1999 V70 XC - Requesting ETM Failure Confirmation

Onaspring · Post by **Onaspring** » 20 Jan 2015, 11:51

Hi,

Just picked up the new Blue Beast (162K) a few days ago and after reading about 100 posts here and elsewhere, I wanted to get some preliminary confirmation that my ETM is probably failing or near failure.

Symptoms:

Sometimes (not all) when I come to a complete stop, the ETS light comes on, and so does the battery, and the oil light. The car stalls. I am able to restart it immediately and drive off.

The turbo is near non-existent up to 30 mph, very slow acceleration. I stay in overdrive longer than I think I should when climbing from 45-75 (No stalling at those speeds though, no slipping gears either).

Oddly though, I took off onto the highway once in 3rd gear and she accelerated to 80 in pretty short order, weird.

I go to a local mechanic that did 4 years worth of work on my 1990 240 DL. The 99 is a completely different car however and they aren't an import specialist. I've already sent the office manager a few links on ETM failure, and cleaning. If they pull the ETM code upon inspection, can I get away with cleaning it instead of fighting my local Volvo dealership to replace it without fixing every single other issue with the car?

Thank you!

Post by **precopster** » 20 Jan 2015, 12:19

Every case is uniqie involving ETM failure. There is a ETM failure checklist/flowchart on the XeModex site so it should be printed & provided to the mechanic upon inspection. If the ETS ligjt is on during engine operation it may even be a failed brake pedal position sensor.

Cleaning the ETM may alleviate an ETS light iif there is a lot of carbon in the throttle bore which prevents the air flap on the ETM from fully closing. It must be cleaned with great care and without direct spraying of solvents into the unit. Usually only code reading (if present) can determine if the ETM has failed.

You could need a stage 0 tune (search site) to get the car running properly.

From your description the ETS light comes on when you stall and not during engine operation which leans me toward a possible sparking/coil pack or other issue.

Post by **kallekula** » 20 Jan 2015, 12:28

Check if the sticker on your ETM is white. If so, replace it. Go to the junkyard and find a car with the same engine and preferably year.
EDIT: this doesn't apply to all the other problems you have but swap it out first. The white labels always fail.
EDIT2: the new ETM should have a yellow sticker

Post by **kahl** » 20 Jan 2015, 12:29

Look on the ETM for a white or yellow tag. If it is a white tag that mean it is the original ETM. Yellow means it was changed at some point in the car's life. At your mileage if the ETM is white tag it is probably bad. There are many options to replace a failed ETM.

Don't eliminate the Volvo dealer for help. Both of the Dealerships in my area offer free inspection and CEL review at no charge. I suspect there is several maintenance tasks that your car needs to be brought up to snuff.

Onaspring · Post by **Onaspring** » 20 Jan 2015, 16:16

Thank you very much, I'll follow all this advice and report back. Appreciate it!

Post by **abscate** » 20 Jan 2015, 17:14

I'm not sure you are even getting a ETM failure. When the engine stalls, the light comes on I believe.

Onaspring · Post by **Onaspring** » 20 Jan 2015, 18:15

Well I feel rather silly. I started the car to go home from work a little while ago and she died immediately (it happens one out of every three times I start it after sitting for a while), started her up again and drove off. I immediately notice she's got more oompf. I get onto the highway, press the gas pedal and AWAY WE GO. I have absolutely NO idea what I did but it's like I have a new car! Turbo everywhere! Zipped right up to 75, no effort on the pedal, no RPMs going to 4 and 5000. Just sweet sweet turbo all the way to the gas station. I shut off the car, get gas, and pray, and yep, still a whole new car.

The only thing I think I did was tap my bottle of pop on the W button at the bottom of the shifter area. I'm assuming that's winter mode and I did press it a few times when I bought the car but nothing lit up or anything.

Have I been driving in winter mode this entire time and is that why she's been sluggish in acceleration? If she continues to drive like this I will drive her for a long long time. Turbo (and a quiet, responsive engine) is WAY FUN. I'm so relieved!

Onaspring · Post by **Onaspring** » 20 Jan 2015, 18:31

abscate wrote:I'm not sure you are even getting a ETM failure. When the engine stalls, the light comes on I believe.

Good point. Not all the lights come on though. Just a handful.

Interested to see what codes pop up. I've never had a car that actually had a computer new enough to give them off haha!

Post by **abscate** » 21 Jan 2015, 06:37

It's a good thing you are in DEtroit, where you can pop a transmission.

Soda -ing a transmission isn't as effective...

Onaspring · Post by **Onaspring** » 21 Jan 2015, 07:25

Hahahahaha!