Another alarm issue thread

[C1ph3r]

edit: i put this in the wrong forum. I have a P80 chassis 1999 V70 T5.

ok gang. i feel a little bad to open up yet another thread about alarms but i cannot find specifics to guide me though my issues.

using the key fob, lock and unlock works as expected (well with one of the remotes. the other remote doesnt seem to work at all despite a new batter. but one issue at a time)

issues:

• no light flash on lock or unlock.

• if the key is in the ignition, not turned into any position, just inserted into the ignition, when the drivers door is shut the locks make a noise and motion as to suggest they are trying to lock. does this in any key position. if my lock motors worked like new, i suspect it would try to lock.

• led on dash doesnt look to ever flash/light up

I have tried slamming the hood and hatch what not making sure everything is closed but hasnt made any difference. i still dont understand how the car knows if the hood is opened or not. there are no electrics in the hood latch and i cant seem to find any pin switches.

admittedly i have not tried to set off the alarm by locking with the fob and then opening a door. i am afraid i will trip some sort of immobilizer and not be able to start my car.

oh and i do have the alarm horn mounted to the firewall. no idea if it works or not.

any assistance on where to start looking is much appreciated.

[br0dy519]

You can't hurt anything by doing a functional test of the alarm. Roll the drivers window down, close the door, lock with fob, then open from inside. Your alarm should sound. The part I'm confused on is the lock sound you're talking about. The only noise that my car makes are the HVAC damper motors finding themselves (sounds like a chatter), could that be the sound you're mistaking? For the record, no lights emit when you unlock the P2 vehicles, they only light after a successful lock. Also which LED are you referring to on the dash?

Any strange intermittent issue like you're mentioning that I've had has always been resolved by doing a battery disconnect, reconnect (using the correct sequence of key in pos2), closing all doors, then locking/unlocking using the fob 3 times.

Aside from that I'm not sure you can do much outside of a good VIDA code read. Perhaps it's your driver's door module, or something of the like. VIDA would help pinpoint it if any of the above don't help.

[C1ph3r]

Doh! I just realized i posted this in the wrong forum. can a mod move this thread?

I have a 1999 V70. P80 chassis. And the noise is indeed the locks trying to actuate. I can see the plunger move slightly when i shut the door.

The LED is mounted center on top of the dash. It should be flashing when the alarm is armed. As for battery disconnect, oh yeah. Thats been done a number of times and for very long durations since I got the car in December last year.

You can't hurt anything by doing a functional test of the alarm. Roll the drivers window down, close the door, lock with fob, then open from inside. Your alarm should sound. The part I'm confused on is the lock sound you're talking about. The only noise that my car makes are the HVAC damper motors finding themselves (sounds like a chatter), could that be the sound you're mistaking? For the record, no lights emit when you unlock the P2 vehicles, they only light after a successful lock. Also which LED are you referring to on the dash?

Any strange intermittent issue like you're mentioning that I've had has always been resolved by doing a battery disconnect, reconnect (using the correct sequence of key in pos2), closing all doors, then locking/unlocking using the fob 3 times.

Aside from that I'm not sure you can do much outside of a good VIDA code read. Perhaps it's your driver's door module, or something of the like. VIDA would help pinpoint it if any of the above don't help.

[scot850]

The alarm horn seldom works now at this age. It would chirp when locking if it worked.

I don't believe any Volvos sold in NA in the P80 fold were fitted with the deadbolt function. Never seen it so don't know if it is possible the car was a personal import? I believed that option closed the locks when the car started not when put in the lock.

So not sure what is going on here. Like Brody says, it could be one of the door actuators not functioning correctly. Have you tried to check all the doors do lock and un-lock with the fob, that includes the tailgate?

Neil.

[C1ph3r]

yeah i have read that the alarm horn goes out on these.

all 4 doors and tailgate work from the button, key or the key fob when they want to. LOL We just started getting hot days here since i bought the car and the locks are working more infrequently as the car gets hot from the sun. However this has been going on since i got the car.

as far as it being an import, i have no reason to think it was. i have the original window sticker. it looks like any other window sticker of a car i've seen here in the states.

[scot850]

The reason the door locks stop working is because they have a thermo-resistor built into each door lock. It is there more for cold climates where locks can freeze. Basically if the motor works too hard then it shuts them down to prevent damage to the lock and motor and the wiring harness.

Problem is over 15-20 years the resistors degrade and the motors and mechanisms get gummed up. Add warmer temperatures and then you get the resistors failing in hot weather when they shouldn't.

viewtopic.php?t=99934

viewtopic.php?t=99933

You will see I just did repairs on one of my actuator motors and am currently waiting for a NOS stock one to arrive for the other door. Due to our winter temps here I prefer to have the locks working as they should. Where you live you can do the copper wire replacement for the resistor.

I have also ordered a couple of aftermarket replacement motors and end caps with the resistor in to try. They are linked in the thread.

One thing I should add is that I could not believe how filthy the actuators and all the lock mechanism were. The car is mostly garage stored and the only time it wasn't in the last 10 years is was under a car cover for one winter.

We do get a lot of wild-fires out to the west of where we live which may contribute to all the dust.

Either way I lubed the motor shaft and drive mechanism to the gears with silicon grease (as used by plumbers for 'O' rings).

Do not use regular oil for anything inside the case. As for the rest of the mechanism I cleaned it off and sprayed any moving parts with silicon oil again as they are mostly plastic.

I would suggest what you may have is the motors sticking or the latches and they are just resetting to the correct position when you put the key in the ignition.

Neil.

[C1ph3r]

thanks for those links. yeah i knew about the thermo resistors. i just ordered up an old used actuator to have on the bench to take apart before i dig into my actual doors. i like to learn as much as i can about things off the car to limit the time the car is down. i tend to get distracted and it takes me way longer, like days, to get back to something.

i will for sure lube everything up once apart. i have lots of various lubes in the garage for all sorts of things. along with the type you referenced for plumbing.

i replaced just the motors in my old IS300 a couple years back. way cheaper to just replace the motor than the entire actuators. worked like a champ. thats the plan with this car too.

[BEJinFbk]

This is a good place to learn more about
how your keyless entry and alarm systems work:

https://volvo.custhelp.com/app/manuals/ ... /om_id/899

The noise you hear is the keyless system
not letting the driver's door remain locked
if it senses a key in the ignition.

One long light flash for arm.
If you see no flash when arming,
but the doors all lock, something
is being sensed open.

No flash on unlock - one press for
driver's, two times for all doors.

The hood switch is part of the
latch mechanism on the driver's side.

AND - If you want to let the car warm up,
the doors can be locked when there's
a key in the ignition by locking it with a
second key at the driver's door cylinder.

[C1ph3r]

I read thought the owners manual previously. That’s kind of why I was hesitant to even ask about it cause I had the informeraton. Or so I thought. Thanks for the additional information.



So it sounds like since the lights are not flashing, and the doors are locking (when the motors want to play nice) that maybe a pin switch is open? It would have to be the hood right? Because all he interior lights function as normal. None of the lights stay on with the doors or tailgate are closed. And they come on as they should when opened.

The interior lights do come on with the remote unlock and go out with a lock.

but I do not see any wires going to the either hood latch. Maybe PO disconnected it? I’ll look for it again and see what I can find. But I have had them both out and the only thing attached was the hood release cable.

[C1ph3r]

Also, thank you mods for moving this into the correct forum.