RESOLVED 2001 XC70 Replaced Starter and Now Immobilized

[vtl]

I found out once the plug popped out on its own after siren repair on wife's V70. Anyway, at this age the siren might have a bad battery. You can run the car with the siren unplugged, if you don't mind "Alarm service" messages. It does not affect immobilizer.

You have to read the codes, really.

[deepsouth]

Cracked open the immobilizer and full of brownish fluid--batteries are shot and circuit board is totally destroyed. Going to leave it unplugged.

The starter is getting power to it so I'm taking off the new starter and going to take it back to AZ to get tested. Long shot but I guess it happens. I suppose next I should try the immobilizer antenna?

[deepsouth]

RESOLVED!!! Turns out the AZ starter was bad out of the box. I suppose this is an important lesson about Autozone's reman starters.

My immobilizer board is garbage so I took it out (it had been unhooked anyway) and everything is running swimmingly. Also serious props for the bumper/headlight access advice! Thank you precopster and vtl!

(Although I'm still slightly questioning my decision to leave the 1990's behind and embrace the P2 Volvos.)

Eric

[vtl]

Alarm siren is not an immobilizer. It is just a loud battery-backed buzzer. Immobilizer's function in this car is spread across several computers.

P2 is a good car. Get a working clone of DiCE unit and the car will tell you what's broken.

[deepsouth]

Gottcha, so my question then becomes: why would having a bad starter installed trigger the "immobilizer, see manual" message? Once I put a working starter in no more immobilizer message and the car runs fine.

[vtl]

Probably because CEM does not know if immobilizer was triggered. It can judge by looking at cranking (or not) engine.

[jimmy57]

You can get immobilizer message from key being on for a long time before starter is attempted to be used.

But, it is not a bad idea to drop the lower steering column (3 torx 25 screws up in the torx shaped holes) and then unplug and clean the terminals with contact cleaner spray and then use dielectric grease on them and plug it back in.

[oragex]

Now that's a busted siren module. You will keep having that Alarm message but it goes off after a few minuted driving.

[abscate]

When you get old and crusty enough like me you actually jump starter motors in the parts place before taking them home....glad you got it done!!