online list/page that gives the meaning of such service-related dashboard lights? I've referred to the 1998 S70 manual but didn't see any explanations for them.

3. I bought the car aware that the Service light comes on but turns off after a few minutes, but the ABS light stays on.

4. What's the best place to have additional keys made? The car came with only one key and the places I've gone to to have cpies made don't make this type of non-standard key.

5. Related to the above, where to get additional remote door openers?

6. The car doesn't have an alarm, so I'd like to look into installing one. Any recommedations?

7. This is the very first car I've bought that has a CD player, in this case connected to an Alpine CD holder in the trunk. On anything but very smooth roadway, though, it skips/pauses like crazy so it's basically useless for my daily commute to work. Is this skipping/pausing typical, or do you think the CD holder in the trunk wasn't installed properly?

Thanks in advance for any advice regarding any of the above!

PJRiebold · Post by **PJRiebold** » 10 Dec 2006, 18:25

I think the upside down light indicator is the bulb failure warning light: indicating the low beam headlight is out, one of the tail lights or one of the brake lights is out.

As far as the cd player skipping: My experience is that it just happens over time as the player ages.

I believe keys can be bought right from the Volvo dealer. I've seen "fobs" on ebay - the remote entry device.

Post by **JRL** » 10 Dec 2006, 18:45

That's a bulb out light.
Your ABS can be repaired here: http://home.earthlink.net/~vicrocha/
better than spending $600 for a new one.
There were at least 3 recalls for 98's including headlight bulb sockets, the headlight switch and one other.
All are free, so have it checked out at a dealer (don't let them sell you an ABS module, use the repair guy, Victor, above)\
Car has a factory alarm but why bother, no one steals old Volvos (really).
Service light means.... the CAR NEEDS TO BE SERVICED!

ChuckyC · Post by **ChuckyC** » 10 Dec 2006, 21:24

JRL wrote:That's a bulb out light.
Your ABS can be repaired here: http://home.earthlink.net/~vicrocha/
better than spending $600 for a new one.
There were at least 3 recalls for 98's including headlight bulb sockets, the headlight switch and one other.
All are free, so have it checked out at a dealer (don't let them sell you an ABS module, use the repair guy, Victor, above)\
Car has a factory alarm but why bother, no one steals old Volvos (really).
Service light means.... the CAR NEEDS TO BE SERVICED!

Thanks much for the heads-up re the ABS fix. as well as the recalls for this model. I'll be bringing the car to a Volvo dealer ASAP to check the recall items, as I have no way of knowing if the recall issues were taken care of previously.

Regarding the alarm, I see that in the section (p. 45) of the online manual it's indicated that alarms only apply to "certain models". Also, the fob (door lock remote control) that came with my car lacks a "panic button" at the lower-right corner as the one illustrated in the manial shows, so I'm suspecting my car is, unfortunately, one of the alarm-less ones.

Thanks for the attempt to set my mind at ease regarding the possibility of theft ("no one steals old Volvos") but I'm admittedly a bit paranoid in this area, having had an 11-year-old Toyota Corolla stolen from right in front of where I was living about 20 years ago!