1998 S90 possible PNP issue

[CoachMcGuirk]

Greetings fellow Volvo drivers. I purchased a 1998 S90 for $800, it runs great, has 166,000 miles on it, looks good under the hood, no weird sounds or smells, no leaks but it's due for smog and the check engine light is on. This car was the owner's secondary vehicle and he didn't feel like spending extra money on it to get it repaired. I couldn't pass up the price so I understand the risk I'm taking.

As I mentioned earlier the check engine light is on, there's a flashing arrow, the speedometer function comes and goes randomly, the car can't shift in park (one workaround has been leaving it in neutral and lifting the e-brake) but reverse and drive function, and I'm not sure if it's in limp mode but the car doesn't feel like it's straining much when accelerated however I do feel the car occasionally jerk forward.

Now I drove it a few miles to and from work for a couple of days but due to my fear of possibly causing more problems I stopped driving it but I'm curious as to what exactly the problem could be. Does the PNP switch need to be realigned or replaced? Is it a possible major transmission or solenoid issue? How much could this possibly cost me? Any and all help is much appreciated!

[precopster]

Speedos were a common problem with 960s and S90s. They had 2 faulty electrolytic capacitors which caused random cutout of the speedo. The repair isnwell documented over on the Brickboard forum.

As for the code you would need to scan the car with an OBDII reader to get some more info about the fault. How dark is the tranny fluid. Is it low? Some basic checks and a couple of drain and fills and a new filter could work wonders.

[DEWFPO]

You can get the code read for free at most all auto parts stores.

Let us know and check back.

DEWFPO