V70 AWD '98 no-start

terrencekeenan · Post by **terrencekeenan** » 27 Jan 2009, 17:01

Hi Larry,
Still no start.
But I'm wondering if I've got it connected to the bypass terminal in the fusebox. There is a white plastic fuse holder (different than all the rest) with a small blade terminal in it, and I figured that that was the right one to hook up my wife to.

I read some other post of a guy troubleshooting for older 240 having trouble starting. He suggested almost the same thing, hooking up the wire to the terminal on the solenoid, but then hooking the other end to a starter test terminal wire (pink) near the dipstick. I would guess that it's essentially the same thing.

Post by **holler1** » 27 Jan 2009, 17:32

Yes, it's a white plastic fixture with a blade terminal sticking up out of it - see photo

: 70_abs_1.JPG (35.13 KiB) Viewed 1396 times

and the small blade terminal on the solenoid. Don't forget to also turn the key. Just to check if the solenoid is working at all, you could connect a wire straight from the battery + post to the blade terminal- this should make the solenoid kick in as soon as the wire touches the terminal.

If it doesn't crank with this connected, the problem might be in the key switch or even the ground connections that MIJ mentioned. I have also heard some people say they got their solenoid working by hitting it with a hammer.

terrencekeenan · Post by **terrencekeenan** » 29 Jan 2009, 22:00

I tried the bypass with no success. So yesterday, after turning the key about 50 times, my car started, I warmed it up and drove over to the auto electrical shop.

Their diagnosis was the key-switch assembly (?). Part needs to be ordered from Volvo (5-10 days wait, it has to be cut to my key) at a cost of 350. Plus another 350 for labor - 700 total.
I know my car is not the cheapest to fix, but geeze. What questions should I be asking tomorrow?

Post by **holler1** » 30 Jan 2009, 05:36

You can replace just the electrical section of the key switch, that doesn't involve getting a new key, reprogramming etc. I replaced mine a few months ago as have several others on this forum. It's easy to replace. The cost is $43 from FCP Groton. http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exec/p ... ory_id/199

That didn't help mine but it could be your problem. Hopefully MIJ or some others will chime in. I can't see this would cost more than 1/2 hour of labor at the dealer. It is accessed by removing the lower section of plastic below the steering wheel, just below the wheel adjustment lever. There are some instructions- I'll try to locate them on my other computer or I think there may be a thread in the forum.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 30 Jan 2009, 07:42

I agree that this may do it...unlike others where the key is catching or not even pulling out (stuck), which would necessitate replacing the mechanical portion, yours turns smoothly but won't start the car, so the electrical portion (not that expensive) may be the answer. The other possibility I thought of is that the starter itself may have developed some hot spots on it, thus sometimes it catches and at other times it doesn't....this is not as common, but could be exactly what's going on with your car.

Post by **holler1** » 30 Jan 2009, 10:03

Attached diagram shows how to get to the ignition switch. The electrical part is on the left side. Gently wiggle off the electric connector. You might want to try just giving the connector a good wiggle and see if it starts after that. I think there are two screws holding on the switch. Just put on the new switch, attach the connector and try it.

Volvo 850 steering column switches.pdf: (260.21 KiB) Downloaded 132 times

terrencekeenan · Post by **terrencekeenan** » 06 Feb 2009, 22:55

Thanks for everyone's help. It would have been nice to troubleshoot some more, but I needed this car on the road asap. So, I took the shop's (electrical auto shop) word and had them replace the cylinder lock assembly for $645. It did the trick so maybe the next person with these same symptoms can follow this how-to-do:
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=13514

Maybe just changing the electrical portion would have been enough, but I didn't feel like pressuring the mechanics. After talking with the shop, they made their conclusion that it was a mechanical problem because their was no click or engagement in the second key position. I wish I would have taken the old cylinder to inspect.

Again, thanks.

