"Not Ready" Message - 1999 S70

EdH · Post by **EdH** » 28 Jun 2007, 11:04

I recently purchased a used 1999 S70. When I tried to have the car inspected in NY State, I discovered that the OBD Monitor is "stuck" in a "Not Ready" mode. Despite the fact that I brought the car to a Volvo Dealer, the problem could not be corrected.

Can anyone recommend a solution, other than replacing the On Board Computer?

Post by **JRL** » 28 Jun 2007, 11:32

EdH wrote:I recently purchased a used 1999 S70. When I tried to have the car inspected in NY State, I discovered that the OBD Monitor is "stuck" in a "Not Ready" mode. Despite the fact that I brought the car to a Volvo Dealer, the problem could not be corrected.

Can anyone recommend a solution, other than replacing the On Board Computer?

It means someone just cleared a check engine light.
(Emphasis on JUST)
Check to see if the car has any codes via a code reader then DRIVE it for about 50-75 miles.
It should then be "ready" for inspection
I can't believe they didn't tell you all this

.....
If you have driven it more than this since you bought it you will have to get Volvo to clear the computer then drive it for those miles.
Unless there is some sort of stored code that for some reason isn't showing up, this should work/
It could also mean that the previous owner disconnected the check engine light and the only way you will found this out is to have the codes read.
Again, I can't believe a dealer wouldn't be smart enough do that while you were there, takes all of two minutes

EdH · Post by **EdH** » 29 Jun 2007, 06:12

JRL,

Thanks for your prompt response!
I was told to drive the car for 50-100 miles by the dealer.
They actually kept the car for a week to drive it around.
At the end of the week, which was the last day of the
grace period that NY State gave me to have the car inspected,
they told me that two oxygen sensors needed to be replaced.
$800 later the "not ready" message was stiil on and the dealer
gave me a "waiver" from NY State to get an inspection sticker.
The service manager gave me a "story line" that the only way
to correct this would be to replace the on board computer at a
cost of about $1,500.

Do you think the dealer ripped me off? I agree with you
that they should have been smart enough to correct this
problem. Should I contact Volvo?

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
Ed

Post by **JRL** » 29 Jun 2007, 06:26

Contacting Volvo will do no good, they don't give a crap what their dealers do or not do.
I'll ask again, WERE THERE ANY CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS during all this?
If an 02 sensor was bad, a CEL would have been on.
If you've been going thru all this without a check engine light, they either ripped you off, or as I said, the light was pulled by the previous owner
THAT is what you have to find out before you go any further.
If no light, something really fishy is going on (and stop taking it to that dealer)

EdH · Post by **EdH** » 29 Jun 2007, 07:39

JRL,

Sorry if I didn't make this clear the first time around.
No, there were no "check engine" lights on at any time, or any other warning lights on at any time. If so, I wouldn't have bought the car or I would have had the seller fix it!

To make it more complicated, before I bought this car, I had had it checked out by a different Volvo dealer in CT, where the seller lives.
They told me the car was fine. After I discovered this problem (when I tried to have the car inspected in NY) I called them back to ask them about the on board computer. The CT Volvo dealer told me they never
checked the computer because no warning lights were on! I called the previous owner and, of course, he told me he never had any problems with the computer or any check engine lights.

If the light was pulled by the previous owner, wouldn't the Volvo dealer
have checked this?

Help!!

Any advice?

dkemmel · Post by **dkemmel** » 29 Jun 2007, 12:36

If the dealer won't fix the problem correclty and you keep having this problem, you should think about seeking legal help, The site I use for problems with my vovlo is http://www.volvoproblems.com. They helped me a lot.

zenmervolt · Post by **zenmervolt** » 29 Jun 2007, 13:56

I was looking through TSB's and came across one from a '98 S70 that may apply to your car as well.

Make: VOLVO
Model: S70
Year: 1998

Service Bulletin Number: 2334
NHTSA Item Number: 620152

Summary Description:
ENHANCED INSPECTION / MAINTENANCE (I/M) PROGRAMS. THIS BULLETIN ADDRESSES CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 1996 VOLVO MODEL 850 AND 1996 - 1997 VOLVO MODEL 960. FOR THESE VEHICLES, INCOMPLETE READINESS CODES WILL NOT INHIBIT THE OBD II SYSTEM FROM MONITORING, DETECTING, AND SUBSEQUENTLY STORING A CORRESPONDING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE IN SYSTEM MEMORY. IT CAN BE EXPECTED THAT ONE OF THESE VEHICLES EXHIBITING INCOMPLETE READINESS CODES, BUT PRESENTING NO DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTCS), WILL MEET I/M EMISSION STANDARDS. *TT

cyclmck · Post by **cyclmck** » 29 Jun 2007, 22:12

EdH wrote:JRL,

Thanks for your prompt response!
I was told to drive the car for 50-100 miles by the dealer.
They actually kept the car for a week to drive it around.
At the end of the week, which was the last day of the
grace period that NY State gave me to have the car inspected,
they told me that two oxygen sensors needed to be replaced.
$800 later the "not ready" message was stiil on and the dealer
gave me a "waiver" from NY State to get an inspection sticker.
The service manager gave me a "story line" that the only way
to correct this would be to replace the on board computer at a
cost of about $1,500.

Do you think the dealer ripped me off? I agree with you
that they should have been smart enough to correct this
problem. Should I contact Volvo?

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
Ed

There are many different obd2 monitors that the engine management system uses to determine if all of the emission systems and sensors are working, for each monitor to become ready sensor values for that monitor have to reach certain values. Do you know which monitor is not ready? If the car has been put through a full drive cycle and the monitors are not all ready then there could be a problem with a sensor, or it could be the engine computer. You should not have to pay for something that you did not need. It sounds like you did not actullay need o2 sensors, the dealer should refund you or credit the the cost of that repair. You should either have the dealer put the computer in(which they diagnosed and would be liable for if it does not fix it) or you could get a used computer from ebay or a wrecking yard.

EdH · Post by **EdH** » 02 Jul 2007, 07:00

According to an inspection report I received from NY State, the following OBD Monitors came up with a "Not Ready" status:

1. Catalyst
2. Evaporative System
3. Oxygen Sensor

If there is a problem with the on board computer, does this normally happen with Volvos or is this something that the prior owner may have tinkered with?

Please advise.

Thanks.

Post by **JRL** » 02 Jul 2007, 14:31

EdH wrote:According to an inspection report I received from NY State, the following OBD Monitors came up with a "Not Ready" status:

1. Catalyst
2. Evaporative System
3. Oxygen Sensor

If there is a problem with the on board computer, does this normally happen with Volvos or is this something that the prior owner may have tinkered with?

Please advise.

Thanks.

All common Volvo problems.
The evap sustem is probably the culprit, most of this system is in the back of the car and should be easily remedied.
It could actually be as simple as a faulty cas cap
Allegedly you have new 02 sensors so you're down to 2. Hopefully it's not the cat converter, (expensive)!
However, I'm still a bit confused, ALL of these will throw a check engine light.
It's not very hard to pull the dash cluster and see if the light has been disabled.