deco · Post by **deco** » 19 Mar 2009, 12:46

Terrence, don't beat yourself up over having the mechanical part of the ignition switch replaced. I'm convinced it was the problem. My '98 V70 had the exact same problem as shown in your very helpful video. My key would spin around several times, but when it would catch I thought switch was working fine. The fuel pump would pressure up, the return spring in the electrical portion of the switch would get wound up, and, most of all, when the key reached the end of its travel in position III, one of the idiot lights would go dark and a faint click could be heard somewhere in the dash (I think. It certainly wasn't the solenoid) and the headlights would go dim. Because of this, I was sure a circuit was completed between the #30 and #50 pins on the electrical switch and that the starter motor should have been engaging. I figured the fault had to be with the starter motor, or the PNP switch, or the starter motor relay, or the wiring in between, or the electrical portion of the ignition switch, or a bad ground, or maybe a fusible link. But after wasting more time than I care to admit, and thanks to something MOM did in the link you mentioned, I removed the electrical part for the umpteenth time, hooked it up to the wiring harness, and turned it with a screwdriver. The starter motor engaged reliably. Obviously, when the mechanical part of the switch goes, not only does it spin around a lot (something that I thought I could live with), but also, when it finally catches, it doesn't rotate far enough to connect the needed posts in the electrical portion, despite the "click" and the dash indicator light turning off as mentioned earlier. I replaced the mechanical portion yesterday with one I bought on eBay a while ago and everything is working great. By the way, while MOM's link would be invaluable to anyone with a 2000 70 series (the photos with the text tags were great), replacing the switch in a '98 is immensely simpler. About the only things you detach are the turn signal lever (two screws) and the windshield wiper lever (two screws), and then remove the two screws that hold the ignition switch in place. The steering wheel and all that stuff stays in place. One last note, DON'T TRY TO DRILL THE HEADS OFF OF THESE SCREWS. Because I had a 3/8" screw machine drill bit I started on that course, 3/8" pretty much being the diameter of the screw head and the short drill bit length allowing me to fit my drill beneath the instrument cluster's canopy (also, the steel in these fasteners didn't seem to be hardened, which I would assume is the case since how else would the break-away heads detach?). I'm so glad I stopped because the landing on which the head of the screw sits is only about 3/64" wide and perhaps 1/16" deep. Once I had broken through the remainder of the steel head, I'm sure I would have plowed through that aluminum land before being able to stop, thereby destroying that entire casting, a part that I would assume would be hard to find and ridiculously costly to replace. The contributors who used a Dremel tool to cut a slot in this head (I imagine they used a small diameter bur since there didn't seem to be enough room to use a cutoff wheel), or who drilled a hole in the fastener and used an EZ-out, definitely had the right approach. Or you could drill or grind a notches on the outer edges of the head and drive it around with a hammer and punch.

aeropraise · Post by **aeropraise** » 21 Apr 2009, 13:49

Hi Folks,

I'm new to this site, but I stumbled upon this thread out of desperation. I'll post my details below, but in summary -- I've had the same intermittent no-start symptoms on my '98 V70XC for 18+ months. I've had the both the tumbler and the "antenna sync ring" replaced at a repair shop, and yet I continue to experience the no-start problem. I am not mechanically inclined, so I don't know what (if anything) I can do, but if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know.

Here are more details...

I have a '98 V70 XC AWD with ~160K miles on it. Eighteen months ago I was having problems starting the car, and my mechanic put in a new tumbler. Two days later, the car wouldn't start again -- the mechanic said to try starting it in Neutral (something about a neutral safety switch?); I did, and it worked. Life went on and only one other time did I have to shift into Neutral to start the car.

Months go by, and once again the car wouldn't start. No cranking, but all lights/accessories work, battery is fine, etc. I turn the key and just hear an electronic "whirr" for a second or two, then nothing. I tried starting in Neutral; no good. After about 2 dozen start attempts, the engine cranked and started. I drove it to the repair shop; they couldn't find a fault code, but based on the symptoms they said it might be either the "antenna ring" or the starter itself -- but they couldn't be sure it was either.

I opted to not have anything done, and the car operated fine for about 3 weeks. Then it happened again -- no start. Lights/accessories/battery all fine, but I couldn't get it started in P or N. I tried starting the car for about 1.5 hours (probably 75-100 times), and it never cranked. Had the car towed about 2 miles to the mechanic; when it got off the tow truck it turned over and started without a problem. My mechanic again couldn't duplicate the error, and couldn't find a fault code, but again said it could be either the antenna ring or the starter. I had him replace the antenna ring.

Then, after a couple of days driving the car without incident, getting ready to head home after work -- the car wouldn't start again. Same symptoms. Replacing the antenna ring obviously didn't solve the problem. Over the past 6-8 months, I’ve experienced the problem about 10 times (including once again this afternoon). Sometimes, I will let the car sit for a few minutes, and after 10-15 times of turning the key it will start right up. Other times, I’ll have to leave the car (usually over night in my work parking lot), and the next day it will start up fine and run fine for weeks without any issues. There is no rhyme or pattern to the issue. It has occurred after stopping for gas on the way into work (after a 15-minute drive), on my way home in the evening (after sitting for several hours), and even in the morning (after the car sat at home overnight).

I’m at a loss for what to do. I could have it towed every time the problem occurs, but that could get costly, especially if it starts up again as soon as it arrives at the repair shop. I’ve even taken the car to a different repair shop to get a second opinion, and I’m told the same thing – the problem can’t be diagnosed unless it’s duplicated at a repair shop. I’m hesitant to spend $500 for the starter replacement when no one can even guarantee that will fix the problem. Does anyone have any thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

Thank you!

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 21 Apr 2009, 14:43

Based on your description you have a failing PNP (Park Neutral Position) switch on your transmission. You can often get them to work again by rowing the shifter back and forth from Low to Park, quickly, 15 or 20 times.

...Lee

V70 AWD '98 no-start

Re: V70 AWD '98 no-start